art equals happy.

What I wore... to my 1st year Exhibition.

I don't often get the chance nowadays to get all dressed up for an occasion- as the time that it takes to do my hair and makeup wipes me out on a good day (thanks to M.E./CFS), and the thought of trekking across town to socialize with a bunch of people I don't know (and probably will never see again) just for the sake of 'going out' doesn't appeal to me, as it would take me nearly a week to recover from all that. So, I am often labeled as 'square' or 'boring'- even if I'M the one putting those labels on myself. I often miss the more outgoing version of myself (pre-illness), who would jump at the opportunity to don my best gear and hop on the back of a scooter, just to hang out a pub or stand nervously at the side of the dancefloor.It's not that I don't enjoy my quiet life, and the different kinds of fun I have now- but I do miss everyone thinking that I was the hippest cat around.
Since I've had to change so many things in my lifestyle, my dressing style has also relaxed quite a bit. I've been embracing a more 70's look, and finding ways to be comfortable (like wearing jeggings instead of tights) while still wearing pretty clothes.

Boy, I can't half ramble, can I? haha. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I took the opportunity of my 1st Year Illustration Exhibition Private View to wear a new dress of mine and actually spend the time to make my hair into a bouffant again. And it felt great- like a little piece of my old lifestyle (even though mum was around to drive us there and help me do my hair).
What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Vintage, ebay.
Tights: H&M
Shoes: unknown
Scooter Pin: Gift from friend.
Hair Bow: Handmade by Rhian CarolineIt was a grand evening. There was quite a good turn out for our little exhibition and a sweetie pie from my class handmade me some tootsie pop wrapper badges! I loooveee them so much. <3 Unfortunately, this dress was accidentally thrown into the dryer on a busy weekend when we had loads of house guests, and it shrunk and shriveled all horribly. It was pretty sad, because it fit me amazingly. But still- at least I know which style I want to use when I make a dress for myself.

<3 kimxo 

Louie gets settled. :: Vespa Adventures.

Louie is getting nice and aquatinted with his new home. I've parked him on the street like a big boy- but I can keep an eye on him from my kitchen window. [: He really brightens up the street, in my opinion, and it gives me little shivers of joy to see him smiling back at me every-time I put the kettle on!
A dear friend of mine, whom I met in October last year came over to scan some negatives and have a cup of tea and share her easter knitting projects. [: Emma didn't really know how to crochet or knit at all until I met her (except for the odd lesson by her crafty-wise relatives), and this week I got her started on some colour work stuff! She picks up things superfast, and won't half be surprised if she shows up next week with some crazy coloured squares! I digress... Emma is studying photography at Camberwell and she lives just down the road, which is a win/win because she took these beautiful photos!!!
My Clobber:
shift dress- Vintage, ebay
men's shirt: vintage, Portobello
Jeggins: H&M
shoes: TomsHere is a list of things that I am digging right now:
Rolled up sleeves.
Mini dresses.
Huge 'grandma' style undies/high waisted shorts.
Messy hair.
Casual shoes.
Hand knitted socks.
Little to no makeup.
Pigtails. 

And here is a wee photo of emma. [:Fun fact- we played a game of cards, which normally should take like 10 min, that lasted for nearly 2 hours! I blame this on us being so well matched, in terms of card abilities. haha. I am a big fan of card games, did you know that? Are you a card person or more of a board game person? I like both!
kxo

The Louie Story III

In July 2008- I debuted my first paper line! I had posted a picture of Louie on flickr a little while back, asking if anyone would be interested in me making some vespa-inspired papers... and Rachel Denbow answered back saying YES PLEASE and could she put it in the RVA Kit Club that was going on back then. My heart was so full! Two of my very favourite things coming together in such a great way. I worked hard on these and it was amazing to see something come into fruition like this. A real dream come true- and it was confirmation of what I really wanted to do. Memorable little shoot with Louie and my newly designed papers! Heather took about a gazillion of them for me (thanks again!) and I edited them all up and opened my Etsy Shop shortly afterwards. I think that was the same time that I switched from blogger to typepad too. Big times guys, big times. Art Equals Happy was real! 

In the same month- the same time, actually- I had to nip into an internet cafe to check and see when the Kit went live! haha.... I went on a trip to Spain with my art class. The good memories that I took from that trip- I will always cherrish, but I got sick. I mean... really sick. I think the water was affecting me, we walked way too much for my out-of-shape self and my sore legs, I was overheating all day (even though I was wearing less that I felt comfortable with), and the stress of trying to stay 'mod' and keeping a good sketchbook/seeing stuff while feeling so rubbish collided and I couldn't do it. I stayed in the hotel for some of the time and turned in early most evenings. It was only a 5 day trip or something but... it was hellish for me. The places we went to were amazing! I saw Miro's work and had many delish meals with friends, drank a bit of sangria with my girlfriends and played with masking tape... but it was overwhelming. I didn't even text my parents to tell them I was ill, because I didn't want to admit it to myself! But it was my first taste at what life would be like with CFS/M.E. and what happens when you push yourself too hard. Everyone was great about it- Jayce offered to carry my bags and my tutors even bought me a sweet pair of sunglasses at a market I couldn't attend, and Becky went on detours with me to buy iced tea... I digress...

When I got home- I thought, rest for a while and it will go away. It didn't. Long story short- I was diagnosed and riding my scooter less and less because of how tired I felt- I was a little scared that if I rode too much I might get 'foggy headed' and endanger someone. It was all so new to me.As summer came to a close- I knew that there were some things I was going to have to give up. I didn't want to admit it yet- but in order to focus all my energies on my studies/art (I was attempting to do a full 2 year course in 1 year plus my other subjects)... something was going to have to give.

On my 18th birthday I 'met' Jon and we started dating. It was incredible not to have all that pressure for me to  look like a 'face'. The combination of my supportive, chilled out friendship group and finding out how to deal with CFS meant that I learnt to relax in my dressing style and my lifestyle. Another long story short- Mum drove me to school most days.

My scooter club were obviously wondering where I had disappeared to. I kept saying that 'I'll be better soon', because I honestly believed that. I didn't get that much better. Slowly I was only in contact with Eddy Bullet, and popped round his shop a like once maybe. Then... it was summer again and I was planning on moving to London. I decided to keep him at my parents house- it didn't make sense to move him when I rode him so little and I was in halls.

Poor Louie, stuck in the garage. :[ I'd go out and sit on him sometimes, but mainly I just waved at him through the window. I missed him a lot. Sep- I moved to London. Oct- my CBT expired. So now I couldn't ride him even if I wanted to. He kind of took a back seat in my life, like an old photograph of happy times past.

Wow. Lots happened in 2010. I had survived my first year of going to University in London and living in Halls and I had survived the breakup with Jon when he went to India. I had new friends in a new town and I bought my first flat, moved in... but there was still something missing (besides my energy!). Louie!

My parents also moved in the summertime- closer to London and Louie came with them! When he was driven out of the truck- I fell in love all over again. I missed him alright. So. My goal... Get back on the road soon.

There was a lot to do, to get him ready- his battery had gone kaput and I had to sort out my licensing and check him up and all that. With the start of term again, he got pushed out of priority- and I was worried about whether or not I'd be well enough to ride him. During the fall and winter, we managed to get him running (got to love that kick start) and seeing as my parents were living on a private farm, I rode him around to get requainted. It was great. My heart was full. Then the battery really when fut...

Part IV coming up soon!

Read Part I
and Part II of The Louie Story!

Two trends I'm going to bring back!

(etsy) SCOOTER SKIRTS! Which, are basically skorts (shorts under a skirt, all built in) but really lovely and 60's. And are perfect for... you guessed it- riding on a scooter without flashing your knickers!

(etsy) KNITTED VESTS! Granny square ones are my favourite but any kind of vintage vest is perfect in my eyes. Really lovely for layers and making any outfit a little  bit more special. 

Those two things have been favourite practical-and-beautiful items in my mind for a long time. One of them, I'm going to rework and have in my shop later this year. [: But in the meantime... I thought you might like to share the inspiration. Hope you're having a good Tuesday! kxo

Louie is back!

Today was a beautiful sunny day, and I couldn't wait any longer to tell you all that I passed my CBT (compulsory basic training) this weekend and I'm road-legal again! This is HUGE step for me towards feeling more independent since I fell ill with CFS/M.E. (chronic fatigue syndrome) nearly 3 years ago.

Just being able to get over the hurdle of doing the CBT was huge for me. It's a full day of intensive motorbike skills and on-road-training, something which I would never be able to stick-out completely normally- but I planned it out and did the first half on Saturday, rested on Sunday and did the 2 hour ride to complete it on Monday. The instructors were really nice and understanding and super thorough. I was with three other guys for the first half, and not-going-to-lie, I totally kicked their butts with my awesome skills. haha. :] Nothing quite as empowering as being a girl, on a bike, who knows what she's doing. To be fair, I had a bit more experience, but... it's all good fun.

Being back in that environment, on the road, with my parka, wind (and bugs!) in face, and listening to my scooter's engine when changing gears... it made me happy. Gave me a super big boost of metaphorical energy- a big mood lifter- which made the rest of the day a little easier. [: Nothing like the smell of that blue two-stroke smoke.

The Louie Story Part II

2008 was a big year for me and Louie. I was doing more work for my classes than ever before, I was the photography technician at school, I had several friendship groups to juggle, I was getting ready to open up my etsy shop, I was in a band, I was in a scooter club, I was art journalling every day and blogging and... who knows what else.
It was great to have the freedom of my Vespa to scoot around to friends houses for parties or band practice. I remember, once I got more comfortable, I could ride into Bristol and get my colour film processed during lunch and grab a subway.
I wore my parka basically everyday and was completely in love with Mod fashions. At school there was a 'bike shed' with an overhang where a couple of little motorbikes/scooters would be parked. I was the only girl. It was pretty funny, but the spiders were no laughing matter. yuck.
I was also just getting into Lomography for reals. I swear I never went anywhere without my LC-A. Such a magical time.When summer came and exams were finishing, it was all about going to Harriet's house for movies and band practice or heather's for chocolate milk. A load of my friends loved Louie too, and I'd give them a secret little ride (just around the parking lot) if they were lucky. haha.Harriet and I (right) used to sing 'Lola' really loudly.
The pictures kind of speak for itself so I'll leave it there for now. Part III coming soon!

Read about Part I here. 

The Louie Story part I.

Those of you that have been following my blog since it's inception (and when I had a blogspot called killerxkimxphotography) will know all about my Vespa, Louie. For the new-comers, you might not even know that I have a scooter unless you've looked through my flickrstream loads.

I have some exciting news! Due to my illness, I haven't been able to ride him for nearly two years but this April, I am determined to 'get back on the horse' so to speak. And partly because I'm ridiculously excited and need a count down and partly because I wanted to share these favourite photos with you- I'm going to give you a pretty sentimental recap of The Louie Story.If you'll believe it- I bought this beautiful 150cc Vespa PX from a guy on ebay. I drove a little twist n' go Vespa moped at the time, but I knew that once I turned 17 I could finally get a 'real' scooter. I had a few older Mod friends who were in Scooter Clubs and I always got the piss taken out of me for not having GEARS! The gears on a scooter are on the handlebars (not by your feet like a motorcycle) and to be honest, I was shitting myself about learning gears. haha! Anyway, I digress... I was looking on ebay just to get an approx price so I knew how much I needed to save- when this beautiful minty, bluey, beauty came up. And it was in Bristol. And it ended in 24 hours. It was nearly midnight, I think, but I rushed upstairs to my parents room and actually woke my dad up. I was in love. We went to check it out the next day and I 'gave him an offer, he couldn't refuse'- we paid cash and Louie was mine! I couldn't believe it. It was a very reasonable price as the mirrors were all rusted and the left side panel was smashed up a bit. Louie sat in the garage for two months until I turned 17 and then I started in on the task of learning gears.
I had just started sixth form (like the last two years of high school) which meant no uniforms! It also meant (for me) that guys started paying attention to me. I had an on-again-off-again boyfriend/friend at the time called Matt and we would mainly talk about scooters, music, the 'right' kind of clobber and old films and walk to the bike shed to hang out by Louie (and later, his little matte black vespa). It all felt super romantic at the time, but looking back, we were pretty geeky. haha! I joined the Weston Scooter Club that december where I meant a lot of hilarious guys and they all teased me for driving super slow. I was the only girl... what can I say. haha. It took me a while to get used to a more powerful machine, but I loved every minute of it!During that time I started shooting A LOT of film. I bought my first Holga and I was the Photography Technician at school which basically meant I had to get the darkroom all set up/cleaned up everyday. That made for a lot of very chilly mornings.
I carried my British Airways bag around with me everywhere (what's a Mod without one, eh?) and scooted around to friends houses around the countryside, but still to scared to drive into Bristol until 2008, haha!

I can't quite remember why I originally named him Louie- but, because of Quadrophenia we used to sing "Louie, Louie! ooooooh, no- I said.. We got to go! yeh yeah yehyeaaah." and it just stuck. [:

2008 is coming in part II. [: Hope I'm not boring you too much. You can see more photos of scooter/mod times in this set on flickr. 

PennyRoyal :: something from a while ago.

Some of my long-term followers might remember this band that I used to take pictures for... PennyRoyal. We did a few fun photoshoots and I designed their single but couldn't share the full design because it was still so new. But seeing as it was in 2008, and they aren't together anylonger, I thought you'd like to see the final designs.I loved working on this project because they gave me a lot of free-reign but they also had a lot of creative ideas. It was a good mix. Thought you'd like to see. [:

autumn trip to Brighton.

Back in Autumn, when it still a little bit warm, Saara and I went to visit my parents one weekend and we took a day trip to visit Brighton, because non of us had been there before and also because there was a huge motorcycle thing going on. I was hoping it'd be mostly Vespas, and boy was I wrong! The beach was heaving with greasers!!! Anyway, we had a good time and took lots of film photos. [:Saara had also NEVER eaten Fish and Chips, which is pretty much a crime if you've ever been to England, so we rectified that. haha. It was one of the best I've ever had too, which is lucky. Walked along the promenade and I was being geeky and pointing out places that Quadrophenia might have been filmed. But mostly we watched people and mod-spotted and then got ice cream! Yum Yum Yummmm. Also tried to meet up with some friendsies that go to college in Brighton and we had a bit of a chill out on the pebbly beach.Quite happy that any of these came out, cause this was expired slide film that I cross processed and most of the other roll I took came out blank! So, it's lucky really that these are so nice!
Thanks for letting me share. [: 

favourites today...

Silvie Vartan
and
Marianne Faithful