Walking around the stores in the recent months, one thought has come to my mind time and time again: I don’t like anything. All the shops sell the same thing, and often what they do sell is grossly overpriced. Although I’ve got this whole Quest For Cuteness thing going on, I do at the same time like things that are slightly unusual or hard to come by, but this is very difficult with the lack of choice available. So I’ve decided to start making my own clothes. Before this conjures up images of shapeless outfits and general ill-fitting clothes, it was reported last week that even the likes of Gwen Stefani make their own clothes these days…..Ok, so her clothing choices may be rather unique, but you catch my drift. These days, home seamstressing has come a long way since Fraulein Maria dressed Captain Von Trapp’s children in the drapery castoffs. I used to sew a lot when I was younger, but somehow work got in the way and I stopped. I used to really enjoy it too. But it was mostly on my mum’s machine, and it’s still firmly a part of her life. So I’m thinking about getting this: the Pfaff ClassicStyle 2025.

Pfaff machines ROCK as they’ve got the patented “IDT”, which stands for Integrated Dual-feed Techonology whereby the machine feeds through the top layer of fabric at the same rate that the feed-dogs feed through the layer of fabric underneath. This means that you can sew really fine fabrics, or ones that are all shiney and slippy without any puckering issues, and you can also sew multiple layers of really thick materials without any problems at all. I saw a Pfaff being demonstrated the other day, and it went through 16 (yes, s-i-x-t-e-e-n) layers of denim without batting an eyelid, and the tension remained perfect. This will be a great machine for making clothes and bags. It’s not the top of the range, but it does the basics, and from past experience, I know I don’t need any of the fancy stitches, so I think this will suit me just fine. Plus, the beauty of Pfaff is that they make dual voltage machines, so perfect for me should I find myself back in England at some point in my future, YAY!

It's arrived, YAAAAY! But I can't get my hands on it just yet as I'm visiting home for 10 days. But anyway, being in London has allowed me to stop back at the Cath Kidston shop to get some more "supplies". Here's my collection so far (plus a couple of other bits thrown in too…) 

my latest appliances: 

And I adore the cowboy print- not that this is kitchen stuff, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway….it's a washbag and matching cosmetic bag, made from wipe-clean oil cloth, so useful for camping. So too is the poncho….. I think I need to ban myself from Cath Kidston, LOL!

EEEKS! Aren't these the cutest EVER!!!! Ok, so I know they probably not to everyone's tastes, and they probably wouldn't be seen adorning the feet of Carmen Electra, but

1. I like them
2. To me, they're cute
3. They're in girly colours
4. They feel ME!

If the shoe fits, then get it, right? Which is exactly what I did, and I'm glad, as they now look to be sold out (har har!). I wore them the other day for the first time, and spent the whole night squealing with pleasure each time I got a glimpse of my tootsies. Very comfortable on the whole, although the sole could have done with a bit more 'spring' (unless that's part of the whole 80s retro thing about them…..prior to all the fancy air-in-sole techy stuff). In classic adidas style, they're nice and roomy, and they do up well too- I've got narrow feet, so sometimes when I do shoes up, the superfluous leather tends to buckle a bit. Nope, none of that with these babies. 100% recommended. Now here are some more pics for your viewing pleasure….

And here's what the good folks at adidas have to say (and I cherish every word, hee hee!):

Take a trip way back in time, to the eighties, when shoulder pads were big and aerobics was king. The grace was a classic workout sneaker and it's been reissued by adidas in its original, insane, amazing colorways. Mid-top with patent Velcro strap up top, breathable soft leather upper, logo tag on side, triple stripe stitching and embroidered trefoil logo on the back. The patterned rubber sole offers grip, while the foam midsole has great cushion. Let's get physical.

HURRAH!!!!! I got one! You may remember that I posted that I wanted this one but I had a change of heart. It was beautiful and pink and girly, BUT here were my thoughts: if one is going to get a Kitchenaid, then it should be colourful and bold and bright and standy outy, and the light pink just wouldn't have done that quite so well.

So then I thought maybe about bright pink, but that might be a bit sickly after a while, and there's always the risk of it clashing with the ingredients (now daaahling, that just wouldn't do would it?!). So this is the one I finally went for. Crystal Blue. Cool huh? I can't wait for it to arrive…it should be here

in a week )