Crazy, Kitschy Prom Dresses

Prom is the high school equivalent of the Grammys or the Academy Awards: the night is all about getting dolled up and making a statement with your style. While most girls opt for a classic fairytale ball gown or slinky evening gown, every once in a while, someone shows up to prom in a dress that is truly over-the-top. Let’s take a look at some of the craziest, most kitschy prom dress trends to ever hit the high school auditorium.

Duct Tape Mania

What started out as a creative money-saver—to make a prom dress entirely from duct tape—has become a huge fad, thanks to the inception of the Stuck at Prom scholarship programme in the States. Over the years, gals have fashioned everything from Renaissance to rodeo-inspired dresses entirely from duct tape. Definitely one of the most over-the-top submissions this year was a “Queen of Hearts” dress that used silver, red, gold, white, and black duct tape to re-envision the style of the famous Alice in Wonderland character.

Wrapper Flapper. 

Along with duct tape, candy wrappers are a hot commodity when it comes to DIY prom dresses. One girl showed up to her prom in a Starburst wrapper dress, while another showed up in a dress entirely made from bubblegum wrappers. But our favourite of these wackyCandyland-themed dresses is this frock made from Skittles wrappers. The ruffled knee-length skirt seems to pay homage to the 1920s flapper style.

Light Up the Night.

Want to make sure you’re constantly in the spotlight? Show up in a light-up dress to prom next year. Designers are beginning to incorporate technology into wearable prom dresses—think hundreds of colourfulLED lights that shimmer as you move across the dance floor. Not wacky enough? One look at this Tron-themed prom dress—complete with light-up straps and bodice—is sure to leave you dazzled.

The Cat's Meow. 

Why leave your favourite cartoons and animated characters in your past? Pokémon and Sock Monkey have both made big debuts at high school proms, but thanks to Etsy, Hello Kitty was the cat’s meow this prom season. As if the cartoon cat face and big red bow on the bodice weren’t enough, the full tulle skirt lined with fire engine red ribbon makes this frock one of the most over-the-top prom dresses of the year.

It's Too Bloody Hot. I Need a Novelty Ceiling Fan.

If it wasn't freezing 75% of the time in Northern Ireland, I might just invest in one of these. I love the Dr Seuss painted one, which do you like? 

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The Five Most Iconic London Hairdos

When it comes to global trends, London leads the way – and in the world of hairdos this is no different. From the swinging 60s to the indulgent 80s, London has shownthe world what to do and what not to do with their crowning glories so if you’re looking for inspiration then why not take a look at these five iconic London hairdos?

1. The Sloan

Though the original 80s version of this hairstyle lacked a little in the finesse department, it instantly became a globally recognised style. Its strongest feature is the central bouffant which can be accentuated by tying your hair at the back with a scrunchie or puffing it up even more with an Alice band.

2. The rocker

Like the Sloan, the rocker requires a bit of backcombing and puffing. Think Carnaby Street in the 60s or Amy Winehouse circa 2005 and you’ll have a good idea of what we mean. You can complement the puffed-up back with smooth fringes or curled ends for a really great London look.

 

3. The mod

From Twiggy to Quadrophenia, the mod look is a true classic and well worth mastering for your hairstyle repertoire. To achieve the most authentic results try using nice 'n easy blonde hair colouring to become a true blond bombshell.

 

4. The duchess

This one is more of a modern classic, popularised by the ever-glamorous Kate Middleton. A modern variation of the Sloan, this hairdo requires you to look understated yet perfectly groomed at all times. Try using a really good, deep conditioner and then gently blow drying. Use a diffuser if your hair is prone to frizz and then use wide curlers to achieve gentle waves.

5. The Rachel

This one may not have been born in London but its reach was truly global and once it had jumped off of the silver screen and across the pond, there was no keeping it away from the British capital’s salon scene.

If you’d forgotten about this 90s craze, crack open a couple of early Friends videos and remind yourself of the style icon that was Rachel’s hair.

If you’re looking to change your style or just want to do a bit of experimenting, you could do a lot worse than these iconic styles. Pick your favourite, get the necessary tools and hair dyes and set to work transforming your hair.

TinyMe.co.uk Name Labels for the Coolest Kid in Class

TinyMe is a brand of terribly cool name label and personal kids' product. Started in 2006 and owned by three fathers (with thirteen children between them!) the emphasis is on cute with a side of sleek design.

TinyMe kitted us out with the Basic Variety pack, so now we are sorted for Back to School time labelling. The great part of these labels is that your child can pick from dozens of images, monkeys, monsters, butterflies, robots and cupcakes. They then can choose a colour scheme, another way to make their books and lunchbox stand out amongst the others'. The variety pack is ideal for those starting primary school, as some can't recognise their own full name yet, but will be able to say, "those must be my gym shoes, they have my picture of a boat on them!".

My son Michael chose the mod monkey on a moped. He loves them, so much so I'm going to have to hide the pack of iron on labels and stickers until closer to school time, or the whole house will be labelled! 

Visit TinyMe.co.uk to create a pack of your own for your child. 

Popping Pop Culture in Famous Paintings

If you have the Vine app, follow Jayadeva, who recreates classic artwork with a pop culture spin. He sent me this Yo Gabba Gabba version of Picasso's The Old Guitarist. Love it framed with an Ikea blue frame.

Beetlejuice shrunken head

iron Man

A Grand Day Out- National Trust Property- Mount Stewart

Mount Stewart is a beautiful day out, only a thirty minute drive from Belfast. Despite living close by, quite embarrassingly I had never visited this National Trust property. As a child my parents took us to all the other properties in Northern Ireland, but bizarrely we never came to stroll the gardens of the estate closest to us. 

This gave me the chance to approach the day out as a true tourist. We picked the perfect day, warm, dry and a nice amount of visitors. We started with a picnic on the lawn, then explored the house gardens. The exquisitely kept gated gardens are peppered with fountains, topiary animals, exotic plants & trees and a menagerie of carved stone beasts. I adore topiary, but throw a couple of statues of dodo birds in there and I'm in garden heaven.  

Next we took the mile or so walk around the lake to find The White Stag in the meadows. Very peaceful.

We were lucky that day the house, which is still used as a residence, was open to the public. I was blown away by this part of the property. It is well into its refurbishment and the rooms are stunning. I highly recommend touring the house as part of your visit. I plan on returning some day in the autumn when my son is in school and getting a guided tour, as its my dream mansion, full of curiosities and I'm sure the curious tales behind the objects.

All in all, a fantastic day out, and very entertaining for little ones too. My son loved spotting the statues, unusual trees in the atrium and the treasure hunt in the grand house kept that part fresh for his tired eyes and legs at the end. If you live here, visit, if you don't, add Mount Stewart to your trip itinerary for a relaxing day out. 

I Tell You What, Tesco Have Some Smashing Frocks

I picked my favourites from the F+F current collection. There are some beauties, and as always, affordable.  

First, here is me, being an awkward version of a fashion blogger, showing you one of their past season tweed, limited edition dresses. I love the square sequin details and it goes really well with my Pluck & Devour brooch, but then again I wear that with everything. 

Just one thing, F+F, and all clothing brands- SLEEVES, WE NEED MORE SLEEVES. The dresses are beautiful but the majority are sleeveless. Put sleeves on more pieces and you can have my credit card. 

Floral print jersey dress £18

Horizontal stripe prom dress £25, very Beetlejuicey

Limited edition Jacquard prom dress £35

The Now Endangered, Once Magnificent, Novelty Landline Telephone

What does your landline telephone look like these days? It's probably that black BT Hub phone everybody has, isn't it? That's what our's is. Which is a bit of a shame when I so carefully choose retro vases, Eames' style tables and 70s' kitsch lamps, then have a monolith of 2010 sitting in the middle of it all, with an obnoxious samba ringtone.
Yes the landline isn't as important as it once was, and it definitely isn't used at home as often as it was. I think I only use mine to phone my parents or the Doctor. Still, we all have them there, and its a missed opportunity to add flair, and I hate missed opportunities to add flair.
There's a sale on and a selection of retro style phones at John Lewis which is a good place to start for a dial phone with some jazz. I think I need a green one.

Before you pick, here are some phone calls from memory lane. Did you own anything similar?