John Lennon come Elton John... rose tinted specs in a library??

Today was a momentous day; a day which will, mark my words, be remembered for all eternity.

Okay, okay, it was just the day I got my Irlen lenses. Yes, that's right, I have funny glasses; no, they're not sun glasses, they're to treat my Irlen Syndrome (you can read more about it here). Irlen Syndrome is a visual processing disorder, which means that my brain doesn't process visual information properly, so I'm light-sensitive, have a perpetual headache and am constantly anxious. I even have episodes of sensory overload. Words, when reading, also move on the page. Now, with my Irlen lenses these things will be easier to cope with, I shouldn't get as many episodes of sensory overload and even after just a day of wearing them, my headache has improved. They're awesome and I'm so happy!! Woo! I can be a normal human being!!

My frames, if you're wondering, are from Heritage.

(Also I got a new haircut - here's a pic of me just after it'd been done at the hairdresser).

So to celebrate my new look, I did an outfit of the day in my local library, because what can be better than books and clothes, eh? The lighting could be better, but it's worth it for the backdrop.

SHIRT - Charity Shop (brand Lucia) //TROUSERS - Zara // SHOES - Dr Marten (vintage)

I feel like I'm finally looking like myself! Also I was in town today and there appears to be a massive (and by massive I mean, there were like seven) influx of alternative teens around and about. It was cool to see. Back in my day (all those *cough* 5 *cough* years ago) there were practically no people my age that dressed with an edge. But now there are a fair few - it was refreshing.

I've also been doing a lot of illustration recently, because I've decided I'd like to illustrate what I write. You can see my stuff on my art instagram @lou.viv.drawz .


So it's nice to be back. I'll be writing more soon, and I hope you were all happy to hear from me.

INSTA: @janu.art and @lou.viv.drawz // TUMBLR: www.januart.tumblr.com

Lou

<3

VEGAN: recipe for delicious miso mushroom stew with baked potato and greens!

Hi there everyone! 

So I'm back with a recipe - a vegan one, since I've been vegan for nearly 10 months now. So if you want to learn how to cook this super simple and delicious dish, please read on. 

You will need: 

FOR VEG:

A head of broccoli 

As many mushrooms as you like - I used a pack of closed cup

Half a bag of baby spinach

As many spears of asparagus as you'd like - I used around six. 

FOR STEW:

Half a bag of vegan quorn pieces (optional but I added it)

One vegan stock cube

Several splashes of dark soy sauce

A good splash of sriracha 

Salt to taste

A teaspoonful of brown miso paste (which silly me forgot to photograph!)

FOR CARBS:

One medium baking potato 

HOW TO: 

1. Cut a cross into your potato and bake in the oven at 200 degrees celsius for an hour or just over. (Preheat for 20 mins or so, and soften the potato in the microwave for 2 minutes)

2. Boil the kettle, pour around 300ml water into a pan and add your vegan quorn pieces, stock cube, miso paste and soy sauce. Stir in a splash of sriracha as it cooks. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Salt to taste. 

3. Meanwhile, steam your greens for around 5-6 mins. I prefer not to salt my greens, but if you like, add some salt. 

TO PRESENT: 

When everything is all cooked (I try to time it so it's all ready at the same time!) present as so. 

Add a bit of soy margarine to the potato if you like and pour over the stew. Maybe even add a splash more sriracha? 

And enjoy! 

 

I hope you enjoyed this vegan recipe! I certainly did. 

Let me know if you'd like to see any more recipes on this blog? 

And if you make this dish, be sure to tag me in a pic on Instagram @janu.art

(Also my blog name will be changing soon - this blog is not really fashion anymore, is it? It'll be JANUART so look out for me in your feeds!)

Lou xx 

Revival and New Content??

This blog has been going for absolutely years, and I've not really taken it... well anywhere. I want to change that. The problem is, I'm full of ideas, but I just can't seem to execute them. I journal a lot, and post to instagram, but unfortunately I can never think of anything to post here, or I don't feel like the content will be good enough for anyone to see.

I do want to put all my effort into one blog, I have so many at the moment: one for poetry and veganism, one for style (this one) and a few other bits and bobs. So this is a revival. Mark my words, I will find my voice.

So: I'm just going to combine everything and write about the stuff I'm passionate about, I do hope that's okay with you guys? Please comment below on what you'd like to see. 

So more posts will be coming after the 12th May, since that is my last uni deadline! 

Watch this space!

Louise <3 

Forgive me? & Futuristic Folk

'Hi,' she said, slinking in after months of absence. :P

I'm a terrible blogger, this I know, and I'm sorry. I would love it if you'd forgive me though, perhaps? I miss blogging and recording outfits and though I'm drowning in required reading and words-to-be-written, I would like to write some words for you. If that's okay.

So, where have I been? What have I been doing? And more importantly, what have I been wearing?

I've been in Guernsey a little and working at a beautiful screen printing shop, called Iris and Dora, and also in Chichester working on my degree (I'm nearing the end of my second year and it's terrifying!), I'm preparing to write my dissertation on Nietzsche and his work, and starting to look for a job for the summer. My course is going well, and I've got 12 tattoos and bright blue hair and 2 facial piercings. I'm finally allowing my style to be as crazy as I like.

I was also scrolling through tumblr and I found a wonderful tag invented by one user, sycamoreorless, called Futuristic Folk, and I just love the concept, I want to inject more folk and futurism into my style.

Here are some photos of late that show my style. I hope you're all happy to hear from me!

 Everything is vintage or thrifted. 

 Everything is vintage, thrifted or eBay. 

 I would love to hear what you think of futuristic folk?

Louise <3

Mini Life Update!

Evening all! I know I haven't blogged for ages, and I feel bad. I love blogging but I have to admit that I am terrible with maintaining any form of blog long term. I'm all over the place. So I think it will be sporadic posts until I'm on a bit more of an even keel. I really hope everyone is well.

To be honest things haven't been great with me for some time but are looking up now. I recently suffered a relapse and crisis with my personality disorder leading to an admission onto the psychiatric ward. But I'm feeling a lot better. Then some personal issues occurred and I'm desperately trying to get over them, but I know it'll take a lot of time. So I'm off to Cambridge to stay with a friend for a few days and then I'll be working in a little touristy craft shop in the summer holidays! Also university is over for the summer  so I'm back in Guernsey until September. I will be blogging more and I'm going to Paris also on holiday with the family.

If you'd like to keep in contact or have updates:

My twitter: @wowlouise
Instagram: @louiseyviv

(I update super regularly on instagram!)

So that's my mini update, I just can't seem to write properly. You're all awesome, thank you for following and taking time to read my blog <3

Louisey

I'm not who I was yesterday

Identity instability is pretty much my identity. I feel like I change a lot, but rapidly, and without warning, from one identity to the next. I'm never sure who I want to be that day. Now, you see, it's got so bad that I change my outfit maybe two to four times a day. On the one hand I love Japanese fashion and it's kind of nostalgic to me and I am a lover of nostalgia. So I kind of want to just dress like I dressed ten years ago - I want to wear fairy princess clothes (I hate the word 'costume' because I feel like I'm always/never in a 'costume' because I am a different character everyday) and floral print ditzy dresses and dungarees. And you know what, I do wear those clothes. I have a poofy tutu skirt and my pink dresses and a floral shirt and a pair of vintage purple dungarees. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm transgressing back into childhood - that's not what nostalgia is about, it's about loving how you were then and wanting to appreciate something of how things once were. I just wear things to appreciate them, I guess. Style is everything I have identity-wise, I feel like I have a malleable character and change day to day. Everything affects me. This includes music and art and the internet and people, oh especially people, and medication I'm on.

Of my blog posts, I tend to have working titles and little structure, unlike my essays for University which are super structured. I want to have the title be something which indicates what the post is about, so you can read it easily if you're interested. But to be honest, I can never decide what my posts are actually about anymore. I think I'm just writing. And writing is a form of nostalgia to me. I used to write prolifically, and I guess I still do (essays, thoughts, journalling, texting, the occasional poem) and writing gives me time to reflect, and blogging lets me share this crazy reflection with you guys. I hope you've enjoyed this reflection, now let me share a few mementos with you:

Thanks for reading <3

God bless 

Louise :)

Personal Style... I'm Still Figuring It Out

I'm getting frustrated because I feel like I'm talking and no one is listening and I'm just existing in a space where so many other people are existing. Is anyone out there? Style are you out there? Maybe it's better I have no specific reader or audience and that I'm not a proper fashion blog. I don't want to be a brand and exist in the space between company and individual. I'm wanting to exist as a soul that cannot be contained and put in a little box. Of course, I speak about this crisis in terms of style. I'm comfortable in my friendships and academic life, but my style life is suffering.

The other day I watched a video on Youtube about personal style by Vogue and I realised that I have no style.  It made me feel sad, and disappointed with myself. I just wear clothes. And sometimes I feel uncomfortable, and can't wait to get home and change into my off-duty clothes (jeans, a shirt and trainers). Maybe my style are the clothes I feel comfortable in? But... They're not exciting or vibrant or unusual. So maybe I have no style. I'm a chameleon. That's it! I'm a chameleon. Each day I think about where I'm going, what I'm doing that day and select what I want to dress like - how do I feel? And I express how I feel on the outside, but unlike a chameleon I contrast my environment. Maybe I'm a inverted chameleon.

Alexa Chung and two other very stylish ladies were discussing what style was, and apparently (according to them) you can't be uncomfortable and stylish. And I agree, but I think that you can be uncomfortable at first when trying to find your style. I felt uncomfortable wearing lolita fashion at first, but I soon learnt to love it, and I used to really look forward to Saturdays when I could go out to town dolled up in Angelic Pretty and bows and pink.

I guess I'm, as Tavi Gevinson would say, still figuring it out. 

After all, I'm only nineteen and I have the rest of my life to figure out who I am and how I want to dress, so if you're in the same situation and having a bit of a meltdown like me, try not to worry. The night is young, we have plenty of time.