\\\ YARD ART ///

Vic Riches : Illustrator

I met charming Vic at the Blogger's Yard sale last weekend where she was displaying some of her most recent sketches. This girl sketches so quickly; blink, and you'll miss her, yet her illustrations have the appearance of hours and hours of laborious study. I was a fan of the Kingston Art student straight away. See more of her work here on her flickr.

Then I had the honour of being sketched myself, wearing the headband I had just bought of Fi from Save Our Shoes' stall, designed by her friend Lisa Margreet.

\\\ PANTS TO POVERTY ///

Dropped in on the Pants To Poverty tea party hosted by the lovely Hannah whilst in London last week to admire their A/W range of ethically-produced, organic cotton smalls; as delectable as the homemade red velvet cupcakes Hannah had baked for the occasion. Now running for five years, from their beginnings as part of the global Make Poverty History campaign, Pants to Poverty aims to create stylish high-quality underwear without the sweatshop nametag. Instead, the company supports thousands of cotton farmers and factory workers in India and their families through making pants.

The pants are available online here, at ASOS.com or at American Retro in London. Pants to Poverty's next big venture is being part of Queer Nation's Underwear Fashion Show at Area on the 4th September. Whatever your taste or sexual preference; I wouldn't miss this if you're in town. It sounds full on fun, flamboyant and MENTAL.

SHOES & SATAY WITH SUSIE BUBBLE

Susie and her wares

I spent a rare week in London gadding about; something I wish I could do a lot more often. Having missed out on so many fashion sojourns in the city this year, I was looking forward to dropping in on Sunday's yard sale, organised by Susie Bubble and attended by a fashion following of high calibre, local and international. I missed the early-bird scrum, instead opting to join the hangover shift of shoppers, just in time to get one of the last helpings of Tommy's chicken satay.

Bisous to all those I was able to catch up with over the weekend, fash-packers old and new.

I'm moving into my second-year house in Leeds next week (9 girls in our topsy-turvy pink house!), but I'll be back in London with a vengeance for fashion week.

Alice of Alice Point and her sister

Ferry the Ferret

Nadia of FrouFrouu and 'Her Brother'

Kit of StyleSlicker's impressive shoe offering

Vic sketching the yard

Shoes I bought from Louisa's stall

Hassan's jazzy cravat

Divine little headband I bought from Fi of Save Our Shoes's stall

Socks from Tabio and Nadia's 90s boots which I loved. I had a pair myself years ago, and never thought I would regret kissing them goodbye until this day.

Anna baked these sensational cakes

Susie and Louisa and Vic's finished yard sketch

Impressive footwear was noted

The chicken satay was the talk of the day

Susie and Louisa

\\\ SIMPLES ///

Saw it. Liked it. Made it.

I chose to accessorise with foxgloves, not cigarettes.

\\\ COLLECTED MEMORIES OF GREAT OPEN SPACES ///

ZIMBABWE, APRIL 2010

I know how ridiculously fortunate I am to have travelled so much this year, and I hope there is some way I can pass on the good fortune by sharing these pictures.

More of my African photodiary from earlier in the year HERE, HERE and HERE.

\\\ CHINESE MEDICINE ///

Shot in my garden by my brother on 35mm

Dress from the Bangkok nightmarket

Floral headress from Beijing nightmarket

(It's not cool to shop during the day in Asia)

Black floppy hat H&M

Scarf (really a table cloth) from Egypt

Second-hand Doc Martens from Pop Boutique, Leeds