SAG Awards- It's Red Carpet Time Again!

Ah I love awards season - I get to blog about dresses! Last night was the Screen Actors Guild Awards and although these are notoriously a tad boring red carpet-wise (everyone is saving their best for the Oscars) there were some pretty special dresses on display.

I'll start with my favourites - Helena Bonham Carter looked really cute in this lovely black and white vintage-style ensemble. I love the pearls but I must admit - I'm slightly dissapointed to see her wearing matching shoes. I was hoping that was going to be her thing this year! She is ROCKING those sunglasses though.

Next up on my favourite list is Julianna Margulies - from The Good Wife - who looked gorgeous in red. I know it's a bit of a no-no to wear red on the red carpet but I think it compliments her skin tone perfectly. Would have liked to have seen bigger hair though. Big hair is always good.

Following a close third in the style stakes is Kyra Sedgwick who wore this incredible floor-length black gown complete with a perfect Disney Villain-esque bodice. I LOVE how that dress curls up around the bust. I want this dress more than anything right now. I'd hoover in it.

And my fourth success of the evening is January Jones. I was impressed by her at the Golden Globes (you can see that post here) and she didn't dissapoint again with this black and gold Caroline Herrera creation. I love her hair again too. She just looks so classic and polished.

Last and pretty much least is my bomb of the night - I've chosen Christina Hendricks mostly out of dissapointment. She has literally the most amazing body in the whole world. THE WHOLE WORLD! And she's chosen to cover it with this icky dressing-gown-type-dress-thing. She looks awful and it's a big shame. If I was her I'd be walking down that red carpet in nothing but a corset and some vintage panties! I just feel like this 'dress' is a bit blah. She needs Va-Va-Voom!

So there's my own personal opinion of the best and worst. Let me know what you think fellow bloggers - did you have a different favourite?



ANOTHER Blog Award =D

Thank you a million milion times to Aoife at Lips Tits Teeth Hips for this lovely Versatile Blogger Award. I've recieved two awards within a month which is so great! Thank you to everyone who reads my wee little blog.

The Rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass it along to 7 blogs you have recently discovered and enjoy.
4. Leave your recipient a note, telling them about the award.

Okay, well I already shared 7 things about myself for the Stylish Blogger Award so I'm just gonna be quick and share some little tings with you all.


1. My boyfriend is currently dancing to the Just Dance game for the PS3. He's enjoying himself a little TOO much. I'm concerned!


2. I'm embarking on a health and fitness regime because I put weight on in really random places. It's not so good right now. I've recently invested in a swimsuit so that I can try to tone up a little.


3. My half sleeve tattoo is due to begin a week on Wednesday and I am EXCITED! 


4. I never thought I'd wear my Doc Martens so much. They are literally the most comfortable shoes I've EVER owned. 


5.  I'm slightly tipsy as I write this. I went out after work...yeah it's naughty but it is Saturday night!


6. I used to have a shaved off side to my hair...and I want it back!!

7. Someone complimented me on my nose ring tonight. It was slightly bizarre - especially seeing as the person in question did not look like the type of person who would want/like any type of piercing.

Here are my 7 blogs who I would like to give the Versatile Blogger Award to:

http://abblyfish.blogspot.com/
http://drunkenseveredhead.blogspot.com/
http://baroqueboudoir.blogspot.com/
http://tattedmom.blogspot.com/
http://sew-misunderstood.blogspot.com/
http://zombehseverywhereman.blogspot.com/
http://callmelucille.blogspot.com/

Thanks everyone xxx

Cheryl Cole and the Tattoo Dramas

If you live in the UK you probably haven't looked at a newspaper today without seeing this picture of Cheryl Cole's back at last nights National Television Awards.

I've heard so many opinions about this - mostly bad ones. To be brutally honest it's not a very nice tattoo but what is actually grating on me is that people don't actually realise the butterfly/tribal design is obviously really old and pretty badly done. I've seen comments on gossip websites saying that the butterfly is awful and that she should sue her 'tattooer guy'!!
She's obviously tried to take attention away from it with this sweeping feathery design (one wonders how far it goes down? The picture of her at Madame Tussauds below shows what I believe to be the end of the feathery design) which looks better than the other tat. I do wonder why she didn't just do a full cover up if she was going to cover some of it anyway...

Perhaps the smudgy butterfly holds sentimental value for her, or maybe she actually likes it? There would have been a time when it was the dogs bollocks but now it just looks like a dogs dinner unfortunately.
That's the way with tattoos though; what is in fashion one year may not be the next and this is where 'anti-tattoo' people tend to miss the point. A tattoo is something you get that means something to you. Whether it is in or out of fashion it makes no difference because it marks a time in your life when it was the right thing for you.
As the character Logan Mountstuart says in Any Human Heart - "We keep a journal to entrap the collection of selves that forms us, the individual human being." Tattoos are our journals. They entrap all of our 'selves' and show them on a living, breathing art form. For this reason I think that Cheryl Cole should be damned proud of that somewhat shitty tattoo.







Tattoo Assumptions - Can You Lovely Bloggers Help?

For my Creative Writing degree I'm currently planning a life writing project that looks at how tattoos are accepted within our society, especially if you happen to be a tattooed woman. I'm going to interview my female tattoo artist (whilst being tattooed myself!) and a heavily tattooed young woman about how they are treated when looking for jobs, walking about on the street and just by people in general.
I also plan to interview an employer on their views about tattoos and I'm hoping to go to a really high end place to do this, perhaps a posh jewellers or something!
Basically I am just after YOUR opinions on tattoos and how they have affected you/ what you think of them - anything you can say about tattoos is good. If I'm going to use your comment within my piece I shall inform you, although it's still very much in the planning and research stages at the moment.
So let me know what you think, even if you don't have any tattoos your opinion will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys!

Rockabilly Summer Fashion

Since I've transformed myself into a bonafide Rockabilly chick it's been pretty chilly here in rainy old England. My thoughts keep wandering towards the summer and warmer weather that will (hopefully) soon be upon us and if I'm perfectly honest - I'm a little worried about what to wear!
I love the whole high waisted shorts with a tied up shirt look but I am certainly not as toned as I used to be and, let's be honest, hardly anyone can pull off that look...except for maybe Bernie Dexter!

Nevertheless I went out today and bought a pair of high waisted shorts as I needed them for an up and coming fancy dress party. Now, any of you who know me will know that I am NOT a shorts person. I have a fear of wearing shorts. I think it stems from the fact that as a child I was forced to wear horrid ones for P.E at school. They were baggy and my little white legs with their horrendously knobbly knees were the subject of much teasing from the pretty girls with the shapely, tanned pins. Sigh.
I've decided to put all that to bed now and be proud of my legs, yeah they're still a little weedy but they look much better than when I was a nervous little 12 year old. Sod it - I'm wearing shorts this summer!
These are the ones I got today. I think I'm going to buy some anchor sew-on patches for the back pockets.

 I think I'll wear them with cute, tucked in tops and a pair of wedges. Roll on the warm weather!

Psycho Sue's Awesome Giveaway!

My lovely blogging friend, the fabulous Psycho Sue is having a giveaway in honour of her 33rd birthday! This gorgeously kitsch clutch bag is hand-made by Sue herself. Just go to her blog post http://sew-misunderstood.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-handmade-giveaway.html to enter the giveaway!

Retro-tastic!

Victorian Style Bombshell Boots

First the Doc Martin's plunged me into a Goth/Burlesque mix and now I've just bought myself a pair of gorgeous victorian style boots from Urban Outfitters. I went in there to have a look at the sale books and amusing items but was side-tracked when I saw these beauties.
I've had my eye on these for a while, but at £110 there was no way I could afford them. Today there was one pair left and they just happened to have my size....and they were down to £50! Seeing as I just got a job I thought it was justified.
They're such a gorgeous berry colour - the pic doesn't really do them justice. I'm in love!

Oh the style just a-keeps on morphin'!

Has Anyone Noticed The Rockabilly Hair On Celebs Recently?

In the past year the 50's trend has been slowly infiltrating the high street and, true to form, most celebs have been following fashion to the max. Rolled bangs, victory rolls and awesome quiffs have been spotted on many a celeb in the last few months and to be quite honest with you, I'm not entirely sure what to think.
I love Rockabilly for its alternative, individual feel. I like to mix it up with a bit of Goth now and again. I take pride in the fact that I'm NOT a follower of mainstream fashion. Harem pants? Urgh. Maxi dresses? Puke.

Now the 40's and 50's trend is pretty much mainstream fashion and I don't feel so individual any more.
On the plus side - I can buy retro style pieces from the high street. Accessible, cheap and plenty!
By the time I decide whether it's a good thing or not fashion will have moved on, no doubt about it. I'm looking forward to this. The charity shops will be full of amazing bargains!

Here's some celebs who's hair has caught my eye recently.
Back in June/July 2010 I started to notice the trend. Katy Perry was always a little 50's with her looks but this blue style totally blew me away! I want blue hair. I want it now!

She usually dons the rolled bangs for performances when she doesn't have a wig on.

Another singer who's style has been swinging the fashion needle towards retro is Christina Aguilera. She rocks the red lips but her ohmygodblinding platinum hair makes me cringe a lot of the time. This style looks pretty good though. I love a good quiff.

Slightly more recently than this the ever colourful, new to our shores Nicki Minaj has been pinging up on my radar. Her hair changes every time I see a picture of her but those rolled bangs are a staple. I know it's a wig, but I'm still jealous!

And last but not least are the current offerings from Nicole Scherzinger. She's given the Betty bangs and victory rolls a go, but there's something about it that grates on me. It's just not quite right.  What do you all think?

My First Blog Award! Hurrah! And Some Random Facts About Moi

Today I was nominated for the Stylish Blogger Award by the oh so lovely Psycho Sue over at Sew Misunderstood: Fatshion For Wayward Girls! I'm so happy about this, especially seeing as my blog is still a bit new and always evolving. At first I wasn't quite sure what form this blog was going to take, but now I'm happy with the fact that it's pretty much a fashion/style based blog that goes along the more alternative route, of course!
The conditions of this award are:
1)Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2)Share 7 things about yourself
3)Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.
4)Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

So here are my 7 random things...

1) My name isn't really Kiki La Mer...what? You mean you didn't know that?? =P My actual name is..........Coral Pearce-Mariner. And no, I'm not joking.

2) I am a vegetarian! Don't get me wrong, I believe that meat is seriously tasty and I love the smell of a good steak but I just feel guilty about eating animals. I've worked at farms, animal parks and even a zoo in the past and I've come to learn that every animal, whether it be an elephant or a cockroach - they all have their own personalities. I just can't do it. No food with a face...although if you eat meat near me I will smell it. Mmmm.

3) I used to be a chav. I'm serious. You wanna see a picture?

Terrible. We're talking fake tan, bleached hair (although I did have some blue streaks here), a GOLD car and terrible clothing. The works. This picture was taken on holiday in Magaluf. Thank heavens I found Rockabilly. This is me now...

 4) I have a major girl crush on Dita Von Teese. Seriously, this woman is perfection. Amazing skin and amazing style...she's the epitome of retro gorgeousness.

5) I have 8 tattoos, although it's soon to be 9! I have a butterfly on my left shoulderblade, a hummingbird with really long tail feathers on the right side of my stomach, a Japanese symbol meaning 'Tiger' on the left side, although slightly lower down (I know, I know, Japanese symbols just scream TRAMP STAMP!! but I love it for what it means to me and hey, I used to be a chav!), 3 fuschia flowers on my right foot with 'Dad' written in the vines, a bow on the back of my left ankle, a small skull and crossbones behind my right ear, a yellow button on my right wrist and a bizarre combo of things on my left wrist/arm which can only be explained via a picture:

The key is to do with commemorating my 21st birthday and the year in which I finally got a hold of my life and picked myself up out of some pretty harsh times. The mountain/jungle/sea is to celebrate the first step in getting my life back together - I went to Ecuador for 3months and volunteered with local families. It was awesome - and it made me realise how silly I was for complaining about things - these people lived on $2 a week. Inspirational!

6) I'm going to my very first EVER music festival in July. I'm VERY excited! It's Sonisphere at Knebworth and so far Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters, Slipknot and Motorhead have been confirmed. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. \m/(>.<)\m/ Rock On!

7) When I began this blog, I had no idea how much fun it would be. I feel like you guys are some great new friends in my life and I look forward to reading your blogs every day. Thanks for being so great! You all rock my socks off!


My nominations for this lovely award are as follows!
http://goldengirlofthewest.blogspot.com/
http://www.elbrendel.com/
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/
http://elponk.blogspot.com/
http://havinsomerockinfun.blogspot.com/
http://paigeythevintagedame.blogspot.com/
http://callmelucille.blogspot.com/
http://voodoostitches.blogspot.com/
http://avintagerevival.blogspot.com/
http://littlemissbossysadventures.blogspot.com/

It's Red Carpet Time! Helena Bonham Carter Wows In Westwood

It's awards season again and although I pretend I'm not that bothered I actually LOVE looking at what the ladies have been wearing on the red carpet. This year we have seen a rise in popularity of 40's/50's fashion, partly due to the success of Mad Men, so I was extra excited to see what Hollywood's take on this would be at the Golden Globes.
For me, the best dressed of the night has to be Helena Bonham Carter. I know for most that is a strange choice, but she looked absolutely gorgeous, and you all know I like something a bit alternative! Check her out in Vivienne Westwood and mismatched shoes. Such a Hollywood rebel!

Her skin is perfect! Oh the jealousy!
My next hit of the night is Catherine Zeta Jones, who wore a deep green, extremely heavy looking dress, but managed to look rather classy. The deep shade couldn't be pulled off by many, yet she completely nails it. There's much to love.

My third favourite of the night goes to January Jones. Her dress is tres risky, but it's her hair and make-up that really caught my eye. Gorgeous 40's style and glamour will never look bad. Team that with a sexy pillar box red dress and it's top marks all round!

Unfortunately, not all Hollywood's lovely ladies managed to deliver the goods. My very least favourite dress was this monstrosity worn by Lea Michelle. It looks like bubblegum that's just been scraped off my shoe. Why would you engulf yourself in this much pink?! Gah!

So there you have it; the first red carpet installment of the year. Let me know what you all thought!

A New Job...With Style!

Today I got a new job. Which is perfect seeing as I have a rather large tattoo to pay for and my student loan really only covers food!
After about a week of searching and applying to places that I wasn't particuarly interested in (a posh jewellers, the manager of which looked at my tattoos with horror, and a bakery where the guy I handed my CV to tried to chat me up - urgh) I just happened to walk through a backstreet that I never walk through to find a funky clothes shop which needed staff.
I had my trial run there today and I can safely say that I think I'm going to really enjoy myself. My boss is a little crazy, but in a good way - a lot like myself actually! The clothes in there are what I'm excited about the most though. Some pieces aren't really my style but each piece is so individual and funky that I can burlesque them up or goth them up - whatever I feel like.
My boss isn't adverse to my tattoos, she likes my 'burlesque/gothic style' and she's such a laugh to hang out with. I think I've lucked out a LOT here.
Here is a (rather small, sorry) picture of one of the bags that she sells. I LOVE it and want it in my life pretty much right now.

The shop is called Traffic People and I'm chuffed. I get to be myself, wear what I want and get paid at the same time. Hooray!

Putting the ROCK in ROCKABILLY

I've recently re-invented myself and the way I dress as I was becoming one of these boring people that just wore a random mix of plain tops teamed with some mediocre jeans. Yawn. I always knew deep down that this wasn't me. When I was 12/13 years old and was just beginning to find my own style and buy my own clothes I was a goth. I, much to my parents horror, dyed my hair black, wore only red, black and purple and clomped around in a pair of deep red Doc Martens. Over the years my style mellowed out until one day I looked in the mirror and thought - 'Bloody hell...who are you?'
I'd come to realise that I'd been dressing according to what pleased others rather than what pleased myself. I have always loved the Rockabilly look and I started to trawl eBay around the middle of last year in the hope of changing my style into something that really gave me some identity. I'm now exactly where I want to be, although I'm finding my style is evolving even now.
For Xmas my gorgeous boyfriend got me a pair of these bad boys -

which I completely ADORE. Up until now I had been wearing cute Mary Janes or T-Bar mid-heels with my pencil skirts. I had begun to follow the 40's and 50's trend quite literally and had stopped adding the Rock or the Psycho to my Billy. With the introduction of these however, I'm falling back into my lovely alternative self again.
It's been about 10 years since I last wore a pair of Doc's and I don't know why I left it so long!
Long live the Doc's!

I'm Back! And Writing About Art Brut Tattoos...

My hand is red because I slapped it - slapped it for not being a dedicated blogger over the last month! I went home for the Xmas holidays and to my horror my Mother did not have internet. Is this the 20th century or what? I also have been lazy and out of the habit of writing - which is not constructive. But I'm back now, so all is well in the jungle.
For my first blog of 2011 I want to share with you all a new discovery of mine. Art Brut tattoos are a new style of tats that I'm seeing increasingly in tattoo magazines. It wasn't until I bought the American magazine Skin&Ink today however, that I actually knew what the style was called.
The artwork is pretty much beyond anything that I can describe - each tattoo is so different and unique that I've found myself staring at them for ages, completely mesmerised by what, why, who and how?
Art of course can take many forms, and it's nice to see tattoos going off on a completely random tangent. Tattoo's are always going to grow and develop - certain styles may go out of fashion (tribal anyone?) but I don't think this style ever could. It's just too random and wonderful. I don't think I could even begin to think of a design. Have a look at these pictures and tell me what you think...