Have some Mustard on top!

(photo taken from www.timetokillit.blogspot.com)

For all those who know the Cat, it is no hidded secret that she loves mustard.
No, not only on her steak, but on her wardrobe as well.
Yes, this is a post on the Importance of Mustard Yellow.
Some people will say it's a difficult colour.
To this, the Cat will respond kindly with two words: Michelle Williams.

(photo from www.oscars.com from the section "red carpet, past five years")

Well, ok, the Cat is no Michelle Williams to look so spectacular (and her arm candy was not bad, either. Dear Heath, I miss you).
But she has found a way to incorporate mustard yellow in her life.
It's called "a cardigan, from H&M"

The cat has paired it with black boots and black mood

(photo taken by the notorious Cat's Boyfriend)

With a cow-girl attitude

(cowboy boots, mitropoulos tessera. floral dress, asos. Scarf, thrifted from a supermarket in Moscow)

With the Cat's favorite pair of jeans

(grey jeans, asos. grey ballerina flats, asos. Paul's Boutique bag, Topshop. Scarf and t-shirt, Swap Not Shop Party NO3)

With navy blue and purple

(knitt dress, asos. grey boots, my mother's. scarf, no idea)

With a London view, talking to Cat's Boyfriend

(white beannie, a gift. grey top, H&M. Purple skirt, Swap Not Shop Party NO3)

With a nod to the 70's

(white beannie, a gift, dress, vintage, mom bought it from Italy, circa 1969)

And, finally, with the Cat's favorite party dress and heels!

(Party dress, asos. Heels, Zara)

To be honest, the Cat hasn't worn this outfit out in public yet.

But she just might...She just might...

See, the Cat feels good in mustard


So much so, that she chose the mustard fashion coat for her new phone

Well, isn't life better with a bit of mustard on top?

True colours, window reflections, happiness.

So the Cat went to London.
Again.
Now, London is a magic city for the Cat. A city where anything can happen, where people say "excuse me" when they bump into you at the street, where every colour of the rainbow can find its way into your outfit (without anybody staring at you)
Who ever said London is a gray city?

(details from the tiles in Baker Street Underground Station. Yes, it's Sherlock!)

And a close up...


The Cat got inspired and excited and decided she will wear all her colours in one outfit

(black dress, ASOS, old top cut open in front and worn as a cardigan, green scarf no idea, black beannie no idea)

And then she looked out the window and felt ready to explore the world via deductive reasoning


So of course she went shopping



(who needs Oxford str. when you have Carnaby? Ok, that was a big word, the Cat is taking it back:p)

Marvelled on the shop windows









(the Cat's boyfriend said: if you are EVER caught dead wearing any of that.....!)


Then suddenly, the cat felt reaaally old. I mean, if the 90's are vintage now...


Remember the Spice Girls? The Cat certainly does...




Thankfully, that night, a window of oppurtunity appeared... So the Cat had to step right into it!

(Faux fur jacket, H&M. Hot British funnyman, Russell Brand, property of Katy Perry:p)

Afterwards, the Cat went to eat at 15, Jamie Oliver's resto. THAT was so disappointing it's not worth to be mentioned here (let's just say that there was a reason that salad was called Fantastic. We had to fantasize its existence).

While, on the other hand, THIS is so worth mentioning

(lime dress, River Island. Unfortunately, the Cat got cold feet and did not buy it. Fortunately, River Island has an online shopping site)

And this is something the Cat would usually not buy. I mean, a shirt? AND a floral one? But the Cat felt so happy wearing it, so retro and lovely, that her Fairy God Mother had to buy it for her.


And a close up

(floral shirt, River Island).

Then, the Cat discovered Primark. It was a revelation. Especially the waiting line in front of the changing rooms, that stretch up till Starbucks two blocks away:p After 35 minutes, the cat HAD to make her time in the changing rooms worth the bother.

(dress, Primark, 9 pounds. Nice, but a bit ordinary. So no, thanks)


(T-shirt, Primark, 2,5 pounds. Nice, but the colour was blah on the Cat. So no)


(Holy Sweet Mother of God. When the Cat saw this dress, Primark, 11 pounds, she was thrilled. When she saw in ON her, she was appalled. Note to self: polka dots make you look huge. Avoid.)

But do not think for a second that the cat left Primark empty handed. She found a jacket of magnificent colour that so proudly escorted her to a walk in Notting Hill.

(earings and ring, Accessorize. Bag, Swap not Shop 3. Purple skirt, Swap not Shop 3)

And a floral weekend bag that hasn't left the Cat's elbow since. Check her out, here

(grey shorts, H&M. Purple tights, Accessorize. Pink fluo heels, Oasis, trying them on just now)

The Cat was so tempted...Tempted...

(well, yes, ok, end of suspense. She bought them)

For a while, the cat felt secure in all these colours. But then, it was time to return to the gray reality of Athens.


The next day, the cat wore her colours and strutted to work.
And people stared at her. And then bumped at her. AND THEY DIDN'T SAY "SORRY"!

"Oh, Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in London anymore", said the Cat.

Free Wellies!

Now that she comes to think about it, this photo started it all.

(photo by www.mycine.com.ar taken from flickr)

This photo made the cat fall in love with these silly, rubber shoes.

And then, other photos started to arrive, photos of Kate Moss and Lily Allen rocking their wellingtons during muddy festivals.

(Hunter Original Wellington Boot, as seen on Lily Allen, www.asos.com)

And the cat, did something spontaneous: she bought these babies, by Cath Kidston


She hasn't regretted it, since. These wellies have survived snow, heavy rain, heat (well, they were just TOO nice to hide in the closet), endless hours of solitary reading at Starbucks, walks around the city, excursions, Bologna.
They have been scorned by the cat's boyfriend, laughed at by random people in the street, marvelled by fellow co-workers (or laughed at, the cat sometimes can't tell the difference).
But now, they're somewhat mainstream (although boyfriend still seems to be apalled by them).
There are just so many ways to do wellies now.

There is Christina's casual chic way


Angela's urban way


Modcloth's way (the lovely indie retro site I discovered when Athena Koutromanos did her retro feature on Ermoumag - have you seen it by the way? Fabulous!)

(st-eye-le of the Tiger rain boots, www.modcloth.com)

K's simple elegant way


Kelly's old school tartan way


Forever 21's glitter way

(glitter rain boots, www.forever21.com)

Lisa's one-of-a-kind way

(yes, the cat realises she should give a more inspired description. But she can't. If the cat has learned anything at all from working all these years with the fashionista above, is this: "Don't try to combine colours. Just layer whatever feels right. Miraculously, it always works").

And the cat's new way, with wellies borrowed by Mom

(yes, obviously the cat tried to combine the colours. She has a lot to learn yet)

How do you feel about wellies? What's your way of wearing them?

Want Vs Need

Often, life is a contradiction in terms.
Now that sales season is well on its way, the cat finds her self in an even greater shopping mood. She wants this, she wants that...
Well, that's nothing new. What's new is that for the first time, the cat needs to be more responsible, Uni on the way, and an ill-thought trip to London (perfect place, wrong timing).
So, she decided to play a little game.

See, the cat desperately wants...

(Isn't it great? Isn't it made for my blog? Isn't it made for my work?www.jukupop.com)

But what the cat actually needs, is...

(This year, is my Year of Cardigans. I bought my first in mustard yellow, yes, mustard yellow. Now, I need more, cause I'm cold and all I did these previous years was buying short sleeved tops. Yes, very much like the one above. Boyfriend cardigan, www.asos.com).



Moving on, the cat fell in love with these and wants them badly...

(Vivienne Westwood for Melissa, what more could a cat ask for? www.asos.com)

But to be frank, what the cat should buy ASAP is...

(Because the cat goes to her gym in the same, almost torn golden sneakers of 5 years)



Isn't this thought-provoking? I mean sure, the cat covets...

(because who wouldn't covet an Ed Hardy bag? www.asos.com)

But what the cat actually needs, is some...

(Luggage. So that she stops borrowing her mom's ALL the time. Plus, her mom's luggage is black. And we have already discussed about black... www.valitsa.gr)


And, dresses. The cat can never have enough dresses. Not when they're so cute!

(sexy, yet chic, yet not BORING, wouldn't you say? www.asos.com)

But the cat had better buy something like that

(elegant, practical, PLUS she could wear it outside the office without being laughed at by her boyfriend www.asos.com)



And it's not only in the fashion realm, where the cat finds her self torn. She recently started paying attention to her room. THAT was LOVE from first sight.

(gorgeous, gorgeous Paul Smith hanging, from his online shop www.paulsmith.co.uk)

But in reality, what the cat needs is not love from the first sight, but a good solid chair for her desk, that will replace the dining chair she now (ab)uses.

(ok, this one is pretty as well. And affordable. Skruvsta chair, from IKEA)


And the list goes on. Thanks to boyfriend, the cat is currently obsessed with G. R. Martin's, A Song of Ice and Fire. Now that she finished the third book, A Storm of Swords, she desperately wants..

(The fourth book, which is going to be just as amazing, she knows. www.amazon.com)

But to be honest, what the cat should be getting some time soon, is...

(Because her books have a life of their own. And they're currently yelling "Stop pilling us on the radiator/desk/floor!" Photo called "loftshelves", taken by William Waldron and found in the blog www.designholeonline.com )


Last, but not least, it is known how the cat loves to cook. And wouldn't be lovely if she could cook wearing that?

(Bella Vintage apron, from the lovely Etsy shop of Boojiboo, www.etsy.com)

But let's get real. What the cat's kitchen is lacking, is...


What do you want? What do you need? How do you compromise the two?

Black is blah (for the cat)

If we were to start a course, Fashion For Dummies, 0.1, the first header in the first chapter would go along the lines of...
"You can't go wrong with black".
Sure.
Black is forever trendy, conceals these few extra pounds, makes you classy and serious and new-yorker....and of course, black is sexy.
The cat's boyfriend likes her in black (and only in black. Ok, and in gray if he feels crazy enough).
Then why whenever the car tries to wear one of her 4 LBDs she feels so soul-crushingly unhappy with her outfit? I mean, black is definately not boring.
There are just so many ways to do black.




There is Her Majesty The Queen of Cats way


Rihanna's way (photoshoot for W magazine, February 2010, via JustJared)


The OTHER Rihanna's way (Come on, it was cold, the girl practically had to put some clothes on. Via Just Jared)


The Cat's Mother's 60's mod way (I know, right? I will never look that Twiggy, even if I only endulge in water and icecubes)


Amalucky's Gossip Girl way (I always thought she looks like Serena!)


Mylena's boho tomboy way (isn't she a beauty? The cat sighs...)


My Boss's chic yet practical, austere yet glamorous way (now, about that raise...?)


My other Boss's sexy but come-no-hither-I'll-bite-your-neck-off-you-don't-sparkle way


And, finally, the cat's own way

What? It's raining outside people, the cat needs her wellies. No, she hasn't yet invested in a pair of BLACK wellies. As for the Shrek ears...oh, let them be!

Black will always be the new black, and the cat will always be a sucker for colours.

The painting that started it all

When the cat was very little, she used to stare this painting on her grandma's wall for hours. And hours. Chasing pirates,just like Norah Jones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HcI7KZos08&feature=related

When grandma moved to Thundera, just like every awsome cat will one day do, the painting passed on to her son, the cat's uncle. But this Christmas, the painting found its way home.
And guess what, it is a home now.
Before, it had only been a room.
And the cat wants to start taking pictures of her home, and showing them to the world.


The cat needs to arrange her wardrobe colour-wise. Look at this mess.


And this is where the cat works. Post-cards from Bologna, Norway (thanks to sweet sister), London and a lovely card Alessandra Peterson from Moschino sent me a few Christmases ago - too lovely to ever go away. Oh, and of course, Lenka - she is with me always (and that's Maria on the shelve, among my jewelry. Opera lovers, don't be quick to call me sacrilegious)



The best slippers ever, from Accessorize. And the best bath mat ever, from Bed and Bath. Both, a gift from two most glamorous gals. Also, the floor could do with a bit of scrubbing.

Now, the cat will be late for Sunday coffee with besties. As always!

A new Cat's Eve

There's a painting with a little boat on her bedroom wall
and the cat is happy after all.
Red boat, grandma memories, hidden tragedies, new books and new pillows, new dresses and old smiles, new jokes and new dogs and new bruises and something to hope for once in a blue wall.