Thursday 25 August 2011

Now And Then


The rest of the UK seems to be struggling with unseasonably low temperatures and torrential rain but here in the West Midlands, apart from some heavy showers last night, it's been bright, sunny and pleasantly warm for the past week. This is what I wore to this morning's car boot sale.


Long may it last, too. Unlike every other UK blogger who seems to have posted recently, I have absolutely no desire to wear rich berry shades, opaque tights, a coat or boots for a long while yet. In fact I'm happy to cling to my summer clothes until my limbs turn blue.

Blue & brass bangle (Splendid Sandy), all other bangles (Inherited from Mum), Indian brass & turquoise ring (£2, Cancer Research), square ring (Present from Cheryl via car boot sale), 1970s mood ring (My mum's), plastic cocktail ring (25p, car boot sale), nails by Barry M (Cyan Blue)

Besides, I'm rather partial to blue.

Barbara Lohmann silk scarf

This is for Emma-Kate who asked, Could we see a pic of you blonde please? I too have ditched the blonde as its too expensive and hard to get right as a diy job. I'm a red head now and wish I'd done it 20 years ago!

Liz and I out on my 30th birthday in December, 1996

I'm struggling to find photos of me as a blonde, it's been over five years since I went over to the dark side and most of my albums are stowed away at the back of the garden shed. I dyed my hair black after my hip replacement operation, it was the first time in my adult life I'd been pain-free, I felt I'd been reborn and wanted a dramatic change to reflect the new me.  I wish I'd done it years ago, too. I still surprise myself when I catch my reflection in a shop window. My confidence has increased tenfold and everyone I know loves it far more than my natural shade.

Looking a bit tiddly on my 21st Birthday with Liz, December 1987

After Sunday's pub post, Ginger commented, looking great.!! can you post a pic of u when u were teen. just like that :).

In Devon with my Mum just after I'd sat my A Levels in 1985

Can you believe I got into nightclubs and served in pubs at the age I was in this photo (18)? I looked so young! The outfit was from TopShop, I wish I still had it!

 
Me and the two Lizs.

Here's the three of us out at The Wheatsheaf for my Thirtieth birthday.




And this was us out last night.


1960s psychedlic knit top (the Divine Desiree), vintage crimplene maxi (Her Royal Hotness, Helga), Silk scarf (£1, vintage shop), Ostrich belt (20p, car boot sale), leather Gladstone bag(20p, jumble sale)

We're out again this evening, although we had a great night last night the pub meal was rather uninspiring and a spicy Indian curry is in order.

75 comments:

  1. You look GORGEOUS in blue - I love the pattern on that beautiful blouse and your hair looks especially lovely today, amor.

    I love that pic of you with your Mum - you look exactly the same, apart from your hair colour, of course. Any chance we could see more pics of your lovely stylish Mum?

    Loveoldfriends, Sarah xxx

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  2. I do think you look good blonde but if think I prefer you darker, you look great both ways tho. Hang on in there until the last sun rays hit, then yo ucan always pop over to India again. Love the maxi skirt :)

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  3. aww you were so cute as a blonde!!!..
    you would think that you were a natural brunette though you wouldnt think unless you looked at your pics that you were blonde, i think both suit you!!..
    love the fact that you've had the same friends forever to..
    loving that little playsuit from your teens i bet you could still get that on!!
    keep holding out for the sun thats what im doing.!!

    charl
    x

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  4. I think you look great blonde or dark, and not everyone can carry that off!
    (also, I need to go to this magical place where you can get a leather bag for 20p!!)

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  5. I like you in any colour. What an fantastic figure all your life, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  6. awesome dress... i also like ur bangles and rings ....
    http://fashionstyle-pk.blogspot.com/

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  7. Oh Vix, do you know what I love most about those pictures? That you still have the same trustworthy friends after such long time! that is really beautiful! ANd you were such a babe as a blonde! Not that black doesn't suit you- you look more mature and wise :) I think you should try some more colours on , haha , each will have you looking something else :)

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  8. Old pics of other people are always so fun, thanks darl for sharing.xx.

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  9. OMG! You still have the same bitchin body amor. love your turquoise maxi skirt and Desiree did good,I adorar old fotos. You have great amigas.

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  10. I love it both shades you are lucky .. I have also gone darker in the last two years.. well natural rather than white blonde which I was for years ... xx

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  11. Vix, I love your maxi!
    And yep I'm trying to not wear opaques just yet - even though I did wear a berry-coloured vest the other day (that should be acceptable though!!)

    Thanks for your comment on my blog!
    Jules @ A Bit of Jules

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  12. I much prefer you with dark hair.

    Love that photo of you and your mum...! I love the outfit you had on in that photo too. xx

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  13. wow to the blond photos - it was hard to imagine, so good to see the pictures.
    i think i prefer the dark hair, but that could be as it's what i'm more used to? you always manage to look amazing in photos :)

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  14. I love old photos and these are awesome! You are hot as a blonde too! I love that you still have the two Liz's in your life, you are all just beautiful, now and then!

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  15. whouuu, you look cute blonde but I think I prefer dark hair and your stunning actual look!
    Love your blue maxi and great color combo, and it's impossible not get eye-catched by your wonderful jewelry and your pretty bag (20p!!!)
    besos

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  16. Vix its lovely to see those pics.
    Love the tan and blue together.
    Dx

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  17. Ah, the black hair suits your personality so much more. How could you be witchy Vix as a blonde? It doesn't seem like you at all!

    I love your teenage playsuit, and your mum's peachy trouser suit isn't too bad either xx

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  18. You really haven't changed. I think the black hair suits your vintage clothes much more than blonde would. When I think '70's I think straight long dark hair.
    You and your beautiful friends have been turning heads for all this time - amazing!

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  19. Great post.. the dark hair suits you so much. I loved my hair dark but found the maintenance too much for me. I am off to the hair dresser tomorrow with a copy of Elle post-it noted with colours/looks I like :)

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  20. Ooohhh I love seeing these old photos of you! It sounds dead corny but you do keep looking better and better.
    Love that photo of the three of you last night.
    Kandi x

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  21. Oh how I love it when you gorgeous bloggers post photos of you in previous incarnations!
    You look like you-but-not-you as a blonde, still gorgeous of course, but I think dark is your spiritual home.
    And look at you as a wee thing with your mum - just as lovely as can be.

    And please tell the Lizes that they are equally beautiful - you 3 are like Walsall's answer to Charlie's Angels!

    Lovely outfit too. Love the blue maxi. Been sunny here in Sheffield too, summer's hanging on!

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  22. Thank you! You look great blonde and dark! S'funny what you said about seeing yourself in shop windows. I just cut my hair and caught my reflection in a window and thought, 'Damn it, I look like Velma from Scooby Doo!'
    Daphne was the hot one... :(

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  23. I like your look alot more with the black hair. Don't get me wrong you are beautiful both ways.. But the black ads a major punch to your personality and really suits the vintage clothing.
    You still look the same as you did when you were a teen. =D

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  24. You look great with both hair colours, though I always prefer darker hair personally. The blue of your outfit really suits you too x

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  25. By the way, I also noticed that you have been friends with the two Lizs forever, that is so rare and brilliant x

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  26. Vix, I love that picture of you and your Mum, a couple of beauties indeed, Isn't it strange looking at photos of our much younger selves!

    I still cannot get over the fact that you were a blonde, you were very pretty blonde but far more striking dark!
    XXX

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  27. Wow you sure were a beuatiful blonde
    but better brunette.

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  28. I prefer you with dark hair - I guess I've only 'known' you that way, rather than with blonde hair. Great combination today, and I love the old pictures - you always looked great and it's lovely that you're still friends with Liz and Liz x

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  29. Wow wat great photographs - love the one in the play-suit - that would totally be the height of fashion still today!

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  30. Love that picture of you at 21, such a cheeky grin!

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  31. You looked gorgeous as a blonde but you look even more stunning with raven locks.

    Here in Essex (which is the UK's driest county, apparently) we had an absolute cloudburst this morning so no Thursday boot sale for me. I believe we're in for another deluge tonight as well. Am totally with you on the wanting to wear summer clothes for as long as possible - I hate being bundled up in layers and having to wear socks and shoes instead of sandals.

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  32. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!! Love these old pix!! You've always been HOT,but I do prefer the black hair!I would've jumped on you whatever the case,had I spotted you!I just adore your grin!!
    I also adore this outfit,gorgeous colours!The scarf is heavenly and I'm rather into that fabulous belt and bag!!You are a National Treasure,my dalring tiwn!I love you!!!!
    Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  33. Oh Vix I love this post! You look amazing both as a blonde and with your fabulous dark locks, and my god I've said it before and will say it again - your figure is to die for! Scarlett x

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  34. You and the two Liz-es look bloody fabulous still. You are a bunch of good-looking dames.

    Love you, Vix. Your Mum was very pretty.

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  35. What beautiful jewellery, I so love this turquoise... I don't know, to me you're just a natural dark-head, but you do look wonderful as a blonde, too. X

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  36. Woweeee! You look so young in some of those picture and beautiful in every single one of them! You do look like a natural raven haired beauty, it really suits you, I think you look sexier dark, it is not always easy to carry off! My hair is dark brown but if I go black I look like snow white does acid! xx

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  37. love all the pics of you, you look great with that romper next to your mother, who looks líke a film star in that pic!
    love you with your black hair, too, it might be a bid more 'you'.
    Really interesting to read that you have been in hospital, congrats for dealing so well with such a difficulty

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  38. Blonde or dark you look good, I prefer the dark, but I guess that's because I have always preferred dark hair. (I was born with very dark hair and it remained so till my "ginger" phase in my early 20's then I went back to dark and have stayed that way - though I fight the "thin white line" of my roots every four weeks or so now!)It's wonderful to see the three of you such good mates throughout the years. xxx

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  39. Such an elegant outfit! And yep - clinging onto the summer wardrobe here too. Thank you for sharing the photos from your youth - almost didn't recognise you blonde!

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  40. I had never thought to ponder your natural hair color. The face is yours, but the dark hair is integral to my image of you.

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  41. First of all, your outfit is GORGEOUS. I love your hair as well.

    And you and your two friends keep getting more and more beautiful as the years go on! All three of you are absolutely STUNNING right now!

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  42. Oh I really like this outfit!! I am a huge fan of turquoise I think there is something about the color when you wear it. It makes me feel vibrant!! Oh those pictures of you from the past were great!! I am like a dark blond and about a year ago I went black but I had to stop coloring my hair is extrememly stressed right now and breaking ugh I can't figure out why?? I decided to cut it short a few months ago to try and help with the damage. I love the dark hair on you so pretty. Oh and my tattoos I have 4....2 Ravens with some of the Poe poem The Raven written on my arm and I have a large owl on my right arm/shoulder with roses old school looking it looks like your owl necklace. And my left arm old school style again I have a mexican candy skull with a large raven standing on top with some more roses and it says Momento Mori...latin for remember your mortality...:) That Raita is so amazing I think I could live off that lol I put it on everything hehehe what is Pakora? I am going to have to look that up! Have a fantastic weekend~ Love Heather

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  43. Thank you so, so much for sharing these beautiful blasts from the past. I think that's the wonderful thing about getting older, there's so much to look back on and have a giggle at or have a bit of a tear over. What a lovely pic of you and your mum - mother and daughter, such beauties:))) xoxoxoxoox

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  44. What a beautiful post from the past....love your outfit from 1987.....I was wearing acid wash jeans back then..(shudder).......have a fab weekend Vix!

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  45. You look great with black or blonde hair, lucky thing!!

    I too am clinging to the summer colours- it isn't actually terribly cold, just grey and not as warm as usual. No need for winter woolies yet!

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  46. Its quite unusual for a person to suit very blonde and very dark hair and you suit both! I think with your style though the black goes best with this and is very striking.

    Love the colour of this outfit.

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  47. Vix, what a fab post!
    You haven't changed (apart from the hair colour) and what great photos of you and the two Liz's. :) Great memories.

    I think you look gorgeous with your dark hair, but you did suit being a blondey.

    xx

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  48. I loved seeing photos of you as a blonde! You do seem to have a wicked confidence about you as a black haired raven, though! But then again, I'd find you beautiful bald!!

    Turquoise is definitely your colour!

    Xoxox Claire

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  49. Having lurked on here for a while now, (via Alex Odd Socks) those wonderful photos of you and your two friends, then and now, prompted me to follow.
    I just love that the three of you have kept that friendship so strong.
    And to reiterate 'pastcaring'...look out Walsall...Charlies Angels are in town!
    Z xx

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  50. Lovely outfit, love the blue colour

    hajar&Mounia

    hauntedcasablanca.blogspot.com

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  51. YOU'VE got me thinking!! Brunette though - arrrrr!! xx

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  52. You were cute as a button as a blonde! I'm a natural blonde as well, and went over to the dark side for the first time when I was 15. Since then, it's been a done deal, except for a short stint as a red head. Dark hair just feels so much more like me.

    I love your blue ensemble today! Your lovely Summery outfits are making me wish for the end of Winter here.

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  53. Dearest Vix,
    look at you with a bod to rival a young Kate Moss in your teens, as a matter of fact nothing has changed there. I love that funky shorts & top combo too, the print is so 80s, yay!
    I think you look lovely as a blonde. I bleached my hair for years and dyed it in a plethora of crazee brights but I think that when you find the colour that fits your personality, you stick with it.
    Lot's of love,
    Jennie
    xXx

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  54. love your hair dark. Great nailpolish and love the accessories!!!!

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  55. You look very different blonde! I love the outfit so Summery your making me jealous!

    E :)

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  56. I'm so far down the comments list, I got a nosebleed trying to find the link!

    You look sensational with dark hair -but also really lovely with blonde hair. The outfit is, of course, fantastic.

    You say that you will be wearing your summery clothes until your limbs turn blue. Mine have always been blue, on account of being Scottish!

    Loooooove you!!!!!

    Ali x

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  57. I love you with dark hair but you also look super cute with blonde hair! Nice to 'chat' the other day I've been off the radar for too long!

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  58. What an awesome post ! You were so pretty as a teen and still are ! I think your style is so unique and you do stand out from the crowd :)
    If you want we could follow each other, let me know if you follow my blog and I will surely follow back !

    Fashion and Cookies

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  59. Oh wow it's so strange to see you as a blonde! I prefer you darker but the blonde looks cute too...your 18 year old self is an absolute babe!x

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  60. Love old pics! That Topshop playsuit is indeed awesome... Love how you and your friends are still together, I only have 2 proper friends from school and we only see each other a few times a year - maybe its time I moved... :)

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  61. Hi Vix - I prefer you in black - you and the 2 Liz look great then and better now i think - i must been the living that is written on our face and you bunch look pretty happy! I was a red head, brunette, name it I was ! now blond but i go every 2 months and it is not a expensive as in the UK i think - I have been paying about $60 for bleach, toner and cut!

    You look so cool again!

    Have a good weekend - Ariane xxxx

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  62. Mmm, I definitely prefer the dark though you're a pretty blonde too. The dark looks cooler and edgier and I love the you celebrated a new lease of life with a change. Bring it on! Le car boot chic is, of course, very lovely too.

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  63. Wow you're so different! I love that you're still friends with those girlies, I hope in years to come I have photos of me and my girls to compare like that, for now I have them dating back to 2004 only. And yes that playsuit thing is just brilliant! xx

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  64. Lovely outfit, great pics :).

    Sadie x

    http://www.brandnewbutterflywings.com/

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  65. It was great going down memory lane with you ... you were ALWAYS a stunner!

    ♡ from © tanvii.com

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  66. Holy cow, LOVE all of your older photos!!! And your bangles and rings...you look like an egyptian goddess. So jelly.

    strawberry freckleface

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  67. i´m so glad too u don´t wear berry shades now and boots and tights because it is really a joy to look at you blog and be surprised of another great outfit in the most beautiful colours, this blue of your skirt is so gorgous and it is such a nice and fabulous contrast with the brow background. oh and this old pictures of you are so cute and adorable, especially the one with you mum, so i can see u always had a special style.
    love and kiss,mary

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  68. Wow! You look fantastic with blonde hair. You're very lucky you can suit blonde and dark. Loving all the past photos...you were gorgeous and of course still are! X

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  69. You wear these clothes so well . Love love love that blue dress ! Now following xx Ava

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  70. I'm with you -- I want summer to stay!

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  71. Look at little Vix! So stylish even back then - loving the 80's tastic outfit!

    That is a cute scarf!

    It's been sunny here on and off - more sun than rain but you can definitely tell summer is coming to an end.. time for the start of my favourite season of the year! I love it so much I plan to call my future first born daughter after it! xxx

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  72. What a fabulous set of photographs, thank-you for sharing a part of your past with us. You look beautiful as a blonde, but I do think black is very you, you always look stunning with your black long hair.
    It’s clear you’ve always had a way with fashion, the photo of you with your Mum in Devon is my fave xxx

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  73. Beautiful skirt - what a color!)
    You know what's funny? I've started dye my hair black also as the symbol of freedom in some way))) It's an amazing feeling - I've never felt as powerful and strong as i did that day)))

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix