Going for the Glam Rocker Look

At some point in life, everyone wants to become a rockstar. What is there not to admire in a professional musician? They get up under blaring light on a stage, play some fantastic tunes, and get to hear the adoration of thousands of fans who usually just beg for more.
While most of us would rather forget the styles of the late 70’s through early 90’s, rock n’ roll was kicking into full gear and provided us with a lot of fashion options. Here are some of the rockstar traditions that are living on today:

David Bowie
There is no rockstar who pushed the limits quite like David Bowie. Between crossing the androgynous lines and dressing like a spaceman, no one could ever quite put a finger on how David Bowie found his stylistic inspiration. For Vogue Paris, model Kate Moss did her best Bowie impression and donned the bedazzled jumpsuit with a bright orange mullet wig.

Blondie
Debbie Harry was the style icon for post-punk new wave and thousands of hipster girls across the world. Short little dresses, bleach-blonde hair, and a minimalist approach has helped women accentuate their most stunning features long after the death of punk.

Ashley Smith as Debbie Harry

Van Halen
If you think it acceptable to wear spandex to the gym you have David Lee Roth to thank. DLR sported the form fitting material on stage so he could perform extensive acrobatics and karate kicks for his adoring audience. You get to wear spandex in order to do yoga and use the Stairmaster.
Poison
Poison took the glam metal look that Van Halen started and cranked it up to 11. If you ever see a guy walking around with feathered hair, emerald engagement rings, and too tight jeans, you can rest assured that he is jamming out to “Unskinny Bop” on his Poison cassette in his Walkman (probably hasn’t heard of an iPad).
Eddie Vedder

While Nirvana made most of the musical impact out of the grunge era, Pearl Jam really emphasized the stylistic aesthetics. If you walk into any Urban Outfitters store you will see racks of clothing all adorned with flannel shirts, old military jackets, and jeans that look like they’ve been worn for years. The demographic Urban Outfitters usually brings in wears these pieces without a shred of their trademark irony.
The best thing about emulating the style of your favorite rockers is that you don’t need any real musical talent. All you need is a credit card and a bit of creativity to get the same reaction as Bono gets when he walks off an airplane.

Time for tea

I think it's something about winter that really get's me back into drinking tea in a big way. I love that there is so much variation and wonderful choices of beautiful tea's...and most with health benefits to boost. I just had to pick up some Chai Latte as a treat when I saw it in it's cute little round tin. When you think of Britain you think of tea, but in a sort of boring way...simple earl greys and breakfast tea's but when Kate Moss and all the other fashion posse starting raving about the stuff loads of little specialist tea shops popped up, which I am not complaining about as I love to find fresh loose leaf, so I hope the trend stays. I thought I would share my love for tea with the rest of you....here are my favourites from my kitchen...

I love Chai so when I saw this....saying "drink me" I had to get it

I love a cup of Mint tea with lemon before bed...good for the digestion

This tea smells to good and it's specially for women...to help balance and destress

I often drink this tea when I think a cold is coming on, as it has cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamon and black pepper and is wonderfully spicy

I heart Rooibos...it's a South African tea and that's where I am from so I grew up on this stuff...full of antioxidants and caffeine free and tastes oh soo good :)

Weekend Adventure

So I am shooting two weddings Caerphilly castle this summer and though it was time to have a little research adventure there, since it's only about 30min from where we live. I have been a few times before although John has never been - which I could not believe, since we live so close. It was very chilly and the big rooms keep no heat, but they have restored more of the castle and now you can go right up to the top of the towers and into the great hall. It's an amazing location, with a large moat around the castle that people fish in. Unfortunately I had abit of a cold and any sense of style seemed to go out of the window in favour of comfort, but my two boys are looking great in there unintentionally similar jackets.

The boys looking fine....Arthur in J Jasper Conran jacket and John in Ralph Lauren

My stylish little dude

H&M Spring/Summer

So it's that time of year again...when the spring summer lines arrive in store, yey. It's brings alittle bit of sunshine to a cold and gloomy day. The moment I realised that spring was on it's way is when I heard a thump at the door as the H&M spring season catalogue hit the floor. I always fine H&M a good place to look for standard trends, it gives you a really good idea of what to expect.
So here is a small collection of my favourite women's looks for the new year, as well as there new flashy classic mens range, which I am really impressed with.

Really love this necklace

I want this little 60's inspired summer dress

I never get bored of leather jackets...viva la rock n roll

I love all the spring summer clothes but we are both really impressed with the styling of the Modern Classics collection. Everything looks really dapper and slick.

Favourite photoshoots of 2011

 So in 2011 I graduated from my photography degree and really started pushing for freelance work as well as setting up my own mini studio, so it was quite a year. It can sometimes be easy to get all caught up in the stress of starting a new business and you don't see how far you have come and how much you have done so I have just been looking through some pics and here are some of my favourites...hopefully I will get a few more fashion shoots this year, in fact I will be working with Vera Shoes again soon and hopefully many more interesting jobs will come my way this year :) You can see my photography website at www.lauracharlottephotography.com

Portrait session

Sisters - portrait session

Fashion shoot for Buzz Magazine July issue

Fashion shoot for buzz magazine July issue

Vera shoes hiking boot lookbook shoot

Vera Shoes hiking boot lookbook

Sons and brothers shoot

Sons and brothers shoot

Buzz Magazine food guide.....I got to eat this afterwards and it was sooo yummy

My favourite portrait from Pete and Laura's September wedding

Abi's rocky portfolio shoot

He was just the coolest kid

Like father like son...not the best photo but I love Arthurs facial expression.

Amazing luxury chocolates how I miss you

My brother bought these for me for Christmas from House of Fraser and they where literally the most amazing chocolates I have had in a long time. A dark chocolate outside filled with creamy Remy Martin Cognac truffle, the taste being deepened by plum juice and toped with a little twist of chilli...amazing. A real pity though that I am trying to give up chocolate for a month (3 days and still going strong).

2011 Mini Link list

So another year has passed - I cannot quite believe it, especially since this year has been soo big for us, Arthur was 3 months at the start of it and now he is walking and almost talking and being a super cheeky 15month old, I cannot believe how much he has grown. I have also graduated my Photography Degree and set up my own company - LCS Photographic which has been going well and it's wonderful having a studio setup in the house. John has started working in an amazing traditional barbershop in the City Centre....a gentleman's retreat...cut throats and hot towels shaves and facials. We are now looking to moving closer to the city centre of Cardiff and I cannot wait. So I thought I would do our top fives - in this post I cover some new and longstanding blogs we have loved to follow in 2011

Some of our favourite reads of 2011

Pink Bow - one of my favourite personal style blogs run by the wonderful Paula, who I had the chance to meet at the TKMAXX lunch in London. Her blog is full of vintage whimsy and amazing photography. An lovely person with a beautiful maroon packed blog

Pink Bow

Plastik Magazine - a welsh born online magazine that covers all the new and hip things out there including film, fashion, music and all major events. I always thing supporting local ventures is where it's at and they were nice enough to post the lookbook I shot for Vera Shoes...big love.

I Rock So What - since I had Arthur I have been following this blog...another personal style/creative new mother sharing the stylish vibe. She is so creative, photographically and design talented and I cannot stop reading her blog - check it out.

Mr Natty - an amazing roaming barber who does pop-up shops in places like Albam London. He has such great personal style with that tattoo covered vintage 50's looks combined with an amazing moutstach. He also has his own small line of beard products - John loves em.

All Women Stalk - wow a blog that has everything, so much information packed in, with great fashion, hair, beauty and fitness tips plus loads more this is really a great one for the girls to stop by. With not just one blogger but a few and guest posts this is beaming with original content, it also has a real slick look about it and is easy to navigate and I love the photography and design used.

That Christmas feeling

So a big happy Christmas to everyone and one and all. Hope you have all had an amazing past few days with lots of laughs. I have been so busy with my home photography studio - last minute christmas portrait shoots and running around trying to get them printed for clients right. But I always try and make some things as there is nothing like abit of a homemade feel to christmas, another rule that I have is the Tree and the wreath have to be real - no fakes here! I love the smell of a real tree, to me that is the smell of Christmas. One of the other things that is great about this time of the year is you can get up and have a champagne breakfast and no one looks twice mmmm I love champagne in the morning. Here are a few snaps from the past few days - including a sneak peek at Johns new Ralph Lauren jacket which will be in an outfit post soon.

mmmmm orange juice and South African sparkling wine at 8am is the best

Homemade Gift tags....they are so quick and easy to make and make me oh so happy

I love my real wreath...the prettiest on the street

Home made bunting chillin with the Run DMC dolls

Arthur being Santas little helper

My two boys in their new outerwear - John in Ralph Lauren and Arthur in the Swedish made Kozi Kidz fishermans suit.