Make Do Style is revived

Well more precisely I'm revived! Gosh it has been an Ibsen play, long periods of inactivity and the liklihood some of you have fallen asleep. Yes I've been a drama queen - oh woah is me. What shall I do with my life? How do I juggle work and family? Although this has taken place without a Jonathan Ross interview or a fabulous wardrobe. I've mainly been languishing in suburbia and fretting my head over no end of worries involving worth, status and a rage against elitism, the idle rich and Ocado.

My pet hates have been people who become stylists with no formal training whether through grafting their way up in the fashion industry or via academic learning and then practical application. Blogging has turned hobby driven indulgence into a viable means of income. Of course in some case this should be celebrated and the egalitarianism of opportunity again a cause for celebration but in other ways it makes me mad that people who study hard or work hard get undercut by trust fund or husband supported hobbyists. There I've got it out of my system...I can move on and I have finally found my equilibrium. Understandably after graduating from LCF over 18 months ago with my MA in Fashion and Film and with the petit garcon about to go to school I felt I couldn't return to commercial and personal styling work. The hours are too long. The effort required as a freelancer and at the time many of my clients had slashed their budgets.

The long and winding road included attempting to sell beauty products. I was truly rubbish, it makes me laugh but at least I know this. I still use the Arbonne products and buy from my own shop, which saves me lots of money and keeps me perky with fab products. In Mr MDS is addicted to their men's beauty products. In truth I really need a break from fashion and styling. I had entered that gnarled bitter and twisted phase that sometimes happen when you love something. Time out, time to reflect and very kind people have given me a purpose and structure again.

Look I'm smiling!!

I promise to blog again properly. I will endeavour to get back into commenting on everyone else's wonderful blogs. The petit garcon is in Y1 of school and he is left handed so I really need to be on top of his learning spurt and ensure that he gets the right support. I don't expect the school to deliver everything unaided so I must make the right amount of effort. Quite frankly it is a jungle out there and I'm a lioness.

The good news is the wonderful NHJ Style as well as keeping me on to teach on their Style Academy courses have asked me to be their E-Stylist. Nicky Hambleton-Jones has a lovely young son of 18 months and is only just now getting back into her stride and work. It is always good to work for people who have a fantastic ethos when it comes to work life balance and of all the people and companies I've worked for Nicky is the best. With my E-Styling, a magazine fashion writing contract and my own book to finish I'm suddenly feeling rather back on track. The fact I no longer have to go to fashion weeks to work on or view shows, or that I'm not on speed dial for photographers or art directors any more is the past. I will miss styling people and doing style events as well but I have a different life now and sometimes it is enough to accept change and roll with it rather than stamping ones feet. 

This blog will continue to be a mix of fashion analysis, trends and what to buy with the usual mix of making do.

UPDATE: For those who've asked the dress is a DVF number from 2008 purchased from the wonderful online DVF shop at Matches