World Sight Day 8 October 2009

Oh my I completley forgot about posting about this amazing campaign for World Sight Day this year. Rankin (co-founder of Dazed & confused Magazine) teamed up with the charity Sightsavers to highlight the plight of the millions of women around the world who have needlessly gone blind. The images had a huge visual impact on me and I am so angry at myself for not posting this closer to World Sight Day. But what can I do, whats done is done and you still get to marvel at Rankins remarkable work. I have type 1 diabetes and one of the biggest complications of this disease is to do with blindness. I really really love my sight and I try to look after my health as much as possible but im young and I often over indulge! But these images really did hit home. What are your thoughts?

Talk to Me Tuesday With The Beautiful Blueberry Shoes

Hello Miss Hollie Dunne. I’ve known you on the blogging world for a wee while now but I still think there are many secrets you have just waiting to be shared with me and fellow bloggers. I suggest you pick up a warm beverage, snuggle under a quilt, prop up your laptop and start bearing your soul.

I start off all my interviews with the basics. What is your full name?

Hi babe! For all of you who don't know-I'm in love with Little Monarch! My full name is Hollie May Sturgeon-Dunne
Please tell me the precise date you were born. This makes you how old?
May 14, 1984-that makes me a good 25

What is your marital status? Everytime I interview someone I end up wanting to be their girlfriend. So far I have 2 others. Would you like to be my girlfriend too?

I'll have been married 2 years November 10th. His name is Philip, he's extremely hot, goofy, funny, smart and discerning. And yes, I would love to be your girlfriend




Please tell me your hair and eye colour, your favourite colour and any other interesting features about your appearance. (e.g. I have a scar on my chest which I have had since I was 10. I hate it which is why I always wear scarves or necklaces)
My natural hair color is sort of a dirty blonde. Now it's a warm brown. But my dream is to have pink hair. I sense a wig of sorts happening very soon.

My eye color is a blue-green-grey mix. They seem to change color according to outfit. When I was a baby my mom says I had violet eyes. I WISH I still did!

Interesting features-I have small feet for my size. They're 6.5 but look small compared to my body. Phil always makes fun of them in an affectionate way :) I always bite my nails. i have a bump on my bottom lip. It's a protruding vein I think. Once I was kissing a horse on his snout and he wacked his head into my mouth. I pretended that it didn't hurt but I pretty much wanted to kill something it hurt so much. He broke a blood vessel, and it's never healed the same since. LOL!
Fav color-pink!!!!!!!!

Fun time begins NOW!

What is the name of your blog? How can we read it?
The name of my blog is Mermaids Closet. I have an obsession with mermaids, and on the other hand amazing closets of treasures, thus the name. You can find it here: http://mermaidscloset.blogspot.com

Hollie Drew this especially for my business cards. isnt she the sweetest?

What inspired you to start blogging?
I did the whole livejournal thing when I was like, 15. Then I gave up sort of and focussed on physical writing. Once I started Etsy I decided to start blogging out of nowhere. For quite a while I was unhappy with the layout and felt totally lost with blogspot. Now I feel I have it looking quite me'ish and blogspot is a lil' less scary now. All good things blossom over time. There's still alot more I want to learn about blogging. I would like to focus on more tutorials on my recipes as well. That's one thing you might not know about me-I'm known around here as the cook and baker.

I know you have an etsy shop. Crafting takes up a lot of time, do you have another job?
Oh yes, crafting does take up time-but I usually do things in waves, so I blitz a piece, and then clean up quick and I'm done. Right now I'm focussing on being a good wife. That takes alot of energy. Seeing I have energy issues, I can't really juggle work and doing the wife thing. So at this point in my life, it's best to keep things simple. In time however I'd like to get back to doing wine jobs. I used to do wine tastings at the local liquor stores. I really enjoy it, and it's a quick 4 hours of work for great pay. I also do an occasional radio spot jingle. For those of you who don't know, a jingle is the little song before and at the end of a radio commercial. Yes, I sing-but I'm extremely shy infront of people. I'm good after a glass of wine, and if everyone promises not to watch as I sing. I know, I'm still 5.


What song do you have on repeat at the moment?
omg, you're going to laugh your head off. "How deep is your love" by Bee Gees. I KNOW! I'm not really sure why, but I just can't enough of that tune lately. My fav bands/singers are The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, Arcade Fire, Tori Amos, Billie Holiday, David Bowie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the list goes on. But I had to redeem myself there lol.

What was the last film you watched? Are you a classic girl or do you go out to see the newest attractions at the cinema?
My movie taste is very random. I usually go for something artsy, dark or deep-but it has to have a decent-non depressing ending. I love Donnie Darko, Thumbsucker, etc-but I rarely get in the mood to watch them again, you know? I love The Village and Lady in the Water, I LOVE girly movies more than anything, like Aquamarine, 13 Going on 30, House Bunny, Mean Girls, and all the 80's brat pack films. I really focus on girliness, I find it best for my health :)

How long have you been on etsy for? You sell an array of amazing pieces, what inspires you?
I've been on for just under a year. I have so many inspirations and personalities and styles, so it makes it really hard to break the shop and myself down into a niche. I would sum up my taste as "indie", I guess more than anything. I'm a sucker for Lolita street style, more than all else though. I love new wave, 80's, Bowie'eque stuff. Designers like Topshop, Alexander McQueen, etc really get my juices flowing. Then I love Pocahontas, medieval princesses, Karen O. Music, and history are biggies. I love nerds, with big glasses and pencil skirts. Librarians. NATURE. Anything vintage and old world.

Are you doing anything fun for Halloween?
awkward moment-I actually don't celebrate it. BUT I still love to dress up on random occasions, and get weird looks!
I’ve heard a lot of people saying Autumn is the season to drink pumpkin ale. What is this? Do you like it?
My husband is obsessed with it. He's Irish, and thus loves a great beer or 2. Me, I'm more for a diet coke. I KNOW, disgusting right!? I'll probably die tomorrow. But when I go out, it's my treat. Hey, I'm a cheap date! I like having a glass of wine with cheese and good friends every once in a while, however. Just never been a beer lover. It kind of makes me full, too fast. Like drinking bread. LOL.

If I ever come to your neck of the woods would you let me in for afternoon tea? What would you serve?
Oh hell yes. I'm all about tea parties! I would serve you tea in a proper tea cup with milk and honey. I collect vintage tea party stuff! I would make my oatmeal scones with jam, mini quiches, and then butter tarts or cupcakes decorated prettily! Billie Holiday would be playing in the backround, and we'd both have to dress up in our favourite dress.

Do you have a favourite place to hang out on your own? A secret den that only you (or maybe you and Phil) know about?
Well, Boca Raton isn't exactly the most artsy of places to live, let me tell you. It's quite uninspired. It's very expensive (not where we live tho! lol), and centered around newness, and rich people. We're more for pubs or tea houses. Not many of those here. My sis works at a place called The Lodge. It's all wood inside, but bright at the same time. We like to go hang there on his day off, around 2. There's usually no one there and even though Hannah (my sis) is working, she can just hang out with us. It's a nice little tradition. Other than that, we like a little cafe in Delray (an artsy town a few mins away) called The Owl. There's owls everywhere inside. VERY kitschy. Great little place. Also we always love Barnes and Noble!

I love animals. I’m looking at buying a cat for our flat. Do you have any pets?
Animals are the bomb. I do have a cat! Her name is Custard. She's very pretty, and reminds me of a white puffball with charcoal and nutmeg smudged on her head. She was extremely shy when we first got her, since she's had a dysfunctional upbringing. But now she'll come and sit and purr beside me on the couch when I hand sew stuff. It's very cute. However, I changed up her litter a few weeks ago and she's taken up peeing randomly on the rug. So I've gotta do some research on how to fix that! She's quite adorable most of the time, so I'd rather figure out how to fix the prob then have to give her away. Having a pet around makes a huge difference, and it's known to help depression. Everyone should own one!

You and Phil are the cutest couple. Where and when did you get married? Hint: I want to see pictures!
Ohhh thank you! I have this fear of being an annoying couple! I was single till 23, and hated most couples. I didn't really understand their vibe, and it kind of scared me from marriage. I guess more than anything they seemed bored. I never really had a cool "in love" couple to show me that it could work, you know? But when I met Phil, there was an automatic warmth. Hannah, who had met him months before me-told me that he loved making cookies, and hanging out like we did. I found it hard to believe that a guy could be similar to me and Hannah. I really hadn't met a cool guy my whole life. How weird eh? When I met him (he came to visit canada, where i grew up and was living at the time) I had an instant crush. I was overwhelmed with this sort of, familiarity. Though he was almost 3 yrs younger, I knew I'd always like him. I didn't make any moves cause I felt creepy being older than him. Lol! A few months later, when my sis got engaged, our family drove down to help her out with the wedding (she moved to florida to date, and then marry her husband-who is friends with phil) we met up again. I was 100% obsessed now, and he showed it back this time. Then it was sort of like, a no brainer. We knew within a week that we were gonna get married at some point. So within a few months we did! I moved to Florida (it was hard to leave everyone, but worth it for him) and we got married here. It was a fun wedding, and the best part was the reception music. Since me and Hannah had talked about our wedding setlist since we were young. Our wedding song was "heartbeats" by Jose Gonzales. We got married November 10th, and we're coming up on our 2nd year!Marriage gets a bad wrap these days because people have stopped putting the emphasis on making it work. If you accept eachothers imperfections, talk constantly and learn to laugh at the end of the day it will always work out. If you go into marriage with one foot out the door, that air hovers over the two of you. If you go in, really promising it's forever, you're marriage will be amazing and there will be nothing you cannot work out. I promise I'm done my shpeel now. HOW DO YOU SPELL SHPEEL?!
How often do you post on your blog? How do you know what to blog about?
I try to post every few days, but only when I'm inspired. I don't do it cause I should. I think that would come across. Plus I dont' want to view it as a burden, more as an artistic outlet. I blog about whatever is moving me right now. Lately I've been doing alot of pink posts :) Sometimes it's designer fashion inspiration, etsy picks, recipes, music videos and mp3s. Whatever I'm in the mood for.

Last question, If you were going out for dinner where would you go and what would you order (drinks included)? I would go to East Side Marios (they dont have it here in FLA, but it was my fav in Canada) order the garden salad, eat like 5 loaves of their bread and get the cappaletti. It's just so perfect. You have to order it!

LOVE YOU!!

Thank you Hollie! You were one of the first ‘blog friends’ that I really got to know. I hope you had fun answering these questions! You are a sweet little cream cake xoxoxo

Read Hollies blog Mermaids closet

Check out her shops Blueberry Shoes and Im From The Woods

If you would like to talk to me on a Tuesday simply comment on my blog and let the good times roll on.

This is what I do in my spare time

Anthropologie? UK? London? Monarchs?

its friday tomorrow yay yay yay. Fridays mark the end of another working week and the start of kicking up your heels and enjoying yourself. This saturday katy and I are going to a studio to be treated like queens. They are going to do our make up, feed us alcohol and then take photos of us. They are also going to persuade us to buy loads of the photos for ridonks amount of money. I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE MY PURSE WITH ME. What I am going to do is remain strong and enjoy the free make up and refreshments that these people are providing.

I am also looking forward to this weekend and the possibility of visiting London's newest high street store ANTHROPOLOGIE. Yes, it is finally here. I've been reading a few articles about the previews and it looks and sounds divine. I have a feeling I may even faint when I walk through the doors. I have a tendency to over react. Like the time I saw The Doni Tondo by michelangelo for the first time in The Uffizi I fell to my knees, spellbound.

First stop will be to these very little monarch door knobs

then i will spend all of my pennies on these decadent wedges

I am most jealous of Wee Birdy for going along to the preview where they put on a very merry unbirthday teaparty

Is anyone else planing a trip to Regent Street this weekend?

In other news I got my order from asos today and am very pleased with the items I got. Reading all these fashion blogs has really inspired me to take more care when i dress and ive now even thought about starting to post what I wear. but then i am a little bit cautious as there are so many fashion blogs out there by so many wonderful people. I need to make my blog different some how but I cant quite put my finger on it. Any suggestions?

Thanks for all the lovely comments you dont know how happy it makes me feel.

Visiting Grandma

for Halloween this year Im dressing up as Little DEAD Riding Hood. Goodness gracious how sinister.

whats everyone else doing for the spooky season?

p.s. thanks so much for everyone who has left me lovely comments. I really love it and my heart skips a beat everytime i read a new one

Talk to me Tuesday with Maria

Maria! I have been wanting to find out so much about you ever since I came across Lulu Letty. I would love it if you could Sit down, unwind and pour your soul out onto the paper by answering a few quick questions.

1. First things first. Please state your full name. If you are married please include your maiden name also.

Maria Therese (Bouren) Confer

2. For administration purposes please state your date of birth (and how old you currently are) plus your place of birth and your current residence.

5/25/1981, 28 years old born in Michigan and after spending five years in Massachusetts now live in Michigan again.

3. For identification purposes please state your natural hair and eye colour.

What you see is my natural brown color, (I haven’t dyed my hair in almost seven years) my eyes are green. And I’ll through in my height: 5’5”.

Now that the formalities are over I can stop speaking like an official soldier and ask some fun questions.

4. If someone came into your life and offered you the house of your dreams in your dream location where would it be? To get the creative juices running I’ll tell you that my dream house would be a modest sized rustic cottage with beautiful wooden floors and an eclectic approach to architecture situated on the edge of the woods in Norway.
Oh, I could definitely live in your dream house. Mine would be a little yellow cape cod in the mountains of rural Vermont with a wrap around porch and fireplaces in every room.

5. Do you like to bake? What was the last thing you baked and did it turn out amazing or was it a complete disaster?

I do like to bake, but I don’t do it very often. The last thing I baked was a French apple pie and it turned out delicious.

6. I always ask this question and it’s a really boring and dull one. But, do you have any pets? What are their names?

I have two dogs: Wellington (aka Wellie) my Pug and Pipin (aka Pip) my Chihuahua.


7. Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend? If I was a boy I would want to be your boyfriend. Actually I am a girl and want to be your girlfriend too.

We can be girlfriends! ;) I have a husband, Cole, and we’ve been together for ten years and married for almost seven.

8. I went to see an amazing Swedish folk band last week. They are called Maple Mountain. What was the last gig you managed to go to? Oh, it’s been over two years since I’ve been to a live show! Wow, that’s so bad. The last performance I saw was Sondre Lerche in Boston.

9. You look like you know a thing or two about cameras. I am thinking about buying a film camera do you have any advice? What camera do you use?

Sadly, I no absolutely zilch about film cameras, but if you don’t already have one, definitely get a digital slr if you can. I just got a Nikon D60 and I absolutely adore it. The quality of the pictures is amazing.

10. You have some amazing clothes. Do you mind sharing a few secret shops and designers with us?

You’re so sweet. Hmmm, I don’t know that I have any really good secrets or shops. I do most of my shopping online on either eBay or Etsy. Other than that, I’m always looking at ModCloth and Urban Outfitters for their new clothes.

11. Now I have already asked you the following 2 questions but I am going to ask them again anyway;
a) Do you have a signature scent?

I’m naturally drawn to more musky scents, since floral scents give me bad headaches. And for the last year and a half I’ve been wearing Burberry The Beat and love it!

b) Do you have a signature shade of lipstick?

Revlon, Really Red

12. How long have you been blogging for? You have so many followers and get loads of lovely comments! Whats your blogging tips?

I started my blog in Nov 2008 but was only posting a few times a month, if that. In May 2009, I started blogging more frequently and have been posting everyday for about five months now. My advice would be post as often as you can and comment a lot. Especially try to comment back the people who comment on your blog. It’s a nice give and take and creates a sense of community.

13. Do you prefer necklaces or rings? Or both?

Rings. Although, I only wear two. My wedding ring and my anniversary ring.

14. Do you prefer coffee or tea?

Tea with milk and honey.

15. If you were meeting friends for a few drinks on a Friday night where would you go and what would you drink? Would you go to a techno rave, a gig, fancy restaurant for dinner, the park for an outdoor dining experience?

I would like to meet in a corner pub. Somewhere local and cozy. Depending on the time of year, I would probably drink a G&T in the summer and an Old Fashion in the winter. For beer, I love Heineken and Sam Adams.

16. You told me in question number 2 where you live – what is it like there?

Kind of rural. Not like where I used to live in the Boston area, where everyone is living on top of each other.

17. Do you go to the gym? (I don’t)

Nope. I have a general dislike and distrust of gyms. I like to workout on my own, either outdoors or at my place. My exercise of choice is pilates.

18. I have asked you a lot of questions so I will stop now. If you were going to have toast for breakfast would you put honey or jam on it? Do you use butter as well?

Oh, why haven’t I ever tried honey on toast!? I love toast with peanut butter and honey, but I’ve never tried just toast and honey. I usually eat my toast plain with lots of butter. But next time I’m adding honey. ;)

Thank you so much for answering these questions! You are such a lovely person with an amazing blog and I feel so lucky to have found it.
Aww, you’re so incredibly kind. Thank you so much for interviewing me and I’m so glad you found me, too.

all photos are from Maria and her blog Lulu Letty except for Burberry The Beat which I stole from google images. If you would like to be featured, leave a comment and I'll be in touch :-)