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In an attempt to move away from my default setting of moaning about the heat and thinking of all the lovely autumn/winter clothes I'd rather be wearing, I thought I'd share a few of the things I've bought in the past couple of months which I'm rather excited about.  I'll admit the boots and the long sleeved black dress aren't especially summery, but I have managed to actually wear them during a brief drop in temperature, so I'm including them, even though it'll probably be October before I can actually wear them again...

Newest Additions...

Nike Pegasus 83 from here

animal print skate shoes by Diemme

to my footwear family, and they're both sensible as can be.  I never thought I'd see the day a new pair of trainers would make me happier than impractical heels, but clearly fashion's current mood for shoes you can run for the bus in has won me over.  The first pair in particular are the perfect thing to cheer me up on the greyest of days, and I'm trying really, really hard not to buy them in the other colourway which has just gone into the Asos sale.  Can one have too many trainers?  Is there anything you can't actually pair them with?  (I've convinced myself the answer to the second question is definitely no, and my current favourite thing to wear is dresses and trainers.  I really did not see this coming.)  

Coat of my Dreams

... and it's mine.  After starting my coat search in July, and buying and returning numerous contenders, I've finally found The One.  It's from Topshop Unique A/W '13, and I got it for half price in the sale online, the last one, in my size.  Clearly it's fate...

It's slouchy and oversized (and 100% mohair so it's officially the warmest thing I own), but not so long that it swamps me.  And the best bit is that it reminds me both of the Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony teddy bear coat I lusted after earlier this year, and of this jumper from Dries van Noten A/W '09, which I've been obsessed with for literally years:

I love a happy ending.

New Discoveries

One of the things I missed the most about living in a small city in the middle of nowhere in Greece was access to independent brands, as well as secondhand and vintage, a concept that is still very new there.  There was a small local craft movement, but none of the (very lovely) crafters made anything that was particularly my cup of tea, and I resigned myself to shopping on the high street.  So now that I'm back in London, I'm really pleased that most of my purchases have not come from Topshop/H&M/Zara, but from ebay, charity shops and indie designers I've come across both online and in person.  Today I stumbled entirely by accident on the Hackney Flea Market, a monthly market with stalls full of both handmade and vintage bits and bobs.  And for once, I actually bought a couple of things, and discovered some seriously talented people.  

Illustrator Sandra Dieckmann produces the most amazing animal prints, and I look forward to filling up the walls of my (future) flat with her work.  In the meantime, I consoled myself with this mirror, because clearly the image of a curled up red panda could make even fixing my smudged eyeliner on the bus a much more cheery experience:

I think In With the Old might just be one of my favourite shops, if their stall today was anything to go by.  They're based on Amwell Street in Islington, and stock 57 independent makers of everything from prints to jewellery to handmade children's clothing.  I really wanted some coasters made from vintage tiles, and one of Mike Hall's London Borough map prints, but as I'm writing this from amongst the clutter of someone else's attic, where I'm currently living, I made do with this initial necklace:

 

And finally, a brand I've actually been wanting to write about for a while, which I discovered whilst randomly trawling ebay, Amelia May.  I've been obsessed with rings lately, and their selection is possibly the best I've found, at any price point.  And, as a bonus, all designs are  available either as traditional rings, or in midi versions, and most of them come in brass or silver.  I bought the Crescent Moon Knuckle Ring Set, the Aztec Petal Ring, and the Cobalt Moon Glow Knuckle Ring, but I don't imagine I'll be stopping there...

This Week...

Hampstead Heath, bus stop selfie, new Asos jumper, Ebay bag, new candle and charity shop owl, Fireworks over the river...