Hot in a Helmet// Cyclechic

Hello there. Sorry I've been away for so long. I'm just finishing up my MA and am mostly over on the bike blog I Speak Bike. I'm also helping the girls at Cyclechic launch their Hot in a Helmet campaign. Check out their blog for updates. 

Take care

Jude

xxx

I don't have a pension....

....but I do have quite a collection of vintage Nike Air Force 1 hi tops.

Black and gold with embroidery detail and sheering lining.

My 1982 Tiger Prints

Iridescent white with baby blue swoosh

Please excuse my absence, i've not forgotten you (note singular). I've been kind of busy here

I Speak Bike

Hello there, you look nice.

If you fancy more helmets and less heels and hi tops I am blogging everything bike related over here.

Please feel free to drop by anytime.

Jude

xxx

Sewing Kit

Remember yards?

8p snap fastenings

Free with 'Woman's Weekly'

Iron on trouser binding

The smallest needles ever.

Everyone needs an 'Elastic Hat Holder'

Iron on patches for staring at streams

3 in 1patches for elbowing ladies in the head

I think I could open a haberdashery shop with all the bits and pieces I've inherited and gathered. Check out some of these random items from the bottom of my sewing kit. I love the retro graphics and writing, it's so Stepford Wives.

Vintage Bicycle Print Shirt

I found this in a charity shop a few years ago for £2. I love the little blue bike riding men. It's currently gracing my wall in lieu of fine art.

 

Pictures by Maria Brosnan

Sergei Polunin Resigns

Sergei Polunin has resigned from The Royal Ballet. The Ukrainian dancer was made principle aged just 19, less than two years ago.

Sergei, you are more than welcome to come around and give me a hand with my 'to do' list. I'll show you where we keep the mugs. Black, no sugar.

BOOM

 

I've been doing a bit of a clear out to some tunes. This one may be responsible for my wardrobe solely containing head bands. Happy Sunday. xxx

Nice Biscuits

Yeah, I bake.

Nice

We hate tinsel

...so we decorate our tree with shoes.

Merry Christmas. xxx

Tantalus

In Greek mythology Tantalus offended the Gods so was sentenced to an eternity of punishment.  His fate was to be stuck in a pool of water which would drain away each time he tried to quench his thirst. Above him hung an abundance of fruit, each time he tried to satisfy his hunger it would be just out of reach. This is where we get the word "tantalise". I totally felt Tantalus' pain the other day when I went to see a friend's play. I rode in the rain from Greenwhich to Euston (getting spectacularly lost en route). When I finally arrived (drenched) at my destination there was NOWHERE to park my bike, no railings, no lamp posts nothing. I finally found a fence that I could just about chain my bike to with some hardcore manoeuvring. Just on the other side of the fence I could see a whole row of sparkling new bike racks. Just out of reach. I couldn't wait to get out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini.

Christmas Cycling

Riding around London at Christmas time is even more dangerous than usual. Especially if you are me and like sparkly lit up things. I have nearly ruined Christmas for many people whilst cutting through Winter Wonderland in the dark. Every highstreet has lights over head, stealing my eyes from the road and shop windows with their Christmassy displays keep shouting at me. So to make sure I am in keeping with the seasonal scenery I have customised a helmet and added extra lights to bike. 

My chrome helmet has been snowflaked

Extra bike lights. Please don't rain.

To see what other Christmas looks i'm rocking look here.

Hip Hop Happy Christmas Play List

As an alternative to “We want Shakin Stevens but will accept Wham”, here is this year's edition of my Hip Hop Christmas playlist…(You can see it here on Le Blow with videos).

1. Run DMC: Christmas in Hollis

Top of my list every year. Everything you could ask for in a Christmas song. I think it should be given carol status so it can be blasted out in churches. I hear the acoustics beat any boom box.

2. Kurtis Blow: Christmas Rapping

This assures me that Santa doesn’t slouch around all year watching ‘Cash in the Attic’ in his pants. He’s obviously practising his bad ass dance moves so he can lure in the ladies. A classic flow, you wouldn’t expect anything less from Blow. Great name, too…

3. Atmosphere: If I was Santa Claus

Smooth as a selection box. If I was Santa I would replace that Mariah Carey song with this one. Oh and I’d stop people carrying wheelie suitcases down busy December high streets. Idiots.

4. Ludacris: Ludacrismas

His lyrics crack me up: "Tell him I need a jacket, new Jordans and an X-box. New suits for church and a couple pairs of dress socks". Sweetly interspersed with a twinkly sample of “Here comes Santa Claus”. I wish my pockets jangled like his.

5. Eazy E: Merry Muthafuckin’ Xmas

One for the Songs of Praise Christmas Special. Listen to this with your Gran. Then high five her. In the face.

6. LL Cool J: Rock the Bells

Le Blow Loves Cool J. Hands down best percussion on a Christmas track. It was kind of the Baby Cheesus to get borned so I could dance around my room putting glitter on my face and listen to this.

7. Snoop Dogg: Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto

Christmas is tough when you’re poor in the ghetto. What’s that Snoop? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you through your eleventy bazillion dollar bank account which receives additional royalties this time of year thanks to the whole album you pulled together ‘Christmas in the Dogghouse’. If you have kids, that’s a stocking filler right there.

8. Run DMC: Christmas is

This could have been the hip hop version of ‘Feed the World’ and the X-Factor contestants could have made it into a Christmas number 1 medley. Fight poverty. Give up yo doh.

9. Quad City DJs: What you want for Christmas

Wicked crunked up ghetto version of the 12 days of Christmas. Set against festive bells I especially like what the girl has on her list: "$12.000, 11 pairs of shoes, 10 fingernails, 9 packs of weaves, 8 male strippers, 7 bus passes, 6 diamond rings, 5 months free rent! 4 bangles, 3 pocket books, 2 earrings and a man with a lot of money." Standard.

10. De La Soul: Millie pulled a Pistol on Santa

When Christmas songs are starting to make you hate your ears, here is the antidote.These lyrics tell a deep, dark story that will make you suspicious of all department store Santas.

11. Derek B: Chillin with Santa

If you like a bit of Jingle Bells here it is. A little bit. If you don’t believe in Santa it’s because you weren’t cool enough to meet him and chill out round his. Either that or he hates you.

13. Sweet Tee: Let the Jingle Bells Rock

What you didn’t know Christmas went Hip Hop? Check the clock and let the jingle bells rock. Now you know.

14. Ludacris ft. Nate Dogg: I Got Hoes (In Different Area Codes)

These guys have more Hos than Santa. Every time I hear this song it gets stuck in my head for days and I go around singing it and pass it to all my friends. It spreads and is hard to get rid of. Like? Like? Glitter. Yes. Glitter.

Have a Hip Hop Happy Christmas.xxx

Mary, Joseph, Dinosaurs, Hello Kitty....

This is my Mother's Christmas Crib. This is always up way before the Christmas tree. As a kid I used to love playing with it as it was like a dolls house. Gradually more figures were added. One year it was completely gate crashed by My Little Ponies. Another year Barbie and Action Man hung out with the shepherds. In recent years with the addition of my nephews, the nativity has mostly been taken over by dinosaurs. Where is the baby Jesus and three Kings? Well the Kings are currently above the fire place making their way closer and closer each day. The baby Jesus gets put in by the youngest child on Christmas day under the watchful eye of Hello Kitty.

Happy 125th Birthday Diego Rivera

Google just told me it was Diego Rivera's 125th Birthday. This reminded me of something that made me laugh out loud in the library.

I'm currently doing some work at uni about street art murals and in my opinion Rivera is still hands down the best muralist I have ever seen. I've seen his work at the National Palace in Mexico City and was blown away by the scale and detail. Using Aztec and political influences Rivera's work depicts scenes of Mexican history and the future of humanity. His style is very beautiful and distinctly recognisable.  His painting The Flower Seller is a favourite of mine.

I wonder why they call it 'The Blue House'?

National Palace, Mexico City

National Palace, Mexico City

Anyway, the thing that made me laugh out loud was remembering the time my sister and I were visiting our brother in Mexico and we all went to the house Diego Rivera shared with Frida Kahlo. At the time Maria was on crutches (torn ligament, volcano boarding) and got stuck in the turnstiles. As a kind caring older sister what did I do? Laughed and took pictures. Obviously.

Ha ha ha ha

Wicked Kids Helmets

Does anyone know how I can lose weight off my head? Like 22 years worth? Even if I shave all my hair off I doubt I could squeeze my head into one of these Wicked Helmets designed by Zdenko Santini, one of LEGO's creatives. If I see any kids sporting one I am going to be insanely jealous. Just a heads up, in case you wonder why I shout 'I HATE YOU' at your kid when I ride by.

Available from Look Mum No Hands www.lookmumnohands.com

It's CHRRRRRRIIIIIISTMAS

In case you hadn't noticed Christmas is just around the hugely lit up corner. It so is. Shop staff are already sick to death of Wham and Mariah and by now that advert doesn't even make us shed a tear. It's no secret that I love a themed dress day and am partial to a patterned jumper. I am about to be tested to the max to see if I can dress in something festive everyday in the run up to Christmas. Watch me try here.Eeeeek

Crochet Mud Guards

This bike is parked near my house every day. The other day I saw its lady owner unchaining it and I explained how I had been admiring her crochet beaded mud guards for a while. She thanked me explaining how it stops your skirt getting caughted in the wheels. I said why stop there, you could crochet a carrier, seat cover, hand grips, helmet, gloves, panniers, hi vis clothing...... She had ridden away long ago. I was just standing in the street talking to myself about things you could crochet on a bike. Sigh.

Girls on Bikes

Today I rode to work wearing the following: track suit bottoms with the right leg tucked into Union Jack socks, an 'I heart Libraries' tshirt, a kids hoody, black and pink thinsulate gloves (which matched my bike that got stolen), a hi vis jacket with mud all up the back, a helmet hiding a rubbish pony tail and no make up. FIT.

If you want to see some girls looking sexy on bikes get down to 18 Hewett Street and check out INSA's 'Girls on Bikes'. Personally I think they would have looked just as good (if not better) helmeted up. That's just me, I like unsmashed heads.



This is the opposite of what I look like on my bike



"In this set of photographic works INSA orchestrates a conflicting dialogue between all the elements and explicitly subordinates the value of his own street art to both the possessed object of the bike and the overtly sexualized female presence. Thus questioning our individual perceptions of ownership of public space, of sexuality and of belonging(s)."

http://www.18hewettstreet.co.uk/



Brogan Cichon for DZ Collection

DZ Collection

Photographer: Monika Magiera

Model: Brogan Cichon

Location: Notting Hill

Hair, Make up, Feathers: Me

Jude Boots

I have mentioned products sharing my name before here. "Hey Jude! Take a sad song and make it better by dancing around in these boots" is what Office are saying about their leather 'Jude' boots. Available in black, taupe and rust brick (pictured) £110

Add caption

Don't worry boys. You can wear Jude wellies.

Snappy Sister

As I'm studying towards an MA I have set up camp in Ealing Central Libary. My sister currently has four of her pictures on display at my second home in a collection by the members of  Ealing & Hampshire House Photographic Society. Including one taken from a feather photoshoot we did a while ago. If you come down you can see them with your eyes and distract me from my studies with a dance, lunch or you could just do my work for me while I read Vogue.

http://ehhps.org.uk/