Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts

Thursday 27 March 2014

Jackets for Springtime

I'm loving the variety of jackets, blazers and kimonos in the shops at the moment. Today I bought myself this little number from New Look. It comes in coral and mint too, but I opted for the navy for a more classic look.

New Look

Then check out River Island's massive collection of kimonos. I'm loving this tiger one. A stark contract to the purchase above!
River Island

Sunday 16 March 2014

Summer wishlisting

I popped up to York on Monday with my mum to meet up with my little sister. My mum found train tickets for just £5 each way from London (wonder where I get the bargain-hunting from?!) so I took the day off and made it a long weekend, seeing as it was also my birthday this week (last year of my twenties!!). We had a gorgeous lunch in Rustique and then set about finding my sister a bridesmaid dress for the wedding of the year coming up in only just over 3 months now.

There were some fraught moments where we thought we weren't going to find anything and we nearly panic-overspent on a not quite perfect one, but we finally found this one in Warehouse, which we were all happy with. It's a gorgeous dress, the colours are right, and the laidback style fits the day perfectly. And it's essentially a summer maxi dress, which she can wear again, if I don't take it for myself!

Warehouse 

Whilst wandering around all the shops of York I found all these other beauties, which are firmly on my California honeymoon shopping list!
Next 

Yumi

Yumi
Debenhams

Monday 24 February 2014

Grown Up Style at The White Stuff

Blogging has once again taken a back seat, as I've been catapaulting back and forth between London and Sheffield, getting into my new job, and sorting out wedding invitations.

Last weekend back in Sheffield though, I made a startling realisation. I am getting older and the sorts of fashion shops that once were hugely appealing are no longer so. We were in Debenhams and I was struggling to find anything in the usual concessions stands that I had any interest in. Those "younger" concessions have their place, i.e. Warehouse and Oasis do great party dresses but I struggled to find anything I would wear day-to-day.

We trotted on to John Lewis and I found abundant clothes that I was much more drawn to. I ended up bringing home this delightful tunic/dress from White Stuff, a range I've never normally even thought about but that I've actually come to like a lot, and they have a great sale at the moment.
Birds of a Feather tunic
Whilst I've also been used to dressing quite "officey" for work, things are a lot more laid back at my new company so I am looking to tone it down a little, and I think this fits the bill perfectly for a laidback office day or weekend wear. It can be worn with jeans, leggings, tights or even maybe *whispers* bare-legged in the summer.

Other other current bits I like which would be suitable for work or play:
Butterfly Scoop Dress
Summer Bird Dress
Cameramatic dress
I also adore the fact that White Stuff are a socially responsible company, supporting local charities, and believing in "being different,  making a difference and making the world a little happier" (from here) and their White Stuff Foundation works with disadvantaged children and young people, giving 1% of the company's annual profits to good causes. That just makes me feel warm inside.

Sunday 19 January 2014

Weekending in Sheffield

I've just returned from a weekend seeing my beau in Sheffield, and what a wonderful weekend it was! We kicked off Friday evening with a homemade chilli and Casino, a film we've owned for about 5 years and always been put off watching on the basis that it's 3 hours long, but this time we were ready for it.

A few nights before I went to visit, my mister uttered over Skype these words, "Darling....you know my suit we bought for the wedding? I think I want something different now...." before showing me this board he'd made on Pinterest. Up for a challenge we spent all of Saturday trawling Sheffield city centre charity, vintage and high street shops for a good alternative. We didn't find one this time but he did pick up a spectacularly bargain jacket at just £28.99 in M&S (one shade darker than this one, I can't find his on the website). Unfortunately there are no matching trousers, but the mister has a real thing for jackets so he'll be wearing it all the time in a non wedding capacity, in rotation with the fantastical tweed one I got him for Christmas (another charity shop find).

During my trawling of Sheffield charity shops, I came across this beautiful book for just £1, a stellar additional to my addiction to food books. It's a fantastic book highlighting the very best places for the very best foods in the UK.
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I also picked up some Lanocreme Manuka Honey eye cream in TK Maxx for £5.99. I've just idly started looking for an eye cream to reduce the dark circles under my eyes, so thought I'd give this one a whirl, it's worth a punt at that price - let's banish those circles for good!

We took a drink in the Great Gatsby on Division Street after exploring all of the lovely shops - so many have popped up since I've moved away, and I always love a good poke around Within Reason especially.
Winter Gardens
Oozing Peanut Butter
We wandered through the Winter Gardens before heading on to Mudcrab. We'd been talking about going to Mudcrab for at least a week before my visit so this was hotly anticipated, I love it there. We shared cheesy garlic bread and fried chicken (amazing) then went on to our burger mains. I had the Geek USA burger which is a THREE patty burger with peanut butter and a fried egg. Astonishing. We couldn't even finish our chips, and I never leave food on my plate! The staff were all really friendly and attentive, and the bill came to only about £51 for two starters, two burgers and two cocktails each (it was happy hour til 7).

After a full day of fun, we walked back to the Boy's house, where I changed into his pyjamas, drank wine from a mug and we watched Inglourious Basterds again, because it's amazing.

This morning, we overdosed on coffee whilst booking our honeymoon flights - We are off to San Francisco 3 days after our wedding! We're planning to do a bit of a road trip, based on this little itinerary we pilfered from STA Travel. We booked our flights through Opodo, flying from Belfast as its £300 cheaper each than flying from London (even though we have to pass back through London!?). We'll marry on the Saturday, tidy up our venue and make our way home to London on the Sunday, make our way to Belfast on Monday and fly to California on Tuesday for 3 whole weeks. I'm collecting tips and tricks so if anyone has been on a similar adventure please feel free to share, we'd be very grateful.

Making my way home to London was boring, saying goodbye is always hard but after such a lovely weekend, I left with a smile on my face and the reminder that being apart isn't forever. Thank you Sheffield, and thank you Dave for another incredible weekend, I can't wait for more.
Bye bye Sheffield

Sunday 24 November 2013

My Christmas Wishlist


Christmas is one month and one day away, better get my shopping started. But it's Sunday and that means it's a day of rest so instead I am going to bang on about the stuff I want for my greedy self! I keep my wishlist on amazon.co.uk, because you can add items from any site using the Universal Wish List button, and it's an easy way for my mum (who treats Christmas as a military operation) to make sure my relatives don't all buy me the same thing!

Nelly.com - Orublu Over Knee Socks

Overknee socks are so awesome, maybe I'll team them up with a tartan skirt suit. Then I'd be a total betty.
Benefit High Beam
Benefit's High Beam rocks my world. A bottle lasts for ages, but I am nearly out.

Asos.com
I heart this jumper. Way to wear your heart on your sleeve.

Soap and Glory's Wish Upon a Jar is also firmly on my list. Apparently it transforms your skin in 21 days. I'll have some of that. Thank you please. See this youtube review.

Etsy.com
This Dr Seuss print is the coolest.

Folio Society
I love Folio Society books, they are so elegant. I want this copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's.


The Muppet Show
I have an alarming number of Muppets DVDs on my wishlist. I love them! Have you seen the trailer for the new movie? I can't wait for it to come out.

Aside from this, I've got some fairly boring stuff on my wishlist, new knickers, shampoo, that kind of thing. I hate having to spend money on staple items, so if I can get those things for Christmas, it means more cash to save, spend on holidays and meals with friends!

Wednesday 30 October 2013

TK Maxxing it for xxMas




The new TK Maxx store opened on Long Acre last week, and I was very excited about this - I love a good tkrummage. Here's the great unveil (excuse the dreadful pictures, I didn't have my fancy new camera with me).


I had a chance to have a good peek around the shop before it opened at the launch party, and was pleased with what I found -  boo to no homeware section - but thankfully there's the Charing Cross Road branch only 5 minutes walk away.

I took a few snaps of things that caught my eye, so here's a very quick gift guide for you all.

Scarves for mum

PJs for the baby sis, perhaps? I love those blue ones!
Gorgeous Patagonia exercise top for the yogini
Pepsi Tshirt for yourself - and why not? Christmas shopping is hard work
Christmas jumper for the day itself
Prada shoes from the Gold Label section for the fashionista
Gooey frosting for the foodie.
I popped back and got a couple of bits for the Boy yesterday, but those are a secret. The new store overall is impressive, spread over 3 floors, the Gold Label section is pretty big, and despite no proper homeware section there are still candles, books, stationery and food items and a great selection of toiletries and bags.

The website itself has some great gifts available to order online, something I didn't realise before that TK Maxx did....voila.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Dickins and Jones at House of Fraser

On a recent trip to Croydon, I happened upon the gorgeous collection by Dickins and Jones at House of Fraser, a stunning collection of grown-up ladieswear. Despite not knowing about the range at HoF, I thought the name sounded familiar. When I got home, I realised of course that D&J used to be an upmarket department store on Regent Street, right up until 2006 (where H&M now is).

Their range of clothing, which is exclusive to House of Fraser is "a wonderfully quintessential British fashion brand for women" with "a distinct heritage feel that has a timeless yet fashionable appeal." - this is from the blurb from the blurb on the website but it's certainly accurate.

I got this adorable top for just £18 (£20 on sale, with Boy's student discount).

Dickins and Jones Jersey Top

A cute weekend top, wearable with jeans or a skirt. It's available in a range of colours with different patterns on that sweet little pocket, I just love this bird print!

Looking at the website has got me lusting after these gorgeous pyjama bottoms, perfect for cosying up as the winter nights draw in!
Peacock pyjamas
Teacup pyjamas


Monday 16 September 2013

Hello Vans



What happened to Converse? I had my first pair for almost 10 year. My second pair lasted a year. My third pair, four months. I noticed last week that one of the soles was falling out, which Isn't Good Enough, so I took them straight back to Office, who without quibble offered me a replacement. I decided to go to the other side, and got some Vans.

Converse, I'll be back when you up your game.
Vans
First Outing in new shoes

Sunday 15 September 2013

An Ode to Orla Kiely and Suzy Bishop

I absolutely adore Orla Kiely, so it's fitting that the one LFW show that I got to was hers. I loved the SS14 collection, it's incredible. You can watch the official show video here.


The SS14 collection is "inspired by girl guides, brownies and Suzy Bishop, the collection presents a contract of texture, embelishment and 70's inspired silouhettes fused with a modern twist.

I got zero decent photos from the actual show as I am still saving for a proper camera, but here's a handful from the LFW Site.


Source
The Huckleberry bag, based on a binocular case is my personal favourite item from the whole collection - you can see it in yellow in the middle photo.

If you haven't seen Moonrise Kingdom yet, watch it, immediately - trailer here, and learn the ways of the style icon that is Suzy Bishop. An homage to Wes Anderson's most stylish creation:
Source

Source

Source

Source
Back on the subject of Orla, her new footwear collection in conjunction with Clarks was also showcased at the show on Saturday, "...A capsule collection of 6 styles....Incorporating colours iconic of her collections with green, mustard, navy and red colour ways, and a real sense of fun – the collection is representative both of Orla’s design heritage and Clarks’ passion for style and substance."

The "Mary" are my personal favourites.
Orla Kiely and Clarks, Mary
This fashion stuff is a crazy business though, it's September, the temperature is dropping, it's raining almost constantly, and yet were expected to think about clothing for summer? That will never make any sense to me. Here's a couple of my favourites from Orla's AW13 knitwear collection.
Animal Embroidery Cardigan
Squirrel Intarsia Cardigan
Happily, you can get free delivery on purchases through the website this week to celebrate London Fashion Week (and there's mugs and stationery on sale....you're welcome).

Tuesday 10 September 2013

V&Oak Magazine

My beautiful, clever and very talented friend Ana has created a magazine, and it is amazing. She launched V&Oak (Vintage and One of A Kind) a couple of years ago, an online lifestyle magazine devoted to the vintage and handmade lifestyle, for those of us who are bored of the mainstream and want to adorn ourselves, and our lives with something a bit more unique.

The first bi-annual print edition is now out, and after pre-ordering mine a month ago and eagerly awaiting its arrival, it's finally here in all it's glory, and just as I anticipated, it's fantastic. There's articles on vintage fashion and beauty, vintage shopping tips, quirky home and gift ideas, with beautiful photography throughout, and none of the usual drivel about half-naked celebrities and fake tan.


You can buy V&Oak Issue 1 here for £10 + £2.60 p&p (In the UK). I recommend that you do. 

*Disclaimer: I love my friend, she's uber-talented. Thus I bought the magazine out of my own money and wrote about it of my own accord.

Sunday 28 April 2013

Weekending

After a mental week at work, 3 days of which were spent at a trade show with loads of booze and naughty food, I was ready to crash this weekend. But I already knew that this wasn't going to be the case, owing to a girl's night out we'd planned ages ago.

In an attempt to spend some time with the Boy before I go to Australia (5 days and counting), we went to Angel in the morning to do some shopping. I needed some toiletries for my trip so popped to Boots and got some L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 shampoo and conditioner, which were half price for the 400ml bottles, and some Nivea Happy Time shower gel, which was just 97p a bottle, so cheap and cheerful for me as always. We checked out a couple of opticians, I'd had an eye test the day before at Specsavers and had been told I need new glasses so wanted to shop around.. Below are my current favourites, although I also want to check out the Orla Kiely range at Boots.
Karen Millen 12
We spotted a branch of Bill' on White Lion Street, I didn't know it was there so I think it's fairly new (they seem to be popping up all over the place). I've wanted to check out Bill's for a while, so we popped in and got seated straight away, and told that breakfast was being served til 1pm (it's 12noon on weekdays). I opted for the vegetarian breakfast and Boy had the sausage sandwich, with a side of bacon and cauliflower cheese from the main menu.
Bill's vegetarian breakfast 
Bill's decor, Islington
I loved my breakfast. I am not a vegetarian, I am generally very carnivorous indeed but the description got me (poached free range eggs, tomatoes, hummus, mushrooms & guacamole, sweet chilli sauce, basil 
& toast) and I was not disappointed. I got additional bubble and squeak with mine, and we got a coffee each too. The bill came to just under £25 including 12.5% service charge which we were happy to pay as the service was great. A nice touch at Bill's is that they give you a carafe of tap water without it having to be asked for, I get so fed up with snotty looks elsewhere when you request tap water. Bill's branches have selection of handpicked deli products in store, all of which can be bought online too, along with the cookbook Cook Eat Smile which I now have my eye on after flicking through it in the store, it's a beautiful book.
Cook Eat Smile

We also went to H&M, where I got two great tops for just £9. This black number was £7.99, but 50% off (also in white, khaki and blue).
Black lace top, £7.99

This beautiful cream glittery top was marked down to £10, but when I got it to the till it was just £5! I can't find it on the website, so here's my picture below. Two tops for £9, I am still marvelling!
Mega bargain top
After shopping, I headed home and started working on my hair. I have long straight brown hair, which I wear in two styles. Up (in a ponytail). Or Down. I wanted to try something different, and inspired by Sienna Miller, I went for a plaited headband approach. An hour and many kirby grips later, it was achieved, here's me with my friend A. I wore the new black top with a blue boob tube top underneath, with black jeans and flat pumps

A and I had an amazing night at Koko, Camden. It was a Guilty Pleasures night, so the music was loads of amazing cheese and we had a really good dance. I loved it, though had one two many Skittlebombs and Jagerbombs. Taking all those kirby grips out on the night bus home was a wonderful feeling!

Today should be a lazy day, but I never sleep well after booze, so awoke around 7:30 (didn't go to bed til 3:30, ouch) then wandered to the shops again. I needed some new sunglasses so picked up some £5 jobbies from M&S, I am forever breaking them so I don't spend a lot of money on them, I have been known to get through 5 pairs in a month. I popped to our local car boot which is on every weekend and got 5 of the Game of Thrones books for 20p each for the Boy before going to Tesco to stock up our fridge. I am currently baking the Hummingbird Bakery Buttermilk Pound Cake and the chicken is marinading for tonight's Starlight Spicy Chicken Wraps. Who said hungover Sundays had to be dead time?!