Category Archives: bristol

Fix Up Look Sharp for AW15

23rd September 2015
I love a fashion label with a difference and that’s exactly what Bristol based Fix Up Look Sharp is. The transform donated fabric in to unique, one of a kind fashion pieces and then sell them to raise awareness and funds for CLIC Sargent. Beginning back in 2012 Fix Up Look Sharp has just launched their Autumn/Winter 2015 collection which is available to buy online or from their shop which can be found on Bristol’s eclectic Gloucester Road (I love a good excuse to wander up that street, a mecca for one of a kind shops, cool cafes and bars galore). I’ve popped some of my favourite pieces of the collection below to give you a taste of what you can expect.

Bomber Jacket: £45 | Jumper Dress: £25 | Patch Sweater: £25 | Raglan Sleeve Top: £25 | Sack Dress: £28 | Seamed Top: £22

As I said, this really is just a taster of what they do and as well as being able to buy the entire range online you can also meet the team and find out how you can get involved in the project. If crazy prints and fabrics aren’t your cup of tea you can still support the cause by purchasing one of their logo pieces, I’ve got my eye on the Fix Up Look Sharp sweatshirt now the temperatures are falling fast, how about you?

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Posted in brands I love, bristol, charity

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The Ups and the Downs

04th May 2015

One of the many reasons I love living in (well, near) Bristol is that one minute you’re in the hustle and bustle of a busy city centre and the next you can be somewhere so calm and quiet that it feels like another country.

“The Downs” is a huge open space made up of Clifton Down and Durdham down and in the Summer it’s awash with people- from the dog walkers to the runners, from young families having a picnic to the sweet elderly couples walking hand in hand. It’s a brilliant place to people watch and there are some pretty spectacular views on offer too, the most impressive of which has to be Avon Gorge which features the famous Clifton Suspension bridge- an iconic part of Bristol City.

The other weekend Ben and I ventured up there to chill out for a while- despite being busy there is always a quiet spot somewhere. We also took the opportunity to branch out with outfit photo locations…I’m getting quite used to prancing around in public now.

Top: New Look (similar) | Dress: River Island at ASOS | Boots: Missguided

The downs could also kind of describe how I’ve been feeling lately, as life hasn’t been the easiest. For as long as I can remember I’ve struggled with my mental health and the last few months have been testing to say the least.
I know a few people have commented and expressed concern over my weight and all I can say on that is I’m working on it- working on getting it back to where it was a year ago. Mood wise things are finally picking up, thanks to a tweak in medication and the unwavering support of my friends, boyfriend, family, colleagues and awesome GP I feel in a happier place right now and I’m starting to enjoy life a bit more again. Next on the agenda is to break out of my self imposed social isolation- any volunteers for dragging me out of the house?
Do you have any places near where you live that you like to escape to?

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Posted in bristol, life, life stuff, outfits

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Magic and Sparkle with M&S

02nd December 2014
Have you seen the Marks and Spencer Christmas advert yet? You know, the one with the two fairies named Magic and Sparkle spreading good deeds around the country over the festive season. Last week I was invited to the M&S store at Cribbs Causeway, along with some other Bristol bloggers (plus my Mum and Best Friend) to enjoy a little Magic and Sparkle for ourselves…
We were treated to an evening of delights; some gorgeous Christmas decorations and gift ideas, a table full of delicious foods and beauty treats for all to enjoy as well as getting to feast our eyes on some of the most beautiful clothing collections that are in store now.
For me the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly discovering THE most brilliant hat of all time, in the form of the Christmas tree knit you can see above. At only £12 I think I’m going to have to cave in and buy this as I can roll it out year on year…
M&S have some truly lovely gifts in stock this year, they’ve been going from strength to strength each year with this one being perhaps it’s strongest yet. The clothing collections too are just so on point, walking through the store I saw oh so many pieces I really wanted to add to my wardrobe and the best of the bunch were hanging up on display for us bloggers to ogle.
A big thank you to Marks and Spencer for putting on a such a lovely event- it’s always a pleasure to catch up with some of my favourite blogging ladies and the Grayling PR girls are just the best.
Which fairy are you? I like to think of myself as a bit of Sparkle…

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Posted in bristol, christmas, M&S

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Autumn/Winter Fashion Fix with Cabot Circus

03rd October 2014
Oh Cabot Circus, just another reason why I love Bristol so much. I remember the day it first opened when I was studying at College and my entire class flocked down there to check it out and get some interviews (journalism, woo!). I still find it as impressive today as I did when I was only 20 so it’s always a delight to be invited to an event there.
I’m a bit slow in writing this post, but last weekend I was invited to go and view one of the Autumn/Winter Fashion Fix shows (they do 8 shows over two days) to get a look at what’s hot for the season ahead and get inspiration on how to update my wardobe. The shows featured five of the hottest trends right now- pastels, folk, red, metallics and faux fur and were styled with items that you could then go off and buy (oh the temptation!) I was most interested in the pastel selection having struggled with my style challenge but honestly I loved everything they sent down the super shiny catwalk. Sitting FROW with blogger pals Hayley (also found here) and Tara it was great to see everything up close and personal. I took near to 200 photos but have since realised my catwalk photography skills need some serious brushing up on! Still, here’s a little selection of what we saw and some of the outfits I loved the best…
Thank you to Cabot Circus for putting on yet another fabulous show- I’ve been to quite a few of these now, either as a blogger or off my own back (they are always free to watch)…I’m fighting the urge to go and buy everything I’ve seen right now- especially the gorgeous pastel coats and an amazing folky print dress from Joy!

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Posted in bristol, cabot circus, life stuff

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Style Challenge: Winter Pastels with Cabot Circus

25th September 2014
I do love a good challenge, and when Cabot Circus asked me to pick out and style up my favourite trend for A/W 14 I was oh so up for it. I picked pastels as my trend (you can see SJ’s take on red here) and thought I’d have quite an easy task; oh was I wrong, pastels might be hot news for A/W but this hasn’t really filtered through to the high street yet and it was a bit of a mission to find an outfit as nothing I had seen online was in stock in the stores I visited! Still, never one to back down I resisted picking a new trend and eventually found an outfit I loved.

Dress: Topshop c/o Cabot Circus | Cardigan & Necklace: New Look c/o Cabot Circus | Backpack: Accessorize c/o Cabot Circus | Boots: Miista

I usually avoid Topshop as I don’t ever find things I like that I feel are worth the price tag. This dress caught my eye as I was racing around, just hanging innocently on the back wall. At £30 it was a really good price, it fits beautifully and is a lovely crepe fabric that will be warm enough to wear all winter with some thick tights and a cardigan. Pastel item number one? Check!
I didn’t want to over-do the pastels as together they can all look a bit sickly, this soft grey midi-length cardigan from New Look was only £19.99 and is super warm and snuggly. I’m a fiend for cardigans and have been after a longer length one for ages, I love how it looks against the dusky pink of the dress. I also grabbed this necklace in New Look as the colours work really well with the rest of the outfit and it’s great for dressing the outfit up a little. The backpack from Accessorize was an impulse purchase, I had been looking for footwear, but I’ve been after a bag like this for ages and again the soft grey works really well, and the gold zips match the necklace. I’m all for a spot of matching every now and again!

With my beautiful Miista boots on my feet I feel I did just about ok with this challenge. I went in to Cabot Circus with a vague idea of what I wanted and this wasn’t it…but it’s a very “me” outfit and I can guarantee I’ll be wearing it to death!

The whole challenge is in aid of Cabot Circus’ Fashion Fix which is happening this weekend. I’ve been to a couple of these before and they are always brilliant. Over the course of the two days there are several catwalk shows displaying all of the hottest trends for A/W. General attendance is free but you can apply for VIP seats too, right up until the 25th September (get your skates on, there are only 80!) If you manage to reserve your seat you’ll also be entered in to a prize draw to win a £50 Cabot Circus gift card (per show) so really…get going!

Cabot is probably my favourite place to shop in Bristol and this event is going to be brilliant, going from past experience. The atmosphere is always fantastic so if you’re in Bristol over the weekend then I strongly suggest you pop on down…

…See you there? I’ll be milling about on Saturday.

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Posted in bristol, cabot circus, challenge, life, outfits

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