Category Archives: fashion

The Weekly Wish List #2

25th August 2018

Wow, only a week in to my new “regular feature” and I almost forget to write a post- fail! In my defence, this has been a crazy week- and I’m pleased to announce that after 14 long years I PASSED MY DRIVING TEST! First time in to this round of lessons [after a 5 year break] and with only 2 minors.

Needless to say I’ve been a little bit distracted this week, and whilst most of my online browsing has been for cars, and car related things I have still managed to find a few little gems that I would love to be buying.

Hello Kitty Converse | Star Print Dress | Floral Dress | Enamel Pin | Floral Skirt

It was obvious that the Hello Kitty Converse collection was going to win me over, and as well as the pair I’ve featured above I am also seriously tempted by these suede ones from Office. I’m having to fight myself hard not to make an impulse purchase; it wasn’t that long ago I bought my Hello Kitty Pumas and with the reality of a car to run AND a house move coming up I really need to resist.

I’m so happy to see florals everywhere again this season- my love for them is well documented and I think at some point the Monki dress might be added to my wardrobe. It’s definitely a more practical purchase than another pair of trainers, and thanks to a slightly more relaxed dress code at work, will also be perfect for the office. As would the star print shirt dress from Joanie Clothing, I’m really in to shirt dresses at the moment and this one attracted me the second I saw it.

Other items on the list this week are the Topshop floral skirt, which I shall resist because I’m sure everyone and their dog already own it. It doesn’t stop me coveting it hard though….

And finally we have this great enamel pin from La La Land – one of my favourite independent stores online. I have lost count of the times I mutter these words at work, and having it in pin form would save a lot of wasted energy.

What’s made it on to your wish list this week?

Posted in brands I love, fashion, personal style, shopping, wish list

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The Weekly Wish List

17th August 2018

Blogging has unintentionally fallen by the wayside for me lately; balancing full time work plus driving lessons, social commitments and general lack of inspiration when it comes to content means I just haven’t made time for it in the way I once did. In a bid to kick-start my constant promises to myself that I will get back to writing content that I’ve enjoyed creating I’m starting up a new regular feature- the weekly wish list. It’s hardly groundbreaking stuff, I know, but I’m hoping it helps re-ignite my passion and inspiration for this site- and also allows me to justify my general obsession with online window shopping that little bit more.

So, here’s what has caught my eye this week…

French Fries Top | Flock You Nail Polish Duo | Karl Lagerfeld cat bag | Floral Wrap Dress | Pleat Sleeve Top | Leather Ankle Boots

As the heatwave of recent weeks has well and truly ended my thoughts have moved to Autumn fashion and right now I am loving both Joanie Clothing [as always] and Topshop. The latter came as quite a surprise to me as it’s rare these days that I find anything I want from there- I feel like maybe I’m getting a bit too old for most of their styles, but the pleat sleeve blouse and leather ankle boots have both made their way on to my list this week.

On a more frivolous front I am so taken with the Karl Lagerfeld bag, and found my finger twitching dangerously close to “add to basket” when I saw it. Thankfully, and somewhat regretfully I saw sense and didn’t go through with it- I’m not a small bag kind of girl in reality, and with a house move looming I need to keep hold of my pennies.

The nail polish duo I could just about justify though, I’ve always been a Nails Inc fan, and at £15 for the set it’s less than the price of one gel manicure, which I’ve fallen in to the habit of this year. The colours are exactly those I’ve been favouring and I’m suspecting that once pay day arrives this will be my monthly treat.

What’s caught your eye this week? I’m so excited to see all of the new season bits and pieces arrive in store- less so about the odd bits of Christmas stock that seem to have reared it’s head.

Posted in blogging, brands I love, fashion, inspiration, personal style, shopping, wish list

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The Animal Print Shirt Dress

30th July 2018
I absolutely love the dress in this post, although the circumstances under which I purchased it perhaps not so much. In what was perhaps my biggest sartorial fail ever, I found myself in the middle of my local shopping centre when the strap of my camisole dress just gave up on me. I didn’t even notice until a very kind lady pointed out I was flashing (my hugely unattractive nude t-shirt bra) at all and sundry and I dashed red-faced to the only clothes store in town, New Look, to make an emergency purchase.

Animal Print Dress: New Look | Black Sandals: Topshop (similar here)

I’m loving shirt dresses at the moment, they are perfect for feeling more put together on a bad body image day, not to mention versatile; for work, for play, for smart and for casual. The midi length of this dress added to it’s appeal and I just adore the khaki and animal print combination. I predict much wear from this little beauty, making it an absolute bargain at £24.99

As much as I’m not ready to give up on Summer, I am ready to embrace Autumn/Winter fashion after seeing promising new arrivals on the high street. Some serious discipline needs to be exercised not to go mad, I really need to make considered purchases only- and hopefully no more wardrobe malfunction driven ones, even if it is a gem!

It was back to work for me today after two weeks out of the office. The first week was, as mentioned in previous posts, spent in The Algarve with Bob, whilst the second was spent cramming in a solid chunk of driving lessons in the hope that maybe one day in the not too distant future (well, by the end of 2018) I might pass a test after a 14 year journey.

Already time spent on the beach feels like a very distant memory. It’s always good to get back to routine though and I’m ready and raring to go on my journey to health (despite current body image woes, and reluctance once again to accept there’s still some weight to gain) and tackle the next few months of adventures and exciting things, like setting up home with Bob.

What have you been up to lately?

Posted in dresses, fashion, lifestyle, outfits, personal style, shopping

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Exploring The Algarve & my new favourite Bikini

25th July 2018
I’m currently on week two of a much needed break from work, and whilst this week is filled with more practical things (like attempting to conjure up blog content and doing a block booking of driving lessons), last week Bob and I spent five glorious days exploring the Algarve.

Neither of us had been to Portugal before and weren’t entirely sure what to expect. It’s certainly a beautiful part of the world, and everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming.
We hired a car for the duration of our trip, which was essential as the villa we were staying it was in quite a remote location, but it gave us the freedom to explore many of the towns and cities along the coast and we certainly packed a lot in to our short trip. The Algarve Shopping centre was a great stop when seeking respite from the sun, and evening beach strolls might just be our new favourite activity.

We didn’t spend an awful lot of time on the beach, we were more keen to explore the area- and I managed to get epic sunburn on the first day which meant keeping covered was key (and yes, I was slathered in sun cream, but foolishly thought factor 30 would be ok on my english rose skin!). What time we did spend on the beach was mostly based at Praia dos Salgados, by far our favourite stretch of sand as it was somehow less crowded than the other beaches we tried and had a gorgeous nature reserve behind it were we wandered happily spotting turtles in the water.

It was here we photographed my new favourite bikini c/o UK Swimwear. Braving a bikini was a huge deal for me as this was the first time I’ve ever been abroad at anything even remotely resembling a healthy weight. Thankfully this beautifully detailed bikini by Piha helped persuade me. I love the unique back strap detail and the flattering crop top style. I wasn’t brave enough to go full bikini on the blog so slung on some ASOS jersey shorts at the last minute, but you get the idea.
This was my most worn bikini of the holiday, and whilst I might have once balked at nearly £60 for a set, this has convinced me it’s worth investing.

We’d definitely go back to The Algarve. There is so much more we want to see and do – and eat! We had some absolutely amazing food out there, and if anyone is planning on heading near Albufeira this year then both Bob and I 100% recommend taking a trip to Galé and having dinner at Massa Fina– it might not be traditional Portugese food, but this was hands down the best pasta (me) and Calzone (Bob) that we’ve ever had. You will need to book a table, but it’s 100% worth it.

Where have you been holidaying this year? I had intended to make more of this post by sharing a lot more photos, but it turns out we were so busy having fun and taking in our surroundings that we barely took any- what kind of blogger am I?

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Posted in fashion, food, holiday, lifestyle

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Green Queen

11th June 2018
It seems to really take something special to get me to do an outfit post these days, gone are the days where I felt comfortable posing in whatever I happen to have chucked on- as ever it’s body image crises and lack of free time that have led to this drought, but a recent shopping trip and arrival of something rather beautiful from Browns Family Jewllers ensured I cleared some time in my schedule, took a deep breath and asked Bob to grab the camera.

Dress: Monki | Shoes: Lotus | Bracelet c/o Browns Family Jewellers

At first, when I saw these photos all I could focus on was my perceived flaws and I came very close to not using them at all. Thankfully I got over myself, and whilst I can’t say I love them, I can appreciate how different I look from last year- in a positive and healthy way, how the colour of this dress suits me and how much happier I look these days.
I loved this dress the second I saw it in Monki, and at £25 it was an absolute steal. It’s not the most flattering of lengths, but the fit of the rest of it redeems it; I loved pairing it with these blue suede shoes but it also looks great for work with black tights and ankle boots, as well as with trainers and bare legs for a relaxed feel.

It also made the perfect backdrop for the main focus of this post- my new Daisy Jewellery Brow Chakra Bracelet*. Beautifully delicate, this rose gold chain hosts a beautiful little amethyst alongside it’s brow chakra main charm. The Brow Chakra is emotionally connected with insight, self-realization and releasing negative thoughts and strives towards self-reflection. It seemed the perfect piece to add to my jewellery collection, an every day reminder of what I need to focus on. I own several pieces of Daisy Jewellery, most of which I have purchased from Browns- they have great prices and fast, reliable delivery and their Chakra range is by far my favourite (aside, perhaps from the namesake Daisy collections). I’m not an especially spiritual person but I hope that by wearing this I can keep myself grounded and power on to the end of this recovery weight restoration journey where the real work, of learning self acceptance and perhaps even some self love can begin.

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Posted in brands I love, fashion, jewellery, life stuff, outfits, personal style

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