Category Archives: jewellery

Go For The Old

24th August 2014

When it comes to vintage jewels I have never felt the need of looking at the cost. As a teenager I always found myself more drawn to beautiful lustrous pieces made up of rhinestones and pearls and I have always found myself awe of their age and beauty. As I grew up, I found myself more inclined towards exclusive and exquisite jewels of all shapes and sizes.

When it comes to buying online ensure you have a picture of what you are going to invest in. If the picture isn’t clear, ask for another picture but don’t settle for a blurry one because you have no inkling what you may pick in the bargain. Remember you are shelling precious pounds to make your jewellery collection look chic and fashionable so vigilance is key.

all images from here

Don’t expect your vintage jewellery to look fresh and new. It would hardly be vintage if it look brand new!. At the same time also ensure that it’s not worn out completely. Don’t invest in something that would need extensive (and expensive) repair. If you think that any erosion and metal underneath would not be visible to the naked eye you may want to take a gamble, but I advise otherwise.

Try befriending a vintage advisor because an expert’s advice is far superior to any reviews you may find online. Before you start trading in wholesale, get the hand and eye of the product to ensure that you know the difference between original and reproduced piece. Signed pieces from Trifari, Sphinx or Coro may be a good bet if you are a beginner. You may want to have quick view here to know what deals are on offer.

Clean antique pieces extremely carefully. Some already worn out pieces may suffer fatal damage if you just wash them with any jewellery cleaner. Don’t try to repair a piece without expert advice, it pays to get the repairs done from a professional. It is always better to emptier pockets than to lose a piece you love and have invested in.

You may think that you can have a vintage jewellery collection just by buying some pretty pieces, however we suggest that you invest your time in preserving and maintaining them as well. After all, these are pieces that have survived the test of time.

Posted in guest post, jewellery

Permalink 2 Comments

summer in black and white

22nd August 2014
The heatwave of July/Early August made me forget quite how much I hated the wind and rain (vital though it may be) and so a couple of weeks in when Hurricane Bertha was passing by I spent a super grumpy few days back in tights and boots and generally being a bit miserable. You can probably tell this in these photos, taken between showers my hair is a mess and I just look fed up! Mae didn’t seem to mind though!

Top: New Look | Skirt c/o Damart | Boots: Tamaris via Sarenza

It’s not often you’ll see me in a pencil skirt but Damart sent this one over back when their S/S collection launched and it’s just perfect. I’m not sure what my issue is with them usually, I just find them quite unflattering on me (yet never on anyone else) and yet this one isn’t like that- I think it’s the slightly thicker material which smooths my lumps and bumps and just looks sleeker. This has become one of my go-to work skirts and people are always surprised when I tell them where it’s from.
This New Look top is also an office staple (as is the white version) as they just fit and wear so well, if there are ever more colours available I’ll be buying in bulk.
Sadly the wet weather meant a return to ankle boots as I don’t seem to have any non-boot footwear that is suitable for both work and for wet weather. As much as I love this pair I couldn’t help but resent the fact that it’s August and I was wearing them out of necessity instead of a sartorial choice.
Jewellery wise I kept things simple with one of my favourites- my brass Carpe Diem necklace from La Jewellery. Wise words to live by and something I try to stick to.
What do you wear for bad Summer weather? It feels wrong going back to jeans and cardigans after weeks of bare arms and legs (although by the this post goes up we could be back to heatwave status!

end

Posted in jewellery, life, outfits, shoes

Permalink 5 Comments

I Believe In Me

12th August 2014
Oh dungarees, how did I cope without you in my life? This seems to be a pretty standard weekend outfit for me at the moment as it’s just so easy to wear- a basic tee, my trusty dungarees and some slip on sandals…perfect.

Necklace c/o Lola and Grace | Tee: New Look | Dungarees c/o Long Tall Sally | Shoes: Marks and Spencer

The necklace above was a surprise gift from Lola and Grace which couldn’t have had a more timely arrival. Fresh from their new Say it with Symbols collection this cute cross necklace represents faith, courage and confidence- all of which I could really do with right now as I’m feeling a little bit stressed and struggling a bit with a work/life balance and my recovery too.
I love everything about this new collection from Lola and Grace, already a firm favourite brand of mine before this. The necklaces retail at £24.90 and make for the perfect meaningful gift. I’ve been wearing mine non-stop, and although it may not contain magical powers (that I’m aware of) it has been a visual reminder to believe in myself and not give up.
I kind of feel like this is a bit of a half-arsed outfit to be sharing on the blog, but sometimes I think it’s good to show what I slob about it as well as when I’ve made an effort. I love blogging, I’ve been doing it for six or so years and I have made some amazing friends and worked with some of my favourite brands but I am SO guilty of comparing myself to others, or putting immense pressure on myself to post daily, be around on social media and have something interesting to say. How do you cope with that kind of pressure on yourself? I’ve long been aware I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to expectations of myself…the next few months, for me as I prepare to move out on my own will be about learning to relax and actually take a bit of down time…if that means not posting every day (but having something worthy to say when I do) then so be it.
It’s time to get my focus back let go of the nagging self doubt that often dominates. Anorexia, anxiety and depression ruled for too long, right now it’s about learning to believe in my own ability and worth. Thank you Lola and Grace for the constant little reminder.

Posted in jewellery, life, outfits

Permalink 5 Comments

Wedding Wearing

08th August 2014
I posted about my friend Hazel’s wedding to James last week and now I’m sharing with you what I wore. I bought the dress a good couple of months before the day as the second I saw it I knew it was what I wanted for the occasion and thankfully nothing else I saw made me regret buying it- I’ve done that before in the past, and of course by the time I realised it was too late to return anything!
My dress was from Foxbride and was quite an extravagant purchase for me! It was worth every penny though as it is excellent quality and the shape and length is really flattering. It’s the kind of dress that can be worn over and over with different accessories so I’ll make sure I get my money’s worth, there was just something about it that screamed “wedding” and it kept me cool in the super hot sun too.
Shoe wise I went for my gold sparkly Georgia Rose sandals from Sarenza. It’s a long time since I spent a day in heels so I wanted something that would be comfortable, which instantly ruled stilettos out. I had some flats stashed in the boot of my friend’s car but I didn’t need them as apart from being removed for a quick barn dance these stayed on all day without making me want to cry!
I’m not very good with accessories but knew I wanted pink and gold to go with the dress and shoes. I kept costs low here by picking up a gold daisy hairband in Primark as well as some pale pink and gold tassel earrings- I think they were £5 in total. I also found a ring in my jewellery box that matched the earrings perfectly and my clutch bag was from New Look and had already been used for the hen night.
I got a lot of compliments on this dress and I felt really good in it, which is a must for me if I’m in a social situation as I suffer from anxiety and not being comfortable in what I am wearing/what I look like makes it much worse. I kept hair and makeup simple as it was so hot and I didn’t want to spend all day fussing. Instead I spent most of the day after the ceremony tipsy, which Ben hadn’t witnessed before…poor Ben, our first wedding together and I get drunk and annoy the heck out of him!
What have you been wearing to weddings this summer? Do you have any stand by pieces?

Posted in jewellery, life, outfits, shoes

Permalink 14 Comments

the heeled gladiator

06th August 2014
It’d be a tough job, but if somebody asked me to narrow down my favourite kind of summer sandal I think my answer would be the gladiator. It’s a style I usually associate with laid back flats but I’ve recently seen heeled styles everywhere and needless to say they had made their way up to the top of my shoe wish list. When House of Fraser got in touch inviting me to pick a pair of shoes I knew instantly what I’d be searching for.

Dress: Peacocks | Shoes c/o House of Fraser | Earrings c/o Joy

These shoes by Head Over Heels (from Dune) tick all the right boxes- the perfect chunky heel, comfortable and stylish. I can wear these all day at work without feeling like someone is torturing my feet and they go with so many things! I hadn’t heard of the brand before, but with a huge array of amazing styles and fabulously affordable prices I’ll be looking there again.

House of Fraser is full of little surprises like that, brands I can’t find anywhere else, their own Therapy range of clothes and accessories as well as gorgeous home ware (among many other things). I used to skip over browsing in there as I had wrongly assumed it was out of my budget, but actually although there are some designer and high end goods available there is also a huge array of affordable bits and bobs.

For this outfit I pulled on one of my favourite summer dresses from Peacocks last year and accessorised with these fabulous Pineapple Earrings from Joy which just make me so happy. I’ve enjoyed every second of this summer so far, the gorgeous weather giving everyone a much needed boost…I’ll be sporting these in to the Autumn to cheer up the duller days.
When did you last venture in to House of Fraser? You probably really should!

end

Posted in jewellery, outfits, shoes

Permalink 7 Comments