Category Archives: life stuff

Golden Eye

24th July 2015
I appear to be pretty obsessed with mini skirts at the moment, I’ve all but given up on jeans and don’t own any shorts worth shouting about and skirts just seem like an easy solution for a casual “off duty” look. I’ve fallen out love with a lot of my wardrobe lately so seem to be reaching for the same key pieces time and time again, looking for little ways to make them seem different every time. This should be a prompt for yet another wardrobe cull, but no matter how much I get rid of I still feel like my clothes aren’t cool enough or pull off an outfit with any panache. For someone who supposedly has a fashion blog, I feel inadequate among the flock of effortlessly stylish ladies in the blogging world.

Top: H&M | Skirt: ASOS (get it here) | Sunglasses c/o Polette | Shoes: Primark (quite recently)

You’d think that after six years of regular blogging I’d feel at ease in front of a camera right now but no, it’s not the case! I feel so awkward as soon as the lens cap comes off and I never know what to do with myself hence the often characterless pictures that end up on here.

These sunglasses from Polette are a case in point. Such a fashion forward pair of shades deserve something a little more edgy than I gave them here but still, I do feel pretty cool when I wear them so that’s something. It took me ages to decide which pair to go for, the selection on the site is huge and I had to try really hard not to go for something more subtle although this pair did catch my eye- anything but discreet!

I didn’t intend for this to be such a self depreciating post, life has been pretty strange lately and it’s left me with a little less confidence in myself and my capabilities and in a way it feels good to get some insecurities out there.

I know I’ll never be one of the top bloggers, nor one of those for whom posing in a busy street becomes good fun, but as long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing and I still have the friends I’ve made through this blog then I have no intention of stopping, crisis of confidence or not.

Any tips for feeling more at ease in front of the camera?

Which Polette sunglasses would you go for? The prices are crazy good and delivery was pretty swift given that they come from overseas.

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Posted in accessories, life stuff, outfits

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Sending a Smile with Parcelgenie

22nd July 2015
I love nothing more than spreading a little joy in life and what better way to do it than sending someone you care about, or want to cheer up a little gift to remind them how special they are? I was recently invited the try out Parcelgenie, an app that allows you to send a gift straight from your phone. Pretty much everything costs under a fiver and it couldn’t be simpler to use!
I was given two codes to send out a little something to a couple of lucky people in my life. I picked my Mum as the first recipient as she has been my rock lately, and then I chose Ben because well a) I love him and b) He’s a complete sugar junkie so anything edible in the post is going to be a winner.
I selected a cute owl themed gift for my Mum which contained two chocolate owls and an owl keyring. Owls are a bit of a family thing and I thought this would be the perfect way to say thank you. For Ben I chose the “man box” full of retro sweets which I just knew he’d enjoy.

To send a gift you literally just need to fire up the app, select which gift you want to send then add in the recipients phone number. Pay for your purchase (prices include p&p) and your giftee will get a text asking them to reply with a delivery address. Simple! The gifts arrived within two days of address confirmation and we were pretty happy with the results.

For those without a smartphone or who don’t want to download an app Parcelgenie have also just launched a text service (TxtGenie) which follows the same principles just done by text instead. Genius! First time users of the text service will also receive 50% off of their first gift!
Small but perfectly formed, the gifts are the perfect size for popping through the letter box and come beautifully packaged. I really think Parcelgenie are on to something here. Whether you want to say “Happy Birthday”, “Well Done” or quite simply just because this is the perfect way to show you care.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has done for you?

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Posted in gifts, life, life stuff

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Yet another nautical inspired outfit

17th July 2015
I found this set of photos lurking on my laptop, forgotten amongst the chaos of my desktop (organising it has been on my to-do list since forever). It’s a bit of a matchy-matchy outfit by my standards, but I liked it- and still do like it as once again it has more than a touch of nautical style about it.

Top: Primark | Skirt: New Look (here) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Shoes c/o Babycham

I’m fairly hopeless when it comes to remembering to photographer the finer details of outfits, accessories in particular although in Summer I’m rarely without a pair of sunglasses on my face. My current favourites are my Ray-Ban Erika pair which just seem to go with everything and clearly turn me in to a bit of a poser.

I couldn’t resist pairing my Babycham sailor shoes with this bargain vest top from Primark (£3 in a fairly recent sale), teamed of course with one of the two denim skirts I’ve been living in this Summer, my replacement for jeans it would seem as I end up wearing one most days, once outfit photos have been taken or work has been done.

What are you living in this Summer?

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits, shoes

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The Little Grey Dress

13th July 2015
I don’t shop in Topshop very often as I can’t really afford it and find it near impossible to pick up only one thing at a time. I recently won a competition though where the prize was a £100 gift card, the perfect excuse for a bit of a spree (timed with the sale, of course so I managed to get 2 dresses, a pair of shoes and a top for that!)

Dress: Topshop (here) | Trainers: New Balance (similar) | Watch c/o Caravelle

This dress was down to £20 in the sale when I bought it, although I think it’s since been reduced further in the non tall range at least. I just love it. I don’t own anything even vaguely similar and it’s one of those dresses that just makes you feel good the second you put it on. The ribbed fabric lends itself to a sports chic approach so I popped on my New Balance trainers then added a girly spin on the look with my beloved rose gold watch from Caravelle.
No doubt my other Topshop purchases will be appearing on the blog before too long, it’s been a while since I last shopped there and in the past I’ve found sizes and quality a bit hit or miss but this time round I’ve been impressed which is kind of a bad thing as I’m itching to go back for more!

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Posted in life stuff, outfits, shoes

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The New Nautical with Lilac Rose

10th July 2015
It’s been a while since I added a really beautiful summer day dress to my collection, my wardrobe used to be heaving with them but as a few years have passed by I seem to have either sold them or given them to charity. I have no idea why I did this, I can only assume I had taken temporary leave from my senses, but still, thanks to Lilac Rose I’ve boosted what I do have left with this slightly nautical little number by Emily and Fin.

Dress c/o Lilac Rose | Shoes: Esprit at Sarenza (alternative) | Necklace c/o Lee Renee Jewellery | Earrings c/o Joy

I’ve long admired Emily and Fin dresses on bloggers such as Char but hadn’t ever managed to purchase one for myself. I’m pretty besotted with this little number, it fits amazingly (after following advice to size down) and the attention to detail is brilliant- I love that it has pockets and the straps have cute button fastenings.

I dug out these Esprit sandals which I have since got rid off, and I now regret. I am slowly but surely getting rid of my super high heels, I just can’t cope since the whole broken foot and then back surgery thing and low, ladylike shoes like these are ideal. As with my summer dresses I have no idea what came over me when I decided to part with these, but I’ve found some lovely rose gold alternatives (listed above) which might have to make their way to me.

As these photos were taken during Britain’s few days of heatwave weather I decided to accessorise with my summeriest jewellery- my trusty banana necklace from Lee Renee and these super cheerful pineapple earrings that Joy sent my way last year.

Are you a fan of Emily and Fin dresses? Lilac Rose is newly launched as an online shop, having run two shops in Cambridge and Leamington Spa for some years. This could be a dangerous discovery for me…really dangerous.

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Posted in jewellery, life, life stuff, outfits, shoes

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