Category Archives: life stuff

Pop That Collar

12th December 2014
Happy Christmas Jumper Day folks! I’ve been anxiously awaiting this fundraising day in aid of Save the Children for weeks, any excuse to break out some knitwear and raise money for a good cause is a winner by me! No novelty knitwear in today’s post (although I am sure there is plenty of that to come) but the outfit does feature a rather snazzy jumper dress so the link is there, kind of!

Dress c/o La Redoute (last year) | Tights: New Look | Boots: Betty London

I can’t get enough of the stunning collar on this dress, I’m a big fan of details like this, meaning I don’t have to remember to put on a necklace as well as getting myself out of the door in the morning (it’s not an easy task!) and the colours in this mean it lends itself well to all manner of other accessories. I wore this outfit during my week off for a day spent pottering around the local shops and spending two hours on a driving lesson- they seem to be going on forever! I picked up these tights last year but New Look still sell them, I’m on a kick with tights again at the moment and ended up buying four pairs in colours other than black last week from Primark, oops!
Despite my promise to myself to put less pressure on myself to blog daily I seem to have been on a real roll lately. With Christmas less than two weeks away I can’t promise how much longer that will last for though- I think in the New Year I’m going to implement a stronger “quality over quantity” approach though and put more effort in to perfecting photography and writing posts that have actually got something interesting to say for themselves…
Are you taking part in Christmas Jumper Day? Don’t forget to share some pictures!

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits, tights

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Best of British (part two)

26th November 2014
Welcome to the second of my posts featuring fabulous tights from the Marks and Spencer Best of British collection. Of the two pairs I was sent I think this pair is my favourite; they are a bit bolder and more in your face, whilst still remaining office appropriate (although just in case it wasn’t obvious, the outfit in this post wasn’t worn to work!)

Top: New Look | Dress: River Island | Tights c/o Marks and Spencer | Boots c/o Duo Boots

I can’t remember the last time anyone saw my hair tied up, to say it was a bad hair day would be putting it lightly, but it did make for a bit of a change even if I did feel super scruffy.

I really liked this outfit, I’ll probably be wearing it quite a lot over the coming months, with a jacket or cardigan as an extra layer as it was more than a teensy bit chilly in the garden when we took these photos. I was so tempted to start scooping up the leaves and throw them around, but a quick think about where Mae does her business put paid to that idea.

I really need some more of these M&S tights in my life, they are the nicest quality and perfect to jazz up my work wardrobe. At under £10 a pair I think they are pretty good value, especially as I’ve worn both designs a few times now and I’m yet to put a hole in them- that’s a true sign of a decent pair of tights if ever there was one.
Only a few more days left of November, I’m feeling super excited for Christmas this year due to not being incapacitated, but it does seem to be sneaking up faster than I thought!
How would you style these tights? How are your Christmas preparations coming along?

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits, tights

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Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

24th November 2014
What can I say? I love a good festive knit and I couldn’t resist posting on on the blog despite it still being November. That and the fact I’m organising Christmas Jumper Day at work this year (in aid of Save the Children on the 12th December) and I’m trying to summon up some enthusiasm among my colleagues!

Jumper c/o Chiara | Skirt: New Look | Boots: Jonak via Sarenza

I couldn’t turn down the chance to own this Frozen inspired jumper from Chiara which have a brilliant selection this year. This one is so fun and cheerful, the downside been every time I wear it I start humming the frozen soundtrack, despite never having seen the film.

Sorry for the super small image sizes here, I’m not sure what’s going on with that- if you click on the images you can see them full sized. Mae wanted to get in on the action too, by stealing dad’s stuffed polar bear…she just doesn’t miss a trick!

Will you be taking part in Christmas Jumper Day this year? It’s in aid of a brilliant cause and is super simple to organise for your place of work or just amongst yourself and your friends. We’re actually doing it over two days at work due to the nature of people’s working days…someone find me another jumper, stat!

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Posted in charity, christmas, life stuff, outfits

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Best of British (part one)

21st November 2014
It’s been a long time since I had a new addition to my tights collection that wasn’t plain black or nude. Tights used to be “my thing” but ever since I started working pretty much full time there has been less and less place for my crazy colours in my wardrobe during the week and at weekends I tend to find myself slobbing out in jeans and a jumper. Still, when Marks and Spencer offered to send me a couple of pairs from their “Best of British” collection (which celebrates British Design with some cracking pieces) I could hardly say no- the tights queen still resides in me somewhere!

Coat: Joy | Dress: A-Wear | Tights c/o Marks and Spencer | Boots c/o Duo | Necklace c/o Modern Vintage Style | Bag: Mulberry

I’ve not really managed to capture the pattern on the tights here but they are a truly gorgeous grey and black houndstooth which just so happen to be perfect for work. I paired them with this simple skater dress that I picked up a couple of years ago for just £5. I wish now I’d bought a couple as it just gets better with age, it has the perfect flattering fit and is the softest jersey I’ve ever worn. My trusty Duo boots finished the office attire, I’ve been living in this ever since they arrived and I get compliments all the time.
No outfit would be complete at the moment without my pink coat, it’s the redeeming feature of the colder weather and attracts a lot of attention. I’m hopeless at capturing what handbag I’m using on a daily basis but as I was out and about on a little (Christmas) shopping trip with my best friend and my Mum it seemed rude not to pop my Mulberry in to the pictures. I was so worried I would be too scared to use such an expensive bag, but actually I use it most days as it’s the perfect size for carrying around all my rubbish; on a cost-per-wear basis it’ll soon be practically free!
Lately I’ve been wearing this gorgeous necklace from Modern Vintage Style with everything. I love the unusual Smokey Quartz and the way it catches the light. The website is a fairly new find for me and I love everything they have on sale. With a gorgeous mix of vintage and handmade pieces there is something for everyone. My magpie eye has homed in on several more stunners to add to my collection.
This has turned in to quite a lengthy post as for once I have a lot to say about what I am wearing. I have another pair of these tights to style and feature in an up-coming post which I can’t wait to show you…dear tights, I’m sorry I neglected you for so long!

Posted in accessories, brands I love, jewellery, life, life stuff, M&S, outfits, shoes, tights

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The Brighter Side

17th November 2014
Sometimes it’s easy to fall in to a rut when it comes to winter dressing, gravitating toward a palette of black, grey and navy just because the sun isn’t shining as much. I know this is something I am very guilty of- last winter I actually made monochrome my “thing” and as much as I do love it this year I want to make more of a conscious effort to embrace bold and bright colours; if nothing else it’s bound to help keep S.A.D. at bay and brighten up those shorter days.
I can’t for the life of me remember where this dress is from. Mum passed it on to me, brand new with tags after it had sat in her wardrobe unloved for a while and I’ve binned the tag and the dress is in the wash…Where it’s from isn’t important though, it’s such a HAPPY dress, the bright colours make me feel instantly cheerful and I do love a simple shape like this.

The photos were taken near Ben’s studio in Stokes Croft, our usual weekend daytime haunt, or base for further potterings around the city. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- this is such a vibrant area full of personality, the perfect place to wear such a busy dress.

The boots came via Shoe Zone last year and have lasted well, they are looking a little worse for wear here though thanks to them getting a thick coating of mud at a fireworks display the night before and a hasty sponge clean! I’m always amazed that I overlooked Shoe Zone for so long, they once again have some really gorgeous boots in stock at super bargain prices- don’t be put off by the cheap price though, I’m yet to have a problem with the quality of a pair from here…

Which clothing ruts are you looking to break out of? No doubt I’ll be back in monochrome before long, old habits die hard and all that…

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits

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