Category Archives: life

A Great Night in with Plusnet and BFI

14th December 2015
Call me boring if you like but I hands down prefer a cosy night in to a drunken (or indeed sober) night out on the town, especially in Winter. Give me a fluffy blanket, a mug of hot chocolate, some good company and a girly romantic film and I’m at my happiest…really, is there anything better when it’s pouring with rain and blowing a gale?

Plusnet have recently partnered up with the British Film Industry (BFI) to celebrate their blockbuster “Love” season which will see classic romance films showing in cinemas over the country. To celebrate this they sent out some boxes to bloggers containing everything you could need for the perfect night in.

I think a big part of any night in is a pamper session whether you have company or are enjoying some rare downtime alone. Casablanca is an absolute classic and a total must see- the tissues and eye mask were very much required though (but then I do cry at almost everything!) I think the popcorn was intended to be shared but being the popcorn hoover that I am it didn’t get that far, in fact it didn’t even make it in to a bowl, oops!
What are your girly night in essentials and your favourite romantic movies? If I had to make a list then my top five would be:

Love Actually- who can resist it?

Notting Hill- I went through a phase of being obsessed with watching this!

One Day- I cried so much at this one

Atonement- I loved the book by Ian McEwan and thought the film adaptation was great

Casablanca- there’s a reason it’s stood the test of time

Do you agree or disagree with my picks (oh and what’s your must-have movie snack?)

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Posted in inspiration, life, life stuff

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The Little Green Dress

11th December 2015
Every season I seem to have a colour or palette I favour more than any other and this time round it would appear to be the turn of the earthy tones- rusty reds, navy blue, mustard yellow and deep green…give me any of those and I’m a happy bunny. With that in mind it was inevitable that I’d once again break my resolve not to buy new clothes when I stumbled across the dress in this post on a Christmas shopping trip the other week.

Dress: Zara (can’t find online but it was £19.99) | Boots c/o Just Fab | Necklace c/o lolaandgrace

Zara is one of those shops I go through phases with and actually I avoided it for a long time after breaking my foot in a store in Holland (yeah, I know). My most recent venture in to the Bristol store was entirely unplanned and led to me trying on about ten different dresses- they are on fire right now! I do find the sizing and fit in Zara quite unpredictable and most of them just didn’t sit right which actually saved me from imminent skint-ness but this bottle green fine cord dress was just…I don’t know, it was just right and I couldn’t bring myself to leave without it.

I did wonder if I’d find the sleeves annoying but actually I don’t and this has fast become one of my favourite items in my wardrobe. I’ve styled it for day time here but it could easily be taken up a notch in to an evening dress too with some heels and a bit more jewellery. I just love this shade of green and how it goes with the colour of my hair, it makes me realise how faded I’d let it get before colouring it though, oops!

These boots from Just Fab haven’t really left my feet since their arrival and I’m going to need to try and wean myself off of them a little bit to make them last longer. They are just so comfortable though and add a smarter touch to all of my outfits- much needed at times! For once I finished off the look with a piece of jewellery too, adding in a statement stud necklace from my pals at lolaandgrace for completeness.

Are there any shops that you go through phases with? Zara and Topshop are my main two, I ignore them for so long and then go in and want to buy everything!

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Posted in jewellery, life, outfits, shoes, shopping

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The Bargain Party Dress

07th December 2015
December can be a very expensive month. Between shopping for presents and Christmas parties money seems to flow out faster than I can keep a track of. It doesn’t stop me wanting a new outfit for the annual work party though, despite owning plenty of perfectly serviceable dresses that I’ve worn perhaps only a handful of times before I get an overwhelming urge to pick up a new frock as soon as the date is announced. This year was no exception and I went off to our party on Saturday night in a sparkly new frock that for once didn’t break the bank!

Dress: H&M (get it here) | Shoes: Dune (similar here)

At £12.99 this dress is an utter bargain right? Actually when my Mum ordered it for me (she knew I was taken with it) H&M had it on offer for just £6.99 which is just insane. I did worry that a red dress might be too much with my hair but actually I really liked how it looked and wasn’t going to let my hair dictate what dress I could or couldn’t wear.

As the dress has subtle sparkle running through it I thought it was high time to dig out my super sparkly Dune shoes that only get an outing at this time of year. If you can’t go top-to-toe glitter in December then when can you, right?

In previous years I’ve gone really OTT with the sequins for the work Christmas party but decided to tone it down a notch this year, a simple style isn’t usually how I party but with such a bold colour I really didn’t miss out on the bling.

Do you like to have something new for the party season? Have you spied any bargains on the high street?

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Posted in christmas, life, outfits, shoes, shopping

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Mustard and Navy

02nd December 2015
Despite my best intentions of not buying myself any more clothes for a while I seem to have acquired quite a number of new pieces lately, oops! The high street is a maze of temptation at the moment, I don’t seem to be able to walk past a shop doorway without seeing at least a dozen things I need to own and this makes even the quickest dash to pick up essentials a dangerous game.

Jumper: Topshop (get it here) | Pinafore: (get it here) | Tights: Primark | Boots c/o Lunar Shoes

For some reason I spent years convincing myself I hated roll neck tops as they made me feel claustrophobic. I’m not sure what I was thinking and this year they are a real staple of mine, especially the jersey ones from Topshop at only £16. I picked up a few of these in various colours but this mustard yellow is my favourite. I love how it looks against my hair colour and it makes for the perfect partner for the cord pinafore dress from New Look which I bought after seeing on Amie’s blog. It also comes in a lovely deep red colour and at £19.99 is a great value layering piece for my winter wardrobe.

The only trouble I find with wearing a couple of block colours in an outfit is how to pair up some tights. Nude just doesn’t cut it when the temperatures dip and trying to match either the yellow or the navy turned out to be a nightmare in shade coordination. In the end I went with a tonal brown to tie in the boots and I think it works but I can’t help but wonder if there is a better alternative…

Are you finding the high street as impressive as I am right now? I am having to fight so hard to stop myself from continually shopping!

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits, shopping

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Thoughts on Christmas Shopping*

29th November 2015
One of my favourite things about the festive season is the excuse to shop for those around me. I’d say I’m a pretty generous person and it’s rare for me to go anywhere near a shop and not bring back something for someone other than myself. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than picking out something to make someone smile and at Christmas I have been known to get more than a little bit carried away. With that in mind here are some tips and tricks I use when searching for the perfect present.

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Set a budget and then allow a buffer for when you inevitably go over it. My best friend and I always do this, we set a “limit” on our present buying knowing full well that when it comes to it we’ll spend at least the same again. If we set the budget at a higher level we’d still go over so this keeps things within what we can afford.

Buy it when you see it or regret it later! How many times have you seen the perfect gift for someone but didn’t get it there and then? Countless times I’ve gone back to get something only to find it’s too late leaving me either paying over the odds on e-bay or having to wrack my brains to think up something not half as awesome. I also never wait for Black Friday in the hopes of snagging a good deal- if I know it’s the perfect thing for someone then I get it when I see it rather than run the risk of it selling out for the sake of a few quid.

Think small… independent local shops are one of my favourite places to pick up gifts with a unique and often personal touch. The same goes for indies online. Some of my favourite haunts include Hill Road in Clevedon, Not on the Highstreet, Lisa Angel and cheekyboo

It’s a common thought that bigger is always better when it comes to giving gifts but I’ve found this isn’t always the case. Some of the most loved presents I’ve given to people have been something small, inexpensive and utterly random that showed care and thought went in to the process of buying it. I like to think I’m pretty good at giving gifts these days and I’m yet to meet someone who disagrees (to my face at least!) It was pretty interesting to see that Currys PC World made an infographic featuring the 10 greatest gifts ever. I don’t think I can top those!

What are your top tips for Christmas shopping? What’s the most extravagant gift you’ve ever given or recieved?

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Posted in christmas, gifts, life, life stuff, shopping

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