I can pretty much guarantee that by the time this post goes live the gorgeous Indian Summer we’ve been enjoying has departed- that’s just the way things seem to work! Still, it was a complete surprise and delight when we were granted a few gorgeous warm days filled with sunshine to get a few more rays of that golden glow on bare skin before confining it back to month upon month of knitwear and layering.

These photos were taken late one evening, just before the light truly faded for the day which would probably explain why they haven’t come out as well as usual. I’d been on a training course all day (to become a health care assistant instead of just a phlebotomist) and had wanted something comfortable to wear that wasn’t too casual- these trousers fitted the bill perfectly as they are a thousand times more comfy that jeans and look that bit smarter too.

You can’t really see but the vest has a zipper down half of the back, it does give the vest a slightly odd fit, but I kind of like that (and I think I’ve worn it back to front before now as well, oops!). The hat was a late addition as my hair was in dire need of a wash but I wanted to grab some photos first- so lazy! I really like the effect it added though and it makes me wonder why I don’t think of adding in hats more often. I’m notoriously bad for forgetting to properly accessorise an outfit, even popping on some jewellery doesn’t occur to me until the very last minute!

I hope everyone enjoyed the last of the summer sun! I’m entering in to a super busy time of year now where I juggle several different big goals- blogging has suffered a little bit, I’m not as active at commenting etc as I have been in the past but I promise a big old catch up soon!

What are you working towards in your life right now? I’m guessing a lot of people will be heading off to uni/college- something that I never did…let me know what your goals (no matter how big or small) are in the comments below).

The dress in this post is both the first item from Monki (via ASOS) that I bought but also the first bodycon piece of clothing that I had ever bought and then worn more than once. It has to be one of the most forgiving dresses ever, worn through a stone and a half of gained weight and still fitting me in a way I like. It also happens to be a great piece for this time of year as the silhouette lends itself perfectly to layering, in this instance I added in my cream biker jacket from Pull and Bear and some heeled sandals from Clarks.

I bought this jacket to be a Spring piece, thinking that cream wouldn’t be a good colour for the latter part of the year but I think that actually it’s a good all-rounder and it will be worn until the weather gets too cold to wear anything but a winter coat (please don’t be soon!). Pull and Bear did this in loads of colours at the time for around £25 and I’m kicking myself for nothing picking up a black one too.

The dress might be worn to death but it’s lasted well- as with all of my Monki pieces it has washed really well without losing the colour or the pattern bleeding. I’m itching to visit an actual store, which is yet more reason to get my backside up to London during my week off at the end of September- I’d be going solo though and to be quite honest, I’m a little afraid of being let loose in the capital alone!

Talking of weeks off, I’ve got a lovely long weekend ahead of me as I booked some extra time out of the office for Ben’s Birthday weekend (his Birthday is today). We don’t really have any solid plans this year but it’s nice to actually know I can be at home, bake him a cake and generally just chill out and not rush anywhere. We’re heading in to flu season at the surgery next week so a couple of days relaxation is very much required!

Should I brave London alone?