Category Archives: shopping

Life Lately (in Instagram form)

03rd January 2017
Once upon a time Instagram posts used to be a monthly thing on this blog. Then life happened, or I suppose didn’t happen and I felt there was nothing to share. I thought I’d kick off 2017 (Happy New Year by the way) by getting back in to the swing of these round-ups. I’m a nosey soul who loves to browse other blogger’s Insta-posts so why not get back in to sharing my own? Here’s a little selection of recent happenings…give me a follow to see the full story.
Finally got my hands on this Kate Spade travel mug (thanks Grandad!)
Pretty new piece from Bumble & Moss
I love frosty mornings, the redeeming feature of Winter
This little minx makes me smile every day
Unicorn slippers!
Getting this in the post from a friend made my month! I’m all about the retro toys right now.
Gorgeous Christmas gift from the folks at Vendula London
My work Secret Santa got it spot on, despite me still not being back at work. I love my colleagues.
How I started Christmas Eve- Prosecco for breakfast should be a thing.
More frosty morning strolling.
Possibly my favourite sales purchase.
When your loved ones enable your crazy cat lady self.
Only the second Margaret Atwood book I’ve read, I need more!
Cat print dress of dreams courtesy of the Zara sale
Obsessed with this ginger kitty, anyone else smile the entire way through the film?
Gingerbread cheesecake (somewhat rustic looking) I knocked up for New Years Day
Just hover over the pictures to read my captioning skills or give them a click to view full size. Do I need to make this a monthly thing again? Let me know if you’ve done an Instagram post recently and I’ll check it out- and give you a follow on there if I don’t already!

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Posted in blogging, cats, friends, instagram, life, shopping, social life

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Monki See, Monki Do

22nd December 2016
A couple of weeks ago, having cashed in the contents of our piggy bank (saving up all of your silver coins pays off, trust me!) Mum and I headed in to Bristol for a bit of self-indulgent retail therapy. I already knew exactly where I wanted to spend my cash and made a beeline for Monki as soon as we were off of the bus- well, after a coffee stop of course.
I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not that Monki opened their second UK store in the fair city of Bristol. Already borderline obsessed with the brand the arrival of an actual store has ramped that up a notch and my wish list is out of control. Thankfully I managed to exercise some self restraint and left with just a couple of the many items I have my eye on- the rest I have earmarked for a Christmas money spend up!

Dress & Jumper both Monki | Boots: Long Tall Sally

I almost didn’t try this dress on. On the hanger it just looked a bit shapeless to me but I loved the print and with a bit of convincing I added it to my bundle for the changing room (and oh what changing rooms, nice job Monki!). The second I slipped this on I knew it was coming home with me, far from being the shapeless sack I had envisaged this dress drapes beautifully and I loved the midi length as well.

I also picked up this jumper which was an absolute bargain at £20. I intended both pieces to be separates but it turns out they also look pretty awesome layered up which means I’ve essentially bought three outfits for £45 as both the dress and jumper work well alone too.

I predict living in this outfit over the festive period, it’s warm and cosy and the dress has plenty of room for the inevitable festive food babies that will be occurring…the first of which is likely to be today as it’s Mum’s birthday and we’re off to an epic farm shop/restaurant for a celebratory lunch. Happy Birthday Mum!

Are there any shops that you’re currently obsessed with? I’m afraid you’re going to be seeing a lot more Monki on the blog in 2017!

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Posted in brands I love, bristol, cabot circus, life, life stuff, outfits, shopping

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A Sparkly Christmas with Browns Family Jewellers

21st December 2016
I’m partial to a bit of sparkle- especially at this time of year when it’s practically mandatory to wear something glittery every day until New Years Day so when a gorgeously packaged bracelet from Browns Family Jewellers turned up at my door that contained something very sparkly indeed I wasted no time at all in popping it on with the glitziest jumper I own (thanks Primark for coming up trumps, again!)

This Swarvoski Tennis Bracelet (c/o Browns) is a beautifully grown up take on the humble friendship bracelet and totally different to anything I’ve ever been drawn to before. And yet I love it, the second I saw it on the website I knew it was meant to be mine- sparkly enough to outshine the Christmas tree and yet classic and clean cut enough to stand the test of time.

Browns Family Jewellers is a leading high street jewellers based in Yorkshire with over 20 years experience. They mix pre-loved pieces with modern and contemporary designs and aim to provide a personal touch to the service you recieve whether shopping online or in store.

It’s a little bit late in the game to be writing a gift guide I know, I blame general Christmas chaos and illness for that one. However should you wish to spend a speedy message to santa or treat someone special then you can still order from Browns up until this afternoon and get it in time for Christmas.

And it’s not just this little stunner that they sell of course. I’ve popped together a few suggestions for under the £100 mark if you’re still looking for that special something or want to impress.

Bracelet | Earrings | Necklace | Bracelet

I’m seriously loving those silver and copper earrings myself…a girl can but dream, I’m done and dusted with my shopping and have indulged myself a little too much to justify another purchase.

Anyway, enough hanging around and reading this post, there is last minute shopping to be done- chop-chop!

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Posted in christmas, gifts, jewellery, shopping, wish list

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Keeping Cosy with Bows Boutiques*

15th December 2016
I don’t do things by halves, it appears I’ve gone from posting pretty much no outfit posts in ages to bringing you one today that has three separate looks in it. I do love dressing for winter weather though, there’s something about layering up and keeping snug that is infinitely appealing and thanks to some new arrivals in my wardrobe from Bows Boutiques I’m keeping cosy in style.

Coat c/o Bows Boutiques | Skirt: New Look | Boots: Long Tall Sally

I think this might be the warmest coat I have ever owned (and that’s saying something as I currently own a lot of coats!) It’s taken me a while to embrace parka style coats but right now I can’t get enough and this one is just perfect. It’s super padded and has lots of faux fur details to make it extra snug and the quality is amazing. I’ve been wearing this non-stop since it arrived- my other coats are starting to feel quite neglected but my loyalty currently lies with this one.

Cardigan c/o Bows Boutiques | Jumper: New Look | Skirt: New Look | Boots: George at Asda

My friends and family call me the cardigan queen as it’s very rare I’m seen without one. I’ve been a little un-inspired by the high-street’s offerings this season though, especially when it came to finding a new black cardigan. This studded cardi from Bows Boutiques ticks all of the right boxes for me- decent length, super warm, pockets and something to make it stand out in the form of the silver stud detailing. This comes in one size suitable for sizes 8-16 and it hangs like a dream, it comes in three colours (grey and khaki) and I’m tempted to buy one of each come payday.

The skirt and jumper are both fairly new acquisitions from New Look- the skirt has become yet another wardrobe essential for me- a more subtle way to embrace the velvet trend with it’s quilted texture and I really like how it looked paired with these over the knee boots that I admit I forgot I owned, oops!

Jumper c/o Bows Boutiques | Jeans: New Look (old) | Boots: New Look (now half price)

I’m not usually one to share my more casual outfits on the blog, there isn’t often anything exciting to show when I’m slobbing around in jeans and a baggy jumper but I make exception for this jumper as it dresses up my one and only pair of jeans perfectly. I’m a big fan of oversized knitwear especially when I’m struggling with my body confidence and feel the need to hide. The embroidered detail is bang on trend and the jumper itself is so soft and snuggly that I just want to live in it. Again it’s a one size fits all (8-16) piece that just hangs like a dream. It comes seven different colours and I’m starting to think that one for every day of the week might not be a bad idea. I actually really like how this outfit turned out. The pewter boots finish it off wonderfully although I am slightly resentful that they are now half price at £14.99.
This post has been my introduction to the brand Bows Boutiques and I have to say I am seriously impressed. It’s hard to know what to expect when you’ve never experienced a company before but I can hand on heart say I’ll be shopping with them from here on out. The quality far exceeds that of many a high-street shop and the prices are very reasonable (£85 for the coat, £31.99 for the cardigan and £28.99 for the jumper). Watch this space for more pieces arriving in my wardrobe very soon- well, once I’m back at work and have had a chance to recover from the expense of Christmas that is!

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P.S. sorry the photos aren’t very exciting. The one and only opportunity I got to take them and the weather decided to chuck a sudden downpour at me!

Posted in brands I love, fashion, life, outfits, review, shoes, shopping

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Not Listening

12th December 2016
You may remember that over the Summer I became a little bit obsessed with slogan and logo tees, to be honest they were pretty much all I wore on a daily basis for a good few weeks solid, paired either with a denim skirt or my old faithful denim pinafore. It’s been a while since I added to my collection but when my friends at Lush T Shirts got back in touch (you may recall I’ve worked with them several times before) with some Christmas gifting ideas I decided it was time to get a bit cheeky.

Tee c/o Lush T Shirts (here) | Skirt: Urban Outfitters | Boots: Banana Republic | Coat: Mango (similar)

I think I’ve mentioned before that I am a very sarcastic person once you get to know me and this tee sums up that side of my personality perfectly. There really is a t shirt for everyone on the Lush T Shirts site though, I’ve popped together a few of my favourites for Christmas gift inspiration- at £14.99 they make for an affordable and fun way to get your message across, or you can shop the festive range for an alternative to the Christmas jumper (and you can get any 4 for the price of 3 too so great if you want to stock up).
If you had to pick a T Shirt to represent you what would it say?

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Posted in brands I love, christmas, fashion, gifts, outfits, shopping

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