Category Archives: shopping

Orla Kiely at WatchShop.com

01st April 2016
If there’s one thing I love it’s a good watch and despite only being able to wear one at a time I have quite a vast collection of them. Still, there’s always room for one or two more and when I was offered the chance to pick a new timepiece from watchshop.com and noticed a rather stunning range of watches by the ubiquitous Orla Kiely I was powerless to resist.

Watch c/o watchshop.com (this one) | Roll Neck Top c/o Long Tall Sally | Skirt: Urban Outfitters

The packaging alone is enough to make me want to own even more Orla Kiely watches, with her signature print adorning both the outer and inner box this is something you’ll proudly want to display. When it came to the watches themselves, well there’s a rather vast selection from metal with embellished dials to more classic leather straps and prints galore but it was the retro feeling “Poppy” that stole my heart in the prettiest of pale pinks with rose gold metalware.
There aren’t enough adjectives in the world to describe how much I love this watch and the feeling isn’t exclusive to me as my non-watch wearing mother is determined to have it from me at some point! Despite my many watches this has instantly become my go-to for it’s delicate size and subtle statement making skills- must have for any fan of Orla Kiely.
Who are some of your favourite watch designers? I didn’t even know Orla Kiely did watches and now I fear it might be a very dangerous (read costly) discovery although with prices from £75 through to £165 her timepieces are thankfully more affordable than some!

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The Dressing Gown Coat

28th March 2016
I was so excited to wake up on the morning of Good Friday to find glorious sunshine and mild weather- what a perfect start to the ten glorious days off of work I had stretching out ahead of me! It also meant I could finally ditch the heavy winter coat and break out a new purchase from a few weeks ago (what clothes buying ban?) when I popped in to Cabot Circus with my Mum. I don’t often pay Urban Outfitters a visit but when I do I seem to always end up purchasing some real bargains.

Coat: Urban Outfitters | Jeans: New Look | Boots: c/o Lunar Shoes

Ben wasted no time in pointing out that this coat bears more than a small resemblance to a dressing gown but I personally feel like that’s part of the charm! I love the midi-length, nifty hood and belted detail. I also loved the price at just £15 reduced from £89! It pairs perfectly with the latest addition to my jeans collection (which is frankly just this pair at present) which were another bargain at £8 in New Look due to a bit of a stain on one of the legs that I soon managed to wash out. I’ve been in desperate need of some jeans to wear until I fit back in to my usual selection but as I aim to grow out of them before too long I didn’t want to spend much at all so these fit the bill perfectly. Add in my faithful brown ankle boots from Lunar Shoes and you pretty much have my weekend uniform until it warms up enough to ditch the coat completely.
I hope everyone has been enjoying the long weekend, it’s been a very lazy one here with a visit to my parents and cooking my very first roast dinner which made me feel oddly grown up (and so it should at almost 29 years old!). I still have another week before I’m due back at work with no idea what I might do yet, Ben’s on Easter break from his job in a school and although we had grand ideas of days out and productivity the reality is more likely to be a few sea front strolls and a lot of time on the sofa eating chocolate!

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Gatecrashed

14th March 2016

Whereas Mae was only ever interested in the camera when it suited her I only need to take off the lens cap for Tobias to come plodding over. He’s a beautiful cat (can you call a male cat beautiful?) and he knows it and will sit patiently for ages whilst you catch him at his best angle. On the other hand my little diva Mae will often take an hour of coaxing and pleading to get a handful of half decent shots.

Anyway, this isn’t a post about cats. Not really! It’s an outfit post which dates back a couple of weeks now and features a dress I picked up from Quiz Clothing almost six months ago now and had yet to wear.

Dress: Quiz Clothing | Lace top: Picked up in Holland | Boots: Miista

So much for getting outside to take more photos as Spring creeps in. It feels colder than ever lately and standing outside battling the elements doesn’t seem like my idea of fun even if it is all in the name of better quality blogging.

I really love this dress- the burgundy, black and grey print made the florals perfect for the darker months of the year. I bought it with the intention of wearing it for my Dad’s retirement party but ended up picking something else instead but couldn’t bring myself to return this. Finally it’s been layered up and given and airing and I think it’ll be featuring a lot more in the future.

I can’t post this look without giving yet another mention to my beloved Miista boots. Hands down my most favourite boots that I own, I still can’t believe that a) I snagged these for £6.50 and b) they are super comfortable to wear and easy to walk in!

Do you have a pet that loves to pose? Or does it have to be on their terms only?

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Medusa from Ted & Muffy

04th March 2016
Ankle boots are without my shoe weakness, I just cannot resist them so when Ted & Muffy (formerly Duo Boots) asking if I’d like to pick something from their new arrivals it was a given that I’d head that way first. To be fair, I did give everything a thorough checking out and there really are some very stunning shoes on the site- from over the knee boots to new look loafers but as is so often the case ankle boots won over them all and Medusa came to live with me shortly after.

Jumper: Boden | Trousers: H&M | Boots c/o Ted & Muffy (get them here)

These are so unlike anything I already own and at first I was at a complete loss of how to wear them as they don’t really go with any of my typical winter wearing. Give me a few more weeks when the weather hopefully starts to turn and I’m back in my element with little dresses etc, but for now it’s on with the sloppy jumper and “treggings” with only Medusa to give the look any sense of style. I have to say I’m not 100% sure about them with the leggings tucked in, I think it’s not the most flattering look on me- I’d far prefer some flared, cropped jeans or a denim mini skirt with bare legs but you can’t win them all…not when it’s bloomin’ freezing!
Oh yeah, and there’s a new furry addition to our flat too. Those of you with good memories will remember his cat Tobias…well, Tobias took an extended holiday up in Melton Mowbray but has now come to live by the sea with us. Hands down he’s the biggest, soppiest ball of fluff I’ve ever met, all he wants is cuddles and fuss- pretty much the exact opposite to my delinquent Mae who I miss dreadfully, she’ll always be my number one!
What would you wear with these boots?

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All the Rage

29th February 2016
After the recent arrival of true Winter weather it felt both fantastic and alien to receive my first addition to my Summer wardrobe and break out of the long sleeves and ankle boots. I love seeing the new season stock arrive in the shops, a sign that change is on the horizon and a perfect opportunity to try something new (you know, as in try on something new because you can’t afford it…)

Dress c/o Madam Rage | Brogues: Hobbs via McArthur Glen in Swindon

After spending most of the winter in fairly muted tones with not much print it was refreshing to see this tropical beauty arrive at my door. I’ve really embraced the high necks lately, I think they add quite a chic twist to any look. I’m not overly familiar with Madam Rage but based on this dress and an extensive browse on their website and I can safely say I’m a big fan, everything is really affordable and if this dress is anything to go by, excellent quality too.

I decided to continue on the colourful theme by putting on this coral suede brogues from Hobbs- the perfect between season shoe. I don’t wear brogues or anything other than boots anywhere near enough so it felt a bit strange to be wearing these, I’d forgotten how much I loved them.

I think until the weather warms up a bit I’m going to try layering this dress with a fine knit and some dark tights, part of my feels I should save it for Spring but the print lifts my spirits so much I don’t think I can hang on…

Are there any brands you’ve recently discovered? How would you style up this dress?

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