Colouring Books from Ladybird

I grew up on a diet of Ladybird books. I recall my Grandparents having a huge collection of them and as a bookworm from an early age I soon made my way through them or demanded to be read to. I was therefore super excited when two colouring books from this much love publishing house landed at my door, especially the “Well Loved Tales: Cinderella” one as it always has been (and still is) one of my favourite fairytales and I think the idea of being able to colour along as you read is just wonderful.
Are these not the most charming books? I think this are such a lovely idea and would make a wonderful gift for children and adults alike. They are the perfect size for stashing in your bag, perfect for keeping young and old entertained on a long train journey or for whiling away a rainy Autumn afternoon.

Mae seemed pretty impressed too, any excuse to get in front of the camera eh?

Which of your favourite childhood reads would you most like to colour in?

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How to create a brand for your blog or business*

Branding: only for the likes of big names like Coca Cola (because how iconic can white writing on a red background be), McDonalds (because who doesn’t look for the giant M after a heavy night) and Disney (enough said)…or is it? A brand is so much more than a logo and nowadays, in the age of digital it’s become far easier to create an easily recognisable identity – regardless of whether it’s for a business or a personal social media channel. One of the UK’s premier uniform suppliers Harveys tell me more…

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Personal Style

The idea of having a personal style seems a little pretentious but it’s a surprisingly overlooked necessity. If you work as a beauty therapist for example your tunic will be one of the things your customer will always associate with you; from the colours to its fit it’s the only way you get to express your personality through clothing and opting for a specific colour could ultimately form the building blocks of an iconic brand later on down the line (no pressure).

Bloggers meanwhile can turn themselves into influencers if they have a firm enough grasp on fashion trends and what they like. Choose your angle wisely and when you’re known for a certain niche try not to change from it too much; if you’re a bargain shopper for example, don’t go showing off new luxury purchases and vice versa. Your fans will follow you for your brand and the moment you choose freebies over honesty you start to lose your online identity.

Logo, fonts, colours and websites

It can be daunting creating a logo or deciding on brand fonts; justifying turning something you enjoy into an instantly recognisable presence is a huge decision and can be one you can agonise on for days. Remember however that it’s what you’re selling that’s important and as long as you stay true to that you can’t go wrong.

If you’re planning a big business venture remember that what you invest is often what you get back – hire a designer to work with you to create your brand guidelines and work with a web development company to ensure you have a professional image and brand online. If you haven’t got the funds to invest there’s plenty of free templates and designs out there to use until you hit big but make sure it’s always showcasing what you do. If you’re creating a site for a company for example it’s often wise to stick with clean crisp typefaces. If you’re a beauty or lifestyle blogger meanwhile it’s all about finding something that you feel comfortable with that sums up your personality.

Social Media

Opening a social media account on every single channel might seem like a wise idea when you’re first starting off but think of your time and where your audience actually are. LinkedIn is perfect for businesses but probably less important for a blogger in the same way Instagram is an essential for any wannabe stylists but not so suitable for an investment banking organisation.
Research which channels work best for the people in your industry and consider additional benefits; Facebook for example can offer you cheap local targeting to people directly interested in your product – don’t be afraid of investing time and money in new channels but likewise don’t be scared of pulling the plug on them if they don’t work.

Remember what matters

Regardless of whether you’re building a presence for business, pleasure or somewhere in between it’s called a personal brand for a reason -it’s all about you! There’ll always be somebody somewhere offering the same as you but find what makes your offering unique and why you’re going down that route in the first place! Never try and copy anybody else and always be proud of who you are – whether it’s customers or fans on social media truthfulness to yourself is always the best way to sell your product and brand.

Harveys is a professional workwear and uniform supplier with over 60 years’ experience. Based in the UK with full customisation options available they’re proud suppliers to some of the best-known (and future best known) names.

Harveys is a workwear and uniform supplier with over 60 years’ experience. Based in the UK and offering only the highest quality products they’re proud to be known for helping businesses become a brand.

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Dressing Up with House of Fraser

Firstly, how is it Friday again? I honestly cannot cope with how fast time is flying right now, the only upside being it means I’ll be back at work before I know it. With back to work in mind I was really excited to be given the opportunity to add to my wardrobe recently thanks to House of Fraser and their fabulous array of dress covering everything from work wear to party perfect pieces. As I’ve mentioned time and time again, shopping is not on the cards right now so the chance to pick out something new was a real little boost and I’m very much in love with my new frock.

Dress: Oasis at House of Fraser | Boots: Irregular Choice | Bangle: Banana Republic

I love that House of Fraser stock so many brands under one roof, it does make shopping a breeze. Oasis are one of my favourite high street dress retailers- they always have at least a dozen dresses I’m coveting at any one time and this one with it’s pretty collar and amazing flared sleeves won me over in an instant. What I failed to capture was the little bow popper fastening on the back too, it’s these little details that make all the difference to me. It’s one of those pieces that will keep on giving for years to come, it’s on trend enough to be cool but not so much as to instantly date.

I’m not sure what else I can add to this post, I certainly have no interesting anecdotes from life this week as it’s been same old, same old so I’ll spare you my inane ramble and let you appreciate the beauty of this dress instead.

Anyone else having a constant battle with the odd lighting at this time of year? I need to find a new photo spot as my parent’s garden gets no shade during the day and come evening it starts getting dark that much earlier it makes getting photos a nightmare! It’s high time I learnt how to use my camera properly to be honest, there’s a little mission for me.

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Ted Baker Sale Wish List*

It’s always the way, you’re on a shopping ban and all of a sudden you see your favourite high street and designer brands slashing their prices and putting yet more temptation in your path. It happens to me on a near daily basis at the moment, the latest being in the form of an alert from Love the Sales about some serious Ted Baker bargains! Seeing as I really cannot justify spending any more money at present I thought I’d pop down my top picks in the form of a wish list instead. I just love Ted Baker although budget restraints mean I only own a couple of small accessories.
To be fair to me, if I was in a position to purchase all of these pieces would be an investment especially the two darker dresses which would be perfect for the upcoming festive and party season! I think out of everything though my favourite item is the burgundy handbag which is just screaming out to be paired with a whole array of Autumnal colours…but alas. I must resist.

No doubt further temptation will come my way, it’s inevitable (and of course when you do have money to spend there’s never anything you want). With the holiday season approaching faster than I’d like I’ll also be looking to get ahead with my Christmas shopping and hopefully scoring some Black Friday Deals when the time comes. I’ll be on more of a budget than usual this year so I’m hoping to grab some great bargains!

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New In- Jewellery from WatchShop.com

You’d be excused for thinking that a website named WatchShop.com would sell only watches. I myself was guilty of this until the other week when I parcel arrived for me which went on to prove me completely wrong. It turns out you can also buy jewellery from WatchShop.com and they stock many of my favourite brands including Guess, Ted Baker and Thomas Sabo to name but a few. I was incredibly lucky to receive a selection of new arrivals and wanted to show them off ASAP!
All items c/o WatchShop.com
The first item I unpackaged was this pretty little necklace from Anne Klein. This isn’t a name familiar to me but I love how delicate this necklace is, I really love simple pieces with just a touch of sparkle and this fits the bill perfectly.
Next out of it’s pouch was this little beauty from lolaandgrace who long time readers of the blog will know I’m already very familiar with. This is one of their more delicate pieces and I love the opal-esque pink stone and pink crystal detail. Again this is a super subtle and elegant piece that fits my current jewellery style perfectly. Keep an eye out for their new collection, there are some serious stunners about to be released!
Last but not least comes this stunning Lola Rose bangle (jewellery range not yet on the website). I’m not the greatest wearer of bracelets and bangles purely because I tend to forget but this one is just so pretty and fits my dinky wrists perfectly- with the bonus of being adjustable. I’ve been pairing this with 1/2 and 3/4 sleeve tops when I want to add a girly touch and I have a sudden desire to stack bangles up both arms as high as they will go!
What are some of your jewellery brand favourites? Which of these pieces has caught your eye the most?

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