Spring in Monochrome

06th April 2016
It’s hardly groundbreaking but the other day, spurred on by the slightly warmer weather I discarded my more standard weekend wear of jeans and a knit for something a bit more “daring” if you will- my beloved culotte playsuit from New Look layered up with a simple black tee and my trusty black leather ankle boots.

Playsuit: New Look (similar) | Ribbed tee: New Look (here) | Boots c/o Long Tall Sally

I picked this playsuit up last year in a Summer sale for something silly like £10. It was an impulse purchase and to be honest one I thought I’d wear once and then forget all about. That was almost the case until I re-discovered it when I moved out in January. Since then it’s been sat in my wardrobe waiting for me to brave it and wear it again and eventually I have and it’s reminded me just how much I love this piece.

I’m now trying to psych myself up for the mammoth task of packing away my “winter wardrobe” and schlepping it back to my parents’ house and swapping it for my “summer” selection. I’m a bit afraid to commit too soon as the weather is so changeable but at the same time I’m utterly sick of everything I’ve been wearing lately that I feel a change will do me good. I’m not sure I’ll feel any better about what awaits me in the warm weather collection either to be honest, I’m a bit jaded with everything I own as nothing currently fits as it should and as I’ve mentioned before, I’m on a self imposed clothes buying ban until I’m in a healthier place.

Oops, I went off on a ranting tangent again didn’t I? It’s only a matter of time before I cave in and buy a few new wardrobe additions I’m sure…where have you been loving lately and have you re-found any hidden gems tucked away in your wardrobe?

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How to Accessorise for a Long Haul Flight*

04th April 2016
Long haul flights are something to be endured rather than enjoyed. There is no escaping the fact that being stuck in a metal box for 15+ hours is not entertaining (unless you are lucky enough to be sitting next to Harry Styles in First Class of course, or can charter a private jet from jettly).
Clothing, hand luggage, and personal accessories all play their part when planning a long flight so here are a few tips to help you accessorise properly the next time you head off on a long haul flight.

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Stylish Luggage

Choosing the right hand luggage is essential. Most airlines are very strict on the dimensions and weight of hand luggage so always check the requirements before you arrive at the airport. If your hand luggage is too heavy or too large you will have to pay a penalty so don’t take the risk.
When it comes to hand luggage look at trolley cases from www.charlesfordlondon.com as these are roomy and easy to manoeuvre around in the departure lounge. Choose a piece of hand luggage that fits your personal style and colour match it to your travel garments- that way the check-in staff might mistake you for a celebrity travelling incognito and give you a free upgrade!

Looking Good

There are plenty of passengers who don’t give a stuff about what they are wearing when they show up at the check-in counter. This is great for them but if you want any chance of scoring a free upgrade to Business Class or even First Class you need to look the part.
Think smart but casual when flying long haul. A loose fitting pair of casual trousers and a lightweight coat or jacket is suitable for most passenger lounges, accessorise with some attractive costume jewellery. Airports and planes can often be a bit on the cool side so layering up is sensible that way you can remove layers if you get too hot.

Travelling in Comfort

Comfort is an important consideration. If you are uncomfortable you can’t relax and sleep won’t come easily. Pack a pair of thick socks for the plane so your feet are always warm and snug. Support socks are useful if you suffer from fluid retention or varicose veins.
You can wear any shoes you like for a long flight but you will be more comfortable in some flats as opposed to a pair of fashion stilettos. Flat shoes can be slipped off and tucked under your seat whereas lace-up shoes are fiddly if you need to disembark quickly.

Optional Extras

The great thing about flying long haul (unless you choose a budget airline) is that you have entertainment, food and drink covered for the duration of your journey. You don’t actually need to pack headphones but since most free airline headphones are pretty inferior it is a good idea to take along some quality noise-cancelling headphones- these will improve your movie experience and make it easier to get some sleep on board.
Think carefully before you accessorise for a long flight or you could spend many long hours in long haul hell.

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Going round in Querkles

04th April 2016
Move over colouring books there’s a new adult activity book in town! Querkles launched last year in Australia/New Zealand and have just landed on UK shores too. Exclusive to WH Smith stores (and online) I was kindly sent over the book to find out what all of the fuss is about!
I’ll readily admit I got a little bit obsessed with colouring books and our bookcase has quite the collection gracing it’s shelves. Querkles is a step up from your average colouring book though as each image is made up of numbered, overlapping circles which you fill in either with a selection of solid colours or one colour but different textures to reveal a famous face at the end.

Now this is time consuming, I’m actually yet to finish one but I’ve been enjoying taking twenty minutes out of my day here and there to work on the picture and it’s fascinating seeing a portrait come to life. Each image can be removed from the book via perforated pages so you can frame and display your finished masterpieces too.

I was also sent the 1000 dot-to-do book (also exclusive to WH Smith stores) by Quirkles creator Thomas Pavitte. This was actually his original creation and again features iconic portraits in huge dot-to-dot form. I loved doing dot-to-dots as a child and this was a real blast of nostalgia. It’s also much faster progress to the Quirkles with each design taking around 30 minutes.

I’m not sure either of these books could take the place of colouring books, not for me personally at least as they offer something truly unique. At £9.99 they are a novel way to express creativity and I’ve found myself using them if I’m having a bad day with a racing mind to distract and unwind.

If you’re the creative type or are also in need of distraction then I highly recommend these for a new dimension in the colouring world. Time to get hot-footing it down to your nearest WH Smiths…

Have you jumped on to the colouring bandwagon? What else do you do to calm down a busy/stressed out mind?

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Posted in craft, life, life stuff

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A Missguided Sale Wish List

02nd April 2016
Sale season is upon us again, although with so many going on at any one time it can be hard to keep track! Lately I’ve been using Love the Sales which is essentially a website that collates all of the sales from the UK’s biggest retailers in to one place. It was whilst browsing Love the Sales that I discovered that Missguided have a sale on and that actually there is rather a lot I wouldn’t mind owning from there right now, sod’s law as I’m not buying clothes at the moment but I thought I’d pop my top picks in a post for any one else who might be in the mood for a splurge!
The prices are crazy good, seriously bargain buys. I’m sorely tempted by the white midi pinafore dress which costs just £15 as well as the lace up flat shoes (just £8.00!) and the burgundy tie waist midi skirt for £7.00 which I think would look awesome with some white trainers and a fine knit top.

Anyway, I’m coming dangerously close to giving in and breaking my ban so I’ll leave this post here. Which sales have you been shopping and how do you keep track of them all?

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Posted in shoes, shopping, wish list

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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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Posted in jewellery, outfits, shopping

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