I accidentally spent my wages in Topshop

Gorgeous new ASOS dress!

2012-02-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

Today's song: She and Him- Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

Dress: ASOS, Necklace: Secret Santa gift, Tights: H&M

I really wanted this dress from the moment I saw it, and when I realised it had been reduced to £24, I just had to buy it! I love the shade of pink, the cut and the lace. The waist is elasticated, making it very comfortable and good for everyday. It's still available online at that price in yellow and blue as well.

I have been playing around with my new camera and Edd's old tripod to do outfit photos at home- I'm clearly not quite there yet.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend and you haven't been affected by the snow!

January in Food

2012-02-01T00:44:00.000-08:00

M&S Fuller Longer Range

I popped into M&S earlier this month when I fancied a tasty salad and I know they have a great selection. The new 'Fuller Longer' lunch range has some amazing looking flatbreads, wraps and salads, I went for this Bento Box which was so tasty and had the perfect amount of sushi in there. It was just missing the wasabi, boo! (Photo taken on my phone hence why it is awful!)

Gamberoni at Strada

I have ranted more about this here. Yum yum yum.

Baking Vanilla Cupcakes

One of my friends gave me a gorgeous cupcake recipe book for Christmas so I baked some vanilla ones to send to Edd's parents and Grandparents. I was quite pleased with the consistency and texture but they were a little sweet for me.

Cardiff

Edd and I visited Cardiff the weekend before last, you can see more of our adventures here. We were a bit boring with food in the day time (Pret, Nandos and Burger King!) but ate well in the evening. The highlight was the meal we had on the first night at The Thai House. I don't know a huge amount about Thai cuisine but I can thoroughly recommend this restaurant for value, taste and service. We had one of the set menus and it was incredibly fresh and tasty- just what I crave at this time of year.

On the second night we thought we had better have Italian as Cardiff is renowned for its Italian food! We went to Bellini's which was right next to the hotel. I don't enjoy pasta as a main meal and pizza doesn't seem special enough to me for an evening out (except Pizza Express yum yum!). As I said in my Strada post, I always have the same thing and this time was no different I'm afraid. The prawns in garlic and white wine sauce were delicious though I missed the chilli kick! The breaded chicken with tomato sauce, ham and mozzarella was tasty but ridiculously large.

At Cardiff Bay we nipped into the 'Fabulous' Welsh Cake shop to pick up a variety of the delicious treats.

Cardiff

2012-01-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today's Song: Supergrass-Alright

Edd and I visited Cardiff for the weekend using a super cheap KGB Deals voucher. It was good timing as on Thursday I found out I will officially become a student teacher in September!

One of Cardiff's many lovely shopping arcades

Cardiff Library and the sculpture outside

The Millenium Centre

Coat: New Look, Tights: H&M, Boots: Blowfish, Bag: Topshop

Cardiff Bay

Random Torchwood monument at the Bay

Is it a cake?...No it's a bath bomb! From one of the little shops by the Bay

Keeping cava cool in the hotel bathroom sink. There was a fridge which I totally missed, haha!

Cocktails at Browns. Must visit the Birmingham branch!

Dress: Oasis, Necklace: Accessorize

Best HP sauce ever

After a few cocktails, taking a picture of the penguin in the River Island window display seemed like a fun idea

Outfit pictures coming soon!

Blogger Christmas Gifts

2012-01-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

I took part in two secret santas/gift swaps and I also had a super surprise gift- lucky me!

Secret Santa Part One

I took part in the Faith Hope and Charity Shopping swap organised by the brilliant Lakota . I was partnered with lovely Sophie of The Story of a Girl Who Lives Above Her Means. It was nice to buy for someone whose blog I already read! For this swap there were specific rules: Minimum of 3 items and maximum of 5, minimum spent of £12, one handmade item, one charity shop item and one Christmas decoration. You can see what I got for Sophie here.

Lovely smellies

A gorgeous necklace

Handmade decorations

Cupcake cases.

She put me to shame- what a fab gift!

Secret Santa Part Two

This was organised by Rani of Cupcake Couture and truly was a SECRET santa. We knew who we were buying for but not who was buying for us. I bought for Sophie from Cider with Sophie- what a fab blog name! You can see what I got her here.

I received a gift from Tasha of Dibs! . It came wrapped in cute little striped paper bags and here they are:

Pretty rose necklace

Yummy lip balm

Nail varnish

Face masks

She also threw in some chocolate coins but I'm afraid I've scoffed all those!

Surprise from Sophie

Another Sophie! Parents in the 80's and early 90's obviously loved this name-like Laura, Sarah and Rachel!

Sweet Sophie from Country Girl Does Norfolk sent me a totally unexpected gift which I thought was so kind of her. She is one of my pen pals which is how she has my address! If anyone else is looking for a pen pal, email me, tweet me (@SpentMyWages) or something!

Here's what she got me:

A cosy scarf

Lipbalm (yay)

Shiny nail varnish

An outfit for: Celebratory dinner at Strada

2012-01-08T15:38:00.001-08:00

Today's song: Coldplay- Paradise

So, I'm currently applying to do teacher training (post-graduate level). I had an interview for the course I REALLY want to get onto on Thursday and heard back from them the next day. I don't want to speak too soon but let's just say that if this was the X-Factor I would be through to the live shows.

So to celebrate, Edd took me for a lovely meal at Strada! We had a 241 voucher so we were going to go anyway, but had starters and puddings as well- decadent or what. I haven't been to Strada that many times but I always have the same thing, which is very boring of me and not what I usually do, but I love my favourites so much that I just don't think I would enjoy anything else as much.

I started with 'Gamberoni'- the most amazing king prawns in tasty tasty chilli, garlic, white wine and lemon sauce. It bothers me a little that my favourite prawns are at a chain restaurant rather than a little tapas restaurant in Spain but what can you do? My only complaint is that the dish comes to an end!

I moved onto 'Pollo Milanese' which is basically breaded chicken with a tomato sauce but it is my favourite Italian meal (Carluccio's is even nicer). I expect real Italian food fans would laugh at me and give me some ravioli but again- what can you do?

I finished with panacotta, an espresso and a shot of limoncello. The limoncello was on the house because they took quite a while between courses but I didn't notice to be honest- I prefer a relaxed pace in a restaurant.

Now I've made myself hungry, moving onto what I wore. I fell in love with this cute shift from H&M a few months ago and spent ages trying to find my size. It is on the loose side which I think looks cool but I thought I would belt it for the meal to make it a little smarter. I love the print, the length, the sleeves, everything about it. Even if my gormy face in these photos doesn't suggest it!

Dress: H&M, Belt: Topshop: Shoes: H&M

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today's Song: We Are Scientists- After Hours

Happy 2012 everyone! I hope the year brings lots of lovely things your way. For me I will hopefully leave my job, go back to uni and move in with my boyfriend. Big, exciting changes!

I celebrated the new year by drinking champagne at Edd's then going dancing with my friends and I wore this gorgeous Oasis dress.

Dress:Oasis, Tights: New Look, Shoes: New Look

Today I have bought: Sales Special

2011-12-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

Today's Song: Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal (despite the lack of snow)

So did everyone have a lovely Christmas? I had a great time and received a camera, and Edd is giving me his old tripod which will make blogging a lot easier.

I finished work early today and the shops were still open so I thought I'd go wild and mooch round the sales a bit. I was looking for a New Year's Eve dress really but nothing stood out. I'm going into Birmingham tomorrow so hopefully I'll find a dress there- Oasis I'm counting on you!

How sweet are these Topshop pumps? I have been keeping an eye out for some partying flats and these are perfect.

This was an impulse buy from Next- I didn't even try it on! But at £8 I felt it had to be done, I love the waistline and the print.

Last post of 2011! I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

5 dresses for New Years Eve

2011-12-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my absence. It's so difficult having no camera and no laptop of my own! I cannot wait to get my new camera for Christmas.

In the meantime I have been looking for a dress to wear on New Years Eve. I will probably be at work til 9 or 10 and then have to quickly get changed and drive to the party I'm going to! Hectic but exciting.

I have been sticking dresses onto Pinterest as I find them and I've realised they are all similar colours! A step away from automatically going for black dresses- a bit of colour in the gloomy winter.

1. Oasis
I think this dress probably isn't even available anymore- they don't have many sizes left online and I can't find it in-store. This suggests that if I was to wear it on a night out, so would 200 other girls. Never the less I think it's gorgeous and I'd like to find something similar.

2. Topshop

I fell in love with the black version of this cute velvet dress but as I said, I'm trying to move away from black party dresses! There's a purple one too, but I think the maroon is sufficiently festive.

3. Dorothy Perkins

This dress is quite simple, but so elegant. I love the skinny gold belt, plus it's velvet again, always a winner in my eyes.

4. Dorothy Perkins (again)

I never usually buy anything from Dotty P's and yet here are two dresses in one wishlist. This dress is really unique, but I can't decide whether it's a bit too 'day time' for New Years Eve. But I love the bold colour panels.

5. Modcloth

I have never ordered from Modcloth before, but I've fallen in love with this pretty number. I probably won't end up getting it as I'm unsure about sizing- wish they were UK based so shipping wouldn't be such a hassle! Has anyone ordered from Modcloth and how do you find the sizing? I usually take a UK 10- would that be a medium?

I hope everyone is having a lovely December and getting on with their Christmas shopping. Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon!

5 Things I'd like to cook this week

2011-11-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

Blogging- particularly outfit posts- is very difficult at the moment as I don't have a camera OR my own computer. So until I get my laptop in the next couple of weeks, posts will be very few on the ground. Make the most of my silence as in the new year when I have a camera and a laptop I'll be posting all the time!

For now: some tasty looking treats I hope to cook and eat.

Toffee Apple Muffins

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/appleandtoffeemuffin_86119

Chicken, Goats Cheese and Cherry Tomato Bake

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2080/chicken-goats-cheese-and-cherry-tomato-bake

A Gingerbread House

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4900/simple-gingerbread-house

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/crunchy-garlic-chicken

Chocolate fruit skewers

Here

Changing colours

2011-11-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today's song: Ocean Colour Scene: The Day We Caught The Train

As the leaves change colour, so must my wardrobe! I'm determined to get out of the black/white/red rut I always seem to fall into in the winter. Though I still love that colour combo, I'm trying to buy and wear more browns, yellows and greens- very autumnal.

Dress: Primark, Cardigan:H&M

Buying brown shoes and a brown bag were a good way to get into the swing of things and start co-ordinating with items already in my wardrobe. The brogues were a steal at £8 and I used some vouchers from surveys to buy the bag!

Bag:New Look, Tights: H&M, Brogues: Primark

These photos were taken a while ago when it was still warm enough to get away with a cardigan and no coat. I'm quite pleased with this outfit even if I do look a bit grumpy-I was on my way to work!

I'm at Moor Street Station which is absolutely lovely. They refurbished it so it is like it was in the 1930's (according to wikipedia) and there is an old train parked up there which you can see in the background. I wish they would do something with Snow Hill which is horrible, but they are in the process of rebuilding New Street which will be lovely when its finished.

An outfit for: Dinner at Chez Jules

2011-10-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today's song: Jimi Hendrix-Purple Haze

Dress: Traffic People@Topshop, Belt: Topshop, Bag: Vintage via Ebay, Shoes:New Look

(Apologies for the poor photo quality but as we were eating at night, the photos were taken at night!)

On Saturday, Edd and I went to Ikea in the day which involved me driving on the motorway- something I don't much enjoy! Finally we were back in Birmingham and I was ready for a glass of wine and a bath and to get ready for a lovely meal at Chez Jules.

I wore this purple dress which I bought years ago in the Topshop sale. I was only 19 at the time and I think I couldn't quite handle the grown-up cut and length. I'm glad I kept it as it is my go-to dinner dress now! Even if it is rather difficult to photograph due to the shiny material.

I love these shoes though they are about half a size too small for me. They are fine to walk in and then sit down, but I can't handle them for nights out, boo! The nail varnish is Cosmic Crush from Boots' Natural Collection, only cheap but I really love it.

We having been meaning to go to Chez Jules for a while and just got round to it now to celebrate Edd passing one of his exams and therefore getting a pay rise. It's a French bistro in Birmingham city centre. The decoration and atmosphere are charming, cute red and white checked table cloths. I think it would be a great place to start a birthday or hen do, but equally suitable for a meal for two- we sat in a sectioned off area which still had the atmosphere but made it a little more intimate.

The food was tasty and what you'd expect, really. It didn't blow my mind but it was great quality and my prawn starter had the best prawns I've had in a long time! I look forward to going back there but there's loads of other places I want to visit too!

I start back at work experience tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous as usual though I'm sure I'll be fine by the end of the day.

5 Reasons to love WINTER!

2011-10-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

I have been rather absent from blogging and reading blogs this week as I have been working on my personal statement. Grr I am sure those of you doing any sort of university education appreciate how frustrating it is! This morning I had almost finished a second draft when my laptop died and I have had to wait for my Dad to finish on his computer all day. I'm on the look out for a new (cheap) laptop so if anyone has any recommendations I would appreciate it!

All in all I'm a bit stroppy this evening! The cold weather doesn't help. Which leads me neatly onto the subject of today's post...

I'm really a Summer girl. I like being warm and wearing sunglasses and having the window open while I'm driving. I don't like when my feet get cold in the winter, defrosting my car at midnight after work or having to wear 10 layers just to stay warm through the night.

But Winter is a fact of life and luckily there are a few things to keep me going. Here's 5:

Birmingham German Market

Also known as the Birmingham Frankfurt Market. My favourite thing about the season! I love being wrapped up warm, getting some chocolate covered fruit and a hot alcoholic beverage. But which beverage to go for? The classic hot chocolate with Baileys from one of the many German bars, or wander up to the local produce area and get some hot raspberry cider? Or why not both? I love it so much, though not on a Saturday afternoon when it is super busy. I even worked on one of the bars once, I was freezing cold and knackered, not something I'd do again, I have the greatest of respect for everyone who works there!

Wearing gloves to drive in

My world as I knew it changed last year when I received a pair of leather gloves. The first time I used them to drive I could not believe the difference. A small change but a big thing to me! These above are from Accessorize.

Christmas

It's just such a jolly and exciting time of year. I usually work Christmas Eve and don't mind it because (most) people are so happy and we all say 'Merry Christmas!' to each other. We all go out for a drink after work. I drink lots of Baileys and have a hangover in church the next morning. I also really enjoy buying presents for people. I try to do it early or online so I don't have to deal with the crowds in stores! This year I'm taking part in two blogging secret santas- Faith Hope and Charity Shopping and Cupcake Couture.

New clothes

This photo was taken, ooh gosh, about 3 years ago, my hair is a lot longer now! But it represents wrapping up warm in a lovely coat and scarf and the excitement of being able to go out and buy these things. The hat, tights and coat were from H&M the bag was from Topshop, the scarf was a gift and the boots were from the now defunct Faith (though they seem to have a concession at Debenhams)

An excuse to drink lots of Baileys

Especially the new biscotti flavour.

Glasvegas make me think of winter so it made perfect sense to me when they released a Christmas EP a couple of years ago (I think). Here's Please Come Back Home.

I was just about to put this up when I saw this post. How different things are in other time zones!

A/W 2011 Wishlist!

2011-10-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love doing posts like this because they are a permanent reminder of the items I need to save up for and buy! I often write lists down on bits of till roll when it's quiet at work and then lose them. But when it is here on my blog, published for the world (hah) to see, I always know where to find my wishlist.

Black high heels

I am in love with a pair of block heeled Mary-Janes from Topshop but they don't have them in any of my local stores and I am not sure about buying shoes online, especially when delivery is £4. So I am on the search for something similar- a pair of shoes I can party in or wear to go out for a meal. I like Mary-Janes because the strap makes me feel secure; I tend to walk out of shoes with no straps! Having said that I love these from Office even if the price is a little steep. I don't really want to go over £60 and I'm hoping New Look will come up trumps, as that's where I got my last pair from- £20 when I was 19 and they lasted me over 5 years. If I can't find nything else these will do, though I would prefer a higher heel.

Fit and flare dresses

I have been in love with this Topshop dress for months. It's quite expensive at £48 but it's such a classic shape and design and excellent quality that I feel I will get my moneys worth out of it. I realised I don't have an all-occasions black dress.
Boohoo have some colourful cheap options too so I might get a mustard one to be trendy.

Brown skirt
I am pretty taken with this pleated brown skirt from New Look. I feel like it really suits the aesthetic I'm going for this A/W plus it's £19.99 and I have a £10 voucher to spend in New Look- everyone's a winner. I'd like to wear it with this amazing body I saw on the Forever21 website:

It's velvet!

Warm Tights Need I explain? Every winter I go on a tights haul- woolly black, sheer black for nights out, woolly grey, woolly purple, and whatever else I decide I fancy!

Boots

Not strictly necessary because I got a new pair of ankle boots last winter but I want some brown ones. They're pretty cheap at New Look and I can't see the point of spending much as I always ruin them anyway.

A coat

Again not really needed but I'm keeping my eyes open for a reasonably priced coat that ISN'T black.

I must not be tempted to buy anything else before I have these basics...wish me luck with that.

To play me out, a suitable tune from The Mamas and The Papas (the leaves are brown and the sky is grey indeed!) I love it when bloggers link to a song with relevant lyrics or a relevant feel to it, and I always mean to do it.

Barcelona: Bits and Bobs

2011-10-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

As the weather gets cooler, I am excited about my changing wardrobe and want to start sharing photos of new purchases! So here are the last photos from Barcelona: ones that didn't fit anywhere else.

The original lift in our apartment block. I am wearing a Topshop dress, vintage via ebay bag and Dorothy Perkins pumps.

A cool car we passed on the way back to the flat one night...Our lovely room. We stayed at Casa De Billy Barcelona which is a very cool B&B/hostel type place. The decoration was quite ostentatious, in a cool, fun way though! I got very excited every time the sheets were changed haha. This was my favourite, the sheet was a houndstooth material!Pretty balconies in the city centre.Roman ruins. There was a picture of what it would have originally looked like, and it was interesting to see how much it looked like the Bath Roman ruins. I suppose they had a system that worked, and why change it?We went on a guided tour of the Barri Gotic (old quarter) which was interesting. The guide was a Barcelona man who was very passionate about his city. This photo is from a pretty square with a school in it. The square was heavily bombed during the Spanish Civil War and you can still see the damage today. I noticed this poignant slogan.And finally an obligatory cheesy photo in an apple! This was a healthfood shop. Shoes from Topshop, bag from Alphabet Bags.I hope you have enjoyed my Barcelona pictures as much as I have enjoyed sharing them!

Barcelona: Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo

2011-10-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

Dress: Oasis, Bag: Alphabet Bags, Shoes: Topshop

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for your lovely comments on my Barcelona photos. I had such a lovely time and I'm very pleased with how the pictures turned out, so it's nice to know other people like them too! I only have one more Barcelona post to do after this so I won't be going on about it for too much longer!
We spent our last day exploring some more Gaudi works. The Sagrada Familia is ridiculously impressive. You see all the photos, but nothing compares to actually being there.Top tip: Pre book your tickets for Sagrada Familia. We did and we missed a huge queue. You can do it here and either print your tickets off before you leave, or pick them up from one of the ServiCaixa ATMs which are yellow and everywhere. I also recommend paying the extra few euros and having an audio guide. It's really interesting.Then we moved onto Casa Batllo and another audio guide!Sunglasses: H&MAlthough the whole house was beautiful, interesting and bizarre, I loved the 'attic' the most. This was where the laundry and boring stuff would have taken place. It shows Gaudi's skill and vision that even the most mundane part of a house is beautiful, elegant and extremely functional. Who am I waving at?Oh it's Gaudi! Bye bye Gaudi! This was a hologram, well done Edd for managing to capture it on camera!

Barcelona: Tibidabo

2011-10-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters, Dress: H&M, Bag: A gift from Alphabet Bags! Shoes: Topshop

Tibidabo is an odd place. If you have seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona you may remember them visiting an old theme park. That's Tibidabo.It's quite a long route to get there because it's at the top of a mountain! If you go on a weekend you can get a tram half way up the mountain, but we had to get the bus. Not as exciting. Then to get to the very top, you have to take the funicular. Now that's exciting. Look at how excited I was:

At the top there is a theme park, which was closed, some of the original fairground rides which you can still go on and a monastery, which is very grand and imposing and makes you feel quite bad for floating around the place, climbing on the climbing frames and sliding down the slides.While we were eating our baguettes, this cute cat came and stared at us mournfully. It clearly knew what it was doing! It was too cute. I gave it some food, I couldn't help it.

Then we went on one of the original rides! It was just a plane that went round a couple of times, but the views were fab, and it was more exciting knowing people have been going on this ride for 80 years or more.

Barcelona: Parc Guell

2011-09-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

Naturally, you go to Barcelona, you see something of Gaudi! First stop: Parc Guell. I was delighted to discover it was free.

We had rather naively planned to have a chilled out day there, have a picnic, read a book. This plan was scuppered by the millions of tourists taking pictures (like ourselves)and the lack of benches in the shade. The top photo was achieved by me standing in the same spot for about ten minutes and quickly taking a picture when no one was in frame.

I would love to go back out of peak season and wonder about through the columns and sit on the pretty colourful benches at the front.
Dotted throughout there are columns which appear to rise out of the ground. We sat down to eat amongst these columns and stopped for a photo too.

Hat: Accessorize, Dress: Primark, Belt: Topshop, Pumps: Fred Perry

If you follow the main path right to the top, you leave the park and end up in what appears to be a grotty area behind a school. But if you keep going you'll get a lovely surprise at the top.

Bag: Alphabet Bags

If you look on the left of the picture you can see the Sagrada Familia! More on that coming soon.

Took my shoes off to rest my weary feet and sat down with a book for a good hour. It was so peaceful up there, definitely worth the trek!

Obligatory comedy lost in translation moment. (Look at the sign)

A note on the dress, and the one I wore in the previous post. I realise I am always wearing these in travel posts, but they ARE my perfect holiday dresses! Easy to layer up or down, so comfortable, and the large amount of material=a tray for picnics!

Barcelona: Day One

2011-09-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Wondering round and the BEST shopping centre in the world

Sunglasses: Ray Ban, T-Shirt: Gap, Dress: Oli, Belt: Topshop, Bag: Alphabet Bags, Pumps: Fred Perry
I like to get my bearings on the first day of a trip. We strolled into the city centre to the main square and then down Las Ramblas which is full of tourists and hawkers selling crap. It's difficult to get a feel for a place in that sort of atmosphere don't you think? Fortunately I spotted the side street which leads to Placa Reial (Placa should have a different 'c' I know) which was much more sedate. We had some tapas at a hotel cafe, the Roma Reial. After lunch we got the metro to 'Espanya', the big roundabout/square near our guesthouse. This is home to lots of interesting buildings- what I think is a convention centre, an art galary, a huge fountain, and a shopping centre that used to be a bullring. I think I'm correct in saying bull fighting was never a huge thing in Catalonia? A shopping centre is a much better use for it! Especially when it is as fabulous as this one. The bottom floor had a supermarket where we used to stock up on cheap cava (2 euros?! Why not!) and lots of lovely food shops and cafes. The upper floors had a retail area with standard clothes shops, then a cinema, then on the very top floor a lovely open air viewing platform with great views of the city and the surrounding hills.

More pictures from the wedding

2011-09-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Because the last ones were rather small...

You can see my hair a little better in these. I had intended to curl it and then have it in a side bun, but it wouldn't stay up (my hair is super thick, in hindsight I realise curling it made it worse) and we ran out of time so I just left it down and pinned the crazier curls back! I think it looked quite pretty, I really like my fringe waved. Most of the curls had fallen out by the reception when these pictures were taken, but I was happy that a bit of movement was left.

I've scheduled this to go live on Tuesday- my first full day in Barcelona :)

Off on my hols...

2011-09-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

This time tomorrow I will be in Barcelona! I'm there for a week but I've scheduled a post, more photos from the wedding.
so have a great week everyone! I will be updating my twitter while I am away, it's @neleh87
See you next week! kinda...

A very lovely wedding

2011-09-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Church

I have just got back from Suffolk where I have been over the weekend for a wedding. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, the venue was stunning and the whole day went smoothly.

Outside the church with Edd, me looking slightly concerned about the camera!

I wore my super bargain Oasis dress (£60 down from £150 woop woop) and felt really happy and comfortable all day! I managed to find some grey shoes to wear in the end, I impressed myself by standing in stilettos all day. The large amount of prosecco helped somewhat.

We were seated on the 'Tower of London' table, worryingly.

Yummy cake- I really like this cupcakes for wedding cakes trend.

A Weekend of Outfits

2011-08-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

(Last weekend)

Thursday

Chilling out, spending some time with Edd, had a yummy KFC and watched 'The Hour'. Has anyone else been watching this? It was hailed as the UK's 'Mad Men' but it's not really, at all in fact. It's not perfect but I'm really enjoying it. I love Romola Garai, I think she's gorgeous and such a good actress.

Dress: Oasis, Bag: Alphabet Bags, Shoes: Topshop

Friday

It was Edd's Mum's birthday so we had champagne and nibbles at Bar Epernay at The Mailbox. Edd's family occasions always seem to start there, probably because of the 'cheap' champagne deal. Very decadent! Then we had a nice meal at Bar Estilo, we ordered a little too much tapas and I was stuffed! I'm addicted to chili king prawns, they are the tastiest thing.

Dress: Boohoo.com, Belt: Topshop, Shoes: New Look, Bag: Vintage via ebay

Saturday

We popped into town to try out the coffee at 6/8 Kafe as we are quite keen on supporting independent coffee shops. It's very nice there! If you're in Birmingham, it's just off Pigeon Park. I don't think that's the official name, but it's where the emos hang out, opposite Snow Hill Station.

Later we went to Island Bar because someone I vaguely know was having their birthday party there. Mainly I wanted to see my friend Rach, and meet some people who we went out with later. Also Island Bar has the best cocktails in Birmingham in my opinion! Cocktails with egg whites and bizarre spirits I've never heard of!

Me and Edd and my friend Sophie and her boyfriend then went to Vudu, the new(ish) alternative club. I really liked the venue, but Saturday nights there are perhaps a bit too heavy for me, I'm more of an indie girl!

Powder compact: 17, Body: Miss Selfridge, Skirt: H&M, Tights: Marks and Spencers, Shoes: Topshop, Stomach: Breathing in all night!!!

And then Sunday I was back at work for 6 shifts in a row. It's been knackering but it's worth it to get the weekends off.

Last year's holiday: Valencia

2011-08-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Top: Borrowed from a friend, probably Cult, Skirt: H&M, Bag: Oasis

A little over a year ago, Edd and I were on holiday in the Spanish city of Valencia. As we have now booked this year's holiday (Barcelona!) I was inspired to look over last year's photos.

Valencia is a city of diversities- it has the typical beautiful European architecture in the old town, the exciting winding streets of Carmen and then it knocks you out in surprise with the City of Arts and Sciences.

Hat: Accessorize, Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Dress: H&M, Shoes: Fred Perry

La Maruja- We spent a couple of afternoons in this cafe by the Torres, eating tapas and drinking Agua de Valencia- literally 'water of Valencia', made with gorgeous Valencian orange juice, cava and Cointreau, though there are lots of variations.

City of Arts and Sciences

I love City breaks because there's so much to do, the food is diverse and on a practical note, the transport systems are regular. Edd and I were able to walk to most places,but I would recommend using the Metro if you need to- it goes everywhere and it's so clean and cheap. There's the added bonus of a decent nightlife. Whenever I've stayed in a resort the clubs have been terrible cheesey affairs or house or whatever which isn't to my taste at all. We went to a club/bar called Radio City which was the coolest, friendliest place with a great mix of music.

We had a couple of chill out afternoons on the beach which was nice, but very far out of town- best to take the metro.

Top things to do in Valencia:

*La Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias

Or The City of Arts and Sciences! My number one top thing that you MUST SEE in Valencia. Even if you don't go into any of the buildings, take a stroll around the incredible space age architecture. There is a lovely aquarium, a fun science museum, an IMAX cinema, a concert hall and some lovely gardens. We spent our first two days there- it's a little pricey perhaps, but certainly worth it.

*Find Deja Vu and eat there

We happened across this gorgeous French place by chance whilst strolling through the Carmen district. Probably the best meal I have ever eaten. The menu is written on large blackboards which the staff read out to you and explain what is in each dish. 20 euros for three courses- ridiculously good value! We ate there twice in a week. The first time we were so excited by how lovely it was we kept grinning at each other. I had ratatouille with a pouched egg to start, duck in a honey and lavender sauce and then crème brulee. This was over a year ago and I still remember it fondly. It is on two floors, and we were lucky enough to sit on the second floor next to the Juliet balcony on the first night, watching all the cool young locals flit around from bar to bar and into their apartments. Edd said the whole vibe made him feel like he was in war time Paris. If you can find it, please go there. No photos because of the lighting. Just imagine the most gorgeous, intimate, ramshackle place in a tiny backstreet and you'll be halfway to how magical it is.

*The old town

This sort of architecture never gets old. Valencia has beautiful old buildings.

A few years ago, the river was re-routed and the bridges that remain now cross the beautiful Turia gardens instead.

*Radio City

Cardigan: Primark, Dress: H&M, Shoes: New Look (My legs look rather blotchy because I tripped walking over one of the bridges after an evening out haha)

Appalling scenes of vandalism and looting in the UK..

2011-08-09T02:42:00.000-07:00

I don't write a news or topical affairs blog but I really felt I wanted to say something about the scenes in London over the weekend, and now my own city, Birmingham.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14453258

http://birminghamriots2011.tumblr.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14472572

http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23birminghamriots

What started in Tottenham as a peaceful protest about the shooting of a man by police last Thursday, has now escalated around the country. The kids smashing windows and looting Adidas in Birmingham on Monday night had nothing to do with the victim of the shooting. They were just opportunists who thought they could cause trouble and get something for nothing.

It makes me sick that people could behave in such a way.

Tonight, it seems quieter, there has been no reports of trouble (in Birmingham at least). I believe this is to do with the heavy police presence, the amount of arrests and, I hope, as a sign of respect to the three men who lost their lives last night.

I hope everyone who reads this is safe and well and hasn't been affected by the violence.

Help!

2011-08-02T03:04:00.001-07:00

Can anyone tell me where I can get a nice pair of grey/silver heels?! I want some to go with the dress I talked about here.

As they are for a wedding, there are a few important features they must have:

*Must be purchased within 3 weeks so I can practice walking in them.

*Must be comfortable enough for me to be on my feet all day (no spindly heels!)

*Must be classy and elegant.

*Must be under £60 though I suppose I can go a little higher.

*No peep toes.

Am I asking too much? Here is the sort of thing I am talking about.

These are from Hush Puppies at Barratts and would be perfect if only they had my size left! I am going to pop into the store today, maybe they will have my size there.

I would also accept something like this.

Also from Barratts, though preferably without all the fuss at the front. The heels are a leetle too spindly for me but I would accept them.

I don't think I'm asking too much, just a normal pair of grey court shoes! However all the shops have to offer are: (All of the below come from Schuh)

Stripper shoes

I appreciate that they're meant to be TOTALLY COMFORTABLE and everything, but would they go with my dainty 50's-esque dress? No.

Ridiculous heels

Not only are they not exactly the look I'm going for, I'd also have fallen over by 2.30pm.

Strappy strappy strappy!

Ugh they're just not me at alllllll!

Now what I really want is these....

A little too ostentatious? Perhaps.

So if anyone has any suggestions, pleeeeeeease let me know!

This week I have bought...

2011-07-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

A quick look at some recent purchases...

The Topshop heeled brogues I have been lusting over for ages. Edd very kindly bought them for me to say well done for doing well on my courses/placements/etc. Just need it to rain now- hah not really.

A VERY exciting purchase. I am going to a wedding in September so I have been keeping my eyes open for a nice dress to wear. I was happy to pay up to £60 for a dress, though I kept sighing over more expensive ones. This one was £150 from Oasis. I hoped, hoped it would be reduced but couldn't imagine it being reduced down to £60- but it was! Yay! I tried it on today and just had to buy it. It seemed rude not to. I just wanted to show some of the detail and will post outfit pictures after the wedding as it's going to be in a lovely setting in Suffolk I believe.

You may notice the photos are larger than usual! I have finally gotten round to using photobucket you see!

Photos by Edd

Favourite Dress

2011-07-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Dress: Primark, Socks: Next, Shoes: New Look, Bag: Topshop

I thought I would show a few of the discarded pictures from a 'shoot' Edd and I did a couple of weeks ago. The finished product will not be appearing on here, but you can find it here-Yahoo's Style It Light page, for their 'My Fashion Treasure' series!

We wandered along the canal because I was hoping there would be no one around. Annoyingly, people kept walking through, much to my embarrassment!

I discarded these pictures for various ridiculous reasons...I thought my mouth looked funny or my arm looked awkward...etc.

Big(ish) Hair

2011-07-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters, T-Shirt: Topshop, Dress (under T-Shirt): H&M, Tights: Primark, Brogues: New Look
Whenever I get my hair cut, they coo over how straight my hair is and then ask if I want some 'movement' added. I say yes please! and leave the hairdressers with gorgeous wavy hair, only for it to fall out two hours later. The curse of poker straight hair.

This photo was taken a few hours after the hairdresser had done impressive things with GHDs so it doesn't look quite as cool as it did, but I still like the waves, my face looks different! I do need to practice doing this style on myself, the hairdresser made it look so easy.

It was a little too warm to be wearing black tights, but I couldn't find my knee high socks that I usually wear with these shoes! They are shiny lace-up brogues, but they don't photograph very well. More excitingly, I now own the high heeled brogues I wrote about here. Photos coming soon!

Most of the compliments on my outfits come from 8 year olds

2011-07-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously.

When I started work experience in schools, I got myself a pair of smart trousers in the Next sale and wore them with one of the blouses or jumpers I had hanging in my wardrobe. I soon got bored of this. Dressing up for work is a new experience for me as I have a uniform in my regular job, sigh. So I'm still finding it exciting to pick out something to wear every Tuesday morning!

The first class I worked in was year 5 which is 9 and 10 year olds. The girls were very very aware of fashion and appearance and a couple in particular were all like "I like your top Miss" "your make up looks nice Miss" "have you had your fringe cut Miss?" which I thought was very cute.

On the other hand, they were always pointing out if I was wearing the same thing as I wore the week before! ("Why do you always wear those trousers?" "Well, why do you always wear that cardigan? Oh-it's your uniform...")

I've now moved to a different school and I'm in year 3 which is 7 and 8 year olds. Already I've had a small child with a flower in her hair tell me smilingly that she 'loves my clothes'. I'm not sure whether to be pleased or worried that children born in this century are my biggest fashion fans! Perhaps it's just that as we get older we learn to keep our opinions to ourselves.

This week I wore something very much like this.

Work Experience by neleh87 featuring flat heels

I was quite worried about being appropriate at first. At the first school there were a lot of scarves being worn, everyone was in trousers and there was much sniffy talk about a supply teacher who turned up wearing purple tights (gasp!). The staff at my new school are much younger, and lets just say I needn't have worried about my skirt being too short!

I'm sure when I'm actually teaching and I have to be up at 6 every day I will revert to swopping between two pairs of trousers and five tops, but for now I am enjoying the chance to wear something different.

Making the most of the sun

2011-06-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

When Mister Spex asked me to pick my favourite pair of sunglasses from their website, it really couldn't have come at a better time! I hope everyone here in the UK is enjoying the heatwave.

I was really excited to be asked to do a post with my favourite sunglasses pick for summer 2011 as some other great bloggers have also done this for the site!

I am totally obsessed with Ray Ban Wayfarers. I know they suit me like no other shape, and I love the general rock and roll air they give you. I'm always reminded of Cate Blanchett playing Bob Dylan in I'm Not There.

The moody rock and roll image people like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash have left Wayfarers makes them ideal for an English summer I would say! It may be gorgeous and warm at the moment but I'll bet you next weekend it will be freezing...but the sun will still be shining and so for practical reasons I'll be needing my sunglasses. Some how, Wayfarers still look cool when you're wearing a mac.

I'll be taking them off indoors though, needless to say.

So here are my favourites from the Ray Ban collection at Mister Spex

These are out of stock annoyingly, but they're my favourites!

There's always the classic black to go with my classic red- I am a lucky lady to own them and I take great care of them.

But I love the crazy print on these, very festival-style!

What are your favourite sunglasses? Do you go for throw-away trendy ones or have you got a pair that you cherish?

P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who wished me luck for my exam- it was today and I'm just waiting to find my results out, agggh!

Revision time!

2011-06-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a brief blogging hiatus while I revise for my final Science exam. Apologies for the lack of commenting :(

Back next week with sunglasses and last years holiday!

In the meantime....

ASOS sale. Too tempting and distracting.

The Great British Summer

2011-06-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Would you believe it is June? Yesterday it was freezing cold and raining. I had thick tights and a scarf on. Seriously! We went to the Birmingham International Food Fair in the city centre around Victoria Square, which is where they usually have the German Market. If you're in the region you should definitely check it out. I have been twice already- I keep buying Frost and Snow cupcakes!

But on Sunday we had giant king prawns and garlic potatoes. I posted a picture on twitter @neleh87 if you would like to see! It was delicious, but the sort of food you should be eating in the sun, not huddled under an awning, hiding from the rain.

The weather made me realise I am not fully equipped for rain. Yes I have a brolly. Yes I have my lovely trench coat. NO I do not have rain appropriate shoes! I run around in ballet flats, wondering why my feet are turning purple!

Boots are not the answer, not for summer, not for me anyway. My wedges hold up fairly well in the rain, so I went mooching the mid-height heels sections on various websites. The answer appeared instantly- heeled brogues!

The ones in the Polyvore set are from Topshop and I am in love with them. I will be on the look out for cheaper alternatives from New Look.

Now that I think of it, I've seen other bloggers wear brogues in the rain. The most recent that comes to mind is Vintage Reflection. Kudos to all you ladies who already rock this style- I will be following.

The Great British Summer by neleh87 featuring a print coat

TopShop print coat

Block heels

H M folding umbrella

Walk The Line

2011-06-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since I have been listening to Johnny Cash on Spotify and obsessing over Reese Witherspoon's outfits.

She turns in such an excellent performance as June Carter, Cash's long-term partner in music and love. I was a little teary at the end when the on-screen text said they died within four months of each other.

If you haven't seen the film, I recommend it, and I won't ruin it by giving away the plot if you don't already know it. Basically it is about the early days of Cash's career, from a childhood tragedy to success in the 60's.

Needless to say, the fashion is amazing! Reese as June gets all the best outfits of course, but an honorary mention goes to Ginnifer Goodwin as Johnny Cash's first wife Vivian.

Back to the main event... I love June's outfits from the 50's and early 60's, plus her stage outfits the best! Lovely fit and flare dresses with gorgeous hair and make up.

The dresses put me in mind of Oasis's New Vintage collection which I have been lusting over since I first got their promotional email about it. They are very very Mad Men/Walk The Line style, basically the sort of thing I love! The Wisteria Lane designs are my favourite though I love the sundresses also.

So if you have £125 lying around it could be yours! Sadly I don't so I will have to hope it gets reduced in the sale. I do think that is a lot of money- probably £30 of that is because it's a special edition. Oasis dresses are generally out of my budget, but I do try and stretch to it when I can because they are so well made and flattering, on me at least.

I think this dress would be perfect for dinner on holiday or to wear to a wedding. What I love about it is that it's inspired by the era but not taking it too far into fancy dress territory.

Walk The Line still from ropeofsilicon.com

More Bath pictures...but something different

2011-06-01T02:12:00.001-07:00

I have done a guest post for Sophie at Country Girl Does Norfolk, in which I share a few more Bath pictures, my new packing technique and my favourite places in Bath.

You can find it here.

You should check out her blog too as it's lovely :)

A few pictures from beautiful Bath

2011-05-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen much of Edd lately ( :( ) so I haven't got the outfit pictures we did, but I DO have my pictures of buildings etc.

I cannot explain how gorgeous Bath is. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a break in the UK. We stayed for 2 nights, but I think 3 would have been better- there is more we would like to have seen.

The Roman Baths
Afternoon tea- yum
The Royal Crescent. Such an impressive sight. Doesn't the sky look ominous?!

You can tell why Edd usually does the photos, right!!

El Blog Mas Divertido... apparently!

2011-05-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

First of all, many thanks to all of you for your kind birthday wishes in the comments section! I had a fabulous weekend and I'm glad you enjoyed the photos :)

The lovely Lisa-Jane from The Brunette Diaries has given me this award, and as it is in Spanish I simply had to accept! I used to have Spanish lessons until I started working towards teacher training and found I didn't have much time left. I plan to pick it up again in the summer in time for my trip to Barcelona.

The rules for this award are:

1) Thank the person who gave you this award and link back to them in your post.
2) Answer the given questions.
3) Nominate 3 bloggers.
4) Contact these bloggers and let them know they have received this award.

Questions

1. If you did another blog, what would it be?

It would have to be baking/food related but perhaps if I was a little more advanced than I am now. I'd also quite like to do a film/cinema one.

2. If you could change your name what would it be?

I love being called Helen but I also love: Phoebe, Jessica, Imogen, Naomi. These are names I would give my children.

3. If you were born again, would you be a man or a woman?

A woman for sure! We get the best clothes, we aren't aggressive, we're better drivers and (most of us) are lovely to each other.

4. If you could realise one wish, what would it be?

Easy. I'd get onto a PGCE course. I can do that anyway with hard work, I'd just rather not go through the 6 months of worrying!

5. If you had a power, which one would you like to have?

Teleportation so I didn't have to drive anywhere, or waste my time at bus stops.

6. If you had to buy a lot of perfumes from one specific brand, what would it be?

My favourite perfume is Clinique Elixr, but I don't really like their other ones. I also like Love. Chloe but I don't think Chloe have many more fragrances. Hmm I guess Chanel because they are so classic. Apart from the fact that I can't afford Chanel perfume!

7. If you won a holiday, which place would you like to go to?

Too many to choose from. I want to go to Barcelona later in the year, but I'm struggling to find somewhere affordable, nice and in a good location! If anybody has any suggestions I'd really appreciate them. So I would choose Barcelona just for that reason. If it was after I'd booked, I'd love to go to Italy, perhaps on some crazy month-long tour of the country.

The 3 blogs I nominate are:

The Honeypie Archives

Laughing in the Purple Rain

Travel in Style

Hopefully these guys haven't already done it!

Photos from Bath coming soon!

Happy Birthday to me :D (part two)

2011-05-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get these photos up all week but a series of unfortunate events stood in my way! Firstly Edd had them on his computer, but he was out of Birmingham for most of the week, then when I got them off him Blogger was down and then we have been in Bath all weekend- more on that in the week.

So, without further ado and explanations, here are the pictures from my birthday day. Last weeks photos were the night before. I didn't do much on the day because I'd had meals and going out and so on on the Friday and Saturday, but I had a nice breakfast and a wander round town and along the canals.

These photos also show my two favourite presents! The Oasis dress which I've been drooling over for months and this gorgeous red bag from Topshop. I did ask for them both specifically which takes away the surprise element, but at least I know I'm going to love them. Naturally I wanted to wear them both immediately.

Sunglasses: RayBan, Jacket: River Island, Dress: Oasis, Bag: Topshop, Pumps: Fred Perry

Photos by Edd

Happy Birthday to me :D

2011-05-08T12:04:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. It has been my birthday so I have been very busy!

Got myself a new dress and wore it out last night. I'm quite a lot in love with it. It's from the 'Love' concession at Topshop and is a little more delicate than something I would usually wear on a night out-in the rain may I add! I think it is absolutely gorgeous, and the pleats are very on-trend ;) I wore it with my (fake) pearls and looked a little like I was at a garden party.

We went to The Victoria, which I mentioned in this post years ago. It's the coolest little pub which sells awesome cocktails and has a quirky alternative vibe. Then onto Snobs, my favourite club in Birmingham, an oldie but a goodie. Brilliant night with my friends and boyfriend and I had some lovely presents too- more on those coming soon.

Photos probably taken by Edd, but the camera was being passed around a lot so who knows! Sorry for the poor quality- they are standard night-out pictures but I thought they summed up the atmosphere nicely :)

And the bride wore lace

2011-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

In honour of Catherine Middleton's (now the Duchess of Cambridge) amazing McQueen wedding dress, here are some of my favourite lace pieces around at the moment. I love lace, I think it's gorgeous and classic and I'm happy that there has been so much around in the last year or so.

This here Topshop one. I can't get a decent picture of it to save annoyingly! I'm seriously considering buying it next weekend to wear on my birthday night out. Not sure about the lace panel across the middle though- I'll have to do a few sit ups perhaps!

I love the dramatic sleeves on this River Island dress. I don't often shop at River Island, especially not for daytime clothes, but they've got some brilliant going out stuff, and their bags are the best on the High St in my opinion.

I've always liked the idea of wearing gloves all the time- very 1950's! Lace would be ideal for the summer of course. I don't think I ever will but I'd love to be brave enough to get some lace gloves, like these from Accessorize.

How cool is this crazy jacket/shawl thing from ASOS? I love that it would take me all the way through the summer and autumn!

First image from guardian.co.uk

Happy Royal Wedding Day

2011-04-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

I appreciate that not everyone is as excited as I am, but this is my blog :p

How could I fail to be excited? There will be a dress

For the record, this is pretty much exactly the sort of thing I'd like to get married in!

There will be cake

Found these on hitched.co.uk

And there will be union jacks everywhere- I do love me a good union jack print...

I hope everyone who has the day off has fun whatever you are doing. Think of me at work until 5. I'm sure the cinema will be dead apart from some anti-royalists- I plan to hide in the staff room watching the BBC (but don't tell my boss)

I can't complain too much as I have four days off after tomorrow!

Summer Wishlist purchases: Alphabet Bags bag

2011-04-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside

It was last on my list but the first item I bought. There were so many cool designs to choose from but I couldn't resist this one. It made me think of childhood holidays and my Dad singing old songs to me. It's from Alphabet Bags, who I cannot recommend highly enough. Super-fast delivery and such sturdy products. I still have a bag I bought from them 2 years ago- that one said 'I refuse to participate in a recession' haha!

Cardigan: New Look, T-Shirt: Topshop, Shorts: Topshop, Tights: tightsplease.com, Boots: Blowfish, Bag: Alphabet Bags

Sadly I'm not by the sea side and I can't walk along the prom, but I did have a nice Saturday off in the sun last weekend. Edd and I suddenly decided to check out The Cube. This incredible building is right next to The Mailbox in Birmingham, and I am so excited for it to open properly. Not that any of the shops or restaurants will be in my budget but no one can stop me walking through and having a nose!

The building is open now but there isn't anything open. I hadn't realised it is hollow with the floors winding round the outside. Very interesting architecture. Apparently the top floor is going to be a Marco Pierre White restaurant. Perhaps one for when I'm rich!

How cool are these statues? There are quite a few of them, apparently they are based on real people of Birmingham. And you can read more here.

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend! I'm wearing quite a bizarre outfit here as the weather threw me!

Easter Baking

2011-04-22T13:23:00.001-07:00

More baking! You can tell it's the holidays because I have much more time on my hands to do things like this.

Yesterday I made Easter nest cakes, which are basically chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and mini eggs on top. I don't often make cupcakes anymore because there are so many other things I want to try out, but these were so popular with my friends and family last year that I thought I should do them again.

I use this basic cupcake recipe from Happy Food. This lady doesn't seem to blog anymore, but she has a cupcake shop in Cirencester. It's definitely the best cupcake recipe I've found. Then I add 100g melted dark chocolate to the mix before they go in the oven. The butter cream is 150g butter, 225g icing sugar and 2 tbsp cocoa powder. I didn't get the buttercream recipe from anywhere in particular, it's just the consistency I find works best for piping.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather (in the UK at least) and having a great bank holiday weekend. Happy Easter! x

Photos by Edd :D

Source Code and Red Riding Hood

2011-04-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, I work in a cinema. I get to watch as many films as I like for free- and at any site too which is good as it doesn't feel like just going into work on my day off! I like to make the most of this perk and I've seen two films already this week.

Monday I took my Mum to see Source Code. I absolutely loved it. The trailer made it look OK- entertaining enough but nothing amazing. I was surprised to see that it has 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. This was a good sign.

I'd already seen the ending, but this happens with pretty much every film I want to see so I'm used to it! In a way it helps me appreciate the film more as I'm not just guessing what's about to happen. Whereas my Mum came out of it a bit confused and saying she'd like to see it again to make sense of it.

Anyway, it's a really good film- I've been describing it to customers as 'Groundhog Day with action' and that's kind of what it is. I won't spoil anything, just go and see it! There's also a very sweet love story in it, I was quite tearful at the end.

Michelle Monaghan plays Jake Gyllenhaall's love interest and she is so cute in it. Absolutely love her hair in it, it's really sleek but flicked out at the ends. I guess you can achieve this with straighteners? Really want to try it, it looks so pretty.

Image from chickflickreviews.net

Last night I watched Red Riding Hood with my good friend who is one of the projectionists. I can't say I was particularly excited. It looked like Twilight-meets-medieval werewolves to me. And that's pretty much what it was, it wasn't pretending to be anything else. I imagine 13 year old girls will ADORE it, I would have done!

Gary Oldman seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as a baddie, Julie Christie was having fun too as Red Riding Hood's Grandmother. Amanda Seyfried was very pretty in it, I loved her make up and I do have a strange urge to find myself a red cloak and run through the forest with a wood cutter..
Image from newsmild.com

Obviously I'm recommending Source Code from the two!

I will have some outfit pictures up soon, just waiting for Edd to send me the ones from the weekend :)

Ten Things I Love

2011-04-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sophie from Country Girl Does Norfolk tagged me to do a post on ten things I love! How cute! So thanks very much Sophie :)

1. Edd of course! He does most of my photos, which I appreciate!
2. Having a great group of friends

3. Holidays

4. Dresses, dresses, dresses

5. Floral print

6. Interesting teas- Note the 'Men's Tea' ahaha!! This was a comedy buy obviously.

7. Good food

8. Cocktails

9. Doing well- I found out today I got an A in my most recent maths exam :)

10. The sun- As in the yellow thing in the sky, not the paper!

Also I need to tag 10 other blogs!

1. Fuji Files

2. Glam Kitten's Litter Box

3. Lolita's Life

4. Love Makes The Girl

5. Styleocracy

6. Pink Champagne

7. Hivenn

8. Mirror of Fashion

9. Hello Naka

10. Soapy Mermaid

I had a lovely day wondering round town with Edd on Saturday. We took some photos and had free cocktails- good stuff!

Millionaire's Shortbread

2011-04-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

Something different today. As I said in the previous post, I do love baking (and cooking in general really) but don't have the opportunity as often as I did. Now it's the Easter Holidays and I don't have college or my work experience, my day off from work is my own! So I've been trying out a new Millionaire's Shortbread recipe. I've made it before using the recipe on the Carnation website but I wanted to try making my own shortbread, and also using salted caramel. When I saw this recipe in The Sunday Telegraph's Stella magazine I had to give it a go. To be honest I prefer the Carnation recipe for the caramel, but the shortbread is nice if you get the cooking time right! So next time I make it I think I will mix the two recipes together.

So here is the recipe. The original Stella bits are in italics, everything else is my two pennies worth!

Salted-caramel millionaire's shortbread

Recognise the bag I brought everything home in? :)

For the shortbread

300g plain flour

325g butter

80g golden caster sugar

3 tsp cornflour

1/4 tsp salt

For the topping I wasn't over keen on this recipe. The carnation one is much better, and you could just add the salt flakes. Also I prefer milk chocolate for millionaire's shortbread

115g butter

400g tin sweetened condensed milk

4 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp Maldon sea salt flakes I suppose they don't have to be Maldon but they were the only ones in the shop near me!

225g good quality dark chocolate- but milk or white work equally well

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F/gas mark 3 1/2. Line a 12x9in tin (I used an 8x8 in and it was fine) with greaseproof paper.

2. Put the shortbread ingredients into a food processor and whizz until the mixture comes together in a ball. Press into the tin, prick with a fork and bake for 5 mins, then lower the temperature to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Right this is a total lie. It wasn't even remotely ready. It's more like an hour at gas mark 5. Maybe my oven is just terrible.

3. To make the topping, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat then stir in the condensed milk and golden syrup. Bring up to a simmer then stir for ten mins over a low heat until thick and golden brown. As I keep saying, I prefer the carnation recipe but I'm sure this is fine.

4. Leave to cool a little. When a skin has formed, sprinkle the salt flakes over. Cool for 30 mins. Then melt the chocolate, pour it over the caramel and leave to set.

Big chunk gone already hehe

RECIPE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN STELLA MAGAZINE 03/04/11

So, I'm not totally happy, but the shortbread is lovely so at least I have the recipe for that and I can use the carnation caramel. Sorry about the terrible photos, I'm camera-less so they were all done on my phone.

I have been tagged to do another post by Sophie from Country Girl Does Norfolk so thanks very much Sophie :) I will do that tomorrow!

First blog award tags. Wooh hooh! :D

2011-04-10T14:23:00.001-07:00

I am the happiest lady in the world today as I have been tagged by not one but two lovely bloggers for the Kreative Blogger Award. I'm so excited as it's the first time I've been tagged and it's happened twice in the same week! So thank you to Rachelle from Inspired by the Retired and Llara from Little Scribbler- check out their blogs too!

The plan is to tag 10 bloggers with the award and write ten facts about yourself!

10 Blogs

1. Cotton❤Candy For all the great make up and nail varnish posts

2. The story of a girl who lives above her means For being a recent discovery and a brilliant blog name!

3. Foof and Faff For being a bargain queen and always turning up with super cheap charity shop finds

4. Bow Dream Nation For lovely photography and colourful outfits

5. She's Dressing Up For being on my Google reader for years and always looking rock'n'roll

6. Belle Chantelle For inspiring quotes

7. Simply Daisybelle For appearing on my 'following' list this evening and a sweet blog

8. Lenorenevermore Another one who I've been reading for years- she finds the coolest pictures and general 'stuff'

9. All this happiness Yep and another long-term one, she has lovely hair and chic style

10. NO Alice NO For being an entirely new discovery. I wanted to go on a search for a blog I've never seen before and loved this one :)

10 Facts about me

1. I have a 2:1 in Journalism and Media from De Montfort University. I suppose I have this blog because I still love to write and have an interest in the subject, even if it's not what I intend to do for a living.

2. The plan, in fact, is to become a primary school teacher. When I was younger I couldn't decide- teaching or journalism- and went down the journalism route. I realised during my degree that I had gone down the wrong route, so here I am now working towards teaching, with any luck I'll start studying next year.

3. My name is Helen, I'm 23 and I live in Birmingham. The city gets a lot of stick but I love living here. I plan to feature the city and its delights in future posts. So much work has been done, and is still being done, to improve the place and there's some great things to see.

4. I have been with my boyfriend Edd for nearly 2 years and we have a ball as we love to dance, to eat, to drink cocktails, to travel and to generally enjoy ourselves.

5. I work in a cinema because the flexible hours are convenient for work experience. Of course it doesn't pay much and it has the same irritations that any minimum wage job has, but I do get to watch as many films as I like for free, and I have met some of my closest friends there, so it's not all bad.

6. I'm currently reading Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island. I adore this book about his travels around the UK. So many British people like to complain about this country when in fact we are lucky to live in such a liberal place- this book points out the most positive things about the UK and its citizens.

7. If I was to say I had any hobbies they would be baking and swimming. I don't have the opportunity to bake as often as I did, but I love it and my friends and family are always treated on their birthdays. I go swimming partly for exercise but partly because it's pleasant to switch my mind off for an hour and concentrate on the water.

8. My shop that I could just walk into and buy anything in has to be Topshop- hence the blog title! Sadly it's out of my price range usually, so I either have things as birthday presents, save up or buy a cheaper alternative from ebay or anywhere else I can find.

9. My last foreign holiday was in Valencia- I intend to do a post about this lovely holiday soon. The next will be just along the coast in Barcelona.

10. As I said, I watch a lot of films so I'm fairly picky about them now. The best new film I've seen recently was Killing Bono. Seriously! It wasn't amazing but it was sweet and worth a look. Recent films I was disappointed in: Limitless, The Adjustment Bureau, Morning Glory. None were bad films but they weren't as good as I anticipated. The film I'm most excited for is the adaptation of David Nicholl's 'One Day' starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.

Summer Wishlist

2011-04-06T15:59:00.001-07:00

I missed most of the sun yesterday as I was in work and college, but the glimpse I had got me all excited for the summer and bare legs and sunglasses! However I had a sinking realisation that I have pretty much nothing in my wardrobe that I want to wear when the sun comes out. I have a couple of big skirted sun dresses which I love but need shoes to go with them! So this week's post is in honour of my forthcoming wardrobe upheaval...

Cheap and cheerful dresses

I'm not a huge fan of the 70's trend, but it does mean that the shops are throwing up a huge amount of light flower print cotton dresses, which is just what my wardrobe needs. My favourite ones are all £40/£50 (obviously) but I don't have that kind of money sadly! I'm looking to spend no more than £15 each on a bunch of new dresses so I thought I'd get a new one each pay day for the next couple of months. New Look/Primark/eBay/charity shops watch out!

Below are the kinds of things I'm looking for, if slightly out of my budget.

ASOS

Dahlia

Boohoo (in my price range, yes!)

Shoes of all kinds

Last summer I mainly wore those cheap canvas lace-up pumps that were everywhere, but I'm bored of them now and find them a bit clumpy. I will be sticking to my sweet Fred Perry ones though. I find summer shoes difficult because I don't like gladiator sandals- sacrilegious I know! Luckily this year there seem to be a whole host of flat espadrilles about, my summer is saved. I also want some wedges and anything with a flower print on it!

ASOS

Topshop
Sunglasses

I have one pair of expensive sunglasses which I think will last me forever and ever- my RayBan Wayfarers. They are red and I want some black ones so I can swan about like a rock star. So I will be on the hunt for a cheap version and maybe some others too, I need to replace my heart-shaped ones for example.

Dolly Dagger
Urban Outfitters

Super cute bags

I'm pretty much OK for bags but the new ones from Alphabet bags have caught my eye.

They are £10 each but you can get 20% off at the checkout when you type in SPRING. Until 18th April I believe. I'll definitely be getting one!

Things I learnt in Edinburgh this weekend

2011-03-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

1. Red tights really are having a moment

Wendy B's post on bloggers wearing red tights reminded me of mine languishing at the back of my sock drawer. So I decided to put them to good use on my Edinburgh trip!

I teamed them with my new Boohoo.com white dress for the (5 hour!) train journey and for loooking round Edinburgh and getting our bearings. I've been before but in a different hotel, so routes are different and so on.

We went to TGI's for tea- not very local I know but we wanted cocktails and comfort food. I changed into a black brodiere anglais Topshop dress and kept the tights on. All the waitresses at TGI's were wearing red tights which I thought was incredibly cool even if it did make me look like I worked there.

After several cocktails we headed to the HMV Picture House which is just as awesome as the Birmingham HMV Institute. Whoever is behind the HMV venues knows exactly what they're doing! And as I said- so many girls in red tights! Edinburgh is a very stylish city.

Cardigan: New Look, Dress: boohoo.com, Tights: tightsplease.co.uk, Boots: Blowfish

2. The Scottish crown jewels are still at Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh is such a wonderful city, so friendly but so majestic. I love how the castle rises up in front of you as you walk up the Royal Mile. The bf and I decided to go to the castle even though it was £14!!! It was worth it as there is a lot to see and the views are incredible.

The most interesting part was the crown jewels exhibition. Scotland doesn't have its own monarchy anymore, but it used to, of course. I love the dramatic way in which they sealed the crown jewels away behind a bricked-up door after the parliament was dissolved! They were there for over a hundred years before someone thought it would be a fun idea to get them out for public display. Sadly but understandably you can't take photos. We also saw David's tower which they were buried beneath during WW2.

3. I don't like steak

Everyone rants on and on about steak and I have never understood why! While searching for somewhere nice to eat in Edinburgh I noticed that many places prided themselves on their steaks. Perhaps it was time to try a decent one and see if I was converted.

Sadly not.

Never the less The Cellar Door is a great establishment, my wood pigeon starter was incredible and the trio of chocolate I had for pudding was gorgeous and beautifully presented. Our espressos came with a little chocolate truffle made in the patisserie upstairs and I'm determined to recreate them!

I wore my favourite eating-out outfit with an antique necklace and a bag I found in a charity shop!
Dress: Topshop, Belt: Topshop, Shoes: Topshop, Bag: Charity Shop, Necklace: Antique

4. Yes, you can get a great breakfast in a tourist trap

Always Sunday on the Royal Mile. Please go there, the breakfast is divine.

In my shiny new Gap mac!

p.s. An artist from Birmingham was featured in the Urban Outfitters newletter I just received! She has lots of nice things to say about the city and good recommendations. See it here

The new mac and Bidford-on-Avon

2011-03-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

So much fashion photography seems to be about wearing something entirely inappropriate for the weather, the situation and the environment, so here I am wearing what I think of as a 'city' outfit in the countryside!

Bidford-on-Avon is a charming little Warwickshire village about 45 minutes out of Birmingham and not far from the better known Stratford-Upon-Avon. The bf was excited to have a car again so he wanted to go for a drive yesterday, and I came across Bidford on the Internet. I'm so glad we went there rather than the obvious places like Henley or Stratford. We had a lovely walk along the river and sat in the beer garden for a pub lunch at The Frog which was under-staffed but delightful. I'd recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a nice Saturday lunch in the country.

My outfit wasn't entirely appropriate (the shoes especially) and ramblers kept walking past us with their stout walking boots on, but I was fine! It was only a gentle stroll along the river and it meant I got to show some pictures of the new mac, yay. I am so happy with it, especially as I got 30% off. The sun was shining but there was a chill in the air- perfect mac weather.

I love the red shoes too, though the sole is falling off as I've had them for years. They look great with the mac. I'm trying to find a similar pair as I think it would be cheaper to buy than to get them re-soled. I also have my favourite vintage chain-handle bag. They aren't as trendy as they were, but I still love mine, so classic and so chic.

The bf had a great time taking pictures using his SLR and tripod, though I was the one who carted the blummin' thing about! I love the photo below though, you can see my lovely scarf which was very cheap from H&M but reminds me of something my mum had in the early 90s.

Mac: Gap, Tshirt: Topshop, Skirt: H&M, Tights: Marks and Spencer's, Shoes: Faith, Scarf: H&M, Bag: Vintage via ebay

All in all a delightful day walking and taking photos and it was topped off with a night out at the HMV Institute for my friend's birthday which was lots of fun.

P.S Did you see the 'Super Moon'? I did! It was huge!

An outfit for: Partying at Gatecrasher!

2011-03-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

I went out with some friends on Friday night and got my boyfriend to take some photos before I met them. I've had this dress for a couple of years but I still adore it. It's so much fun to wear and dance in and I always get compliments when I wear it.

Dress: Topshop, Tights: Marks and Spencer's, Knee-high socks: Next, Shoes: Topshop, Bag: Primark

I'm also wearing my favourite going out shoes, very simple black Mary-Janes with a little wedge heel. They are perfect for going out dancing as the heel gives me a little boost to make my clothes lie better, but are comfortable enough for prancing about the place, even with several cocktails inside me!

We went to Gatecrasher Birmingham, which I love on a Friday night because the main room is indie! As an indie/retro/alternative sort of music fan you get used to dancing in places with sticky floors and sweaty walls, which have their own charm, but it's very nice to dance to the kind of music I like in such a fantastic venue as Gatecrasher with its lights and its carpets!

I'm very pleased to be doing photo posts again, and it's thanks to my boyfriend and his camera :)

Something I really want but can't afford: Oasis china plate dress

2011-03-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't get the job (boo!) but I did get a black mac (yay!) More on that soon, after my boyfriend has taken some photos for me. I managed to break my camera on New Year's Eve so I will have to rely on his for the time being. Fortunately he has a better camera AND better camera skills, so it may be for the best

For now however, I am consumed with desire for this:

I love it sooo much and want to wear it with blue heels and a string of pearls. I don't have the money at the moment as I just bought a mac (much more practical) but as there is 20% off at Oasis at the moment with Marie Claire (enter MCMARCH2011 at the checkout on line) it would seem churlish not to find the money somehow!

Something I really want but can't afford: Black Topshop Trench

2011-02-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

I want this trench coat very much. I've wanted a decent mac-type-thing for ages because my old one is stained and falling apart and this is PERFECT. It's also £75. I don't have £75. I could get a cheapo one from New Look, Asda or similar, but this is the one I want.

Well, I had an interview for supervisor at work today and will hear tomorrow about it. If I get it, this mac will be my reward. Perfect for an English Spring.

New Lula

2009-10-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

I finally got hold of the new Lula this week! My mother almost cried at the price, and I couldn't explain to her why I'm happy to pay £6 for a magazine. I just kept repeating "but it's so pretty...it's so pretty..!"
It was guest edited by beautiful redheaded model Karen Elson, and the editorials are full of lovely redheaded girls. I'm not sure of the copyright issues here, but I have been a-scanning...if I'm not allowed to do this, please do let me know!
I'm pretty much in love with this model and this photo. I love the attitude of the shoot, tough but pretty and retro.

This one too...I love the shoes, the tights the dress, I love how out of place her make up and styling are in the tree...gorgeous. I need the tights!!

Sorry for the pretty poor scans! If I can make it better I will and I'll edit the post! If you click on 'em they get bigger.
Oh Lula...how I love you! How you make me want to spend!
In other news, I found cheap black ankle boots. Go me

Trendy Stuff: Hippy Hairbands

2009-10-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

I really can’t decide how I feel about these hippy hairbands that have been floating round for the past year or so. I see them on starlets such as Mischa Barton and the Olsen twins and I wonder if they were best left in the 70s.

But then I see the cool indie girls wearing brogues on their feet and sequins on their shoulders with woven leather hairbands wrapped round their foreheads and I think: hmm maybe! Their argument was particularly strong when I was in London this weekend, a place where even the most bizarre trends seem possible.
Back home, I’m not so sure. I must admit, I already own a hippy hairband which I’ve never worn. It’s from Accessorize and it’s made up of tiny cream beads. I pulled it over my head and I looked ridiculous. Perhaps I have the wrong shaped head?! Or the wrong haircut. Or perhaps it is actually just a silly trend and I should stick to the proper ones!
This one is £8...EIGHT POUNDS!!! And it looks uncomfortable anyway

This one is kind of cool and disco

This is more me

It's from Accessorize which means it's too expensive for me but ahh... a girl can dream!

Cake!

2009-09-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am attempting to be good and not spend too much on clothes. My previous post listed the things I need for the winter, and I really think that's all I'll buy til I have more money!

But a girl needs a treat, eh?

I have replaced shopping with cake

Cake, oh cake!

I'm not particularly good at cake making, nor very adventurous but I enjoy it very much, and the end product is yummy- my family, friends and boyfriend are all enjoying it!

I'm making a banana cake on Wednesday- yum yum! I realise everyone is cake making these days, but I do love a trend.

It's the time of the season...

2009-09-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

My Dad made a Zombies CD for me today. I love The Zombies! Great late 60's psychedelia. And it is indeed the time of the season...for new clothes!
This is the only time of year where I spend a large amount of money on clothes. Boots, coats, woolly tights...these things are more expensive than cotton dresses for the summer!
So it's time to make a list... It's pretty similar to last years really. Looking at last years list I only ended up with about half of it! Oh to have more money!

1. Ankle boots

I was hankering after red ankle boots last year but I never had enough money and went with more practical knee high brown boots (which are falling apart as I wore them so much!) This year I shall definitely get ankle boots, but black ones. I can't decide whether to get cheap New Look ones or more expensive Faith ones? I'm feeling £20 New Look black ankle boots to be honest, I probably will want blue wellies or something next year so why waste £80 on something I'll only wear for 6 months?

I want these but my local store doesn't have my size. If I can't find my size I'll save up (over two pay cheques!!) for the Faith ones. Which are very pretty!

2. This specific coat

I must apologise for the tiny pic, it's here if you want to look properly.
I don't really need a new winter coat, the lovely purple one I bought last year is still great. But I fell in love with this one; I thought it was quite Luella esque. Very 60s. Anyway if I can't get this one in my size (it's going to be another month or so before I can afford it) I'm not going to bother with a new winter coat.

3. Woolly tights

Essential for the winter! I love dresses and see winter as no reason to stop wearing them. I already have some purple ones and I shall be stocking up on black, grey and many other colours from the ever-great H&M. I'm even considering this whole 'jeggings' malarky. They aren't quite those horrible leggings that stop below the knee that we were all wearing in 2007, they're more like very tight jeans or denim tights! And they'd be very cosy with...

4. Jumper dresses

I promised myself some of these last year and never got round to it. This year I shall definitely get a couple! Especially as New Look and Primark have them so cheaply! Naturally what I want is a stylish structured one from Miss Selfridge or Topshop but I can't quite afford it! Especially as I spend £40 on an INCREDIBLE black velvet body con dress last week. I love this velvet trend! I'd share the wonder of the dress with you but my camera is broken. Dammit.

An outfit for: a real job

2009-08-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned that I work in a cinema. I may have also mentioned that I completed my degree last summer. I am beginning to think that these two statements don’t match up! So I have spent the past few months job hunting, filling in application forms and hoping for the best. Things now seem to be coming together.

One of the things I’m most looking forward to in a ‘proper job’ (other than the decent wage, reasonable hours and being able to drink tea while I’m working) is the clothes! I realise for a lot of people, work wear is the most boring part of their wardrobe, but it will be a novelty for me.

I don’t own a lot that could be considered work wear, but I have some pretty blouses, a black pencil skirt and a tailored blue dress that I accidentally bought off ebay thinking it was less formal. I adore the dress; it’s a fabulous cut and is clearly worth more than the £5 I paid for it!

I wanted to show you photos of the aforementioned clothes, but a combination of poor lighting and a broken camera means I'm having to do a Polyvore botch job. Sigh.

Work wear by indiequeen87 featuring Fendi

These shoes....

2009-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

...cost me £1.95! And I bought them because these shoes....

were really hurting my feet!

White shoes: Primark
Purple shoes: New Look

Bag it up

2009-07-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

The weather is vile and my camera can't cope with the poor lighting today. Also my outfit is incredibly lazy...jeans, a t shirt and a cardigan! I am far too embarrased to show it!

So instead, I thought I'd talk about something that I have realised is a staple for me...a canvas shopper!

I never use handbags, or rarely. I look at them, I sometimes even buy them, but every day I use a different shopper of some kind. I used them all the way through 6th form and uni because I could fit my folder into them, but since graduating have just continued! I dread having a 'real' job and having to get a smart handbag!

I just got this one from Alphabet bags. Topical, no? This website have a large number of bags, and you can get one for each letter of the alphabet!

This one is currently on sale at Dolly Dagger (an amazing website full of things I can't afford) It looks really roomy- important for me and all the rubbish I cart round with me on a daily basis.

Topshop, my old friend, has a WHOLE SECTION devoted to shoppers. Good times! They do have a few too many with 'I love Topshop' on them (free advertising, much?) This one is very me

And here is an awesome song for you, which I'm slightly obsessed with

Keep off the roads...!

2009-07-02T08:47:00.001-07:00

I passed my driving test two weeks ago! So I have been whizzing about in my car- a silver little thing which I have embarrasingly named Chloe.

We went out the day after to celebrate and I wore my favourite going-out dress. It's black and silky and backless, and wasn't too badly priced, £38 from Miss Selfridge

Dress: Miss Selfridge. Tights: H&M, Shoes: Faith

I am not usually a fan of Miss Selfridge (bigger fan of their sister store Topshop!). I know a lot of people are, but it is not always for me. However, like with the black dress I do spot some great things in there sometimes. Like this:

Dress: Miss Selfridge £32

It's insane! So 80's! Miss Selfridge have a real 80's Miami type vibe going on at the moment which I adore but can't quite pull off.

Feeling floral

2009-06-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Firstly I must apologise for the long absence. I really have no excuse.

So for my first post back, something nice and pretty! The weather is lovely at the moment, and I've become a little obsessed with very feminine, floaty, floral pieces. Today I have on a cute flower print dress which I bought back in February, looking forward to the nice weather.
Dress: Topshop

I love the print, it is so cute and delicate

These are my shoes, they remind me of something I would have worn when I was 5 or 6!

Shoes: Topshop

Keeping with the child-like theme, I clipped my hair (which I am growing) back with a very cute little slide!

Hair clip: chemist in Spain

You can see a glimpse of my bed sheet there, my Nan gave it to me when I got my new bed, it is so feminine and old-fashioned. Very Celia Birtwell without the price tag!

The drama of wearing a skirt

2009-01-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

I've been giving skirts a go the past few weeks. I always find dresses very easy to wear so stick to them, or jeans if I'm feeling lazy. But skirts frighten me a little bit- it means the complications of finding a top to go with it!

But a couple of months ago I saw this lovely skirt in Dorothy Perkins- black and white check high waisted tulip skirt. I thought 'you will be mine!' and have worn it muchly since. Usually I wear it with a white or black tshirt, thick tights and my black pumps. Casual for every day.

Last Wednesday I decided to give wearing a skirt OUT a go. I have this lovely little skating skirt from Topshop with a cat pattern all over it. Cuuuuute. I paid £28 for it which seemed excessive but sometimes something just grabs you and you need to own it!

Bought another skirt from H&M for only a tenner. Haven't worn it yet but it is wonderful! Stretchy cotton so very clingy but in an awesome way rather than an ill-fitting way. Black with multi-coloured polka dots and I'm thinking a t shirt with it. I shall be wearing it when I see Glasvegas next week so I will have photos taken to post here.

Just been on the Topshop website and they have some lovely new skirts in. I think this one is crazy but I absolutely love it.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!
And may I apologise for the two month disappearance... There are several reasons for it:
1. I split up with my long term boyfriend
2. I started seeing someone else who turned out to be a bit of a shit
3. Due to these, I went out. A lot.
4. Due to this I was ill all over Christmas and New Year
But now I'm back! For my first post back, I thought I may as well show you some of the outfits I've worn during the past couple of months. Just have to do a bit of facebook pillaging!
Firstly, we have my friend's 22nd. Chilled out at the Australian-theme pub Walkabout and it was a lot of fun.

Hat and cardigan: H&M, Dress: House of Fraser
Coldplay at the o2 arena. I remember going there when it was the Millenium Dome!My skirt rode up a bit in this picture unfortunately.

Dress: Topshop, Tights: H&M, Boots: Faith
The next day we did the touristy bits including Buckingham Palace!

Coat: H&M Scarf: a present, Bag: Topshop
Then there was my staff work do which was a lot of fun

Dress: Vintage, Socks: Primark
And finally, a roller disco at the Carling Academy in Birmingham which was very exciting and I didn't fall over once! The picture was taken in this great pub the Actress and Bishop.

Whole outfit: Topshop!
Again, I must apologise for vanishing for so long. Blog reading and commenting will also be back as well as regular posts.

The new jumper...revealed!

2008-11-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

So, you've already seen the ebay image... and here it is in outfit form!

I realise it is not the best picture in the world, because of the amount of sun that was shining into my room at the time. But you've already seen what the jumper looks like,and I quite like the effect the light has....Ok a better picture soon I promise!

I love it cos it's vintage 80s, and for now here are some 80s stylee batwing tops I have my eye on...

This one I love because it has rolled up sleeves. It's from Boohoo.com

I like the pattern and the length of this one which is from Topshop.
I basically just love batwing tops..so flattering, especially with a big belt!

Crazy times and pretty dresses

2008-11-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

I have had a wonderful weekend. Thursday I went bowling and there are several entertaining photos from that night:

As you can see I didn't do too badly! I thank the purple bowling ball for that.

You can't really see what I'm wearing but it's a very pretty green and black chiffon dress from Primark, and very thick grey tights. I'm aware that most people wear jeans to go bowling but where's the fun in being like other people?!

Friday night was quite a crazy all-nighter. I wore my black and white dress which I know I have shown you before but I love so much:

We went to a gig, and then to a pub in Birmingham which has just been re-furbished, and all the walls in the back room have crazy decoration:

If you know Birmingham at all, you might recognise some of the buildings there- I thought it was very cool, and great music. After that it was off to another pub for more drinking and dancing, and the night just spiralled from there... amazing!

I'm going to try and do some better posts soon... but I hope you enjoyed this small bite of my weekend!

Some recent buys

2008-11-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well I've really been letting the side down haven't I! Not blogging for a week and a half! First of all my boyfriend's cat died, then he broke his hand, and also I've just started a new work placement, and all these things have been keeping me rather busy! I've totally lost track of time at the moment, and haven't been giving myself time to do everything I need to. It's so easy to fall into the trap of sitting around watching telly or staring at Facebook or buying stuff on ebay isn't it?
So for my first post in a week and a half, here are a couple of things I've been buying:

(Both pictures from the original listings on ebay)
First up we have an amazing vintage nautical dress. There have been a few of this same dress floating around on ebay and I've been trying to get hold of it for months. Got this one for a tenner and I am so pleased with it. The skirt is a little longer than expected which means wearing heels with it. So I'm waiting for the weather to be less damp before I wear it!
Secondly, a cute cute vintage 80s jumper. I love love love batwing knitwear, with skinny jeans and a big belt, so deliciously 80s! I haven't worn either of these yet but when I do there will be pictures, promise!
I've also got some amazing woolly tights from H&M which are so warm. Because of them, I've been able to wear all my cute dresses from the summer and still be warm!

Hot Chip

2008-11-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

I went to see Hot Chip with the bf on Wednesday.

Rather a colourful, bizarre band, no?
I suppose when I booked the tickets, I imagined I'd wear something like this

(off mookychick.co.uk)

Imaginary raving by indiequeen87
But it's all rather summer 2007 and not really my style. I own nothing like that and it was cold on Wednesday night! So this is what I ended up in:

Hat: Topshop, Cardigan:Primark, Dress: Lily Allen at New Look, Belt: Topshop, Jeans: Topshop
I didn't want to wear my big purple coat because I knew it would be warm in there and it would annoy me. But I had to get the bus into town, so needed a jacket. I went for my black cord H&M jacket.

Overall not what I would choose to wear to a gig, but I thought I looked OK. There were a lot of girls shivering in tiny shorts and I felt glad I wasn't one of them! I don't think I'm keen on winter gigs. Bring back the summer!

Finally- a purple coat!. And, a lazy days outfit

2008-10-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned here, I have been looking for a purple coat. In the comments section of that post, the general consensus leant towards the Topshop one. Imagine my disappointment when I get back off holiday and it's gone! Fortunately, I had a back up, which was this one from H&M.
Also it was £20 cheaper!

I trust H&M coats. I bought a black winter coat there when I was 16 and only threw it out this year. That's like 4 and a half years! Top quality and cheaper than Topshop.
If you look closely at my laptop screen in the picture you can see I was browsing etsy!
I also thought I'd show you what I generally wear day to day if I'm just going to work and can't be bothered to make an effort. You could say it's my staple look.

Shirt dress: Tesco, Belt: Topshop, Jeans: Topshop, Shoes: M&S

When I have run out of tights or dresses or if the dress I have put on just feels too short today, or if I'm feeling lazy, this is the kind of outfit I wear. A tunic/short dress, skinny jeans, flat shoes and a big waist belt to wrap it all up! It's very boring and I try not to stick to it, but we all have lazy days don't we!
Also, very exciting- Joules have a sale. Take a look!

Awesome websites: Style Mob

2008-10-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed in my sidebar a new little thing saying 'vote for me on stylemob!!' I was just interested to see if any of you are on there, if so add me! And vote on my outfits and I'll vote for yours too!
It's sooo much fun going through all the different photos and voting on the outfits, and getting votes on your own. It can be very inspirational. Like- wow, I never thought to wear a skirt like that. I shall definitely try it.
I'm sorry for the patheticness of today's entry. I blame this:

I know, I know, the kids love it. I may not have mentioned that I work in a cinema. Well, today High School Musical 3 came out, plus we had 15 new people and it was manic. I cannot get over how rude people can be to you just because you are selling them stuff. So now I'm going to look at etsy to cheer myself up, and tomorrow I'll post pictures of my lovely new coat!

The big reveal!

2008-10-21T16:58:00.001-07:00

As promised in my last post, here is my new dress! Woooh! I'm really giving this dress much more excitement than it deserves.
Anyway, I first mentioned it here. It's off a cheapo website boohoo.com which has some lovely items, such as my new dress, and then some fairly awful ones too. I got this dress just before it sold out I think and had to go a size smaller but it looks all right.
The material is quite odd, but considering how cheap it was, it's nicely made and the cut is great. It's very flattering and I just love it! So here it is:

Dress: Boohoo.com, Tights: M&S,Shoes: Topshop
In the first picture I am wearing my bow hairband but I decided it was too fussy and swapped it for a plain black one.

Belt: Topshop
The belt that came with the dress was rubbish so I took it off and went for this one instead.

And these are the shoes I wore with it. They may look ordinary but I love them because they are so comfortable and chic.
All in all I am very very happy with my new dress. I can throw on my cardigan and red boots (when I get them) and be well set up for winter

Trendy stuff: Hairbands

2008-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, for me, hairbands aren't really a 'trend'. I have always worn hairbands. Since I had hair, I wore ones with flowers on, with my name piped on in glitter gel, with little dolls on. Then as I got older, I had hair clips plastered all over my head, bobbles with teddy bears on and thin hairbands to keep my fringe back when I was thinning it out. In more recent years I've bought them cheaply from Claire's accessories in all the colours of the rainbow, and now everywhere I look there are hairbands with huge bows on.
Here's some of my own. I had to be slightly emo and hold the camera up above my head hehe.

Oysho (in Spain)

Topshop

BHS I think... I wore it when I was a bridesmaid

Claire's Accessories
So, who have we to blame for this bow hairband obsession? I'm going to say Gossip Girl and Luella!

The bow hairbands are cute, and I've bought a couple, but they are a trend and we'll all be bored of them soon won't we? But I won't be bored of hairbands! Never! So here's some non-bow hairbands which are still super cute. Claire's have a rubbish website, otherwise I would show some from there cos there's loads!!

This one is a nice alternative to a bow I think- a flower. Ahh. Perhaps slightly expensive at £8 but I guess it would be nice for a night out. It's from Accessorize, who always have nice hair stuff

These are from Heidi Seeker and take me right back to childhood, plus the price is pretty good!

I put in this one from the ever-wonderful Dolly Dagger as it is reduced at the moment! Wooh!

P.S. The black and white you can see in my photos is a hint of a new dress which will be revealed in all its glory in my next post! Yay!

Fix up look sharp...

2008-10-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

...Or not, as the case may be!
This morning I opened my wardrobe to see my warm winter trousers beckoning me. They are lovely and warm with a nice belt attached. I bought them last autumn when I was scared of high waists but wanted some smart trousers that didn't hang on my hips. Voila- the perfect compromise.
Now I have several blouses hanging up in my wardrobe, which are my obvious choice of top. But as soon as I put this outfit on I feel like I'm about to go to a meeting or make a spreadsheet or something.
So, what's the least likely top to go with a pair of smart warm trousers? Oh of course! An Alice in Wonderland t shirt! I couldn't tell you why I picked this t shirt, it just felt right. And it looked kinda cool I think. With my pink cardigan and cute brown shoes.

Cardigan: Primark, T-shirt: Oysho, Trousers: River Island, Shoes: Topshop
I would like to develop this point further but I am extremely tired and have to be at work at 9am tomorrow, so it will have to wait til my next post!

Ribbons ribbons everywhere

2008-10-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

No outfit pics today I'm afraid.There are a couple of reasons for this. I didn't have time to take one this morning, and when I got home the light had gone. Plus my outfit was a bit dull. Black shorts, tights and ballet flats with a yellow t shirt and grey cardigan. One of my bosses asked me why I was looking so smart. I felt a bloody mess!
Instead today I'd like to show you a video of something that I've been a little obsessed with since I caught it on Spanish television when I was on holiday this month...

That's Anna Bessonova performing at the 2008 Ribbon World Final in Benidorm earlier this month. Well I was just captivated. It's so graceful and skillful, plus the ribbons make it very beautiful, like a fairy tale. I don't know why I haven't noticed this sport before!
This being primarily a fashion blog of course I couldn't let this pass without finding some pictures of costumes. I love the way the girls match their ribbons to their outfits, or have really funky rainbow ones.

That's the Canadian Alexandra Orlando

Anna Bessonova again. Love the way in that video she starts and finishes with the ribbon wrapped round her forehead it's kind of cheeky and fun.

The Russian gymnast Evgeniya Kanaeva - I love her outfit but am slightly freaked out by the angle her body is at!
My apologies for being slightly vague- I'm very new to watching this sport so I don't know much about it! But I've enjoyed trawling through youtube looking at videos...
I will do an outfit post tomorrow, definitely.

An outfit for: Being casual

2008-10-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

At this time of year I never know what to wear. It is still slightly too warm for really thick tights and knitwear, and my lighter dresses are too cold without them. And I only have so many warmer dresses and skirts that warm me up without thick tights. So I tend to find myself falling back on the easy option of jeans, a t-shirt and a cardigan.
This especially applies on days like this, when I was in the house in the day doing some work, and then had a shift at work this evening.
But who says jeans and a t shirt can't be stylish? I only have two pairs of jeans but several t-shirts. I don't know why but I seem to have a habit of buying funky t-shirts, when I much prefer dresses. At least on days like this I have a choice!
Today I went for my blue jeans, which started off as high waisted flares but have turned into boyfriend jeans due to me losing a little bit of weight. I prefer them like this- they're very comfy.I added my favourite stripy t-shirt and a red cardigan.

Hairband: Claire's, Cardigan: Zara, T-shirt: Topshop, Jeans: Topshop
I wore my military jacket when I went out to keep off the autumn chill.

Jacket: Topshop
Part of the fun of dressing down, for me, is wearing my funky socks!

Socks: Topshop
And these are my gorgeous Converse- the perfect mix of style and comfort. I know they are grubby, but I hate to see pristine Converse.

Now, please allow me to indulge my t-shirt addictions and show you some I've just found today. Give me a cute animal or funky print and I'm there!

Save our animals: Urban Outfitters, J'aime Paris: Lazy Oaf, Rainbow: Wrangler
Saying all this, I still prefer dresses!

Fabulous films: Beetlejuice

2008-10-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after my Creative Writing workshop (which was very interesting and useful) I got the train into Birmingham to meet the bf. We were intending to have dinner at Pizza Express but there was a massive queue so we thought 'sod that!'. We had a mooch round the shops and I bought a DVD of 'Beetlejuice' in the HMV sale, which we watched over a Chinese takeaway yum yum!
It occurred to me that with a change of shoes my dress was the sort of thing Geena Davis' character Barbara would wear. If you don't know the storyline, Barbara and husband Adam die and find themselves haunting their own house. Much to their annoyance, a trendy New York family move in and begin ruining their beautiful old fashioned home with 'cool' sculptures and weird decorations. They begin to think that hiring the crazy ghost BEETLEJUICE to scare them off is their only option...

Anyway, I was wearing black shoes and belt with the dress but I thought white suited Barbara better, with her sweet nature and old fashioned home. Obviously it is not the same dress but I think it is something Barbara might wear. The second picture shows the back of the dress because I love it! Ignore the bra I forgot to take it off!

Vintage dress: Pinkbabymouse on Etsy, White belt: Topshop, Shoes: Fred Perry

Even more strangely, the dress I had thrown in my bag to put on today put me in mind of Winona Ryder's character, when worn with the black tights, belt and jacket I had with me. Winona plays Lydia, the trendy family's gothic daughter who loves anything macabre and ends up helping the ghost couple.

She has the greatest costumes- dramatic, lacy and black at all times. As soon as I got home,I had to put on some plum coloured lipstick and my big black bow hairband and take some petulant photographs of myself!

Hairband: Oysho (Spanish shop), Jacket: H&M, Dress: River Island, Belt:Off a dress from Topshop, Tights: M&S, Shoes: M&S

This outfit posting is so much fun!Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the previous one!

A vintage bag and my first attempt at an outfit post...

2008-10-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Before I went off on holiday I went to a couple of local charity shops with my Mum. She was looking for a skirt, I was just along for the ride.
Now,I never find anything in charity shops ever. Maybe I am going to the wrong ones.But imagine my delight at finding this little beauty! A cute sophisticated clip bag for £2.70. I was even more excited to find some receipts and a bus ticket dating from 1979-1980 in the pocket.
Naturally,as soon as I got home I felt the need to construct an outfit around it

Dress: a sample off Ebay, Shoes: Topshop

Please excuse my poor photography and the mess in my room! I'm gutting it out at the moment! I came back off holiday to find that my Dad had outdone me in the charity shop stakes by finding one of those tweed country gentleman jackets which are worth about £200- for the same price as my bag. Well done, Dad!

Tomorrow I have a Creative Writing workshop in Coventry, and then I am meeting the bf in Birmingham to watch Tropic Thunder and then have a meal at the lovely Pizza Express. I am still umming and ahhing over what to wear... and I feel it may have to be my recently delivered vintage dress off Etsy!

Holiday....

2008-10-08T12:20:00.001-07:00

So, I'm back! It seems so long since I went and yet it was only a week. But what a lovely, relaxing, exciting, funny week that was!
The bf and I had a fabulous time. We ate lots of good food, lazed on the beach, did some shopping, did some walking, visited the Zoo and Fuengirola castle. There were a few places we missed that I would have liked to have visited but never mind (eg the water park, Mijas, Tivoli World).

I took sooo many photos but I won't bore you with more than a selection! First up, some of my favourite outfits. This is what I wore to fly in:

Dress: Oli, Belt: Topshop, Jacket: River Island.

And here is an outfit I wore on an evening, for dinner and a walk and some drinks:
Vest and skirt: Topshop

This picture is my most 'holiday ish' outfit I thought. I wore it on the day it was meant to rain but it was glorious sunshine!

Sunglasses: Rayban Wayfarers, Dress: H&M, Bag: Topshop

Now here are a few of the things I did, saw and tasted...

The bf's favourite day was when we went to the zoo as he loves animals, especially tigers

I enjoyed going round the castle, up the windy staircases to find secret rooms.

I was excited to find a tiny beach next to the harbour

We had full English breakfasts a couple of times, with a pot of tea and buttery toast

Paella is so yummy!

We treated ourselves to a huge banana split one day. No wonder my skin is awful at the moment!

But now it is over- I'm counting down the days til we go away next year!

Awesome websitesssss

2008-09-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

In yesterday's Stella magazine (The Sunday Telegraph's women's magazine) there was a list of 'The 50 best online shops'. As with all lists like these, there were a few obvious ones (Topshop, ASOS etc) several I couldn't afford (Matches, Net-a-porter) but also a few I hadn't heard of and a few worth mentioning here.
Toast
It may not be the cheapest or the most original, but the clothing on this website seems to be of a very high quality. I don't think it's in my price range at the moment, but I love this bright yellow coat. Even if it is £175. It's all very British middle class, but if I had a few more pennies I'd be stocking up for the winter!

Adili
I came across Adili earlier this year when I was researching an article for uni about ethical fashion. Adili stock only brands which are ethical, organic etc etc. I don't know much about that industry, but I certainly like to try and be more ethical.. the only problem is that it can be a little more expensive. Saying that, there are some reasonable items on here. I love this tunic top by People Tree (also stocked at Urban Outfitters). It's only £45 which I think is very reasonable

Howies

Howies is another ethical, eco, type website, and is sliightly out of my budget. I understand why it is that expensive, and if I had more money I would so go for organic cotton etc all the time. There's some cool knitwear on there anyway, looks very cosy for winter. This sweet cardigan is £60.

Elf
This is the best website EVER for make up. I can't get over how cheap it is. Most things are only £1.50. It was set up by the creator of Urban Decay apparently so it can't be bad. I'm planning on getting a make up brush set for £15.
I think they missed a few to be honest. How about Joules for great comfy clothing at reasonable prices? How about Oli for catalogue style fun? How about some websites for people under 30 with out £3000 to burn? Oh well, at least they included the wonder that is Etsy.

An outfit for: When it rains in Spain...

2008-09-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's only three days until my holiday now, so I'm spending the day printing off my accommodation voucher, photocopying important documents, and making a list of what to take. My Dad checked the weather forecast for the Costa Del Sol earlier, and apparently there may be a thunderstorm on Saturday!
I find thunderstorms quite exciting, but the rain can be annoying abroad, when you've got your cute sandals and a light dress on! So I thought I would go prepared, and figure out now what I could wear if bad weather strikes.

I was planning on going to Fuengirola Zoo on the Saturday, as I think it is only open at the weekends out of season. When I heard it was going to rain I thought 'oh no! Now we can't go to the Zoo!' but then I thought, well, it will still be warm, I'll just have to take my brolly!
So I came up with this outfit. Flip flops are comfortable, and are designed for water, so won't be wet all day after the rain has gone. A little skirt and vest might not keep me dry, but as it will still be warm they will keep me cool. Also, skin dries quicker than material, so, again, I won't be swamped in wet cloth once the rain has gone. I'll put my little cardigan in my nautical bag, so when it starts raining I'll have some sort of cover.
Last but not least- my trusty brolly. Hopefully I won't need it for too long!

Today I have bought...

2008-09-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

...a couple of things I did not intend to! All of them are (sort of) justified though...

First up, I had a mooch around Urban Outfitters and was intending on only buying peach nail vanish. But there was a sale on!!! I found the cutest little sundress for £19.99 down from like £50. It's pink with white polka dots and big white buttons down the front. It's not on their website anymore, so I can't show you a picture, but believe me, it's cute. And I'll be taking it on holiday so it will be in my holiday snaps anyway!

Then I bought some bits and pieces from Superdrug. I love their range of travel toiletries, in the cute mini bottles.

I also bought a Luella for O'Neil bikini! As you may have picked up on I'm a huge Luella fan. So I was very very excited to find a bikini in the O'Neil sale for £27. It's so cute.

OK, so I already have like 4 bikinis, but this was my opportunity to own something Luella. And it came with a free cash purse attached. That's my excuse anyway.

There was a lot more I could have bought but I didn't! Very proud of myself. 4 days until I go on holiday now so I'm going to go and start packing I think!

Spanish shopping

2008-09-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

So it's less than a week until I fly away to the Costa Del Sol, and I'm getting very excited. As well as the sightseeing and sunbathing, there are a few shops I dash to when I'm in Spain as well...

First up I always trawl the perfume shops and duty free shops for cheaper perfume and make up. This year I'm looking to find Clinique Airbrush Concealer for less than it is over here. Also I need to get some deodrant for my Dad (he has expensive taste in deodrant!) and the bf will be looking for aftershave.

A couple of obvious ones- Mango and Zara. Yes, I know we have Mango and Zara over here too, but I always find nicer stuff in their homeland. How strange is that! I don't know if they have different stock for different countries? Or maybe I just have a better eye when I'm abroad?

There is a really great lingere store in Spain called Oysho. The prettiest underwear ever. Seriously take a look at their website and tell me it's not lovely. I can't seem to be able to buy it online so I'll be rushing to their Fuengirola store! They have lovely 'loungewear' and beautiful lingere. I love these two pictures:

Mickey Mouse! And I love the bra. As I don't have the largest chest I can get away with thinner bras and this one looks very comfortable. I think the photos are very relaxed and pretty and I look forward to visiting their store again!

I also love going to the department store El Corte Ingles. It's kind of a Spanish holiday tradition for me; when I think of shopping in Spain I think of El Corte Ingles. Most importantly for me, this is where you can get Pupa make up from(or at least you could, I hope you still can!). Pupa is an Italian make up brand and they have amazing cute compacts in the shape of teddy bears, ice creams etc. It's not amazing quality but I love the twee-ness.

What else? Perfumia Gal lipbalms are briliant, my favourite lipbalm ever. The tins are beautifully decorated and there are a variety of fragrances. I make sure I stock up when I'm in Spain

I'll also be scouring the markets and local shops. Getting very excited now!

Winter wardrobe

2008-09-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I had promised myself I wouldn't post about winter stuff until after my holiday, but I've found a loophole. I need a list of what to buy when I come back don't I? Otherwise I might forget about something. And that would never do! Anyway, I have realised that I have very few winter clothes. God knows what I did last year.

So...

Work shoes and trousers

See this post

A purple coat

I can't decide between these two

The first is from Oli and is £60 I think. It's nice but I don't know if it's a bit ordinary? It's a safe bet as I know it would suit me and I'd wear it to death. But I could get something similar for half the price.

The second is Topshop and is £75. I much prefer it, but I'm not sure I could pull off the crazy frill! I could do with trying them both on, but Oli is online and I can't find the coat in Topshop. Hmm. What does anyone else think?

Red Boots

And I know exactly what ones. I've wanted a pair of red boots for 2 years or so and these are just perfect. The leather is really soft. My Mum is really worried that they won't go with anything I go, bless her, but blagh- they are so pretty. They are Topshop anyway.

Go with everything boots

I can't wear red boots all winter long, and anyway I love high boots, they're so cosy! I saw these in the window of Office when I was waiting for my boyfriend the other day and fell in love. Excitingly, they appear to be reduced on the website, so fingers crossed they still will be when I have the money!

Knitted dresses

I keep seeing these mega huge wooly dresses. They look like big jumpers that have been stretched but I really want one or several! I love the Topshop ones but the prices are heading towards £50 which I would rather not spend. H&M have a lot for around £20 I think, and I passed a cheapo shop today with a nice one for a tenner! Yes it will only last me six months but at least it will be a warm six months! Here's an example from Topshop anyway.

Really thick tights

I keep buying cheap black tights and wondering why my knees are cold and they ladder after two wears. So this winter I thought I'd treat myself and buy 5 or 6 pairs of good quailty thick tights. The best are from:

Naturally there is plenty more that I want- but this is the basis. Sorry for a boring 'wish list' type post, indulge me this one time!

London Fashion Week

2008-09-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not really one for designer clothing, cotoure and all that. I don't mind looking at it, but I know I'm never going to own it so I don't lust after it (too much!) I make an exception when it comes to Luella because her stuff is just beautiful. This year, I half heartedly followed the shows on style.com but there were only three that stood out for me.

Luella (of course)

I loved the mouth watering colours, the cute dresses, the pearl strap bags! Beautiful, and I can see myself in Topshop's versions of them already!

Topshop Unique

I haven't seen much written about this collection which surprised me as I thought it was great. Style.com could see a 'Bananarama' influence and so can I! I love 80s fashions so naturally I was going to love this. This dress is my favourite, I can imagine wearing it when I go to Florence next year (fingers crossed). The print is young and cool and the cut is summery. Love it.

Oh and here's Bananarama for you!!

Charles Anastase

Who? I hear you cry. Well that's what I was asking, but everyone seems to have fallen in love with this collection. It's gorgeous, pretty geek-chic. I'm definitely going to be getting some white linen trousers to knot above my ankle!

An outfit for: Sitting around the pool looking cool

2008-09-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

I had my first Spanish lesson today, and it's less than 2 weeks til I fly away on holiday! So here is another holiday themed post. Something to wear when sitting around the pool, having the occasional dip and reading a great book.

I read somewhere that pear shapes like myself should stick to plain bikini bottoms and patterned tops. Whether this is true I don't know, but I like the look of mixing and matching bikinis. I've got two or three to take with me, and will probably wear a different combination everyday.
Everyone should cover up when the sun is at its hottest of course, but it's pale people like me that should DEFINITELY cover up for fear of burning. Bizarrely, a lot of the cover ups in the shops are sleeveless boob tube type things, which isn't useful for me, as I catch the sun on my shoulders more than anywhere else! So I have got myself a couple of big cotton scarves from H&M. They have them in lots of pretty colours and they open up really wide so I can wrap it round my shoulders, and still look stylish.
Last but not least, my trusty Ray-Bans. I realise Kate Moss and her ilk have done them to death but I still love mine. Very Rock N Roll!
My Spanish lesson was quite fun. Me llamo Helen! Si, soy hablo Espanol en poco! (Think that's right!)

Fabulous Films: Heathers

2008-09-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

What's your damage, Heather?
Good Lord I love 'Heathers'. It's up there in my top 5 films. Without 'Heathers' there would be no 'Clueless', no 'Mean Girls' etc. If you haven't seen it and you like dark comedy, please rush out and watch it immediately! It's very sharp and funny. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater go on a killing spree, knocking off the jocks and bitchy girls at their school and passing it off as suicide. It sounds vile, but it's not really.
Other than the great script and acting, you can't fail to notice the fashion. Love it or hate it, it's definitely noticeable. 80s style but times ten. Winona's character Veronica, and the Heathers of the title wear big blazers, flippy skirts, bright leggings and socks and cute flat shoes. It's all very over the top but I've been thinking recently about how to make my own 'Heathers-lite' look with only a little adjustment.
There are several key looks in 'Heathers' which are pretty trendy now:
1. Big blazers

Ignoring the shoulder pads of course! The girls are rarely seen without long blazers, double breasted and buttoned up. I'm not sure I could pull off a double breasted blazer, but this one from ASOS.com has one button so would look OK buttoned up.

2. Flippy skirts

Here's Veronica in my favourite skirt of the film, a blue high waisted ra-ra skirt. But any skirt will do as long as it is short and flippy, and there are plenty of these about at the moment!
I found this Topshop one which is very similar. How very!
And, drool much Veronica? Wasn't Christian Slater phoar-some back then?

3. Plaid/blouses

I thought I'd combine these two, as I couldn't think of a better way of getting plaid in easily! There's quite a lot of plaid/tartan, and the girls wear buttoned up blouses under their big blazers, and as these are two big trends at the moment, that's quite easy to copy... or so I thought. It took me ages to find a decent plaid shirt, and the nicest I found was this one by Tommy Hilfiger from Oli. I'm not sure if the ruffles would be too much with the ruffles on the skirt, but maybe that's all part of the look!

4. Coloured leggings/tights/socks with pumps
Ick, I'm not really a fan of the whole leggings thing, but I do think wearing ankle socks over long leggings looks pretty cool in the film. Other than that, they wear a whole range of opaque tights. I think I shall be sticking to thick black tights, so as not to go OTT! Annoyingly I couldn't find a decent picture of the girls leg and footwear, but it's awesome.
I daresay I shall look a bizarre mess, but it will certainly be fun! Definitely think the costume designers at Gossip Girl have been watching Heathers, don't you think? Maybe I should have a lunchtime poll!

Awesome websites: Dolly Dagger

2008-09-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Please ignore the pictures of emo girls on the home page- Dolly Dagger have some brilliant dresses and cute accessorises. I got my heart shaped sunglasses from there, and I keep going back all the time. The delivery was super quick, and there was a little chocolate bar included in the packaging! Love things like that.

The first picture is a dress or a top, depending on how daring you're feeling and how fabulous your legs are. For me, I feel it would be a top with skinny jeans and a slouchy cardi, or a dress on holiday. It's by a company called E C Star and is £39.

The second picture shows two of their belts. I love the colours, and they are £10 each. I'm definitely going to order one soon. They have quite a few colours including red, white and gold.

My favourite section is the hair accessories. I love hair clips etc and am always on the look out for cute ones. Love these hair slides, and they are £7. A touch expensive? I don't care.

Anyway, don't take my word for it, there's loads on there, take a look!

Back to school?

2008-09-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Around this time of year, I have urges to go and buy black shoes, shirts, backpacks and fountain pens. It's Back to School syndrome. As I left school over 5 years ago, I need to find some other way of channeling this desire.

My rubbish job has a uniform of a horrible red polyester shirt, black trousers and black shoes. Luckily I can choose the shoes and trousers myself. Naturally, I don't want to spend too much, and they need to be comfortable, but also quite stylish.

I keep looking at trousers like these

which are £35 from Topshop. But do I want to spend £35 for work trousers? Not really, they will only get battered.

They also have these

which are £28 and look basically the same. The material is a mix of Polyester, Viscose and Elastine, which may be rubbish for out of work, but will suit me fine for work- easy to wash, stretchy and comfortable. I think I had these exact same trousers in my last two jobs anyway and they lasted years.

As I am on my feet all day at work, I need shoes that are instantly comfortable and don't need wearing in. I have been thinking about getting a mary-jane or t-bar style, as the ones I have at the moment keep slipping off which is irritating.

I really like these two from Faith, especially the second pair as they are quite unusual, plus they remind me of what I used to wear to school as a little girl!

They are both £25 and I don't know if I want to spend that much. Plus, Faith shoes sometimes take a while to break in. I tend to wear crazy socks at work, so maybe that would help.

Speaking of socks- like I said, I wear crazy socks at work, just a tiny bit of individuality. We aren't supposed to, but blagh, like the customers care what socks I'm wearing. For work purposes I usually get 3 for £7 from Topshop

So whenever I look at my feet I can feel cheerful when I'm at work!

Holiday make up

2008-09-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

What I really want to write about is thick tights and purple coats, but I can't afford these things until I come back off holiday, so I won't write about them either.
So I thought I would concentrate on holiday shopping instead. I have a little pink make up bag full of holiday make up ready in my drawer, and I want to make sure I have everything.
Daytime

I don't tend to wear much make up in the day on holiday as it just leaks off anyway. I tend to break out in the heat, so I will need concealer:

My favourite is Clinique's Airbrush Concealer, but as it's around £12 I will be using my Collection 2000 one instead! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for duty free bargains.

Another thing I always wear is mascara, as I feel naked without it. I swim a LOT on holiday, so waterproof it is. I'm a Rimmel mascara addict, so I've bought their 100% Waterproof mascara; it only cost me about £4!

Finally, some SPF lipbalm, and that will do me for daytime.

Nighttime

Even at night I don't think you can get away with too much make up when its hot, but I will wear more than in the day. My usual home make up is pinks and blues and lipstick, none of which translates too well when it's hot! So I've dug deep into my make up drawer and pulled out my lipglosses and bronzers. Most of them I got free I think!

For eyeshadow I've got some bronze and gold eyeshadow and a shimmery pink. When I have a tan (rarely!) I think I really suit these colours so it will be nice to wear them! I thought brown rather than black eyeliner. Plus my waterproof mascara!!

I usually wear foundation but I suppose it would be too much on holiday. Instead I have something by Rimmel called 'Recover Perfect Skin' in 'Healthy Glow'. I love their Recover foundation, and while I'm not quite sure what this stuff is, it looks quite nice and light on my skin. So I'll probably use it as a base. Then I have some bronzer- really hoping I'll get brown enough to use it, but if not I have some Miss Sporty blusher which is a kind of tawny colour and will make my pasty skin look healthy!

I've also packed some bright lip glosses- bright red and bright pink because I've got an idea fruity colours would look great at night. Hopefully I'll be right!

So excited about my holiday now! Plus, I'm enjoying seeing all the Fashion Week stuff coming through- the types of things I'll be wearing when I go to Florence next year, fingers crossed!

Anyway, here's the beach I'll be lazing on 3 weeks today:

And the picturesque village of Mijas, not far from Fuengirola:

Eeek can't wait!

An outfit for: Pizza Hut with the bf!

2008-09-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, Pizza Hut, that classy establishment. We are really pushing the boat out tonight as I have a 50% off voucher!!! All this money saving will be worth it in the end when we have a lovely holiday.
So, what to wear to Pizza Hut? I tend to over-dress on all occasions, and my boyfriend has already texted me this evening to say: 'you're not getting too dressed up are you? It's only Pizza hut!' So, I want to look nice but also casual and warm, and MYSELF.
So- grey ribbed tights, so lovely and warm, silver flats, so comfy, flowery tea dress, very me, my black mac as it's raining and my beloved Guiness umberella!
It was all done on Polyvore, and the items are pretty similar but not exactly the same.

Something I really want, but can't afford: Luella

2008-09-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

God I love Luella. Sadly I can't afford Luella, not even on the Net-a-Porter sale, not even on ebay and not even one of the t shirts.

I adore this dress. It is so sweet! I just can't afford £395!!

p.s. I'm off to my driving lesson in a minute. At least it isn't raining this week!

An outfit for: Cocktails on a sunny evening in Spain

2008-09-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

In honour of the fact that it is 3 weeks today until my holiday, here's an outfit I plan to wear on an evening.
I find evenings on holiday the hardest to dress for, especially later in the year and by the sea as it can get a little chilly. So a cute outfit, but a cardigan to go with it!

The skirt is the exact one I have! Got it for £12 in the Topshop sale. The vest is not the same but very similar. I know a grey cardigan doesn't really match but I've tried it all together and it looks ok! And straw and cotton flip flops because they are the most comfortable.
Eeek I'm just so excited for my holiday now! Haven't got much left to do at all

Get waterproof mascara
Go to chiropodists
Get some flip flops
Wait eagerly for plane tickets to arrive
Pack
Go on holiday!

New stuff from Kate Moss for Topshop

2008-09-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

I'd be more excited if it wasn't so expensive...

For example this pink dress is very pretty, and quite unusual- but £120?!?! I don't think so.

I like this cardigan very much, the heart details are cute and I love slouchy cardigans. It's £45 which isn't too bad as my Urban Outfitters slouchy cardigan was about that much. So I'll let this one pass! May even buy it if it's still available after my hols.

The tops are all a bit boring. Quite nice prints, but over expensive, and not looking particularly warm for winter. Kate Moss may be able to taxi it everywhere, but I have to wait around for buses. I quite like the print of this apple top but it looks a bit thin and not worth £45.

The trousers are all boring, there are no decent winter coats and there don't seem to be any bags or shoes as yet. My main problem with the Kate Moss stuff is the quality. I bought a dress and a tshirt from the first collection, which are both pretty but were expensive and rubbish material. And expensive.

I do like the cardigan though

Awesome websites: Oli.co.uk

2008-09-08T03:42:00.000-07:00

I love Oli. It used to be a catolouge and website, but they have recently got rid of the catalouge to concentrate online. They send out a little magazine to anyone on their mailing list, which is quite fun to read over breakfast!

Just got mine this morning so I thought I would do an Oli themed post. One of the best things about them is their Fusion ranges, with designers including PPQ and Jasmine Guiness. It's designer clothes at reasonable prices and you've got to love that!

There's a great range of shoes, lots of famous brands, and fusion ranges. I got my stripy sundress from there and it fits really nicely. I'm eyeing up some of the PPQ stuff at the moment, especially the pinafore above. It's really cute and £65, which isn't that bad if you consider it's a designer dress.

Jasmine Guiness has designed some lovely retro clothes, including the cute swimming costume. I love it so much and was intending on buying it for my hols but I don't think I'll have the pennies. Very annoying.

I've been keeping an eye out for a purple coat for winter, and the one above is cute, and a reasonable £60. Gotta love Oli.

An outfit for: Pretending it's not raining...

2008-09-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

This entry is inspired by a recent entry on The Sartorialist. If you don't know, he mainly does street portraits and this is a picture of a girl in a tiny white dress with a lovely tan- standing in the rain with her brolly up. Sums up this summer perfectly!
So, I am going to ignore the rain and the grey clouds jeering at me through the window, and here is the outfit I would be wearing if it was lovely and warm like it should be the first week in September.

The vest and skirt are Topshop. I'm really liking the whole plaid/check/gingham thing going on at the moment and I thought it would be comfy and cool with a pretty white vest. Flip flops are Dorothy Perkins but of course you could get them anywhere. The necklace is Urban Outfitters, which I love love love! Ideally I'd be at a picnic in a pretty park somewhere wearing this outfit, so I added in the picnic box, which is from a website called Joules who have some nice preppy-style clothes for nice middle class English gals and guys. There are some stylish dresses and cosy looking jumpers on there, but I couldn't find the picnic box on there, booo. It's wishfull thinking anyway, I won't be going to a picnic anytime soon!

My music: The White Stripes

2008-09-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about doing a series of posts about my favourite bands and their aesthetics for a while and I thought I would start today with The White Stripes. I know they are a rather obvious and easy choice, but interesting nevertheless.

Jack and Meg form the Detroit blues/rock band and have always had an air of mystique surrounding them. Are they brother and sister? Are they married? Are they divorced? I have heard so many different tales I can't remember which is the right one. And of course, they always dress in red, black and white, influenced by the De Stijl art movement and its predominantely primary colours.

The De Stijl movement used lots of clean lines and primary colours and stretched from art to architecture and furniture. You can hear the movements influence in The White Stripes music, as well as seeing it in their clothes, particularly in Meg's rudimentary drumming.

Their clothing started off very simply, white t shirts, red jeans etc, but has recently gotten more flamboyant- dressed up as the Pearly King and Queen, or Jack as a Matador, Meg in Wild West style gowns- but always black red or white! I love the fact that they have stuck to this throughout their career!

There's something so odd- and yet so cool- about them. I've loved them since I was 16. My favourite album is definitely Elephant, with the classic '7 Nation Army' on it. Here it is

Pssssst- 20% off at Oasis today only!!!

2008-09-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Just got an email from Oasis. Today and today only you can get 20% off if you enter the promotional code Glamour08. How exciting! It's only until Midnight tonight.

I like the poppy print dress which is £85 or £68 with the discount. Or a blue wrap cardi for £35 or £28 with the discount. Or if you want to spend a little less (like me!!) you could get some funky tights ready for winter. I like them cos they are lacy which is trendy, but not over the top. £8 or £6.40. Wooh!

Comfort Shopping: Gingham dress from Boohoo.com

2008-09-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am so tempted to buy this, to make up for the fact that I can't buy that Topshop lace dress. This dress is £25, would look cute in the day or smart in the evening. I wouldn't get bored of it. I'd probably replace that cheap looking belt with a stretchy black or white one though. That's the problem with boohoo.com. Sometimes the details look a little cheap, which is why I've never been tempted to purchase from there before. But I really really like this! If it's still on there when I come back off holiday I will definitely be adding it to my winter wardrobe

Something I really want but can't afford: Topshop lace dress

2008-09-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

I want this dress so much. I know it would suit me, and I know it would last me years and I could wear a polo neck under it in the winter and a vest under it in summer. But I also know that it is £150 which is TOO MUCH!! £150 for a dress from Topshop?! Only when I'm rich.
p.s. it's lace. Which is trendy at the moment, meaning I'll be bored of it within 6 months. Definitely not worth £150. Boohoo.com here I come!

An outfit for: Driving in the rain

2008-09-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

Every day is a rainy day recently. We haven't had much of a summer at all. And now it is September so it can only get worse.
It's tipping it down today so I am staying in the house except for my driving lesson at 3pm. No work today hurrah! When I drive I hate having material flapping round my ankles, and it's the same for rainy weather. So in the rain, and when driving, I tend to wear tights, cropped trousers or skinny jeans.
Today I have on red skinny jeans, which I've rolled up to just below my knees. I might roll them down again for my lesson to stop my legs getting cold. I've teamed them with a patterned red blue and green vest from Topshop and a grey cardigan. I fear it is all a little over kill, but when I look in the mirror it doesn't look too bad, and my Dad hasn't made any funny remarks. I'll also wear some flat black shoes.
I've made the pic on polyvore as close as I could!