Walk This Way...To Primark

As I've got a little older I am naturally shopping at Primark less, trying to move away from cheap fast-fashion and investing more in pieces that will last longer. Yet there are two categories that Primark just do so well at, pyjamas and fashion shoes. Last year I wrote a post about another pair of Primark shoes that I feel in love with, which you can find here. Some shoes, like boots or classic heels I do think are worth investing in, but for trend pieces that are only really going to be in for a season it really isn't worth investing. And this is where Primark come in.

The first pair of shoes are actually the reason I came to Primark in the first place. My best friend and I going out in London tomorrow night and I realised that I left all of my heels back at uni in Manchester. I picked these ones up as they are classic and elegant, but have a heel that isn't too high and an ankle strap, which I am hoping means I am going to be able to dance in them!

The second pair of shoes that I picked up are a bit of a wild card! Mum loved them so much she copied me and got a matching pair! My boyfriend on the other hand can't stand them. I just think that these are so cool for Summer. Perfect with jeans and a white t-shirt, but also with a little dress. They may only last the Summer, and by next year I may have a "what the hell was I thinking" moment. But for now, they are fun, cute and only £6!

 

I also need to apologise for it being a little quiet around here recently. I think it's fair to say that final year at university really took it out of me! I had some big coursework deadlines last week and I still feel as though I am recovering (catching up on sleep). But I have one exam in a couple of weeks, and then I'm done, forever! It's a crazy thought but I am definitely ready to be out of the education system! I've got some very exciting things planned for Summer and I can't wait to finally get back into blogging. So watch this space! xx

The Cutest Phone Case

I have been meaning to write this post for so long now! So while I am sitting here babysitting I thought I would stop watching a load of trash on TV and do something slightly more productive. Finally write this post.

Whenever I get a new phone I always treat myself to a pretty new case. Mostly because Apple are annoying and keep changing the shape of the iPhone, or the placement of the camera. But also because getting a new phone case seems to make a new phone feel even newer! My favourite place to find beautiful and unique iphone cases is Etsy.

This one is just my favourite and I get so many compliments on it as it is just so different. It's marble (not so different!), but the art deco style and all of the details as well as it being all of my favourite colours just make this really special. It's from a brand on Etsy called CRCases which I love as they are such great quality for such a reasonable price. I'll link their page on Etsy here and put a link to my exact case here.

And while I am talking about phone cases I thought that I should quickly mention something that I honestly swear by, even if it isn't quite so interesting. After dropping my phone last year trying to find my house keys in my handbag and having to pay over £100 to have my shattered screen mended I have always put a screen protector on my phone. Tempered glass screen protectors are honestly the best thing since Nutella! They are so cheap on Ebay, they stick on easily like your average screen cover, but they are just so much thicker. I have dropped my phone so many times since I shattered my screen (even on concrete) and I haven't even scratched my actual screen since. What happens it that if it is a really bad drop the worst that can happen is I smash the glass screen protector. And then all I do it peel it off and put a new one on and my phone is as good as new again.

So if you are one of those people that either find themselves living with a shattered screen, or paying Apple all too often to mend the shattered screen, then get on Ebay and order some tempered glass screen protectors. They may just change your life!

Speak soon xx

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

Thought I would quickly check in to wish you a lovely day and let you know that I am currently working on some new material for my blog.

I had a lie in this morning, followed by a quick trip to the gym with my mum and my sister (yes, we now do family gym outings!). On the way home we stopped off at a lovely French market to pick up some fresh bread and cheese for lunch. And after lunch we went on a very long family dog walk through the bluebells which were so pretty. So after a surprisingly active Easter Sunday I am very much looking forward to tucking into some of the chocolate that I received. Although the Lindt chocolate bunnies are almost too cute to eat!

So enjoy the rest of your Easter, and the bank holiday tomorrow!

Speak soon,

xx

Accessorize Sale Picks

If I'm honest I haven't really done very much sale shopping, particularly for someone who loves shopping as much as I do! December sort of bled me dry and I've got a few holidays planned for next year which I am trying to save for. But last weekend I just couldn't walk past the huge sale signs in the window of Accessorize. So I popped in and emerged about 20 minutes laters with some lovely picks that I thought I would share.

The first, and my favourite is this beautiful double chain necklace from the Z by Accessorize collection. I absolutely love how delicate and expensive this looks, especially as with 70% off it really wasn't.

I think this would look beautiful just with an undone white shirt for an effortless but expensive look.

The next thing that I got was a bit of a boring purchase but I always need these! I really like to style my hair half clipped up so these grips work perfectly for that as they can hold more hair than bobby pins. And for only £1 I couldn't really go wrong!

I also couldn't resist this delicate rose gold heart necklace as in the sale in came to £1.50. And this would perfectly complement the rose gold and pink Cluse watch that I bought for Christmas.

And finally...I bought chocker! I know what you are thinking, they're probably old news now. But I never really felt like they suited me or my style, particularly the thicker velvet ones. But this one is so simple and delicate that you can barely tell its there. I really like to layer it up with a few other gold necklaces for a slightly bohemian look.

So there you have it, a few little picks from the Accessorize sale. There are probably going to be a few more little hauls coming up here and there as I have got some lovely things recently that I really want to share with you!

Speak soon xx

Some Holiday Pictures

On Friday we finally packed away all of the Christmas decorations and put them back in the loft for the next 11 months or so. I have to say the house looks nowhere near as pretty or cosy! And when since the beginning of January the temperature has really dropped I need to be cosy more than ever! I'm also back at work and while I love work I do miss the holidays, lying in and watching films all afternoon! So while I continue to morn the end of Christmas and the beautiful decorations that come with it I thought that I would look back at a few of the pictures from my holidays.

Christmas in London is always so magical. And I loved the beautiful mistletoe decorations inside Covent Gardens.

On Christmas Eve Eve (is that a thing?!). I wen to the ballet with my mum and sister, which has actually become a bit of a tradition. Matthew Bourne is an incredible choreographer and does modern takes on classic tales and stories. This one as you may have guessed from the photo was Red Shoes. We had such a lovely evening with a meal at Bills before and I can't wait to see what he is doing next.

So sad to have packed away this little guy! Just before Christmas I took a trip up to Manchester to visit all of my uni friends. And of course we went to the famous Manchester Christmas Markets where I spotted this adorable snowman and I couldn't leave him behind!

For most families Christmas Breakfast is just not a thing! However in our house it definitely is! We don't usually have Christmas Lunch/Dinner until about 4ish so I need something to keep me going. We have lots of pastries and yummy thing, including a pork pie (a strange family tradition!). I also love the way we decorated the dining area this year with all white and silver, of course influenced by me.

And we go so all out with decorating the my mum even swaps around the paintings for Wintery Scenes! This one was done by my grandpa which is pretty cool!

Some more little Christmassy touches around the house.

On Boxing Day we went to The Hunt at Chiddingstone House. And before anyone ask they were not hunting real foxes, just following an artificial scent. But it was lovely to get a hot chocolate and see everyone all dressed up. I have also never seen so many post people dressed in tweed in my life, which made for brilliant people watching!

It was the perfect crisp, frosty morning which was followed by a lovely lunch in a pretty local cafe.

Hope that you all also have lovely holidays. I am currently working on a What I Got For Christmas post at the moment which should be going live sometime soon. So keep an eye out for that one! xx

 

South of France

South of France

A couple of weeks ago I took a short holiday (my first time off work in 3 months), to Aix En Provence in the South of France to visit my boyfriend Jack and to celebrate his 21st. For this year while I am working at ASOS Jack is also taking a year out of university to study Economic in France, and yes, in French! So we are back to long distance again, but special holidays like these make the months between seeing each other go a little quicker.

Apart from a few Instagram posts I didn't do any blogging and wasn't particularly active on social media. It gave me a chance to just switch off from the world and the fast paced life working in London and just spend some quality time with Jack. But as the South of France was so beautiful I did take a few pictures so I thought I would pull some of the nicest together and share them with you.

I had the most wonderful week hiking, swimming in the sea, sunning on the beach, shopping and exploring beautiful little towns and markets. And of course eating, most of the holiday was based around food! We had ice creams, incredible bagels, lots of pasta and bread and cheese. Not the healthiest of weeks, but we did a lot of walking so in my head it was all justified.

On my first day we went hiking along some beautiful coastline with white cliffs and turquoise sea. And then we walked down and found a lovely little cove where everyone was swimming, it was just magical.

I'm now back at home, what feels like a million miles away from my holiday in the South of France. I'm tucked up in bed wearing fluffy socks and clutching a tea for warmth. In the week that I was away Summer most definitely came to an end and everything is feeling very Autumnal.

I am actually lucky enough to be going on another holiday next week with my family, and hopefully catching one last bit of sun!

Speak soon xx

Making a MAC Palette

Making a MAC Palette

I am so excited to be writing this post, it is literally a dream come true. It's a incredibly girlie, cliche and totally uninspiring dream to create my own MAC palette, but a dream none the less. Defo one to tick off my virtual bucket list!

From my lovely team at work I got some MAC vouchers, a perfect gift as it is a brand that I love but a little expensive that I wouldn't shop there as I could never justify spending that amount of money on makeup. But gift vouchers aren't really money are they?! So after work last week I walked down the road to the MAC store (ASOS really is the best place to work!) and treated myself.

If there is one makeup product I could never get bored of shopping for it is eye shadow palettes. And even though I always go for the same kind of shades (nudes, browns and bronze), they are just so beautiful, and I want them all. So even before I had reached the store, there was no question in my mind about what I would be spending my money on!

The idea behind this little quad, my first personal eye shadow palette was my perfect compact travel palette. I wanted an off white shade that would work perfectly in the inner corners. A light matte brown that would work as an all over natural shadow, but also a pretty crease colour. A darker brown that would work as a more dramatic crease colour but also on a thin brush as an eyeliner. And then a pretty shimmery shade that would work for both day and night.

So after a very long time staring at shadows and one beautifully painted hand later, I picked my shades.

Brule - a creamy beige satin finish with no shimmer
Satin Taupe - frosted cool tone brown with mauve undertones
Charcoal Brown - a matte cool tone taupe with some grey undertones
Brun - a satin finished dark taupe brown

I can't wait to start recreating different looks with these four beautiful shades. Possibly a few makeup looks coming soon.

And while I probably shouldn't be back in the MAC store anytime soon if you do have any other eyeshadows that you would recommend then please leave then in the comments below. Maybe my new dream will be the 16 shadow palette!

Speak soon xx

What I Got For My Birthday

What I Got For My Birthday

And I'm back...just under a month later! I am such a awful blogger, but I'm back with a really exciting post. I have finally left my teens! I say finally, but really I was quite emotional about the whole thing. I do not feel ready to be a proper adult!

But "What I got for my birthday" posts and videos are some of my favourite to read/watch, so I have put together a little one of my own. As always a little disclaimer, I am not trying to brag about anything. I was incredibly lucky this year to get some really stunning gifts. Mostly white and pastel as my family and friends obviously know me very well!

My my little sister I got this stunning white little tray, which I am sure you will be seeing a lot more of on here as it will be so useful for blog photos. I got a few candles, all white and all smell divine. I light a candle almost every night before bed, especially as it gets darker and colder so I cannot wait to start burning these. And then I got some absolutely stunning jewellery from some of my favourite places, Estella Bartlett and Accessorize, featuring some of my favourite things, stars and elephants!

Estella Bartlett do some of my favourite jewellery pieces. Everything is so delicate and beautifully made, but they also do some lovely cute designs. And after a long love affair with gold I am really getting back in to wearing silver jewellery.

And I couldn't not show you a close up of these absolutely adorable elephant earrings. I know that my elephant obsession is a little crazy, but these are just the cutest. And still so delicate and subtle.

Displaying all of my new beautiful white candles on my tray. The little one at the front is made in Sevenoaks, my little home town! And I am actually burning the big glass jar one from Next as I write this post - it smells divine.

Of course I was lucky enough to get some lovely bath bits. My little sister got me the Body shop products as she knows the shea butter scent is my favourite. And at the moment it is a little too hot but when it gets colder I can't wait to start having bubble baths with this huge bottle of Sanctuary Spa!

A little treat from The White Company...one of my favourite shops of all time.

My girls at uni were so generous. And they obviously know me so well! I got the softest and most comfy pair of lounge pants, and they are grey and white striped with lace trim; very me! And the pastel pink pouch feels so luxury and beautiful made.

And some lovely home bits. How pretty is this little mug? I'm going to keep this one by my bed and use it for my green tea before I go to bed.

 

And finally a couple of books. As I am working in London I would really love to try and tick off some of the places in this really cute book my John Sykes. And then a Vogue colouring book! I actually really love colouring in the evening before bed while I watch some Netflix. It's so therapeutic and relaxing.

So I hope that you enjoyed having a little peak at some of the presents I got for my birthday! I was incredibly lucky this year. So sorry I seem to have taken a little bit of a break from blogging at the moment. I'm finding it hard to find the time to create the posts that I want to write. But hopefully soon things will have calmed down here and I will get back into more of a routine.

But I hope you are all well and enjoying a lovely Summer. Speak soon xx

 

Travel Treasures

Travel Treasures

Today I really wanted to share some of the beautiful treasures that I picked up on my recent holiday to Marrakech. Marrakech is well known for its amazing souks and hand crafted treasures. Wherever you turned there was something new to look at, and Jack and I had the best time wondering the souks, chatting to the locals and even doing a bit of haggling!

I found the whole trip to Marrakech so inspiring, how humble and happy everyone we spoke to was and the beautiful detail that they put into everything they make. I was just in awe of the stunning interiors of so many of the places that we went, including the riad that we stayed in. For me it was a little like my decor inspiration on Pinterest coming to life! So I was so happy to pick up a few bits to bring back home with me.

One of the things I was desperate to get my hands on was a white pouf. Random? Yes. Necessary? Also yes! I had seen a few of these on Pinterest and Instagram and just love how they look. I could picture it in the corner of my bedroom with a few magazines on top! There were so many places that did beautiful leather poufs, but it was made slightly hard by the fact that I already had an image in my head of exactly what I wanted. We found a place that did a lovely white pouf, but I had to explain that it was a little bigger than what I was looking for. So he took me around the corner to his friends shop where I found exactly what I wanted!

I am so happy with how this looks in my bedroom, it brings a slightly bohemian, Moroccan touch to the bedroom which I love.

If you have been reading my blog for a while or know me personally then you will know that I have a bit of a thing for scraves, particularly Pashminas. There was a point when I probably had about 70 scarves (yes, you have read that correct!). Now, after a big clear out, I probably have a more manageable 20. But that didn't stop me from picking up this beautiful white pashmina. I can picture wearing this when in gets a little colder with some skinny jeans, a little grey knit jumper and some pretty flats.

Another accessory that I couldn't resist was this stunning leather clutch. A lot of the shops in Marrakech sold fairly similar goods, in fact almost identical pieces from shop to shop. But this particular shop sold beautiful leather bags and pouches like nothing I had seen anywhere else. If I had taken more money with me I could have bought everything in this shop, it was my style down to a tea. However when I spotted this grey suede clutch with metallic details and tassel I knew it was the one. I can't wait to wear this on special occasions, but for now it is on display on one of the shelves in my bedroom.

The Moroccan slippers where a bit of a random purchase, and honestly I am not sure how much wear that I will get out of them! But they are so beautiful and intricate and I think that they look lovely displayed on my pouf! I bought these from a lovely man that Jack and I spent a bit of time chatting to so I love the memories behind these too.

And finally I got myself a little jewellery box with mother of pearl detailing that are sold all over Marrakech. I actually already have a larger one of these in my bedroom which I got a few years ago from the stalls in Egypt. But I think these are so pretty and add a lovely bit of detail to a shelf.

This bracelet however is probably the most special piece from the trip, bought for me by my lovely boyfriend. It is just my perfect piece of jewellery, a delicate mix of elegant and slightly bohemian. I also love the back story that goes behind this.

We were looking in a really cool shop that sold vintage cameras and little nic nacks, when the shop keeper said that we must visit his friends place. I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous, particularly as the place that he took us wasn't really a shop. But when we went inside it was just amazing, more like a museum really. It was two floors holding the most beautiful collection of piece from large vases, to mirrors, to costume jewellery and everything inbetween. Every space was taken up with a beautiful treasure, so that it would have taken days just to look at everything properly. The guy told us how it wasn't really a shop but a place that was only really open to collectors.

He encouraged us to pick something out (of course!) however I was worried as I knew we were in somewhere that was way over our budget. We had come on the morning of the last day on our holiday and still need food for the rest of the day and money for the airport. In the end after what I would say was more explaining our financial situation that haggling, we were given this for a very discounted rate!

This piece is just so special to me and will forever remind me of the amazing holiday that we had.

So I hoped that you enjoyed seeing the treasures that I picked up from Marrakech. There is actually one more thing that I bought however I have not put it up yet so I am going to wait until then to share it on here. Hope that you have had a lovely weekend.

Speak soon xx

Khaki

Khaki

So I really need to apologise for the infrequent posts. Life in my new job is pretty exciting at the moment, but also very busy. And while I don't want to give a load of excuses, I am still trying to adjust and sort out my time management. Lets just say say that having a full time job is very different to being a student!

Anyway, I am back with another Marrakech post. At this rate my one 5 day holiday could drag out on my blog for the whole of Summer. I should probably start thinking about writing some different posts in between.

The photo above is probably one of my favourite photos that I forced my boyfriend to take on the trip. I find the white aesthetics and flowers very pleasing (and fitting with my Instagram theme!). But I have day old curls (my favourite as they drop to beautiful loose waves), my sunglasses are hiding the bags under my eyes and I love this dress.

On this day we wondered the souks and then explored this beautiful secret garden in the middle of town. As I mentioned in my last post the amount of detail that is put into everything here is amazing. This garden took years and years to build, which is obvious when you walk around. We sat in a little building looking on to the garden and had the best mint tea I tried in Marrakech (and we had a fair amount of mint tea!).

I bought this dress last year but it is still one of my favourites for summer. It's the perfect piece to throw on, but as it is a shirt dress in still looks fairly smart. And it has a lining which means there are no underwear issues!

Dress - Mango
Sunglasses - H&M
Watch - Nixon

It was amazing to see so much green in a place that I though would be so dry. And I love all the different palms and cacti!

The aesthetic of the teal tiles and white furniture is beautiful. It feels very summery and bohemian.

I have so many posts that I want to write, not just about Marrakech, but about my new job, beauty bits I'm loving and some recent purchases. Hopefully this weekend I can dedicate some time to a bit of a catch up session, but for now thank you for staying with me.

Speak soon xx

Marrakech Inspiration

Marrakech Inspiration

I am writing this post while curled up on the sofa watching some rubbish on TV and listening to the rain outside. A million miles away from where I will be tomorrow. I feel like I haven't been on holiday for ages, it has been over a year since I was last in Kephalonia. But I can't wait to get away for a few days with my boyfriend Jack, and explore somewhere that I have always wanted to visit.

I am so excited to finally get to wear some of my Summer clothes and feel the sun on my skin. To wonder the souks of Marrakech and return home with a suitcase of beautiful treasures. To find little cafes with hidden gardens and try the mint tea and fresh orange juice that I have heard so much about.

I'm not sure how much I will be blogging while I am away, however I am almost positive that there will be a lot of pictures going up on Instagram over the week! Hope everyone has the best week and I can't wait to share my travels with you when I return! Speak soon xx

Summer Showers

Summer Showers

It is hard to believe that it is Summer with all this rubbish weather that we are having! And even though it is raining pretty much everyday it is also really humid, which makes knowing what to wear in the morning a little difficult. So I thought I would share an outfit I wore the other day when I went up to see the Summer Exhibition and we got some typical British weather!

For those days when I am feeling fairly uninspired and have no idea what to wear, I find stripes are a good option. A simple pair of denim jeans and a navy and white striped top is stylish but classic. What doesn't help is that even once I have decided to wear stripes I have about 10 different striped tops (which to most would look identical!) to then choose from. However this one from Joules is usually my favourite. It is simple and flattering with the crew neckline and 3/4 sleeves.

The coat I am wearing is one that I have had for years. But I think a good khaki parka is another classic piece. This one is perfect for that humid weather as it is thin, but slightly showerproof. I also love rolling the sleeves up to show the striped top underneath and tie the whole outfit together.

The mix of rain and humidity also does some not too great things to my hair. It can get pretty frizzy and all my baby hair starts curling into ringlets at the front! This is one of my favourite hairstyles at the moment and perfect for this weather. This half up waterfall braid style is actually really easy to do and I love how it brings out the highlights in my hair.

Finally I accessorised as usually with some delicate gold jewellery. Although I took a break from my favourite elephant necklace for this beautiful flower pendant. It felt slightly bohemian which I though matched the hairstyle and added something extra to the simple, preppy outfit.

But despite this post and how much I loved wearing this outfit, fingers crossed for some better weather. I want to get my shorts and sundresses out please! xx