New Year, New Goals

I realise that we are already well into 2019 (already in February) but I thought it was about time that I returned to my little corner of the internet to update you on my life - it's been a while!

So around the same time that I stopped posting on here I started my job, returning to ASOS as a Buyer's Administrator and I moved out of my family home and in with my boyfriend. I love my job so much and the independence of not living at home, but it has been an adjustment. And I think it would be fair to say that other things in my life have taken a bit of a back seat, like this blog.

For a long time I felt so guilty about not posting, and then the more I thought about it the less I wanted to come back. It has been a good few months since I last posted, but I've chosen to move on and start again. It feels like the new year is the perfect time to do that. So I'm going to start with some things that I want to do more and less of in 2019.

MORE SAVING
I'm earning my first proper salary and I want to start putting money away every month into my savings account, rather than just whittling all my money away on food, clothes and after work drinks! I know my future self is going to thank me for this one.

LESS MEAT
I'm not doing Veganuary and I'm not even going vegetarian, but I am going to try and cut down my meat consumption to once or twice a week. I am going to start basing my meals around the vegetables and hopefully this is all going to make me feel much healthier.

MOVE MORE
Along side my blog, exercise is something that I have pushed to the back on my mind recently. My job role means that I spend a large amount of my day sitting and a desk meaning it is even more important that I do something a few times a week that gets my heart rate up. I've started running again and realised how much I love it. Even managed to drag my boyfriend Jack out of bed and on a Sunday morning run with me!

LESS FAKE PEOPLE
I can definitely hold my hands up and say that I don't have anywhere near as many friends as I did in school, and I'm really okay with that. What I have got is friends that I love who make me happy as soon as I see them and leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling when we say goodbye. It's genuine and real and that's more that enough for me.

MORE TIME FOR FRIENDS
Following on from what I said above, I need to make more time for my real friends. It's so easy to finish work and just get home, have dinner and watch some Netflix (especially in Winter!). I need to see more of the people that make me feel good, planning starts now...

LESS INSTAGRAM
I need to let go of social media and not spending hours scrolling through other people's seemingly perfect life. I know that it's not good for me, and for lack of a better world it makes me a jealous person. I want to look like someone else, to be where I'm not (half way around the world on a tropical beach) and I want to own materialistic items that I really don't need or can't afford. I am replacing scrolling through Instagram with...

MORE CULTURE
Podcasts on my commute, books in the evening, cinema with friends at the weekend, and maybe even reading the news in my lunch break. These things make me feel knowledgable and inspired, plus they are great dinner party topics of conversation!

I actually really like this new method of resolutions. Rather than to say "I am going to completely give up chocolate forever" because we all know that won't last more than about two days, it's a lot kinder to myself to say "let's do a bit more of this and a bit less of that". I guess to summarise my resolutions it is just to be kinder to myself. If a bit of chocolate in the evening is going to make me happy I'm going to eat some chocolate without any guilt.

Mint Velvet Leopard Print

It feels like Autumn is still just beginning as the sun is still shining and people are still walking around in t-shirts. But Autumn clothing has been trickling into stores since August which means that some brands are already having sales. When I was in town last week I spotted that Mint Velvet were already having a mid-season sale so I though that I would have a little browse. I spotted this leopard print jumper and thought it was a bit bold, but that I would try it on while my mum and auntie were also trying some clothes one. Long story short, I love it! It's cool and fun, but think the monochromatic colourway softens the look. I chose to size up by two sizes as I wanted the jumper to be a bit slouchy and oversized, so I can roll the sleeves up and do a "half-tuck" into jeans.

STYLING
As this is a fairly bold jumper I would keep the rest of my outfit really simple. I think blue or black denim jeans and black boots and some very delicate jewellery would work perfectly. But I would also like to try and style this with a white shirt underneath for a modern street style look. Or with a black midi skirt and some white trainers.

Mint Velvet Navy Leopard Jacquard Knit

Having a little browse in Mint Velvet inspired me to have a look online and see what else had gone into sale. There are some lovely pieces, including the khaki shacket that I am still obsessed with which you can read all about here. So I thought I would also share with you some of my other favourite sale picks.

Oatmeal Luxe Faux Fur Jacket

Black Fringe High Sandal

Dove Belted Tapered Trouser

Khaki Star Pocket Jacket

Ivory Stripe Shirt

Shae Print Maxi Skirt

London Fashion Week Festival

Yesterday I was lucky enough to go to London Fashion Week Festival with my mum. It has become a bit of a tradition for us to go whenever we can, as previously I would have been back at university in Manchester at this time. I had such an amazing day out, felt lovely in what I was wearing and even treated myself to a little something from one of the stalls. I have no idea how this post is going to turn out, maybe more like a diary entry, but I thought I would share it all with you.

BRUNCH
Where better to start than with the most important meal of the day! Our time slot for LFW was 11am-4pm, but we didn't really want to buy food inside the venue as it is usually pretty expensive and there aren't very many options. Instead I took my mum to Grind in Covent Garden, somewhere I had also never been before but I had followed for ages on Instagram and was desperate to go! We both ordered a coffee and a cooked breakfast which was amazing and fairly reasonable. I would definitely recommend it, but if you are looking for something more instagramable then maybe try one of their other locations.

LONDON FASHION WEEK FESTIVAL
Such a lovely selection of clothes, accessories and homeware. I fell in love with a dress from Lily and Lionel (here), although restrained as I am still yet to start my new job! What was really great was there was a a huge variety of product and price points, meaning there was something for everyone and it was a great place to buy presents. Rosie Fortescue was there with her beautiful collection of jewellery and I was so impressed by what a brilliant sales woman she is. And I also caught a glimpse of Hugo Taylor and Millie Mackintosh! But on top of all that my favourite thing to do was just seeing what everyone else was wearing. Everyone looked so fashionable, whether they were wearing something really smart and tailored or edgy and cool!

SHEERLUXE SHOW LIVE
Mum and I decided to skip the fashion show and instead go and see a talk. The talk I chose was from SheerLuxe and was a live viewing of their twice weekly show which I watch religiously on YouTube. It was so entertain, yet educational and everything I hoped it would be. There were some incredible affordable clothes featured from their High Street Edit that I have added to my Wishlist (mostly from & Other Stories). As well as a very interesting talk about all things beauty with the gorgeous Samantha Freedman. I even made some notes! Plus my mum, who had no idea about a lot of the people or fashion brands mentioned thought it was wonderful!

WHAT I WORE
I had been waiting for the perfect occasion to wear my & Other Stories dress that I bought at the beginning of Summer as it is a more autumnal style. It was something I saw and loved, saved up for and then treated myself when I could, so it it really special and makes me feel amazing. I think I should try and buy more pieces this way. When you wait a bit you are sure that you really love something, rather than making an irrational decision.
I paired the dress with some beige studded ankle boots (a Chloe copy) which I bought from Office last year. They keep the dress elegant while being comfortable enough for me to spend a whole day in. Plus they were a nod to the cowboy boot trend, which is really big right now. I wore my emerald green bag for a subtle pop of colour and all of my favourite gold jewellery.

WHAT I BOUGHT
There was so many beautiful pieces that caught my eye, but I managed to stay sensible! I've already mentioned the dress from Lily and Lionel which I will link here. The fabric was stunning and the wrap style was really flattering, but the price was too high considering I don't actually have an event to wear the dress to. I've saved it to my ever growing Pinterest Wishlist though so watch this space! What I did buy though was something that I was actually going to purchase anyway - how very sensible of me! This Summer I got my helix pierced, and though it is still healing at the moment I will eventually swap it for a gold hoop. I've had my eye on these ones from Astrid and Miyu (here) for a while as they are really small, but they have the beautiful diamante detail. I managed to get 10% off with London Fashion Week discount but you can received the same disount on your first order by signing up to their news letter.

Speak soon, xx

 

The Basics Wishlist

As I spent today bagging up my Summer clothes and bringing my Winter wardrobe down from the attic I thought it would be the perfect time to have a little look at what is new in for this season. In a bid to make smarter purchases I am trying to invest in things that are considered part of a "Capsule Wardrobe" and are timeless in terms of both style and quality. I have managed to keep my ever-growing wishlist to just four items that I am loving for A/W 18/19. Most of these are more on the expensive side, but maybe if I start saving and wait for the sales...

1. Massimo Dutti Check Wool Blazer - here

2. The Kooples Emily Small Faux Python Bag in Black - here

3. & Other Stories Alpaca Blend Sweater in Oatmeal - here

4. Jigsaw Boucle Tweed Coat in Navy - here

 

Speak soon, xx

Tips To Cure a Cold

I'm sitting here feeling a little a though I have been hit by a bus...I have in fact got a Summer cold. I am shivering and sweating, sneezing almost once a minute and blown my nose so much that I have given myself a headache. And as you can probably guess I am feeling a little sorry for myself.

As someone with an seemingly incompetent immune system and the ability to catch a cold from anyone within a mile radius, I am unfortunately fairly used to feeling a little under the weather. However, this has meant that I have developed a strategy so that I can feel better as soon as possible and not let a little cold get in my way! As the weather (finally) starts to drop and "Back to School" is among us, colds are pretty common. So I thought that this would be the perfect time to share my tips on how to cope with a cold and get over it a little quicker.

Disclaimer: It should go without saying that I have a degree in Fashion and AM NOT a doctor.

POP A PILL
As soon as I feel as thought I am coming down with something I take a paracetamol. Sometimes if you get there early enough you can even catch it before it develops into a full blown cold!

DRINK A LOAD OF WATER
Not only will cold water feel really nice if your throat is a bit sore but it is so important to stay hydrated right now. I like to drink warm water with honey and lemon whenever I am feeling a little under the weather, it tastes amazing and it really lovely for soothing a sore throat.

FACIAL STEAMING
I like to do this anyway as part of my skincare routine to open up pores before a face mask, however, steaming your face is also amazing for clearing sinuses. Make sure that the water isn't boiling, use something to protect your eyes and have a tissue at hand for when your nose inevitably starts streaming!

GO FOR A WALK
While resting when you are ill is important I also think it is good to get outside for a bit of fresh air. I wouldn't recommend doing any hardcore exercise when you are ill, but something like a walk or yoga is just what the doctor ordered!

GIVE DAIRY A MISS
This might be a personal one but whenever I have a cold and I eat any dairy (but particularly chocolate) my throat just feels so sore. It's natural when you are feeling ill to want to snuggle up in bed with a load of unhealthy food, but now is actually the time to eat really healthily and help your body to recover.

TAKE A HOT BATH
Similar to a facial steam, the stream from a hot bath will really help to clear sinuses. This is particularly beneficial before bed.

 

I hope this helps any of you who may also be experiencing a Summer cold! And if you have any other tips, please share them in the comments.
Speak soon, xx

September Goals

I don't know about anyone else, but to me September feels more like the new year than January ever does. As a recently graduate this is my first September that I won't be heading back into education, and I feel a little weird about it! Part of me is still desperate to race to WH Smiths and stock up on stationery that I don't even need. To crush this urge and simply because I now find myself in the "adult" chapter of my life I thought I would set myself out some goals...so here goes.

 

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LEARN SOME COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

This is something I have wanted to do for so long, as I now find myself with a bit of time before I start work this seems like the perfect opportunity. I'm trialling some free online classes at the moment so I will let you know how I get on.

 

SWAP COFFEE FOR HERBAL TEA

I love coffee, especially ones with sweetener and a load of cream, but I know that they aren't that great for me. Wherever possible I am trying to swap coffee for a herbal tea, and there are so many to chose from which makes it a little easier.

 

READ MORE BEFORE BED

I got so into reading this Summer. There's just something about being on holiday that makes we want to lie in the sunshine and read all day. Now that I am back home I am already picking my book up less frequently which is sad. I have said this so many times but I want to try and find half an hour before bed to read, rather than looking at my phone!

 

NEW DO FOR A NEW YOU

I have been thinking about cutting my hair for a while. I keep saving images on Pinterest and Instgram of shoulder length styles . But I have had my hair to half way down my back since I was about 12 and it has almost become my safety blanket.[/su_row]

 

I think that's all for now, I love making lists but I don't want to get too carried away with promises that I can't make! Has anyone else made any goals for September, I would love to hear them in the comments below!

Speak soon, xx

Birthday Blazer

So as promised, here is the final part to my What I Got For My Birthday Post. I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful Reiss blazer for my birthday, but wanted to wait until I had taken some styled outfit photos before I shared it with you. I know that blazers are a huge staple for many fashion bloggers but this is actually the first one I have owned since I had to wear them everyday in Sixth Form!

I fell in love with this blazer after trying it on while I was bored and waiting for the rest of my family to finish shopping! The silky printed fabric caught my eye in an "oh, this is kinda cool" way and the rest is history. So as much as I love online shopping is it also great just to browse shops, feeling all the fabrics and trying on pieces that you wouldn't normally.

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The double-breasted style and beautiful fabric of this blazer mean that is is a fairly smart piece. However, I love the current trend of dressing-down smart, tailored pieces with casual garments. I've style this blazer with a simple white t-shirt and a pair of light washed distressed denim to make it more appropriate for daytime. I also this this would look so cool with trainers or boots and even some strappy heels if I was feeling a bit fancy.

Blazer

T-shirt

Jeans (Similar) 

Watch

Short Necklace

Long Necklace (Similar)

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I've tried to link everything that I am wearing or similar above incase you wanted to shop anything. I'm also planning some exciting new posts for the new season, so keep an eye out for those. Anyone else over Summer and can't wait to snuggle up in cosy knitwear with a cup of tea?!

Speak soon, xx