BABY BLUES

dreaming of:   zara baby blue mini city tote

I say dreaming of, I have already bought this handbag. And I'm still dreaming about it. *sigh*.

So a few posts back, I mentioned (subtly) how absolutely head over heels, heart pounding, throat thickening, in love I am/was with the 3.1 Phillip Lim Ryder cross-body bag in all its baby blue glory. I'm never usually one for a coloured bag - black seems to be my uniform nowadays - but when I saw THIS Zara gem and an absolute doppelgänger for the Phillip Lim beauty, I honestly couldn't resist. 

As soon as I saw this amazing dupe I knew it had to be mine within 10 minutes, which I'm aware sounds a little bit sad and like I'm a crazy, but I don't care. Admittedly it isn't leather and therefore in my mind I'm already dreading it falling apart a few years down the line after using it far too much (this is how in love with this handbag I am), but when a bag is this beautiful I cannot just walk away. End of. Especially when it's a fraction of the Phillip Lim price at £39.99.

Excellent work Zara, you've made my month already...and by the looks of your new collection you're going to be making my year (I can hear my bank balance crying already).

x

*image via Instagram here

CHRISTMAS

wearing: missguided feather dress   |   primark polo neck   |   ebay necklace   |   topshop floppy hat    

zara leather over-knee boots

ITS CHRISTMAAAAAS. Well, it was. And the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is my absolute favourite - family, friends, presents and copious amounts of cheese...What more could you ask for? (probably not to feel as glutenous and sick, but carpe diem and that). I was very spoilt, which always happens but my family are the type of folk who don't listen and just keep giving, but I can't complain as I got lots of lovely gifts and even though I feel like I don't need to eat until next Christmas, I had a great day! 

I'd been searching for a floppy hat for a VERY long time and Santa brought me this Topshop beauty (which may I add, I didn't take off all day, pah!). What are the chances? He was definitely listening this year! And even though I HATE post-Christmas sales and find it crazy that people are willing to que before the sun has risen for a bargain, I'll shamelessly admit that I spent the majority of Christmas eve scouring the Topshop online sale and managed to splurge without realising. But in my books, if it's reduced then technically I never spent anything. Wishful thinking...Expect a haul post soon!

Missguided were also a life-saver with this BEAUTIFUL feather swing dress for an amazing go-to. Because obviously, I couldn't find anything to wear Christmas day... 

Cheeky family photos, rubbish cracker prizes and ridiculous amounts of alcohol and food later, it's all done! All that fuss for one day! Until next year...

iFeliz Navidad! 

x

DENIM DENIMS

wearing:   zara coat   |   asos jeans   |   topshop speckled jumper   |   h&m shirt   |   primark necklace   |   primark fur collar   |   river island pumps   |   mulberry handbag

Denim, denim. A bit of a life saver, eh? The do it all piece for when you haven't the foggiest what to wear (this is all getting a little bit philosophical, no?). So why so passionate about denim lately, I hear you ask? WELL, if you're asking, the lovely folks over at Stylight have asked me to take part in a very exciting little blogger competition they're doing, made up of 20 bloggers from the 7 countries they work in competing on a national, then international level for a lovely final prize of an all expenses paid trip to Berlin Fashion Week in Januray (ooh, exciting). The first round (of 3) has a denim theme...hence the excitement.

 So if you have a Stylight account and fancy giving me a follow and a 'heart' on my denim concoction (ha!) feel free to be kind and do so here! Even if not, you can still have a gander around their wonderful site and a nosey at my profile! (But it'd be really nice to go to Berlin Fashion Week. Really nice...). 

AND Zara coat reduced to £29.99 - erm, Hello! Happy Lydia. 

Also, you can check out a little interview-y thing that I did for international shopping blog 'Shopping Unlike' a few weeks ago here (excitingggggg).

*All lovely photos courtesy of Hannah Colligan (Facebook here)

x

THINKING ABOUT... (MAINLY EXPENSIVE) STATEMENT NECKLACES

lusting (clockwise from top left):   zara stones and flowers necklace £29.99   

    lazy oaf unicorn necklace £57   |   zara fabric chain necklace £19.99   |   j.crew jewelled fan necklace £165     

 matthew williamson opulent necklace £495

Here we are again - my good friend 'the lust list'. A few posts ago I mentioned my crazy obsession for the statement necklace (goodbye pastels, hello to the blingiest neck you've ever seen). That obsession, it's fair to say, is well and truly growing every time I enter Zara (I'm getting to the point where I'm having to close my eyes and leave as soon as I enter, why so many nice things that my bank account doesn't want me to have?!). I'm resorting to my new best friend eBay to provide me with my medallion needs at the moment - poor student problems. But from the cheap(ish) and cheerful to the downright expensiiiive, the small to the grand, here's what I'm really lusting/needing in my current phase...

SEEING GREEN

wearing:   h&m knitted top   |   zara faux leather trousers   |   zara sheepskin coat   |   asos loafers |       zara checked scarf       marc jacobs watch

Green. Strange colour. The colour of these trousers immediately reminds me of my repulsive bottle green uniform, endured for a very long 5 years at school. But at the same time I can't help but love it - maybe in a heart-warming, endearing fondness kind of way? Ha. A bargain at £10 in Zara sale last year (sorry, old news but similar here), I immediately snapped these up in black too. I can't help but love a wallet-friendly leather look trouser! And with one of Zara's ah-mazing scarves from this season, school uniform memories are quickly fading. A very Zara themed outfit, no?

                                                                                                                                                                                     x                                           *Hannah Colligan photography, see more here and on Facebook woo!

SPIKES

wearing:   topshop jumper   |   primark corduroy pinafore   |   primark spike necklace   |   marc jacobs watch   |   zara ponyskin pumps

Ahoy there! Long time no speak...again, my apologies, I've been busy with uni and work etc. (with maybe a hint of procrastination on Pinterest thrown in there - it's just SO addictive!). I've also been super busy spending stupid amounts of money on statement necklaces, my new obsession. I've always had a soft spot for chunky, cheap jewellery but could never seem to find the perfect statement necklace, but now I seem to have too much choice if anything - not complaining! And Primark's most recent gems have certainly hit the spot, including this new, sparkly (if not a little bit dangerous) number. Zara have some fab pieces in too, here!

Thrown with some Hugh Hefner-esque pony skin slippers, studded dream! 

x

*Hannah Colligan photography (see her work here and on Facebook!)

BUYMYWARDROBE LIVE AUTUMN EVENT

wearing:   topshop dress   |   zara white cardigan   |   h&m belt   |   topshop cut out boots   |   primark necklace   |   chanel bag 

So last weekend myself and my lovely friend Hannah attended the BuyMyWardrobe Live Autumn Event held at the swanky Kensington Roof Gardens (pish posh, I know). BuyMyWardrobe is an amazing online marketplace for pre-owned designer goods and their live event consisted of just that...amazing pre-owned designer goods everywhere. Think Chanel, Moschino, Christopher Kane, The Row and Christian Louboutin everywhere you turn. Yes, heaven. And a fraction of the original price? Even better.

Unfortunately, my recent spending habits meant I couldn't purchase anything (my bank account is currently crying a river) but we definitely had a good gander. A girl can dream, right? Oh well, free mini cupcakes and champagne definitely made up for the heartache, ha!

And we met the lovely Bridget Sojourner from Channel 4's 'Fabulous Fashionistas' documentary (cue dorkiest photo in the world and a mouth full of free cake...cringe) and then bought a giant Pretzel from Wholefoods. All in all, a very productive day, haha!

Have a look at more of Hannah's beautiful photography here and also on Facebook and the BuyMyWardrobe site here, yeaahhh!

x

PINK

wearing:   river island boucle coat   |   zara t-shirt   |   karen millen snake effect jeans   |   nike vintage blazers   |   vivienne westwood necklace   |   h&m oversized hoop earrings

So, I'm still going through a pastel phase. I'm starting to think it's been a 'phase' for a little while too long though now and is turning more into something I subconsciously go for every single day when I get dressed. I'm not usually an overly girly, pinky person (which I think is why I'm becoming quite horrified by my new tendencies), but I've decided to embrace it with open arms. Feel the pink coat love.

*All photographs are courtesy of the lovely Hannah Colligan (Facebook and Website)

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BOTANICALS

wearing:   zara knot blouse   |   zara multicolour shorts   |   primark leather sandals

Bank holidays are renowned for being a little dull in my eyes. Bad weather? Check. Horrific television? Check. But wait, good weather on a bank holiday monday? Unheard of. So yesterday was a day to exploit the lovely sunshine we'd been given, throw on some shorts and grab an ice cream. Perfect. 

Myself and the famalam headed to the Botanical Gardens in Sheffield for a wander, so it was the perfect opportunity to go a little snap happy in the sunshine and get posey in some plants (cue strangers looking at you like you've grown another head...)

And here's a photo of my dog eating an ice cream thrown in for good measure! Cute.

x