Sequins and Sparkles

Well, the festive season is just about still upon us with New Years Eve still to come and what better time to get your sequins on! If you can't go all out for sparkles at this time of year, I don't know when you can :) With the sales well and truly under way, I've been taking advantage of all the bargains on offer and turned into a bit of a magpie... Here's just a few of my recent purchases from ASOS - those who know me will be aware I'm a little addicted. Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and got your NYE outfits sorted to bring in 2013 in style!! xo

Dear Santa

   

2013 diary to document all the excitement that the new year shall hold :) / Barbour jacket so I can be stylish AND practical!

   

Christmas jumper for warmth and festive spirit / A new onesie only to be worn in the comfort of my own home!

   

Mulberry bag, a lot to ask but a girl can dream! / I'd like someone to find me the perfect pair of black boots, something I've been in search of this winter

   

Above knuckle ring from online jewellery store The Bohemian Collective / The most cute and snuggly snow leopard winter warmer from SpiritHoods

Seeing as I've been oh so good this year AND Christmas is in just 11 days time (eek!) I thought it was about time I shared my wish list with you :) xo

Festive London

The start if this week was spent in London getting just a little taste of living and working down there, albeit whilst staying in the comfort of a central London hotel! Fingers crossed that I'll be spending much more time in our capital come 2013... Although I'm a Northern girl born and bred, part of me has always felt at home in the South (as cheesy as this may sound!) with a lot time spent there visiting family from a young age. Anyway, this little visit was by no means all work and no play! I got chance to meet and catch up with a couple of my beautiful friends and spend a wonderful evening at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. I left feeling very festive and full of the spirit of Christmas! I'd recommend a visit for anyone who has never been like myself, it's pricey for amusements and rides etc but free to stroll around and take in the festivities :) Next time I will most definitely be trying out the ice skating! Here's a few snaps of my little trip, my fabulous new Trilby hat, the gorgeous Anna and Kristie, my very first mulled wine (yes, I am 22 years old and have never tried it) and THE most festive restaurant ever. Delightful! Love as always and look out for more festive posts very soon... 16 days until Christmas! xo

ISWAI

I have not blogged for what seems like a lifetime, so just thought I'd share with you all one of my favourite brands to check out yourself! ISWAI is Caggie Dunlop's own creation, an up and coming brand which gives young designers like myself chance to respond to individual briefs and see their own work transformed into reality. The products channel Caggie's own effortless style and personality in clothing and jewellery ranges and it is already fast becoming one of my favourite brands and one to watch in the industry. The logos and graphics of the tees are unique and interesting and the diversity of illustration really reflects each designer, which is what I love. The jewellery and accessories speak for themselves, my favourite pieces being the agate and amethyst necklaces, absolutely perfect for accessorising a casual outfit for daytime or glamming it up at night. Shall definitely be on my Christmas list! xo

Casual Friday

Today was a lazy day whilst waiting for the arrival of my friend who is up North visiting for the weekend. Bearing that in mind, my outfit choice for the day was pretty dressed down but nevertheless included some favourite pieces from my wardrobe right now. I had been on the hunt for a denim shirt for a long while before I found this boyfriend fit style on ASOS. It caught my eye because I wanted something a little different and this one has the contrasting stripes and spots worked into the denim as well as being a little longer, perfect for wearing with leggings. It's pretty much been a staple item in my wardrobe since it arrived :). Today I teamed it with my American Apparel disco pants which I finally splurged on a few weeks ago after considering many of the dupes but deciding to go for the real thing! My new hamsa hand necklace is my go-to accessory at the moment and I wear it with practically everything, I love a piece of statement jewellery plus it looks like something I may have picked up in Morocco over summer. In reality, you can get your own at Urban Outfitters for just £14! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend xo

Disco Nails

Firstly, I must apologise for my lack of posts in the past couple of weeks, bad blogger I know! It's not that I have nothing to blog about, just the lack of time between work and other stuff which makes me sad. So I definitely need to get back on track and I shall start off with a little rave about my new nail polish. Last week I had a little shop around town and came across this little gem from Barry M, it's like a representation of me in nail paint! Now it's not like I needed more but I couldn't resist, the shade is Rose Quartz Glitter if anyone wants to go out and get one of their own. As with most glitter polishes, it takes a fair few layers to create a substantial effect BUT totally worth it in the end. I decided not to go for an all over glitter effect but painted my nails in this Indigo polish first, another little gem that I rediscovered under all my other polishes whilst trying to decide upon a base colour! Then I just went for a glitter tip, kind of like a twist on the french tip and a bit toned down for the day time whilst still being absolutely perfect for dancing the night away :) Finally, if you've got the time (and patience) a top  coat is always good to add just that extra little bit of shine! I love my nails inc. Kensington Caviar Topcoat which actually dries super quickly so I'd definitely recommend paying that extra bit more for this one :) xo

Holiday Blues

T-Shirt, Primark / Trousers, Own Design / Shoes, Topshop

Maxi, ASOS / Strapless Spot Print Dress, Topshop

T-Shirt, As Above / Trousers, H&M / Shoes, Macy's

 Things have been a little hectic so apologies for the gap in posts! I'm getting used to my work filled days and to be quite honest it's nice to be doing something productive with my time so can't complain… As much as I loved my lazy summer! Talking of which, the weather seems to have taken a turn towards Autumn and it's getting duller by the day (boo!) I think it's only a matter of time before I won't be able to get away with summer outfits posts anymore so here is just one more selection of my holiday ensembles and then I promise I'll start being a bit more practical and throw some Autumn inspired outfits at you lot. The coral trousers were actually part of my final collection at the end of 3rd year... They're made from woven silk with my own embroidery design worked onto the back pockets. After the amount of time and hard work that went into every garment I made, I must say it was nice to get some wear out of something and I felt pretty proud sporting one of my own creations! I didn't want anything too fussy on top so I just picked up this peplum t-shirt for £4 from primark, not normally my go-to shop but pretty good when it comes to basics! My sandals, mentioned in the previous post were a spontaneous buy from Topshop right before I went away and became my staple shoe for evenings. Even better, they were an absolute bargain at just a tenner, well worth every penny! I'd been lusting after this cut out maxi by Love on ASOS and it's such a classic, easy style to wear, I'm sure I'll be pulling it out of my wardrobe for years to come... The strapless dress is just an old fave of mine from Topshop and my paisley trousers, purchased back in April from h&m are so comfy and brighten up any outfit, a definite summer staple of mine :) xo

Biba Fever

Kaftan, Biba / Sandals, Topshop / Hand Harness, Miss Selfridge

One of my favourite things on holiday is getting dolled up for the evening and going off for dinner. This kaftan was just too pretty to waste over my bikini in the day and it made the perfect cover up in the breezy nights plus a bit more modest for the Moroccan clubs. I've had it since last year but still love it so much and only ever get my wear out of it when on holiday. It came from the Biba range at Asda (who would have thought!), a bargain find on my mother's behalf costing a mere few pounds! Oh, and just a quick word about my shoes, which I practically wore 24/7 whilst away. Also an absolute steal from Topshop but I shall have a little rave about these in my next post! xo PS, Apologies about the cheesy title, I couldn't resist.

Memoirs of Morocco

I couldn't leave Morocco without bringing back a few little gems to remind me of my travels. You can see me prancing around on our terrace in my traditional Moroccan dress... And my totally impractical but beautiful traditional gold slippers. Those who know me well will be aware that I'm a bit of a jewellery obsessive and I love picking up unique pieces wherever I go. My favourite find from this trip has to be the dainty little silver bracelet... The symbol of a hand represents protection out there and makes for the perfect reminder of my time in Morocco :) xo

Morocco Morocco

For the past 10 days I have been sunning myself in the beautiful Morocco and as much as I love my home comforts I am pretty sad to be back! But happy to be getting back into the blogging world, it feels like I've been gone a lifetime. It was a laid back on holiday but I managed to get out and about to see some of the sights and absorb the Moroccan culture which I absolutely adored. We didn't get to Marrakech but I've heard it is more worth while to stay there a few days rather than cram into one day trip so that's on my future holiday wish list... These are just a few snaps of what I got up to :) More outfit posts soon, I promise! xo