Ho Ho Ho

As it's my first year of writing my blog, I'm not quite used to writing daily and so I kinda missed Christmas!  So to catch up, here are some of the great presents I received over the festive period.

Ted Baker Knitted Cape

Ted Baker Checked Tulip Shape Skirt

Ted Baker Klenze Biker Jacket, in Purple

All the above were chosen by me way before Christmas but I was good and they remained wrapped up til Christmas day :)  Love them all! Needed a new coat for ages and I adore the bright purple that my coat comes in, and teamed with the gorgeous checked skirt, I look fab! As for the cape, I've been freezing at work for weeks so this has really come in handy!

Thomas Sabo Snowflake Pendant Charm

I got a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet 2 years ago from my parents and have managed to collect charms every year from family and friends.  This gorgeous snowflake is the latest addition to the collection, joining a dancing shoe, flip flop, letter A, and a tennis racket.  With the snow this year, I'll definitely remember why I got this one!

Couture in the 21st Century: In the Words of 30 of the World's Most Cutting-Edge Designers by Deborah Bee

Not to sound too loved up, but this present came from my boyfriend and I have to say, it was the most thoughtful present he's ever given me.  As you may know, I'm hoping to become a Trainee Buyer this year *fingers crossed*, and when he saw this in a magazine labelled "Must have for anyone working in fashion" he immediately knew I should have it.  i had never seen this book before so it was a lovely surprise on Christmas day.  And it's a brilliant read!  Really interesting insights on couture from 30 fashion designers, along with pictures of their best collections, including my favourites Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin and Chanel.  Fantastic present and definitely recommend it if you're a fashion geek like me :)

By Ellen Fontana, Sean Hepburn and Luca Dotti

I asked for an Audrey hepburn biography for Christmas and got this instead - not at all a disappointment! It's a collection of the 100 best photos of the fashion icon as chosen by her family and friends.  There are some stunning pictures in here, but also some very humbling images of Hepburn at her most comfortable and natural.  As always though, whatever she did, she looked fantastic and this book only makes me love her more :)

By Nina Chakrabarti

Big surprise from a fantastic friend, this book is just like a big colouring book for fashion fiends! I've already had a good few hours of fun with this one.  Basically, it provides you with lots of pictures and patterns to colour in how you wish, and then provides blank pages throughout the book and asks you to draw a piece of clothing or an accessory on each one.  I haven't taken the plunge and drawn anything myself yet... don't want to ruin the book!  But once I've created some of my favourite designs, I'll be adding them in asap.

As with most women at Christmas, I received too many fantastic presents to mention them all.  These were just a few of the most fashion conscious ones.  Hopefully you've all been just as lucky as I have and have had a fantastic Christmas.  

For now, enjoy your presents and the time with your families (work will come around soon enough!).  

Merry Christmas!

Love

The Christmas Party Dress Part 2

So, as you know, I've been looking for the perfect dress to wear to my Christmas party.  The event is next Friday so I really had to start trying some on!  With that in mind, the boyfriend and I ventured to Manchester.  I had a Selfridges voucher for £70 so aimed to spend no more on the dress and hopefully I could find some shoes I already own!  Despite being hungry and tired, the boyfriend was brilliantly helpful and actually chose the final dress that I purchased.
           
So here were the final six...
       

Miss Selfridge Black Plisse Dress Was £65 Now £45 - This dress was lovely on but for some reason, under the right arm there was too much material making the dress bulge out which was a real shame.

Coast Luca Dress Was £135 Now £95 - Great quality dress but just didn't feel comfortable around the neck with the large bow and sequins scratching my skin.  Look fabulous on and decent discount from original price but still a little too expensive for my budget.

Ted Baker Structured Cissi Dress £104 - Very well made dress but unfortunately the corset style band around the waist just did not flatter my body shape.

Warehouse Embellished One Shoulder Dress £50 - Gorgeous dress, perfect for anyone who wants a stylish dress for a night out on the town.  I just wanted something a bit more sparkly and festive but otherwise, this is a great buy and really nice deep blue colour.

Red Bow Prom Dress Was £60 Now £40 - Beautiful cotton dress, great price, fantastic colour and lovely detail in the bows.  Actually ended up being in the final choice, definitely a good choice for a solid party dress.

The Winner

Oasis Embellished Waistband Dress £65 - This dress was absolutely perfect for what I wanted.  Totally different to anything I've owned before but at the same time remaining classy and glamorous.  The colour is delicate but the embellished waist gives some sparkle, and the fabric is so light, it's the most comfortable dress I tried on all day.  One problem I have, I might have to fake tan a little to make the colour look as good as it can against my pale chest.  Damn this cold weather!!

The Shoes

Primark Black Sparkly Heels £18 - Just a glimpse of the shoes I may chose to wear with the dress above.  So sparkly! 

So that's the outfit.  I'll let you know when I've found some gorgeous accessories to go with it.  Hope you're all having fun finding your own outfits and can take inspiration from the ones I've shown you today.  Comment when you find the perfect one for you, I'd love to hear about them.

Happy dress hunting!

Love and sparkles,

Big Baby Jewellery

I'm sure a lot of people will have heard of Big Baby Jewellery, but I love it so much, I had to show you some of their fantastic creations!


For those of you who don't know, Big Baby Jewellery is a brand of acrylic jewellery and hair accessories sold up and down the country.  I first came across them in Newquay thinking it was just a local business but They sell their products in jewellers and gift shops both online and in store.  One particular website I love as it holds a wide range of the brand's products is www.lisaangel.co.uk  The website also showcases a number of other jewellery brands and is well worth checking out.


Some of my favourite Big Baby products are pictured below.

Rose Acrylic Aliceband in Hot Pink £10.50 - Recently purchased this for a friend at work! Also available in Pink, Turquoise and Orange.

Acrylic Bow Cuffs £11.

Ruby Red Slippers Aliceband £20 - Also available in black.

Hobby Horse Acrylic Earrings £10 - Also available in teal, light pink, mauve, apple green and maroon.

Gingerbread Men Acrylic Hair Clips £9 - A personal favourite!

Oversize Acrylic Bow £17.50 - I own this one! Also available in black, red, dusky pink, maroon, cream, apple green and blue.

Large Acrylic Parisian Flower Cuff £14 - Also available in mint and pink.

Sausage Dog Acrylic Brooch £9 - On my Christmas list!

So as you can see I'm a huge fan of this unique jewellery range.  The quality is fantastic, I've had my brooch for 2 years already and it still looks brand new.  And it's a great price for what you get, giving you the perfect opportunity to find some brilliant presents for Christmas! 

Happy shopping!

Lots of love,

Fashion Horoscopes

In this December's issue of Vogue, they have attempted to interpret the signs of the Zodiac in to fashion trends.  Intrigued, I tried to see how I fit in to my particular horoscope.  On some levels it was fairly accurate, but does anyone ever get the feeling that with any kind of horoscope you seem to change your perceptions of yourself in order to fit in with what the magazine is telling you?!  I've included the entry for my star sign, Taurus, below.  For those of you who know me, let me know if what you read sounds at all familiar to you.  And for those of you who don't know me, it's interesting to have a think about how a horoscope can supposedly define your style as well as your emotional well being.

Picture taken from www.fashioninmyeyes.com

Vogue, December 2010:

Taurus, April 19-May 19

Few express their appreciation for beauty like the Taurean.  Ruled by the plan Venus, she'll be stirred by the jet embroidery on Erdem's black satin evening coat or the ingres-like eyebrows of a young stranger.  With their love of detail, it's small wonder that designers like Muccia Prada, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Dries Van Noten and Christopher Bailey were all born under the sign of the bull.  Appearance-wise they soothe rather than provoke; a style best exemplified by Taureans Audrey Hepburn, Sofia Coppola and Penelope Cruz.  A bathroom groaning with beauty goodies - they were first to snatch up Burberry's new make-up line - and a crammed cupboard of clothes are key to the bull's bon vivant existence.  Hers is a rich palette of red (she should look out for Lanvin's crimson pencil skirt), white and black separates cocktail dresses, evening gowns and the occasional strict suit - which she transforms with her myriad jingles and jangles.  Financially prudent, she invests in known fashion labels but also believes in the occasional cheat - a case of Holly-goes-high-street.

Another horoscope I came across when I started to look in to this whole idea was a little more direct in it's interpretation of my style.

When it comes to your style, you strive to be trendy but comfortable.  You like to wear fabrics such as silk and soft cottons.  Just like your celebrity style icon Audrey Hepburn, your style is simple, timeless and has a touch of elegance.  The zodiac sign Taurus rules the neck so pretty necklaces, scarves and ties look fabulous on you.  The colours you suit are beige, brown, green, black and pastel shades.  Wear sporty tops with bootcut jeans, v-neck t-shirts or blouses, belts with buckles or details, ballet flats, wool jerseys, boots and denim skirts.


It's interesting to see how many different ways people can interpret the time of year we are born against our personality and preferences.  Personally, I'll go with the first of the horoscopes mentioned here.  Not only does it liken me to one of the most fashionable women ever, Audrey Hepburn, but it also mentions my attention to detail.  Recently I began experimenting with dress making, and I constantly find myself adding little details here and there to make the garments just a little bit special and unique.  I am a huge fan of black, white and grey, and I do also have a number of evening gowns that I no longer have the occasion to wear.  So all in all, this was a pretty accurate portrayal of myself!! Of course they're always generic and you end up forcing yourself to fit the pattern, but it's interesting so have a look for yourself!! If anything, it will definitely give you some new ideas of fashion trends you might like to try.


Enjoy the stars,

Food for Thought

I'm currently sat in my kitchen cooking, for the first time, a veg curry from scratch.  It smells pretty good so thought I'd give you guys the recipe.  Stepping away from the usual fashion discussions I know, but bear with me.


Veggie Jalfrezi Curry


Ingredients
Oil
Patak's Jalfrezi Paste
400g Chopped Tomatoes
1/4 Butternut Squash
1/4 Cauliflower
1 Pepper
1 Medium Onion
1 Baked Potato
Rice


1. Boil water in pan and add rice.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until brown.
3. Add curry paste (1/3 of a jar), stir and cook for 5 mins.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, stir in and simmer for 5mins until the sauce begins to thicken.
5. Add 150ml water and diced vegetables and leave to simmer for 15mins.
6. Warm up some poppadoms and get the mango chutney out for a fantastic meal!


So see what you think.  Definitely worth a try, it's really yummy!!


Happy cooking : )


Lots of love,

The Christmas Party Dress

Every girl knows it's that time of year again.  Christmas party dresses are notoriously hard to find, no matter how many shopping trips you have.  And even if you find one, you'll never find shoes to match.  So here's a helping hand.  I've been looking - for a while!- for a dress for my Christmas party this year.  I've organised the whole thing, so naturally I have to look good at my event!! By sharing my research, you'll see there are dresses to fit any budget, even those as small as mine : )

New Look £30

New Look £35

Coast Bouquet Flower £125

French Connection Penelope £140

French Connection Isabella Beads £140

Ted Baker Starion £150

 Biba Cocktail, House of Fraser £185

 Personally, I believe you pay for what you get.  I've tried on the second New Look dress and the Biba Cocktail dress and it's unbelievable the work that has gone in to the latter.  All the beading is exquisite and you definitely feel the quality against your skin.  As for the New Look dress, as cute and budget friendly as it is, there was something not quite right about the fit, and it didn't help much that half the hem was falling down! However, I am still tied to my budget and therefore it is HIGHLY unlikely that I will ever be able to go near the Biba dress again, even if it goes in the sale.  One I really really want to try, is the French Connection Penelope dress.  This dress is the perfect colours for me, grey and pink!  And I especially love the way it flows.  Like a 5 year old girl, I'd be spinning round in that for hours.  So maybe I'll venture to French Connection... just to try it on.  The only harm in that is that I may cry when I see how beautiful it is and remember how tiny my bank balance is in comparison.  But if you never try, you'll never know what you like and what you could have should you one day be lucky enough to win the lottery.


I'll leave you dreaming of gorgeous dresses and fantastic Christmas parties, and if I can, I'll find some shoes to match them all!!


Sweet dreams.


Lots of Christmas party love

Liverpool Fashion Week

Apologies for the lateness of this post.  I'm amazed at how hectic my life has become in recent weeks, and sadly the blog has suffered because of it.


So a few weeks ago, my friend and I managed to get free tickets to Friday night at Bamboo for Liverpool Fashion Week.  The night showcased collections from Matalan, Next and a number of independent fashion boutiques around Liverpool.  It was great to experience something like this outside London, so to help spread the joy, here are some pictures from the night.

Some of the finest winter warmers.

Fantastic black sequin jacket, perfect for those Christmas parties!

Addictive party wear from the showcasers - I love these shoes!! Can't wait till they're available to buy.

Just a few of the other fashionistas in attendance for Liverpool's finest clothing display.

If I'm honest, the highlight of the night was the Matalan display.  Not only did they showcase wearable fashion, practical for all aspects of Christmas time life, but you know that everything you've seen is affordable - always a tick in my boxes!

But overall, it was a fun night and everyone had a great collection on offer.  And as you can see from above, there was even more to look at with the fancy outifts chosen by guests arriving through the night!  If you get chance next year and you're in the area, poke your head round the door.  You might enjoy it :D

Lots of love,