Acid Florals

So far, this week has been an incredibly lazy one. I've come down to Plymouth for a few days to visit my boyfriend and seeing as we can't really get out and about much due to the ridiculously cold weather we have resulted to spending a lot of time sleeping, eating and being general slobs - which is actually a welcome break from all the uni work I've had to be doing lately. I also took advantage of his roof terrace for some cheeky outfit photo's, as you can see...

Shirt - Topshop

Skirt - Topshop

Jacket -Topshop

Necklace - New Look

Boots - Boohoo

I picked this skirt up on a recent trip to Topshop. I spotted it as soon as I walked in the door and instantly fell in love, I knew I just had to have it. I've always been a big fan of florals when it comes to patterned garments and the pops of neon colour on this skirt are perfect for brightening up your outfit and lifting your mood during these dull days.

I seem to be gravitating toward skirts as of late, I'm not sure why as they're not something I've ever been a big fan of in the past. I love the a-line cut of this skirt, a little different from the skater skirts and body-con midi skirts that are everywhere you turn at the moment. Teamed with opaque tights and ankle boots it makes a great day time look, perfect for popping to the shops or meeting friends for coffee. For an evening on the town wear with chunky block heels and a sheer shirt. I will definitely be stocking up on more a-line cuts and neon pop clothing in preparation for summertiiiiiime.

Let me know what you think!

Polka Dots

So yesterday I headed to the shops for a bit of retail therapy and for a much needed hair dye. I have been on the hunt for some monochrome bits and pieces to add to my wardrobe ready for the spring/summer (whenever it decides to grace us with its presence). I wanted pieces that were affordable and also adaptable, something that I could mix and match with a range of things in order to really get the most for my money. Basically, I wanted bargains.

Now I'm not usually one to shop in New Look, I rarely find anything in there that I like so I tend to avoid it. But I'd spotted these polka dot print trousers on Gem Fatale's blog and knew that I needed to get them in my life, so off to New Look I went. I hadn't actually expected to find them in the shop to be honest, so I was pleasantly surprised when I managed to find them and in my size - yay! After trying them on I did indeed fall in love, perfect fit and just the right length for stumpy pins.

I gave them a whirl today teamed with a white shirt (Primark bargain), statement necklace also from New Look and black ankle boots. This is a great way to wear the look during these dark and dreary days, but when the sun finally pokes its head out I will be wearing them with an oversized tee/vest and sandals - can't wait!

Shirt - Primark

Trousers - New Look

Necklace - New Look

Boots - Boohoo

End of Week Haul

Excuse the lack of posts this week guys. I spent most of the week sat at my computer writing up work for the two deadlines I had looming on Friday and instead of being able to spend the weekend celebrating, I have in fact been ill since Friday night. It wasn't even self-inflicted, I am genuinely ill and therefore I can (and will) feel sorry for myself. Bleugh.

 

Anyway, before I came down with my mysterious illness I did manage to fit in a bit of shopping time (small victories). I popped into town on Friday afternoon with the intention of browsing and buying a long overdue hair dye, which I actually failed to pick up - damn it.

 

I found myself nipping into Primark to pick up a few pairs of tights but was instantly side tracked, and really rather shocked, by all the new season clothes they had in. Some of it was so nice, just basic items that could be styled in so many different ways, and of course for that price tag it would be rude to walk away. After filling my basket to the brim, I did have to be a bit harsh on myself and put some of it back on the shelves. In the end this is what I settled for (with a few added internet bargains also):

 

 



 

Black and White Slogan Tee - £4 Primark

White Shirt - £10 Primark

Striped Skirt - £6 Primark

Animal Print Maxi Skirt - £10 Primark

Block Heel Shoes - £25 Chocker

Navy Boucle Blazer with Studs - £7 (sale) Primark

Earrings - £1.50 Primark

Hamsa Palm Necklace - £2 Kukee

Diamond Geometric Necklace - £2.50 Kukee

Love Heart Ring - £2 Kukee

Gemstone Ring - £2.50 Kukee

I have to say, it was definitely a successful week with regard to purchases, all soo cheap and all so nice! What a great start to my summer wardrobe! The striped skirt and white blouse from Primark look great together (very fresh, clean and crisp) and will make a great day time look when the weather finally decides to brighten up. The blazer was SUCH a bargain at £7, reduced from £25, it's sort of oversized and can be chucked over a pair of jean and shirt come spring time for a slightly more casual feel to it.

All the accessories featured in the post are also just ah-mazing and again, such bargains! I seem to have stacks and stacks of rings/necklaces/earrings, yet still wear the same few day in day out, so I will be making a conscious effort to be less of a creature of habit and get round to wearing those things that are lurking at the bottom of my jewellery box. And I will definitely be visiting Kukee again in the near future to stock up on more bits and pieces.

What have you all been buying this week?

Midweek Look

Awh it's my dad's birthday today and seeing as I'm not getting the train back to Southampton til later this afternoon it has been very nice to spend the morning with him at least, especially as I seem to be forever missing birthdays. Not much planned for the day, just a chilled, tea-fueled morning at home before heading into town for a coffee and a cake in a bit (caffeine overload?!). Nevertheless, seems like a perfect way to spend the day to me.

I bought the best fitting, figure hugging pair of jeans from Topshop last week. I haven't really had a chance to wear them since seeing as I've been mainly rocking my work's uniform for the past five days. Today was the perfect opportunity to crack them out and although I don't wear jeans all that often, I do adore a pair of good fitting jeans which can often be few and far between, as we all know. As I am rather lacking in the height department the jeans are from the petite section - pretty much where I buy all of jeans from as they are the exact length for my legs and don't have to be rolled up, which I hate! I love the colour too, I don't know if you can tell from the pictures but it's a sort of faded black/dark grey. So cute, and I'm hoping them wont fade quite as fast as black jeans tend to.

I've styled them rather simply today as I have to jump on (yet another) train and I didn't feel like making too much of an effort. The cobalt blue shirt, although one of my favourite colours at the moment, is actually an old one that I bought from New Look about two years ago - yet I still can't get enough of it. I finished the look with flatforms from Primark (borrowed from my sister) and a collar necklace. The versatility of jeans is amazing, I think they would look equally nice dressed up for a evening out with a pair of skyscraper heels/wedges or for a far more casual look you could wear with converse and a tee. What's not to like?!

Shirt - New Look (old)

Jeans - Topshop Petite

Flatform Shoes - Primark

Necklace - Primark

Belt - H&M

Black on Black

The last few days have been strange ones, weather wise. Arctic conditions have returned with a vengeance with the likes of snow, gale force winds and rain gracing my doorstep. Not the best. Anyway, as you can see I did manage to brave the chill and step outside to take a few quick outfit pictures for today's post. I will point out that it did start to snow during these snaps, hence the coat. BURR.

I've had to raid my sisters wardrobe today due to the fact that I've had to stay at home a little longer than planned. It was very unlike me to barely pack any clothing, I always tend to be overly prepared for any and every possible occasion. Luckily, my sister is indeed extremely stylish and I am in slight envy of her wardrobe of late, so really it was the perfect excuse to go snooping and see what I could put together. She will definitely be checking my bags for any missing clothing when I return to Southampton, so no sneaking anything back with me unfortunately. Damn it.

In the end I chose this pleated, slightly leather-look skirt from River Island which she managed to pick up in the sale for over-half the marked price (bargain hunter or what?!), a sequined crop top from H&M (because we all need a little sparkle in our lives) and a pair of flatform studded shoes from Primark. All of these items still had the tags on them this morning, which indicates to me that she may be even more of a hoarder than I am.

Sequined Top - H&M £14.99

Skirt - River Island, £12 (sale)

Coat - Primark, £10 (sale)

Shoes - Primark (£10)

Belt - Primark (old)

Mothers Day Treats

If you've been hiding under a rock lately, you might not be aware that it's Mothers Day tomorrow. Unfortunately I have to spend the majority of the day at work and my sister has gone away for a few days. Due to this we went out for a Mothers Day meal last night instead (which was lush), just so my lovely mum didn't feel as if she was missing out too much. She still has lots of presents to come tomorrow, so I wouldn't feel too sorry for her.

We ended up going to a cute little country pub about a ten-minute drive from our home in Gloucestershire. I have to say the food was ah-mazing and as a result I ended eating faaaar too much but it was just too yummy to resist. I opted for baked Camembert for starters, which I shared with my sister as I'm not that greedy, the biggest fish pie in the world for a main course and lemon meringue pie for dessert plus a few cheeky glasses of wine. I have never felt so full in my life. Cue food coma.

I'd recently ordered a wrap-around velvet dress from Missguided and decided that this was the perfect occasion to give it a whirl. Velvet isn't something I usually go for, but after seeing a picture of the dress whilst browsing the website last week I have to say I feel head-over-heels in love with it. It fits like a glove and has some carefully placed rouching around the stomach area, which I was more than thankful for after my gargantuan meal. It's a great length too, just long enough that I don't have to keep pulling it down to cover my bum. And while I'm listing things I love, I'll also mention the long sleeves (which act like spanx for your bingo wings) and the shoulder pads (not something I've ever worn before, but I'm really rather fond of there effect here).

Velvet Wrap-Around Dress - Missguided, £26.99

Necklace - Primark, £4

Hope you like! Happy Mothers Day everyone!

Rain, Rain Go Away

I've been a bad bad girl this week and, rather unfortunately, blogging has been put aside due to my mounting uni work and shifts at my actual place of work. I'm very sorry, I will try and refrain from this ever happening again! To make up for lost time, I have not just one but (hopefully) two posts for you today. Excited, right?!

If you look out of the window this morning you will no doubt notice that the weather has reverted back to being dull and dreary and really rather depressing, if I'm being honest. I've even gone to the trouble of checking the weather forecast, so desperate am I for a hint of sunshine somewhere in the near future. But no, instead I was (unnecessarily) shocked to find out that there's actually snow on the way. Jeez, spring is supposed to be around the corner - sort it out British weather. Consequently, this has put my summer wardrobe on hold for the time being and the winter uniform of black, black and more black has made an imminent return.

Today I have a busy day ahead consisting of a lightning quick trip into town for a coffee and little shop followed by a Saturday shift at work and an evening filled with uni work and lots of food - because I need some form of treat to get me through the long, long night ahead. I've gone for my much loved leather skirt this morning as I may as well get as much wear out of as I can while I wait for summer to arrive. I've teamed it with a printed shirt, to break up all that black, picked up in the Primark sale for a mere £5, opaque tights and ankle boots. Leather is a great material for dull days like today, it keeps you nice and toasty and, contrary to what you may think, it's just so versatile.

Leather Skirt - Primark, £12

Shirt - Primark £5 (sale)

Hope you like, what are you all doing this weekend?

Spring is Coming

As promised today's post will feature my new found love for cobalt blue. I have recently been reacquainting with said colour purely due to the fact that it is EVERYWHERE at this current moment in time. I have to admit that it will definitely be my go-to shade for the coming months as there is nothing not to like about it. This electrifying shade of everyones favourite colour flatters all skin tones and is so-very versatile, you can team it with clashing brights to really make an impression or dress it down with muted tones and basic items.

I love adding a pop of colour to an outfit, and seeing as the sun is shining today I have been given the perfect excuse to brighten up my wardrobe to match the glorious weather. Seeing as spring looks set to be around the corner, it is most certainly time to start putting away the muted, neutral tones that my winter ensembles often consist of and start breaking out the neons, ice-cream colours and clashing florals that are all set to be big for s/s '13.

Today, as you can see, I'm making a slow start in my transition from winter comfort clothes to stunning summer dressing. I ordered the check tee from ASOS last week. I love the print and, come summer, I will literally be able to wear it with anything from maxi skirts to high-waisted shorts, leggings and beyond. Today, however it is still a bit chilly and I need to jump on a train in a sec so I've opted for jeans and a matching cobalt blue cardigan, which I picked up in the H&M sale a couple of weeks ago for £7. Comfortable, yet stylish - at least, I hope so.

Check Print T-Shirt - ASOS, £22

Cardigan - H&M, £7 (reduced from £29.99)

Jeans - Topshop, £40

Shoes - Boohoo.com, £15

Necklace - Primark, £2 (sale)

Blue Blue Blue

It's the weekend and, being in my third year at uni, I don't have an awful lot of plans that involve anything other than attempting to tackle the ever-growing mountain of work that I currently have piled up. It's safe to say that although I am slightly apprehensive about finishing uni and entering the real world, I will also be more than glad to have my social life back. And not have to make a ridiculously long to-do list for every day of my life. And not feel like my head is going to explode due to information overload. And not have to spend evening after evening falling asleep at my laptop screen, word document open. Yep, exciting times ahead for sure. 

Anyway, rant aside, I did make a quick trip into town today. I suppose this was purely for procrastination purposes, I didn't need to get anything in particular but I certainly needed an escape from the four walls of my bedroom for an hour or two. Fresh air can be very under-rated at times!

I'm absolutely loving cobalt blue at the moment, bright colours always seem to put me in a better mood. It instantly adds a pop of colour to an outfit that may otherwise be a bit dull and it's all over the high street at the moment, hence the reason I haven't been able to resist it lately. Today, I went for one of my much-loved maxi skirts, so easy to wear and a bargain at £8 from Primark. I teamed it with this satin-y top, purchased from Topshop last year and a belt to cinch in my waist and break up all that blueeee just a tad. 

Top - Topshop

Maxi Skirt - Primark, £8

Shoes - River Island, £15 (sale)

Get ready for a few more posts featuring my new favourite colour!