Happy New Year!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you ring in 2012 in style. I will be raising a glass of bubbly to making more exciting plans...
 See you next year! 

Frankie diary 2012...

  The Frankie Diary: blogger's favourite and possibly the most beautiful diary I have ever owned. Every year I vow to be more organised and this year I think it may have actually paid off! I cannot believe that I have managed to hold down 2 jobs and blog nearly every other day and I plan to carry this momentum well into next year. 2012 will be the year where all my plans finally come to fruition and I intend to work even harder to get there... This beautiful diary will be a joy to use and the beautiful details will ensure that I want to be organised [an unusual feeling for me!] 



Month planners...




Cakes for my birthday! ;) 


Week per page view...








It even has a useful little pocket to keep all of those receipts and' important bits of paper' in! I haven't got pictures of all the fabulous pages inside but with a  budget guide and plenty of pages for for making notes meaning that I have no excuse for forgetting anything ever again! Now I just need to find a pretty pen to write everything in with...

How do you keep organised? What are your New Year's resolutions?

I'm dreaming of a velvet Christmas...

When I saw this dress in the charity shop,it was love at first sight. A pale grey and navy velvet midi dress, it was a blogger's dream! ;) 

Dress: Anna Belinda via charity shop, blazer: Tesco, belt: Primark, bag: Poisson Bleu, shoes: Bertie
I was a little unsure about how to style it after Mark said I looked 'Bavarian' in it but the gorgeous detailing and soft velvet convinced me that it would be the perfect dress for Christmas...


I paired it with a black slip dress and my beloved Bertie heels which showed off the button detail on the bodice and the gorgeously swooshy skirt. 


The name on the label said Anna Belinda and when I Googled it, it turns out they are dress designers based in Oxford. I don't know if this is a custom piece but it fitted like a dream and I couldn't have chosen a better dress for eating my body weight in food in! 

What did you wear for Christmas? How would you have styled it?

Merry Christmas!

 


I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of you lovely people who visit Frills 'n' Spills, a very  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I cannot thank you enough for all of the love and friendship that has been sent my way over the past 2 years and I feel very lucky indeed! 

I have lots of exciting things planned for the New Year and I hope to see you all along for the ride. Be right back, there's a Christmas dinner with my name on it... 





  



Join the dots...

When I saw this playsuit on Urban Outfitters I fell in love, I loved the mini polka dots and the navy colour meant it would slot into my wardrobe without too much fuss. I wore this on the last day before it got too cold to go out in 15 denier tights although I still look a little bit cold in these photos! 

Playsuit: Pins & Needles at Urban Outfitters, bag: Poisson Bleu c/o Sarenza, boots: Clarks c/o Sarenza, necklace: John Lewis (gift) 
This outfit reminds me slightly of nurse's uniforms with the polka dots, a bit of a random style inspiration but there's nothing so chic as navy and cream, especially on such a simple silhouette... I seem to be moving towards sleeker outfits recently, does this mean I am growing up?!


Star of the show were my new shoes, bought with my winnings from Sarenza, these gorgeous grey suede ankle boots are so ridiculously comfy and I was glad to finally add a grey pair to my ever-growing ankle boot collection!


My parents bought this clover leaf necklace way back when and I love it for adding a bit of subtle bling. Plus everyone needs a lucky necklace right?! 


This outfit reminds me of something I would have worn 18 months ago but I think I have managed to put a new spin on a Maria classic!

Who is your unlikely style inspiration? Do you prefer pared down silhouettes?

Sparkly heels...

There are certain shoes that just demand attention, they don't whisper, they SHOUT and these Schuh beauties are such a pair. The lovely Fleur from Most Wanted at Voucher Codes asked if I wanted get involved in their latest campaign; Most Wanted Seasonal Staples which "aims to take a key season trend and enlist fashion experts to help road test the look.  Ultimately we hope this will help to unearth the best high street version of the look" with the look being those ubiquitous Miu Miu sparkly booties. I leapt at the chance, you all know how much I like anything sparkly


Unfortunately when they arrived they were far too small, I ordered a 7 (my usual size) and could barely fit my feet into the shoes. Luckily Fleur and Schuh were fantastic and managed to send out another pair in the next size up. 


 As you can see, these are very high shoes, so high infact that I haven't dared to wear them further than 100m from the house yet. From just walking around inside though, these shoes feel very solid courtesy of the chunky heel. I  felt like a baby giraffe, wobbling around, trying to get my bearings  because they are just so high...


Unless you are used to wearing high high heels I would really advise against wearing these to anything you may need to walk to/from. However, I rarely wear heels, especially high ones so I am a complete novice!


Despite this though, I love them, the black suede means that they should be 'practical' but the sparkles make them irresistible. My inner magpie is crowing in triumph at the SHINY SEQUINS and I am wearing them around the house in the hope that I will (one day) be able to walk in heels!


I mean just LOOK! Apparently if you hairspray the glitter it stops it shedding so much (something I am yet to try) although it does lose some of the colour off the glitter. I ill definitely be doing this as I want my shoes to be glittery, not my carpet... I am so grateful for being able to be involved in something like this, I love sparkly shoes and I would recommend these shoes, just make sure you practice walking in them before you leave the house! If you fancy grabbing yourself this pair or another pair of Schuh beauties then head over to their discount page to bag yourself a bargain! 

Would you wear sparkly shoes? Can you walk in heels?

Fisherman's knit...

A good outfit can completely change the way you feel and when I was strutting round in these jeans and boots I felt pretty damn cool! This thick jumper has been invaluable in this chilly weather and has completely transformed my berry jeans into winter appropriate gear... 

Jumper: Primark, belt: vintage, jeans: Miss Selfridge, boots: Primark, hat: River Island
 A year ago you would never have seen me in an outfit like this but I have been more willing to experiment recently and hopefully it has paid off! I really loved the pairing of the jeans with the boots and I was definitely inspired by the Isabel Marant boots... 


Please excuse the slightly awkward pose, I was trying to show off the dipped back to the jumper. I have always said it is the little details that make something and it was this which first drew me to the jumper, it's especially good for keeping your bum warm if you sit down at cold bus stops! I'm not sure if technically it is a fisherman's knot but it is so chunky and cosy I think it would keep you warm, even on the high seas... 


I used this belt to cinch it in a bot and stop me looking too shapeless. It also had the added bonus of stopping drafts! 


Topped off with my favourite sparkly hat, berry lip stain and my leather jacket (which didn't photograph very well) I felt quite rock and roll, as well as being perfectly cosy, definitely a win in my book! 

What would you pair with a chunky knit like this? How do you transition clothes between seasons?

Maria's party essentials: a little red dress...

I have written before about my love of red dresses and this is one of my favourite 'party' outfits. I bought this dress from Tesco for around £7 and as with most Tesco pieces I absolutely love it and have worn it to death! It is actually a bright scarlet but I think the orangey tones of our living room have made the colour photograph funny...

Dress: Tesco, necklace: Topshop, shoes: Bertie
Plus it has pockets!! How much fun is that?! 

I have just been browsing on Bertie's website (so many beautiful shoes!) and these shoes are still in the sale so grab them quickly! 
Paired with my current favourite bag and necklace. I know it is a bit of a fashion faux pas mixing gold and silver but I figured red and gold was slightly more festive...


My beloved grey suede bag (which I found out that you can wear as a clutch too!) 


The shape of this neckline is just about perfection, I love the sweetheart bodice and the straps are thick enough to cover your bra straps, it is a major bugbear of mine when you have to keep readjusting them under a skimpy dress!

Would you wear a red dress? What colour combinations make you feel festive?

P.S. Congratulations to Sara Falcone, the very lucky winner of the gorgeous Dino-might necklace, let me know your address and I will post it out to you! Thank you to everyone who entered, I will be doing another giveaway very soon so keep your eyes peeled for that :)

Maria's party essentials: a brightly coloured mini-skirt

This skirt is one of those items that never fails to get a reaction, it is fun, flirty and easy to dress up with the minimum of fuss... The hot pink colour is guaranteed to lift anyone's mood and I am glad that Winnie persuaded me to buy it when we went shopping! 

Jacket: Tesco, blouse: Miss Selfridge, skirt: Zara, shoes: Bertie, bag: c/o Sarenza (competition prize) 
Please excuse my worried face, I really loved this outfit but I was obviously concerned about something! 

Love the family photos making an appearance at the back there! 


This blouse has been a favourite for a very long time now and it seems to be one of the most versatile pieces in my wardrobe, I am just a sucker for a sheer blouse with a pretty print! 



The highlight of this outfit though HAS to be this gorgeous bag. I bought it with some of my prize winnings from Sarenza and I couldn't be happier! I think it an extremely worth replacement for my beloved grey satchel bag...what do you think? It is a gorgeous bluey grey suede and the softest bag I own, I swear it would make a lovely pillow! I love the fact I am wearing basically the same outfit in that post too, even bloggers repeat outfits ;) 


Would you wear a bright mini-skirt? Do you like my grey bag?


From Russia with love...

I bought this dress back in March and back then I was unsure about the length but recently I have really been loving midi lengths and this dress has really come into its own. At one point I did shorten it but because of the asymmetrical hem it just looked plain odd so I merely removed the 'Wonder Web' to return it to it's former glory...

Dress: ASOS via charity shop,  faux fur stole: H&M, belt: vintage Laura Ashley, boots:Carvela at John Lewis
I really love the midi length, I think it is perfect for this time of year and the boots give me some much needed height so I (hopefully) don't look too stumpy...


The fact that it is quite fitted also helps to avoid looking like I have pulled on the nearest sack as a dress but unfortunately it's not the most flattering after having scoffed down a huge meal... ah well, food before fashion! ;) 


The warm browns of the fur stole and my favourite vintage belt looked fantastic against the rich wine colour and I felt very Russian with the fur (don't ask me to explain why!) 


My beloved bobble hat had to suffice as I have not yet managed to lay my hands on one of these cossack style hats... I'm sure my local Topshop had a dark brown one but I can't see it anywhere online, so I'm not sure if I imagined it?  

Would you wear a knitted midi dress? Have you got any hats for winter? 

Maria's party essentials: the print dress...

This dress should really have it's own category here on the blog as it has been featured before but then that is what my party essentials are all about! I always think that people assume a print dress is less versatile because it is more distinctive than a little black dress but as with anything, it is all about how you style it. For me, this dress has always been that perfect mix of demure and flirty and has been my go-to outfit for many a party...


Paired with black tights it is perfect for family meals at a local pub and with heels and bare legs, perfect for a date or a trip to a bar!



Patent black court shoes and a classic quilted bag (if only mine was real Chanel!) keep the look classic and leave the focus on the dress. 



I love the contrast of the dreamy pastels of the dress with the rather garish bright pink of my blusher and slick of black eyeliner. I think this would also look great paired with a smokey eye and lots of mascara for a more dramatic night-time look... 



Outtake of the day: courtesy of a sharp gust of wind and a mouthful of hair... it's all glamour here!


Do you have a favourite printed dress?  Is it more versatile than an L.B.D?