Boux Avenue...

First of all, I have to say, I blame Carla and Paula entirely for this order!  I have always been an advocate for wearing properly fitting underwear but I also like it to be pretty (especially when it doesn't cost the earth!)  Boux Avenue have managed to do just this and I could spend all day browsing through their lookbook online...swoon! 

The packaging was beautiful and was really luxurious and reminded me of the Glossy boxes! I think it would be perfect for that luxe Agent Provocateur feel without the same hefty pricetag...

When I placed my order, Boux Avenue had an offer where you got free knickers with every bra, and I was super impressed that this also applied on sale items, even more bargainacious!

I ordered the dusky pink Georgia set....

.... and the lovely Antoinette set too! I have to say, this is much brighter in real life and would definitely show up under most light coloured t-shirts so do watch that... I was really impressed with Boux Avenue, they have got their delivery service well and truly sorted (this arrived approx 36 hours after being ordered!) and the quality of the products is fantastic, especially for the price- I'm just glad that I found out about it!

I am also going to leave you with a sneak peek of a future outfit post too... keep your eyes peeled for this! 

Would you order from Boux Avenue? Have you bought any bargains recently?

P.S. I haven't  been paid for this review or been sent anything by Boux Avenue, I just fell in love with the site after browsing and purchased these with my own money :)

Mum's the word...

Ever since I was very young, my mum has dressed well and as I have grown up, there are certain pieces that I have just had to snaffle off her. This coat is a case in point, I had been eyeing it up for ages and when she said she was going to get rid of it, I practically snatched it out of her hands! 

Dress: vintage Laura Ashley (stolen from Mum),  coat: Dannimac (stolen from Mum), belt:  vintage Laura Ashley, boots: Carvela via John Lewis, bag: Fiorelli (gift) 

I wasn't entirely sure about pairing the coat with this dress but it was so cold and the flared shapes of my macs just looked wrong with the length of the dress. Plus, when I get something new to wear I put it on immediately!  

Sleeves and a rather fantastic daisy print = dress love! This dress is another piece I stole from my mum's wardrobe, I loved the print and the length is perfect for the colder weather,  long enough to keep my ankles warm but short enough for the hem not to drag in the mud and grime that accompanies the rain at this time of year... 

A preview of my rather fantastic boots. I bought these the other week from John Lewis and I have barely taken them off. They are so comfy and perfect for the Autumn with a chunky heel and most importantly, grippy soles! No more falling over on slippy leaves for me! 

Do you steal clothes from your mum's wardrobe? How do you prepare for the Autumn weather? 

Camel+ tobacco.... a Clarks inspired outfit post...

I think sometimes it is all too easy to get caught up in the pretentiousness of fashion and forget that at the end of the day, getting dressed is supposed to be fun. When I bought this dress I wasn't sure what colours to pair it with but this Clarks advert provided me with all the inspiration I could want. Prepare yourself for some very silly photos!

I unfortunately don't have a cute dog to cuddle so I had to make do with a cuddly toy dog from when I was a baby! :P 

 My colour scheme was slightly different but this advert provided me with the inspiration I needed for styling this up... 

Coat: Vintage Dannimac (stolen from my mum!) dress: Mango, belt: New Look, tights: Primark, boots: Carvela from John Lewis, scarf: gift from Mark's parents

This coat is so so cosy and perfect for the Autumn  chill and adds an edge of sophistication to all of my outfits, a classic camel coat is a wardrobe classic!

A better look at the colour of the dress and the look of love reserved for my wonderful co-model, Zac.

I honestly cannot praise these boots enough- they are possibly the most comfortable shoes in my wardrobe and the perfect colour to go with pretty much all of my Autumn outfits...I love it when a plan comes together! 

I have only just noticed the piece of fluff on my dress in these pictures, how annoying! I have been wearing this leopard print belt with everything recently, it has been the perfect accompaniment to all of the rich colours I have been wearing. 

I really loved taking these photos and I hope you find them a bit more interesting than my usual outfit posts :)

Should I make Zac a regular feature?! What has been inspiring you recently? 

Imperial purple...

I love rich colours and my favourite one to wear is purple. This dress always reminds me of 'the purple one' in the Quality Street tins crossed with imperial robes- no bad thing in my opinion! It is the perfect outfit for wearing to meals and going out for drinks so it was my first choice for a family party this weekend. 

Dress: Tesco, leather jacket: New Look, tights: Sainsbury's, shoes: New Look

 With a dress this snazzy, I kept the rest of the outfit simple, opting for my favourite jacket and some trusty black opaques. 

This dress has pockets, POCKETS! 

As ever, the little details are the best part of any outfit and the pleated sleeves and back detail make this dress look much more expensive than the £7 I paid for it! I have to say, I am always very impressed with the quality of Tesco clothing, especially for the prices!

I cannot wait to get my hair cut again, all of my layers have grown out and it's got to a point where I can't do anything with it. I'm not sure whether to go shorter (just above the shoulder) or to keep on growing it?  

When I saw these shoes in New Look I fell in love and although they are very high, the platform makes them slightly easier to walk in although I will never be someone who wears heels everyday!

Which shops do you always go back to? Can you walk in heels?

Apple and blackberry sponge pudding recipe...

Apologies for the lack of foodie posts recently! I have been training and working long hours for my job at Asda, ready for opening our new store (which I am very excited about!) so I haven't had much time to eat/cook anything worth photographing until Mum made this gorgeous apple and blackberry sponge the other day. There's something about the combination of blackberry and apple that always reminds me of Autumn and this recipe is a good way to use up 'offensive' looking apples and perfect for easing you into the chillier months...

Grease a small glass dish and add chopped fruit.

Add sugar to taste...

 Weigh out 4oz of butter,  4oz sugar and 40z flour onto one bowl and add 2 eggs...

Cream mixture until pale and smooth...

Add to the dish on top of the fruit...

Cook at 180 °C until golden brown

Serve with lashings of thick creamy custard! 

An' oh so simple' yet utterly delicious recipe which you can adapt to fit whatever fruit you have in the freezer/in the garden and so quick and easy to make too!

What puddings remind you of Autumn? Which fruit would you pick for your pudding?

Berry jeans...

I find that the best outfits are the ones that are thrown on at the last minute and this was no exception. I had had my eye on these jeans for quite a while now and when they arrived as a surprise present from Mark I was super excited to try them out. Ever since they arrived, I have barely taken them off and I loved the mix of rich tones when I paired them with this top. I love how easy jeans are to wear and these berry beauties are more interesting than the other pair that I own...

Jeans: Miss Selfridge, top: New Look, shoes: Dorothy Perkins, bag: vintage from the Clothes Show

I have found that printed tops look best with them and the print on this one managed to pick up the tone of the jeans whilst being a bit more interesting than a plain t-shirt or blouse. 

Watch: DKNY (gift)

Although I love these jeans, it has been quite a shock to wear something this fitted, as these show every lump and bump! Luckily looser tops and leg lengthening nude shoes have eased me back into wearing 'super skinny jeans' - something I never though I would be saying! 

My little brother took these photos and I have to say I was really impressed! He was directing me as he was taking the photos and managed to take some that were really rather fantastic! 

Would you wear berry jeans? Who do you get to take your outfit shots? 

Seeing red...

I bought this skirt off the lovely Jazmine back in May and when it arrived and I unwrapped it from it's beautiful packaging, I was stumped. I loved the colour and the volume but I wasn't sure how to style it so it disappeared to the back of the wardrobe unloved and unworn. 

I refuse to be defeated though and so I pulled it out today to try with my new favourite top... I picked this up in my favourite charity shop and it has proven so versatile, adding that little bit extra to any outfit. This outfit turned out to be so so comfortable and I was surprised at how easy the skirt was to wear. 

Skirt: Marks & Spencer via Jazmine, top: Warehouse via chairty shop, belt: vintage Laura Ashley, shoes: Office, bag: Fiorelli (gift) 

Usually I would tuck my top into a high-waisted skirt but I left it untucked and belted it for a bit more definition... For some reason, the hemline of this top, with the skirt reminds me of a tulip...anyone else?!

A pop of red lipstick to top it all off! I never used to wear sleeved tops but recently I have been drawn to them, especially if they are sheer like this...

Outtake of the day comes courtesy of me trying to show how swooshy the skirt is, I love how my legs look about 2cm long, haha! 

How would you have styled this? Do you like a sartorial challenge? 

Comfort zone...

I have always envied people who could throw on a pair of jeans and look effortlessly good, I unfortunately never managed to find a pair that fitted both my waist and  hips and so I gave up. Recently though, the acquisition of this shirt from ASOS reignited my desire to find a pair of jeans that fitted me. 

Shirt: ASOS, jeans: Boden via charity shop, belt: New Look, shoes: NW3 from Hobbs, bag: Fiorelli (gift)

 I found these jeans the day I left uni, in my favourite charity shop and where usually I would walk past, for some reason I picked them up. The denim was soft and I thought that the flared shape would help ease me back into wearing jeans which I haven't done for about 2 years. 

As you can see, the flares are huge and I needed my highest heels on to stop them dragging on the floor. The flares, wooden heels and billowy blouse made my outfit look quite 70s which I didn't realise until I was looking through these photos! 

This blouse is so comfortable and I loved the little quilted detailing on the shoulders, I always think that it is the little details that make a difference to an outfit! I am also in love with the Max Factor lipstains and I am wearing 'Marshmallow' in these pics... 

OOTD: Outtake of the day featuring Cousin It...

Based on these pictures, I think we are definitely experiencing the tail end of all of the hurricane weather! My hair looks like it's going to blow off my head, haha! I have to say, I can see why some people can't be separated from their jeans, these were really comfy and so easy to wear, I will definitely be turning back to these when I want something quick and easy to wear... 

What do you think, can I pull jeans off? How would you style this shirt? 

My love affair with Laura Ashley...

Whilst I adore Autumn clothes, I think floral dresses will always be my favourite thing to wear. I found these pictures on my computer and had to share them with you before summer becomes a distant memory... If you are a long-term reader of this blog, you will know how much I love Laura Ashley. Their clothes are beautifully made and although initially (fairly) expensive, do last for years. Their dresses have to be some of the most flattering garments on the high street and best of all, parent approved ;) I first saw this dress a few months ago whilst still at uni and sadly had to leave it on the rail as it was just too expensive to justify. When it was reduced in the sale though I had to have it and it now has pride of place in my wardrobe... 

Dress: Laura Ashley, sandals: Marks & Spencer, cardigan: Mango, bag: vintage

 There's just something irresistible about the gorgeous floral print and the pop of coral was the cherry on the cake! I also loved the fact that the dress is fully lined, so few shops bother to do that nowadays and it is one of the reasons why I love Laura Ashley so much! Their dresses always remind me of Char (who always looks stunning!) It's weird how you associate particular brands or styles with bloggers, I always find myself saying "That is totally so and so..." when I am out shopping! 

 It is strange, I am usually wary of midi lengths on skirts but on dresses I never seem to mind, maybe because the hard work of matching a top half has been done for me?! The skirt on this dress is so swooshy, I felt like some kind of princess when I wore it! 

Wearing the dress with sandals probably wasn't the best idea with my stumpy legs but they were so comfy and a bargain at only £6 from good old M&S and I bought them at the same time as my bargainalicious coat... that was definitely a good day's shopping! The striped pattern on the sandals adds a bit of pizazz to any outfit and they are ridiculously comfy... what's not to like?! 

Apologies for the awkward looking pose here, it was so difficult to get a decent picture of the crossed straps at the back without just focusing on my rather freckly shoulders! The straps are adjustable thanks to some rather cute buttons and again, I think it is this kind of attention to detail that is really worth paying for!

Although this dress won't get a lot of love during the colder months (sob!) it is the kind of dress I will keep for years and put back as soon as there is the slightest glimmer of sunshine, definitely a wardrobe classic! 

Do you like Laura Ashley? Have you tried midi lengths?