It's the most wonderful time of the year...(PICTURE HEAVY)










This was mine and Mark's first Christmas living together and it was really lovely to spend some time with each other and our friends and family. We had a lot of food and drink and some really lovely presents and I feel very very lucky...

♥ This crystal star ornament c/o The White Company has been making us feel very Christmassy and looks lovely on the top of the tree with the lights. I can't find it on the website but I imagine that you can still get it instore...
♥ Homemade cinnamon swirls (recipe here) were the perfect breakfast and they lasted for a few days which meant I could have them on all 3 days of Christmas ;)
♥ Eaten with a mug of strong coffee...
♥ ... and some freshly squeezed orange juice...
♥ Me looking very pleased with some of my presents from Mark, despite having no room left on my bookshelf, I will always love getting new books!
♥ Trashy DVDs will also always be welcome!
♥ Lovely presents from our friends...
♥ On Christmas Eve Mark and I cooked a roast beef dinner which was absolutely yummy!
♥ Yes I know, another blogger cliche! I love a good scented candle and this one c/o The White Company has been making the house smell gorgeous - it's a heady mix of cinnamon, clove and orange...

What has made Christmas special for you this year?
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Wishing you a very merry Christmas!





I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and to say a MASSIVE  thank you for reading Frills 'n' Spills this year. I will be spending my Christmas surrounded by family and friends and I can't wait! Be right back, I have a Christmas dinner to eat...
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Parlez-vous anglais?

You could be forgiven for thinking that I had fallen off the face of the earth this past week. I was diagnosed with whooping cough on Monday and have been feeling very ill and sorry for myself all of this week. I have barely been outside, in fact, and so when it came to getting dressed this morning, I wanted something comfy and cosy that I didn't have to think about as Mark and I picked up the last few bits for Christmas - exciting! :D

Jacket: La Redoute via charity shop, playsuit: My Yard, top: New Look, tights:Tesco, shoes: Office, glasses: Gok Wan at Specsavers 
 I wrote about how versatile this playsuit is around this time last year and I think this just proves that it can be worn during the day too! I picked up this rather lovely jacket  in a charity shop in Ludlow and it is actually part of a suit set, although I have to confess I am yet to wear the skirt with it. For such a light jacket, it is surprisingly warm and the charcoal grey goes with my entire wardrobe. Not bad for a measly £12! I have never worn anything from La Redoute before but I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more French bargains...
  

I was definitely inspired by 'toutes les choses français' when I got dressed  (can you tell that I have a French A level?!) and this Breton top added an extra layer of warmth. I always find that French women look very elegant but I felt a bit like a children's TV presenter in this outfit, I think it was the mix of the stripes with the brighter colour of the playsuit?! 



Wearing my new 'Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in Lilac Wine (655) which I got free along with some other bits and pieces thanks to spending over £15 replenishing my favourite everyday mascara. It is a gorgeous shimmery purpley pink (funnily enough) which I think would suit most skin-tones and I can see this becoming a nice everyday lipstick...

 Outtake of the day: approval for the lipstick whilst falling over.


I have had this song in my head all day- I love me a bit of Marmaduke Duke!

Are you ready for Christmas? Do you prefer to be elegant or fun?
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SWBXmas...

On Sunday I spent the day with some lovely ladies at The Birdcage in Bristol for the South West Bloggers Christmas party organised by Hayley, Lyzi, Bee and Gina. I had never been to The Birdcage before and I will definitely be going back, I can see why Hayley thought it would be perfect for a blog meet up! I love meeting up with other bloggers, and I will definitely be going to more events next year. I didn't take many photos but keep an eye on the Twitter hashtag for everyone's posts...


I love the lampshades all clustered together, I want a lamp chandelier! 


Birdies on the window!


A rather blurry shot of some bloggers...


Bicycles on the wall above the entrance to the vintage shop...


I want a floral adorned bike! 

  
We had some yummy tea from gorgeous tea pots...


...in vintage cups


...with some gorgeous cake, I chose cherry bakewell, one of my favourites...


THE WINNING TEAM! Sarah, Ceri, Selina and I won a Crown & Glory voucher and a Neal's Yard voucher for coming first in the quiz, I knew reading all those trashy celeb mags would pay off eventually! ;)


 The wonderful Claire who very kindly gave me a lift and looked after me all day on Sunday. Claire is one of the nicest people I have met through blogging and it was lovely to spend the day with her, despite me choking to death for the whole day- I was later diagnosed with whooping cough so her TLC was much appreciated!


The lovely Christmas tree with presents underneath it- I can't wait to see what I got!

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Bejewelled...

This skirt is one of those things that I really love but don't ever wear as there is just so much material in it. The last time I wore it was back in February and I haven't worn it since but it is surprisingly warm and I hate seeing things unworn and unloved in my wardrobe so I decided to wear it last weekend when we actually had some sunshine!

Top: Kookai via eBay, belt: Miss Selfridge c/o Voucher Codes, skirt: M&S, , bag: Marc B via ASOS, shoes: Betty London c/o Spartoo
There's something about this skirt that demands something a bit fancier and I thought this bejewelled belt would be perfect to tie in the slight sheen of the skirt to the neutral jumper. This jumper is another one of those things that just gets passed over, Mark bought it for me after he shrunk my beloved Toast jumper (RIP) and I think that is why I don't wear it as often as I should-- does anyone else get so emotionally attached to their clothing?! 


I bought this bag at the beginning of my second year of uni and I was a woman obsessed; I took this bag with me everywhere. I think this was partly due to the fact it reminded me of Neapolitan ice cream, never a bad thing in my opinion! Unfortunately over-use meant that the strap came off but a natty bit of ribbon and a spot of ingenuity meant that I could still use it as a shoulder bag although I like it as a clutch too as it is reassuringly squishy (technical term, dontcha know...)



I have a lot of brown shoes and boots (see here, here, here, here, here or here for proof!) but when I saw this beautiful pair, I knew that another addition to my collection was inevitable! In my defence I have been looking for a pair of dark brown flats for a while  and this Betty London pair are ridiculously comfy thanks to arch support (hallelujah!) The leather is really soft and I love the fact that the shoes don't gape around the body of your feet. I have been consistently impressed with Betty London as a brand and I would definitely recommend them!


Do you get emotionally attached to clothes?
P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo
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Bottle green and burgundy...

Every year I am drawn to rich, earthy tones and this outfit has managed to combine two of my favourite wintry colours; bottle green and burgundy. This coat was a real bargain from ASDA about a month ago, the colour is gorgeous and I love the fact that it has a belt, (!) regular readers will know that there is nothing I like more in my outerwear! I just wish it was waterproof too, at this time of year, you can't really afford to make a choice between the two! 

Coat: ASDA, scarf: Monki, top: Monki, trousers: Monki, shoes: Office
 Another Monki-tastic outfit here! This scarf is one of my favourite purchases to date and it is so cosy! I love the fact that it is so thick and that I could easily wrap this around me as a cocoon if I needed to, perfect for those early morning commutes...

This burgundy tee has also quickly become one of my favourites, so much so that I am tempted to get the black version too! The fit is the perfect mix of fitted and slouchy and I love the leather trim around the collar- as always it's the little details that make all the difference. I can't seem to find these velvet trousers anywhere on the website but they are the Stevie high-waist pair and are ridiculously comfy, much cosier than jeans too! The only thing I hate is how badly they get covered in fluff but my scarf definitely doesn't help with that ;) They are also ridiculously long on my stumpy shorter legs but until I can be bothered to re-hem them, a turn up will have to do! I just need some inspiration on how to style them without looking like a witch now, any ideas?

Before anyone says, yes I was pretty cold in these pictures but I wanted to show you the kind of things I tend to wear when I am  bundled up underneath a mountain of knitwear and a chunky winter coat! 

What colours do you always go back to? How would you style velvet trousers?
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Liberty print Keds...

Unfortunately, I think this is destined to be one of those outfits which looks (and feels) great in real life but photographs horribly- ah well, at least I don't mind outtakes! This striped dress is becoming quite a regular here on the blog, but when it is so easy to wear, you can understand why, I think this may be the best £1 I ever spent! Although the sky looks very stormy here, Sunday was actually quite warm and one thin layer was enough to keep me cosy...

Dress: Isabella Olivier via clothes swap, belt: Primark, cardigan: gift from Peacocks, shoes: Keds trainers c/o Spartoo, grumpy face: model's own...
This for me is the perfect casual weekend outfit, it is comfortable but not too slobby and an easy way to wear all of your favourite things at once! I have never really been one for trainers but time after time, I find myself drawn  back to my Keds. It could be because my mum always used to wear them, or the fact that they now come in a load of cute prints but really, the comfort value is what wins me over every time. Generally women's shoes don't tend to offer much support so anything with a cushioned sole is a nice surprise!


After much umm-ing and aah-ing, I went for this gorgeous burgundy pair as burgundy is my favourite colour at the moment (as you may have guessed!) but I may collect the Champion Calico in every colour-way  I love the Liberty prints and I have the feeling that these will not be the last you see of Keds on here!


Who is your top pick for comfy shoes? What do you wear on a lazy weekend?
P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo
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Roasted root vegetables with rosemary...

There's nothing I love more than roasted vegetables and the other night for tea, I wanted something to go with some rather tasteless half fat sausages (don't do it kids!) I used parsnips, potatoes, onions and aubergines but if you've got it, beetroot is really nice!



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Confessions of a leopard-print addict...

I never used to like leopard print, the first time I wore it was back in March 2011 and since then I have slowly been adding it into my wardrobe. I have stuck to accessories for now though, as I still worry that I would look a bit 'tarty' in a full blown dress or skirt. I really wish I had the confidence to pull it off! So, when House of Fraser asked if I would like to review this bag I almost bit their hands off. I love a nice mini bag like this and thought it would be perfect for those days where you don't want to carry around the kitchen sink...

Coat: vintage Dannimac via my mum, dress: Mango, bag: Biba c/o House of Fraser, belt:New Look, shoes: Office
I always seem to wear this dress with the same coat and belt, I think the camel coat makes it look a bit classier despite being a really short skirt! ;)


I am always looking for more dresses like this for work, the shape and sleeves are perfect for a temperature variable office. I love the one that Ellie wore here, does anyone have any recommendations as to where I can something similar up? 


As you can see, neither the bag nor the logo is particularly subtle but then, leopard print for me is all about injecting that bit of 'oomph' into an outfit, it's definitely not for those who want to blend in! Saying that, I do like the more subtle purple leather version of the bag, isn't it the most gorgeous colour?! 




The inside of the bag is absolutely HUGE, looks are definitely deceiving with this Tardis of a bag. I managed to fit my phone, diabetes stuff (about a make-up bag's worth of stuff) purse, passport and keys and still have all this room left! I think the 3 separate pockets are fab, especially if you are as prone to losing things as me and I love the print on them too. I'm not so keen on the flap and handle of the bag, it is leather but feels a bit cheap and nasty (and at an eye-watering £179.00 full price, it certainly shouldn't!) The bag is in the sale at the moment for a slightly more reasonable £89.50 which for a sturdy leather bag like this, I think is fairly reasonable even if completely opposed to the essence of the original Biba brand! (where everything was designed to be cheap and disposable)



I desperately need to get my hair cut again but I cannot be bothered to make an appointment. This twisted knot/bun has been keeping out of my (cat) eyes and is a nice way of keeping the curls off my face...


What do you think of leopard print?

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