Frills 'n' Spills

As a blogger I have been lucky enough to do all sorts of wonderful things but I think one of the best and strangest things I have done so far is having having my face printed onto a some playing cards. Yes you read that right, along with some of my favourite bloggers (oh hai Sarah, Carla, Gem and Michelle!) I am officially part of the Best of British Fashion Bloggers card game!

I don't know what it is about wearing bright blue recently but I really can't get enough of it. You all know how obsessed I am with Monki too and, like my neon jumper, these slouchy trousers were another £8 bargain - I have worn them so many times since I bought them! This outfit is a weird hybrid of brightly coloured TV presenter and bad 80s workwear. I blame the trousers, personally.  Initially I was going to go for a more neutral jacket but I actually really love the bold primary colours together and it makes for a much more interesting outfit. The beauty of wearing bright blocky separates is that if you do get too self-conscious, you can just lose the jacket and you've got a much more conventional work outfit - perfect for more conservative offices!

Gloomy days call for bright clothes and they don't get much brighter than this jumper! Another Monki bargain, it cost a mere £8 in their sale and it is the perfect 'inbetweeny' jumper, warm enough to keep you warm but not so thick that you boil to death (anyone else who thinks that their work has put on the central heating far too early?!) Before it arrived, I didn't realise  just how bright it was but this is one very loud, very neon jumper! Despite worrying that it might be a bit *much*, every time I have worn it, I have had so many compliments from pretty much everyone who has seen me in it. If you are feeling grey, this neon cherry red Trudy jumper is a mood-booster in knitted form...  Although I like bright colours, I never think of myself as liking neon clothes (too many uni flashbacks) but this was way more wearable than I expected . Because the colour is enough of a statement on its own, I opted for my favourite stripey dress and plain shoes to (try) and tone it down a bit. 

I never used to like layering jumpers up with dresses but recently it has been my go-to when I'm not sure what to wear- all the fun of a skirt without having to find a top that matches! You all know how much I love Max Factor lipsticks and it seems I'm not the only one! This perfectly pinky coral is the 'Bewitching Coral' shade and the lovely Amy is also a fan (although it looks like a completely different colour on her!) Being matchy- matchy may not be cool but if this is wrong, I don't wanna be right! 

How do you make neon more wearable?

I was clearly looking to a slightly earlier decade for inspiration than I usually would here, I don't usually wear anything non-fitted or oversized but there's something about Monki that forces me out of my comfort zone, I love the cool yet accessible Scandinavian feel of their clothes, even if I'm not a tall willowy blonde! This is the cream Precious jumper dress which I really love, I am seriously tempted to get the blue version too... I really like the relaxed shape of it and paired with my string of faux pearls, it felt very 1920s inspired. I can imagine it looking really nice with some t-bars or Mary Jane shoes for a dressier look too which is always good. You can't go wrong with a good jumper dress in Autumn/Winter! 

When John Greed got in touch with me to ask whether I was interested in reviewing some Pandora charms, I was a little dubious - I have never liked the silver bracelets. But when this grey leather bracelet with this charm arrived, I fell in love and I have worn it every day since. I have even started a wishlist of the charms I want (*cough* this owl one *cough*) It is strange how the people who are most disapproving of something become the biggest converts ;)

Are you a fan of charm bracelets? Which charms would you recommend?

You can see from these photos that the weather has changed and Autumn is well and truly here. Just like every other blogger out there, Autumn is my favourite season and I have been enjoying the slight chill in the morning as I leave for work. I'm sure all of this will change when the temperatures drop proper but for now I am feeling pretty happy. I once read somewhere that people are most comfortable in the season that they are born in so my affinity for Autumn is bred in ;) I am a real fan of wearing bright colour when it is grey outside and this Matalan blazer has been getting a lot of wear recently!

This top also gets worn a lot, this time I paired it with red nails and a blue blazer rather than a red blazer and blue nails! I have been repeating the same outfits (or at least elements of them) a lot recently, I need a dash of inspiration from somewhere I think, staring at Pinterest and wishing hard for a new wardrobe just ain't cutting it!

Believe it or not, these are only the second pair of blue shoes that I have ever owned and they have barely left my feet. I am always impressed with Betty London shoes and this pair fit my feet like a glove. The only other brand that comes close for me at the moment is Clarks. It can be so difficult to get ballet flats to fit properly but these hug my feet and even have support for the balls and arch of my feet - winner!

What's your favourite season?

I remember, back when I first started this blog, I seemed to go on a lot more day trips but recently, that seems to have fallen by the wayside slightly. I don't know whether this is because I forget to take photos or perhaps just because I don't tend to go on as many little trips anymore but Mark and I have both said that we want to bring back our day trips and explore a little bit more. We live in such a beautiful area, it seems a shame not to visit as much of it as possible...

Last time we visited Ludlow (back in November last year) it was absolutely freezing and rained for the whole day but despite some thunderclouds the weather was perfect...

I know some people can be a bit snobby about supermarket clothing but some of my favourite pieces have been picked up alongside my weekly shop! F&F recently got in touch about their 'How You're Wearing It' feature and asked me to choose my favourite piece from their range and show how I would style it up. In the end, I chose this red pinafore dress (my love of red dresses is well documented on this blog!) and as is usual with pinafore style dresses, I paired it with a stripey top - this here is one fashion blogger who isn't afraid to mix it up ;)

I really love the fit of this dress, it hits at that perfect sweet spot just on the knee and the pleats are fab, plus you just can't beat a swooshy skirt....I know it will get a lot of wear layered up with long sleeved tops in the winter and I have a few jumpers that would be perfect for that preppy/schoolgirl vibe I love so much! I bought the dress in the next size up so I could layer it but to be honest I didn't need to, there is more than enough room...

Looking at these photos, I probably should have worn some lipstick with this but at the time it looked a bit much with the glasses, I guess photos can be deceiving!

Which things are you loving from F&F this Autumn?

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Clothing at Tesco

It's just typical, I really loved this outfit but all of the photos came out looking really bizarre, mainly due to the light. I have to say (starting early on the moaning here!) I really miss taking photos outside during the winter, natural light is way more flattering first thing! I am lucky enough to be able to wear nearly anything to work and  my work outfits tend to be pretty casual but I try to incorporate smarter elements, like this blazer, and keep my skirt lengths relatively appropriate. 

When F&F got in touch recently to see if I wanted to review a dress from their new 'Magic' range I have to admit that I was intrigued. This dress promises to 'smooth the tummy, shape the bottom and thighs and define the silhouette' which are some pretty big promises for one dress and I have to say I was pretty dubious! The dress features an under layer that is supposed to act like Spanx to smooth away the lumps and bumps but this ends up making the dress very tight. When it came to putting it on, I really struggled and it looks like other people found the fit very tight too, I guess if you just squash everything down it makes it more streamlined, right?! 

There's something about dressing like a schoolgirl (not like that!) that I just can't resist (see here, here and here for proof) and this outfit felt like a rather strange mixture of Wednesday Addams, a Puritan costume with a dash of schoolgirl thrown in (I blame the satchel). I don't tend to wear monochrome outfits very often but occasionally something a little more severe helps to shake me out of my sartorial style rut...This green coat has barely left my back over the past two weeks, chilly rainy mornings have sent me running back to my coat collection faster than you can say 'back to school'.

This top was a charity shop bargain from Primark which I really love, the print reminds me of terracotta tiles and the colours are deliciously seventies - what more could you ask for in a top?! My beloved mustard cardigan provides the perfect layer to protect against the creeping Autumnal chill. I am really looking forward to wearing cosy knits and ankle boots again but the colder weather has been a bit of a shock in the mornings, I need to get used to it again!