Jazzy skirt...

When I won the lovely Law's Tesco voucher competition a while ago, I was really chuffed. I love Tesco clothes and I couldn't wait to pick out some new bits and pieces for my wardrobe. I usually head straight for the dresses but I have been trying to incorporate more separates into my wardrobe so instead I went for this lovely boxy top and patterned skirt. Paired with my bright blue blazer and my oversized glasses, I was told that I looked like a bit of a marketing cliché , can you tell that I work in a creative industry?! ;) I wore this outfit to chair a meeting and it was perfect, I felt confident, but still pulled together, a difficult combination to get right! Until I can steal Harriet's wardrobe, this will have to be my go to when I need a little confidence boost...

Blazer: c/o Matalan, top: Tesco, skirt: Tesco, tights: Tesco, shoes: Clarks, necklace: New Look

I was so pleased when I unwrapped this top, I wear a lot of white tops and am always pleased to add another one to my collection. I love the sleeves on this one and the fact that it is slightly textured is just the icing on the cake. It is a boxier shape than I would normally wear but I think this works better with a bodycon skirt or skinny trousers. I don't play with the proportions of my clothes very often but I think I need to based on how much I love this top!


Here you can see the texture of the top a bit better and also the gorgeous pattern on this skirt. I sized up as I didn't want it to be too skin-tight but actually the fit is pretty generous, so definitely go for your usual size or even one down. This was sitting a lot lower on my hips than I would like but at least it made it a slightly more work-appropriate length! Sometimes I find patterned skirts quite difficult to wear but I think with a shorter length, they are quite a fun way to add a bit of interest to an outfit, what do you think?


 How would you style a patterned skirt? 

Blue, yellow and red...

Blue, mustard yellow and red

Blue, mustard yellow and red by Maria Fallon


When Modcloth emailed me and asked if I wanted to participate in their 'Uniquely You' campaign I couldn't wait. I love Modcloth and although I haven't used my profile for around 4 years, I used to love Polyvore and this was a pretty fun way to get back into it. It definitely isn't helping my shopping habit to be looking at all these pretty clothes though ;) I have featured the Lead by Example dress which is the perfect blank canvas. Can you tell I am loving all things primary coloured at the moment? Click through for more detail on these pieces and don't blame me if you want to buy it all!

How would you style this dress?


P.S. Modcloth asked me to make this collage but I have not been compensated for this post!

Gold and burgundy...

A couple of weekends ago my grandparents threw a mini party (read cake and ice-cream) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their engagement. You know I take any excuse to dress up and this burgundy dress was ideal for the chilly weather. Burgundy is one of my favourite colours to wear and it feels really decadent (especially when paired with faux fur and gold accessories) It was massively windy when Mark was taking this pictures so they look pretty silly but they were also quite fun, it's impossible to take yourself too seriously when the wind is threatening to blow you over! 

Coat: Topshop, dress: Tesco, necklace: Accessorize, shoes: Topshop
This dress is such a lovely fit and it was so nice to style it up in a more fun way than I would usually would. It is a work staple but usually black tights and a cardigan are as exciting as it gets so bare legs and gold accessories are much more interesting! I'm not sure why I look so grumpy in these pictures, I was actually grinning my head off when we took these pictures!


I picked up these gold sparkly shoes in the Topshop sale a few weeks ago for a mere £7 and they are my favourite shoes at the moment (no word of a lie, I am seriously tempted to get the monochrome pair too!) There's nothing like a pair of gold sparkly shoes to cheer you up! 


Wearing lime green and Doc Martens...

I have tried a lot of things since I started blogging (wearing leggings, rediscovered jeans and peplums) but I honestly never thought that you would one day catch me on an outfit that combines two unlikely pieces of clothing. Although I love bright colours, I have never worn lime green as I was convinced that it didn't suit me and that I wasn't able to pull it off. Great on other people but just not for me. The same was true of Dr. Martens and yet here I am , proudly sporting a pair (and outside of the house too!) This White Stuff jumper was another kind gift from Matilda and it has been sitting in my wardrobe for months as I had no idea what to pair it with. Luckily my trusty black pleated skirt came to the rescue and actually made this whole ensemble feel much more 'me'. I may never be super cool but I can at least use the DMs to add some edge to my usual girly appearance! 

Jumper:White Stuff via Matilda, camisole: Laura Ashley via Mum, skirt: French Connection, belt: Miss Selfridge, necklace: Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, shoes: Dr. Martens

This gorgeous necklace was a purchase from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry (well worth a visit by the way) and it is one of my favourites. I am pretty rubbish with accessorizing (unless belts count) and always worry that I have overdone it on the jewellery stakes but luckily this necklace is delicate enough not to be overwhelming...


I have had these boots for a while now but every time I came to wear them out of the house, I chickened out. They just seemed like too much of a statement but the bad weather seemed like the perfect opportunity to bust them out and oh boy am I glad I did! This has to be one of my most complimented work outfits EVER (and it couldn't be more different to this one!) and I felt great in it. It just goes to show that a little sartorial experimentation never hurt anyone! I was a bit worried about looking stumpy but a good pair of black tights helped to avoid that (I hope!) and I will definitely be wearing another variation of this outfit sometime soon, I have plenty of jazzy jumpers to try with it! 


How do you get out of your comfort zone? Any tips on how to style up my DMs?

The Brit Pack Valentine's Edition...

As you may have seen, I recently teamed up with some fabulous British bloggers to do a huge giveaway. It was so much fun to work with these awesome bloggers and so we've decided to keep the name 'Brit Pack' and all create a post with the same theme, on the same day once a month. This month's theme was an obvious choice, happy Valentine's Day everyone! 


Valentine's Day is a funny old day, people either love it or think it is completely cheesy. I know I certainly don't need one day to tell Mark that I love him but it is always a good excuse to get a nice card and go for a nice meal to celebrate ;) Mark actually has a corporate day at work today so we celebrated last weekend instead. This pink dress is a go to whenever Mark and I go somewhere for a 'fancy date' and has been for years (you have to love an outfit that still fits when you have gained or lost a little bit of weight!) I love the colour of this dress and the fit is oh so flattering. The fact that I only spent £7 on it is just the icing on the (cleverly disguised) cake...

Dress:H&M, bag: Monki, shoes: c/o Stylist Pick via Spartoo
The one thing  to watch with this dress is just how low cut it is. It looks (and is) very low cut here and that is even after I pinned it on the bodice. A little bit of cleavage is no bad thing on a date though, you just have to remember not to lean forward too much! ;) If I am going out, I normally wear a lot more make up but I kept it pretty simple with this. I always sweep my hair to one side as it is too fussy with it down but looks far too exposed with it up. This Barbie pink lipstick is my favourite at the moment, it looks so much fresher than my usual red lipstick. Can you tell I'm craving Spring time already?! 


 You have to love a bit of tummy disguising drapery, just imagine how much food you can disguise behind it! It also removes the need for any jewellery as it is fancy enough without it, which is always a bonus - I find it difficult enough choosing shoes and a bag, let alone jewellery as well!


What is your staple date outfit? Do you celebrate Valentine's day?

 (l-r)Maria of Frills n SpillsKim of What Peggy Said,Christina of Kimi and Me, Donna of Polka-dot Pink, Erica of Being Erica
(l-r)Rachel Of Rachel The HatSophie of The Story of a Girl Who Lives Above Her MeansSarah of A Million Dresses and Gemma of Fat Frocks

Doing the Liebster blog tag...

I don't do things like this very often but I am super nosy and love finding out about my favourite bloggers and when the lovely Char tagged me to do this, I thought it would be fun to find out a bit more about y'all! First though, here's a few questions answered by me :)




What is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day? I love curling up on the sofa with a big duvet with either a pile of books or a stack of films. I don't get a chance to read as much as I would like so any opportunity is gladly received!


Skirts or shorts? In the summer I love shorts but I wear skirts all year round- I don't even mind whether they are mini, midi or maxi!  


If you found £10 on the pavement, what would you do with it? I would look around to see if there was anyone who looked like they had dropped it and if not, I would hand it into the nearest police station. 


Favourite colour? I am a massive fan of bright colours but red is my absolute favourite, my little red dress collection just keeps on growing!  


Best advice someone has ever given you? 'Life's too short to have regrets'. There are plenty of things that you could have done differently in the past but it's too late to change them so just try and make the best of your circumstances (easier said than done I know!)





Where would you most like to go in the world?
Italy is my absolute favourite place to visit but I would love to see more of it, there is so much history and the food is amazing


What super-power would you most like to have and why? I would love to be able to heal diseases, so many of my family and friends have been affected by horrible diseases and I would love to have been able to prevent that. Being diabetes free would be pretty awesome too! 


Who is the last person you sent a text to? Mark, asking him about dinner (how glamorous!)


How many times per day do you brush your teeth (randomly this was a question on a survey I recently was paid to take part in!)? Only twice (unless I eat garlic or onion when it is more like ten times!)



What is the last blog you followed? The last blog I followed was Not Dressed as Lamb, I am in love with Catherine's style (and that gorgeous hair colour!)


Historical fiction books


Do you prefer to read e-books or regular books? Library or shop-bought?If I am at home, I read regular books but if I am commuting or out of the house I will read ebooks, they are so much more convenient. At the moment, my to read list is made up of books lent to me by friends and family and books I have picked up in charity shops.  This is the best book I have read recently, definitely fun for anyone who has ever thought about running...

Now I want to know your answers to these questions and also who or what inspires you? 

Red Thai squash soup recipe...

I have been a little bit obsessed with soups recently and when I was looking for soup recipes last month, I was thrilled to see Harriet post this delicious Thai soup recipe and I promptly trotted off to Tesco to pick up the ingredients. I am always a bit dubious about spicy food as I am a complete wuss, but this is deliciously spicy and creamy and perfect for miserable weather... This makes a lot of soup so make sure you have a big enough pan to cook it all in!

Cosy workwear...

When the weather is awful, all I want to do is curl up in a cosy jumper under a duvet but unfortunately I have to go to work! To make the gloomy days a little bit nicer, I have been pairing my jazziest jumpers with skirts for some fun but practical outfits. In the past week or so, I have worn lime green, neon pink and an owl print jumpers but I think this sequinned jumper is my favourite so far! I always seem to wear this skirt with a teal top, it's slightly more interesting than cream or red and I will never pass up on the opportunity to wear sequins! I bought this jumper as a cheap alternative to a Hobbs one and actually I prefer this one as it is much thinner but still really warm and cosy! I know some of you will be shocked at my choice of tights but luckily I get a lift to work and so these 15 deniers are the perfect match for a heated office. If I was outside though it would be a completely different story!

Jumper: Tu at Sainsbury's, top (not seen): Dorothy Perkins, skirt: Vero Moda via ASOS, shoes: ASDA
You can't really see it here but I even wore eyeliner/eye shadow! Since sorting through all of my make-up (god bless you Ikea trolley!) I have been able to see all the products I actually own. My skin has calmed down recently and I think this is mainly due to this Dr Jart + Platinum BB cream- expensive but oh so brilliant! I was so excited when I found this necklace in a bag recently, I thought I had lost it so I was really pleased to have it back, there's nothing better than rediscovering old favourites...


I have had a real thing for patterned bottoms recently, they are so easy to wear and way more interesting than my jeans which I have being trying to wean myself off, I have been wearing them far too much recently!



What's your favourite cosy outfit? 

Jacquard trousers...

Looks wise, there's not much my Mum and I have in common, she is tall and slim and I am short and...not, which means there's not many clothes that suit both of us (much to my dismay as my Mum has the most amazing style and a shared fondness for Hobbs) Despite this, we occasionally pick up the same thing and are then massively excited when we see the other wearing it (the exciting lives we lead!) These trousers were a bargain in the M&S sale before Christmas and I fell in love with the subtly jazzy print and the fit- it's not often that my waist and hips are happy to share the same pair of trousers! 

Cardigan: BHS via Mark's mum, top: Primark, belt: Primark, trousers: Marks & Spencer, shoes: Dorothy Perkins
I knew they would be perfect for work and they are, equally nice with both my omnipresent loafers and a pair of black heels (another rare attribute for trousers) I know there are more exciting ways to style these (just look at the lovely Miss Cohen for proof of that!) but sometimes keeping it simple makes it much easier to get out of the door in the morning! I never thought this top would become such a wardrobe staple but it is so comfy and skims over my stomach- winner! 


Just look at how awesome the print is on these! You all know that I am quite the fan of bright colours and jazzy prints but I know not all of you are as keen, so a subtle print in a fairly sober colour is ideal if you are trying to ease yourself out of wearing all black outfits to work, February is grey enough already! 


What have you been wearing to brighten up February?