So Mark and I are off to Edinburgh for a few days and I cannot wait to show Mark round and explore more of one of my favourite cities. I am going to be taking a short blogging break but I promise I will be back soon!
Everyday red lace dress...
When I decide I like something, I fully commit to the theme. Whether it is stripey tops (14 at the last count) or owl themed pieces (far too many to count!) it is clear to see that I am a bit of a hoarder. Little red dresses are another weakness of mine and I bought this gorgeous red lace dress from ASOS last November. It has become a firm favourite in my wardrobe, despite only featuring on the blog once before now. It is one of those outfits that looks nice in person but is impossible to photograph. Luckily Mark did a good job with these photos and hopefully you can see why I love it so much. The dress itself is made of a stretchy crochet/lace which I really like, it makes it a bit more wearable and it is ridiculously comfy too! I'm not usually a fan of sleeves but these are pretty flattering, especially with the sweetheart style neckline. Usually cheaper dresses skimp on the details but this one is fully lined which is another plus. New Look is a brand I always forget to look at but they do have some really cute summer things in, I think I am going to have to take another look...
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| Dress: New Look, belt: New Look (came with dress), tights: Tesco, shoes: Clarks |
A slightly better look at that lace and my gorgeous new pastel nail varnish. My nail varnish collection is ever growing, especially with my recent conversion to Essie, but there will always be a place for Nails Inc polishes- probably the first 'brand' I remember spending my pennies on. This is Hallam Street, a limited edition colour in association with 'emerging British designer David Longshaw' and is one of the nicest colours I have seen in a long time, definitely one to get your paws on if you can!
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I really need to start wearing a different pair of shoes but these loafers are just so darned comfy! I am seriously tempted by this patent oxblood coloured pair too, aren't they gorgeous?! Although I'm wearing them here, I have managed to wean myself off my black opaques and have been wearing this with my nude tights. At least the dress is long enough to get away with bare legs! ;)
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Which clothes do you hoard?
Lilac printed maxi dress...
You all know how much I love Monki, their clothes always put a smile on my face and they are just so nice to wear. I bought a gorgeous summer maxi dress from there last year which I didn't think I could beat but I think this dress may have just done it. I have worn it for everything from a meal with my family to meetings at work and it is the perfect easy-breezy dress (I love it so much that the black and white version is also on its way to me!) Pastels aren't usually my first choice but the colours in this are gorgeous and the print makes it much more wearable, it is lots of little squares rather than a floral print- way more interesting! The skirt is sheer but the underskirt sits just above my knees so it's not too risque! Because I am so short in comparison to the models they use, this is actually more like a maxi than a midi on me but I prefer the longer length - it makes the dress perfect for swooshing around in ;)
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| Dress: Monki, necklace: Accessorize, shoes: Carvela |
Plus, this dress has pockets. POCKETS! There's nothing better than pockets on a dress and these add that special something that places an item of clothing firmly into the favourites category. I'm never usually a fan of the belts that come attached to dresses but this one isn't too hideous and cinches the dress in nicely. Without it, I'm pretty sure you could be 8 moths pregnant and still have room to expand. The one thing I wasn't so keen on was the fact that it has an open back, luckily I have plenty of camisole tops but it is a bit annoying that you have to add another layer to make it wearable.
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These dusky pink velvet shoes are one of my absolute favourite pairs but I rarely wear them out of the house as the weather has to be perfect. Recently, though, the weather has been perfect and I have been skipping along quite merrily in them; here's to many more bright days filed with swooshy dresses and princess shoes!
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Which brands always put a smile on your face?
How to make chicken stock...
It's difficult to make a chicken carcass look sexy but I did my best with these photos ;) As long as I can remember, whenever we had chicken, my mum took all the meat off and made stock with the carcass. It's not particularly glamourous but it makes the nicest stock! Everyone has a slightly different way of making it but this is my family's tried and tested method...
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Casual coral...
From sleek to super casual, I can't seem to make up my mind about what I want to wear to work! We have all had those days when we feel rubbish and this was the perfect comfy outfit. This jumper was another gift from Matilda and has become my go-to for when I want something easy and breezy to wear. Although I wouldn't normally wear something so oversized, I love the short sleeves and bright colour. Coral is my favourite colour to wear in the spring and summer and it is perfect for adding a splash of colour to a grey day (just look how miserable this weather is!) The one thing I'm not so keen on is how short in the body it is as I have to find another top to layer underneath it but maybe I just have a weirdly long torso?!
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| Jumper: Gap c/o Matilda, top: Primark, jeans: Topshop, trainers: Keds |
I had my hair cut again but this was how long it had got before I went for the chop again, I couldn't believe how quickly it had grown! I have been experimenting with hair products more recently and both Percy & Reed's Wonder Balm and Umberto Giannini Scrunching Curl Friends have been top of my list. My hair has always been prone to frizz and these are perfect for smoothing out my flyaways- I would definitely recommend them to my fellow curly/frizzy haired gals!
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Which colours can't you resist? Any recommendations for things to do in Edinburgh?
Apples and pears...
Despite the fact I wear this top fairly often, I never seem to get a decent picture of it. I love the fun print and it is always a conversation starter, no wonder it is one of my favourite tops! Although I'm (more than a ) little grumpy that the weather has stopped being so nice, it is always good to get more wear out of my winter basics, I'm not quite ready to give up long sleeves just yet! Another smug face from me here, I think you can tell that I really love this outfit :)
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| Top: Uniqlo x Orla Kiely, shorts: Boutique by Jaeger, tights: Tesco, shoes: Clarks |
Throughout my final couple of years at school, I was obsessed with wearing bright green Rimmel eyeshadow. Luckily I have outgrown my neon green days but I do still have a soft spot for green eyeshadow and this Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadow in Anis fulfils all my bright eyeshadow needs. It can be difficult to know what to pair with such a bright colour but this Revlon lipbutter in 'Peach Parfait' is the perfect subtle peach shade.
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I probably should have ironed these shorts before wearing them but never mind! These shorts weren't the cheapest thing I have ever bought but you definitely get what you pay for, the quality is ace and the frilled hem just adds a little something to every outfit. I love the fact that these shorts are a little longer too. I may be wearing them with black opaques here but I can't wait till I can switch back to my 15 deniers!
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Do you have any beauty faux pas from when you were younger?
Quick and easy chocolate and ginger biscuits...
Despite my (well-documented) love of baking cake, I don't attempt biscuits very often. Don't ask me why as I definitely enjoy eating them! I made these delicious biscuits back in Easter and adapted Jules' lovely Easter recipe to cater for those (ahem Dad) who don't like currants by doubling up the mixture and splitting it before adding the currants/ chocolate and ginger. These were so easy to do and I will definitely be making these again!
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Navy minimalist...
Believe it or not, I do sometimes dress up for work and as much as I love my comfy outfits, you can't beat a sleek dress. This navy shirt dress was a bargain in the Gap sale (similar one here) and I love how elegant it is. I love the colour of this, navy is much more interesting than black and it is a colour that looks good on everyone too. You can see how happy I was with this outfit by my cheesy grin, the dress fitted perfectly and it's nice to feel grown up occasionally ;) I mainly bought this dress for when the weather warms up. I will inevitably catch the sun on my shoulders and this dress will keep me covered up. I'm hoping that the looser fit will keep me cool too, I hate being too warm!
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| Dress: Gap, shoes: George at ASDA |
Usually I would swap this belt for something jazzier but I actually like the plain belt it came with. I have never been one for the minimalist look but I think this is one I am growing into as I get older... I am totally in love with this nail varnish. Another Max Factor gem, this 'Red Carpet Glam' is the brightest red and lasts really well, I have had this on for over a week!
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I really wanted to wear it with my favourite orange heels but unfortunately I managed to ruin my feet by wearing heels on a night out (rookie error!) Once we hit summer time I plan on wearing this with some of my favourite sandals, wouldn't my yellow or nude sandals look ace?
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Are you a fan of the minimalist look?
How I wore boyfriend jeans...
I never thought I would see the day when you would find me choosing to wear a pair of boyfriend fit jeans. I have been a massive fan of skinny jeans for a while now but anything less fitted is foreign territory. My hips and legs are less than slender so I was always worried that adding extra material wouldn't be flattering and although I have certainly looked better, I actually like this more relaxed look. I have never been very good at casual wear but maybe there's hope for me yet!
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| Top:H&M, jeans: Next c/o Matilda, shoes: Marks & Spencer |
This top is my favourite striped top in my wardrobe, so much so that I bought it in blue too! The length is great and even if the sleeves are a bit long, it is the perfect match for anything in my wardrobe. Paired with a messy bob and some red lipstick (my gorgeous Tesco bargain!) I felt perfectly French- never a bad thing on my book!
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There's something quite natty about having a flash of your ankles on show, it feels way more spring like but still keeps you warm. These shoes have barely left my feet since I bought them but when they look this darned good with everything, why bother?! I have been trying different tops with these jeans but this is my favourite look so far, fitted tops are definitely the way to go!
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How would you wear boyfriend jeans? Any tips to stop me looking too chunky in them?
Styling shorts for work...
Shorts at work can be a tricky thing to pull off, patterned shorts even more so. This Uniqlo x Celia Birtwell pair are probably the comfiest pair that I own and this was a really fun outfit to wear. Perhaps a bit of a cliche look for someone who works in the creative industry but hey! I kept to a fairly neutral color scheme with this outfit and I loved how bright the red looked against the navy, I love a dramatic colour and the jacket helps to make it more work like too.
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| Jacket: Tesco, top: Tesco, shorts: Uniqlo x Celia Birtwell, shoes: Marks & Spencer |
Straightening my hair is SO much easier now it is shorter (plus it doesn't take me an hour anymore!) and I love how dramatic it looks too. A sassy bob and red lipstick gets you ready for anything! I'm getting my hair cut again tomorrow (can you believe it has been 7 weeks already?!) and I am hoping to get some weight taken out of the bottom of it. Triangular hair just ain't cool...
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These shorts are made from the slinkiest material and are so comfy, you know how much I love an elasticated waist ;) The print on these is gorgeous and really reminds me of cameos , never a bad thing! If only my local M&S had had these shoes in red, I could have taken matchy matchy to a whole new level!
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This boxy white textured top is my favourite at the moment, the shape feels fresh and the texture makes it way more exciting to wear than my other white tops. I wear it so much I wish I had bought a back up. I'm not sure what was happening with my face here but I promise I was happier than I look here!
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How do you style shorts for work? What clothes do you wish you had bought back ups for?
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