Frills 'n' Spills

Weekends for me fall into one of two types- jam-packed and full of nice food and dressy outfits  and travelling to see friends and family or slobbing around, doing as little as possible whilst binging through series on Netflix- please tell me someone else is as obsessed with Agents of Shield as I am?! This outfit was worn for a weekend like the latter a few weeks ago, quite often  I won't bother to get dressed and you will find me happily curled up in my 'slob suit' but I had to make a run to Tesco so had to wear proper clothes which was a bit of a shock to the system! I rediscovered this Monki dress at the back of my wardrobe- yes I know, I need to have a proper clearout! I bought this dress back in January 2014 (along with this dress and these tights- I was clearly having a burgundy moment!) and although I have worn it a lot, it has never made it to the blog, until now! Although this is a super cosy outfit, it is slim fitting enough to be flattering and I don't boil to death which is always a bonus, I think I have finally found the perfect jumper dress!

Which TV series should I watch next? Send me your recommendations please!

Anyone who has ever read this blog knows that I will take any opportunity to get all dressed up and this outfit was the perfect accompaniment to our meal at Jamie's. I don't always wear all black but when the textures and fabrics are this fun, how can you resist? I felt like a million dollars in this outfit and I really wanted to celebrate that with these pictures. I mean confidence is always worth celebrating, amirite?! For full luxury vibes I paired my outfit with this gorgeous camel coat which I got off Mark for my birthday, it may be brighter but it is still chilly out there! The length of this coat can be a pretty tricky one when you are as short as I am but paired with heels or slim trousers, it works quite nicely.

Just look how jazzy that neckline is! I recently treated myself to a couple of new lipsticks and this L'Oreal Liya Pure Red is my new favourite. It is a really bright red with pinky undertones (although it's nowhere near as pink as the Julianne red!) and it was the perfect statement lip.

This Monki tulle skirt is just dreamy and although the midi length was a bit challenging to style, I really love it. Tulle anything is always a winner in my book and the length means it was perfect for swooshing round in! This skirt was also the perfect foil for my gorgeous Whistles Dana sandals, they are just a dreamy combination together! I can't wait to wear them in the summer, won't they look great with this smock dress? They are a pretty high heel but the caged element makes them slightly easier to walk in, I will just have to get in a bit of practice before I next wear them! ;)

It's not often you will see me in (near) monochrome over on the blog as my default setting is bright colours but this oversized jumper was too good to resist. I spotted it in the Topshop sale when I went shopping with Hattie and it is one of my favourite things that I have bought this year. I have been trying to add some versatile basics to my wardrobe and this classic grey jumper is a great start. I love the relaxed fit of it and it is just so darned cosy! I wore this outfit on my first day back at work after Christmas and it was the perfect way to ease me out of pyjamas and back into proper clothes ;) My smug little face just shows how much I love this outfit, have you ever seen anyone look so chuffed?! 

I especially love the contrast of the sheer sleeves with the rest of the jumper (are you spotting a pattern here yet?!) I will be sharing my favourite lipsticks with you in a post soon but I have so many of them. Would you prefer it to be split into a few separate posts or have one huge one? 

I finally managed to get some replacement shoes for my beloved Clarks loafers. Although this pair are nowhere near as comfy as my old ones, they look a lot smarter and I'm sure they will soften up soon. Is there anything worse than breaking in new shoes?!

Would you prefer my favourite lipsticks to be split into a few separate posts or have one huge one? 

I have raved about this red biker coat before on the blog but it is the only one I want to wear when it is so cold outside. I like the simple, slightly masculine shape, the colour is perfect for brightening even the frostiest of mornings and the wool keeps me from turning the same colour as the coat, haha! This outfit was perfect for meeting up with the lovely Hattie for a (long overdue) gossip and lunch. We have been friends since getting the train back together from the Brum blogger meet in 2011 (!) (see how many familiar faces you can spot!) and we meet up as regularly as our schedules allow for shopping, cake and chats about all things blogging. That is definitely the best part about blogging for so long, all of the awesome people I have met and can call friends as a result :)

Warehouse have been my go to for jeans recently and their high waisted ones are super flattering on. I got the blue version of these high rise ones instore and although the denim is not as thick as I would like, they are dressy enough to be worn with everything from comfy tops to jazzy blouses. I will always prefer high-waisted jeans as they help to keep my tummy smoothed down and I need all the help I can get in that area ;)

Where do you buy your jeans?

Toad-in-the-hole is one of my favourite meals and it is guaranteed to make you feel instantly comforted. You are in for a special treat today though as although this recipe is super simple, Mark is the expert at making this in our house, so this post comes from him rather than me! As you may have seen on Twitter, I have had to switch to a low carb diet (no more than 30g of carbs per meal, the equivalent of a large banana or 2 slices of bread!) so I have to restrict this meal to special occasions, sob! If you do have any low carb meal ideas, please do send them my way, I need exciting new ways to eat chicken! ;)

I was really keen to share this outfit, it is one of my favourites that I have worn recently but my exploring Cheltenham post was getting a little overcrowded so I thought I would save these outfit pictures for a separate post (lucky you!) These photos were taken with Mark's phone and they came out rather well I think! This was perhaps a bit work-y for a lazy Sunday but I loved all of the separate pieces so much that I ended up including them all in one outfit post instead... I've ended up looking like a flamingo in these pictures, I promise its my dodgy posing skills rather than a bad Photoshop job ;) As you know, I am a massive fan of bouclé and although this jacket isn't available anymore, there is a very similar one from ASDA here...

Mark and I have been living in Cheltenham for 7 months (!) now and although there are a few places that we know and love (I'm looking at you Grid Iron!) there is still a lot of Cheltenham that we have left to explore. I grew up fairly locally but I am ashamed to say that I don't know it at all and I am keen to have some places to recommend to people when they come to stay so if anyone has any recommendations, please do pass them on! I spoke a while ago about trying to get out and about a bit more and we have been going on little walks (just a couple of miles or so) in the evening and at the weekends to clear our heads and to get that blood pumping! There are some beautiful old houses within about 10 minutes walk from us and we couldn't resist snapping a few photos whilst we were out and about. We did take the DSLR but it ran out of battery after just one photo so we ended up using Mark's phone instead. He has a Nexus 6 and I have to say, I was pretty impressed with how the photos came out!

I love me some fancy windows and red bricks!

I can't even begin to guess how expensive these flats are but they sure look pretty!

Victoria Mansions (!) - if only I had the money...!

Even the sports fields look picturesque around here! ;)

Christ Church is absolutely beautiful too- we didn't get a chance to go inside but it has a pretty interesting history so I'm sure we will be back at some point...

Yes, those are our pasty faces glowing from inside the screen! Picking up the light is one thing that a phone camera will never do as well as a proper camera... We did take some outfit pictures too but I will be sharing those in a separate post as this was getting a bit picture heavy for one post!

Is there anywhere you can recommend in Cheltenham?

This tan cloche hat is a long-term resident of my wardrobe and although it doesn't get worn very often, it sometimes adds the perfect finishing touch to an outfit. Cold weather often leads to pretty dull outfits from me (just check my Instagram for proof!) but although this one is pretty simple, I think it is just interesting enough. I didn't realise that a couple of the pieces from this outfit were c/o until I uploaded these pictures, I guess it proves that I don't just wear things that I am sent in the photos and then never again, this coat and these shoes are an integral part of my wardrobe. I look slightly sheepish in these photos, thanks to lots of nosy neighbours and keen dog-walkers, it is difficult to keep a straight face when you are hissing 'hurry upppp!' at Mark, haha! The 1920s and 1930s are not usually decades I am inspired by but I have been watching a lot of Poirot recently and they sure knew how to wear a hat... ;)

Since cutting my hair, there have been a few things that I have had more trouble wearing and this hat is one of them. When my hair was longer, the hat gave just a hint of 1920s style but it looked a bit costume-y when I was trying it on with various dresses from my wardrobe so I decided to go with a more modern outfit instead. Paired with MAC Vegas Volt, my favourite new peachy coral lipstick (it even suits my pasty pale skin!) it felt more modern than musty. This lovely necklace was a surprise gift from my lovely friend Jules a while ago and it is one of my favourites. The knot is simple but adds a bit of interest to plain tops and you know I can't resist a tassel! 

These shoes are also a few years old now, I originally wore them back in March 2012 and they get pulled out when I am looking for a little bit of height and a more interesting colour than nude to wear. These Jamie jeans have been neglected in favour of my ASOS and Warehouse jeans recently but they are ideal for if you want to flash a bit of ankle or show off your shoes which you have to when they are this jazzy!

Are you a hat wearer?