Frills 'n' Spills

Recently the high street has been making clothes that are as good, if not better than many designers. Warehouse is one of my favourite brands and they are consistently creating beautiful clothes that look much more expensive than their price tag. This dress was a total bargain and I absolutely love the mix of prints and the shape. I usually don't go for long sleeves but this dress shape is one of my favourites and is mega flattering on. I have worn this dress out for dinner a couple of times and it is absolutely perfect, it looks fancy but it is mega comfortable to wear, especially with its swooshy skirt...

Mixed prints can be tricky to pull off so I kept it simple with some velvet opaque tights and my favourite pair of wedge heels. I'm not particularly tall so anything that can make my legs look longer is a winner in my book!

Are you a fan of Warehouse? Where are your favourite places to shop on the high street?

I have always been a fan of florals and when I spotted this skirt in my local store last summer, it took me less than ten minutes to make a beeline for the till. I mean, it was the last one left, and in my size, that has to be fate, right?! I was going to pair it with a cream blouse but I actually love the black top with it, it makes the whole outfit look much cooler (and let's face it, I need all the help I can get on that front!). I never thought I would regularly be wearing crop tops but I have definitely been more confident clothing-wise recently. I'm not sure why I look so unsure in these pictures but I absolutely loved this outfit and I will definitely be recreating it this year...

My lipstick here was actually a lot brighter in real life but it didn't photography very well which is very annoying! I have been growing my hair recently and although I'll probably never go back to my 2013 length, I do like being able to do more with it now it's a tad longer.

I have a few Radley bags in my collection but this is definitely the most fun one I own. I absolutely love the heart shape and the colour is just divine. 😍

I have to say, Oasis is one of those shops that is a bit hit and miss for me, this skirt was part of their collaboration with the Chelsea Physic Garden and is fab (when they get it right, they get it really right!) but they can edge too far into twee territory for my liking - there's only so many butterfly prints that anyone needs, amirite?!

Are you a fan of florals? How do you make them less twee?

A little while ago we had an 'incident' with our washing machine which resulted in a lot of tears, swearing and some clothes turning completely the wrong colour. This top went a horrible blotchy pink colour but luckily my mother-in-law managed to rescue it so it's now back in rotation in my wardrobe. The jazzy print can be a bit OTT so I paired it with this khaki miniskirt in an attempt to tone it down a little bit. I'm not 100% sure that I can quite pull off a skirt like this (at least not without some very thick tights) but I guess you never know until you try!

A better look at the gold detailing... I don't tend to buy much from Primark anymore but they do have some great pieces in there. It's definitely worth having a look if you want to try something out without spending a fortune. Khaki is a bit more interesting than denim but is just as wearable and it looks great with blush pink which is definitely my favourite colour at the moment!

I am a massive fan of New Look's shoes and this nude block heel pair were a great addition to my wardrobe. The pink shade matches my pasty pale skin which helps to make my legs look longer.I love heels but find them quite difficult to walk in, so block heels are the perfect compromise!

Are you a fan of khaki? How do you style bright patterns?

I know it is a bit of a blogger cliché but I am so glad that Autumn is nearly here! I am definitely not built for sunnier climes (the heat in Barcelona nearly finished me off!) so the falling temperatures are very welcome here in Cheltenham, I'm not a massive fan of the darker mornings but the addition of boots and jumpers back into my wardrobe almost makes up for it! ;) When Brantano got in touch to offer me a pair of boots to review, picking this Clarks pair was a real no-brainer. I love Clarks shoes, there's nothing worse than having wet and cold feet and I knew that these boots would be a practical choice for my walks to work during the winter. Obviously they look great with jeans but I was really pleased how they turned out with this cute floral dress too. I can often err towards the girly in my outfits so adding a slight edge with the jacket and the boots was a nice change of pace. 

I have had this jacket since my first year of uni- a whole 8 years (sob!) but as far as I can see, it only appeared on the blog around 2011! It was such a bargain too, I can't believe that I only paid £20 for a real leather jacket! This glossy lipstick is a fairly new addition to my ever-growing collection. Revlon make some great chubby lip pencils and this one in Provocateur is great for adding a swipe of colour. 

These boots remind me of a more polished version of my Dr Martens and are equally fun for stomping around in.  A word of warning: they come up a lot smaller than Clarks shoes usually do, I normally fit into a 7 without any problems but the 8 in these just about fits. I know that the leather will give slightly but it is definitely worth sizing up in these, especially if you are pairing them with some chunky socks! I always worry about making my legs look short with calf length boots but hopefully the addition of black tights helps to negate the effect?!

I got this amazing Nars gift set for Christmas and I absolutely love the different red shades in it. It includes the (limited edition) velvet lipliner in Misdemeanor, a lipstick in Flamenco and the velvet matte lip pencil in Mysterious Red and I couldn't be happier with the selection. I am a big fan of red lipstick and these Nars shades apply like a dream. I was looking particularly pasty pale here so the lipstick looks particularly bold. My hair has grown a lot since we took these pictures but I can't decide how long to let it go as I like how it looks here!

A better look at that awesome floral print... I know florals are hardly groundbreaking but these botanical ones are at least more interesting than your usual.

Help a gal out, how long should I keep my hair?!

It's strange how your wardrobe changes over the years, I used to live in cute floral dresses but have barely worn them recently. This Oasis dress has been hanging in my wardrobe for a while although I have been waiting for the colder weather to wear it as it is too short to wear without some opaques! I really like the colours and the ditsy print is super cute. I have been having a bit of a crisis of confidence recently and do worry that certain clothes can end up looking a bit 'young' on me. I tried toning down the cutesy factor with some grey tights and a swipe of red lipstick so hopefully this dress doesn't look too ridiculous!

It seems like Mark and I have had plans every weekend recently and although I love doing stuff and seeing people, there's nothing better than having nothing planned. At the end of October (some of!) my family and I went to see the Vulcan's last flight at Staverton airport  and although it's not the kind of thing I would usually go for, it was actually really fun. I wore this floral Gap dress and it was ideal for both the huge roast dinner I ate beforehand and standing in a field at the airport ;) I am a massive fan of Gap dresses and this one is another firm favourite, especially as it it has pockets, I mean, what more could you ask for?! It's not fancy, but it sure is fun...

I have been wearing my hair a little longer recently (it looks weird in hats otherwise!) and am able to do a little more styling-wise, like curling it with my GHDs. The best part is that the wave holds, even in the wind and rain! I have had my Fitbit for nearly 2 months now and and I really love it, it has definitely inspired me to move more. 

I love a swooshy skirt and this one is lovely, especially as all of that extra material helps to make your waist look smaller, just what you need after a big dinner ;) 

It is so nice to spend time with family and although I don't get to see them as much as I would like, they are pretty darned special. Now can you guess which of us are related?! 

I mean, just look at that gorgeous detailing! I recently bought Sarah's old Fitbit Flex off her and I am loving it so far. It is forcing me to get moving about and the targets are perfect for someone as competitive as me! ;) I was going to take it off for the photos but what could be more modern?!

I wear these nude shoes to every wedding as they go with absolutely everything and I can manage a whole day and night in them. Always good when you want to be dancing along to cheesy pop in the early hours!

I love that this dress has pockets too, they should be a feature on every dress! I really love the shape of the top, it is plain but still interesting...

The thick black waistband makes for a really flattering silhouette too, especially against that bright skirt. You can see the colours a bit better here too, I was worried that they would be a bit insipid but they are certainly eye-catching!

Dorothy Perkins is one of those brands that I always forget about (probably because I can't get it on ASOS!) but I had a mini spree in there to stock up on some new workwear and there is some gorgeous stuff in there. Until you are settled into a job, playing it safe is definitely the right idea and for most offices, monochrome is definitely that! The print on this skirt makes it feel more me though and it should be pretty versatile too. I can definitely see it being paired with this teal blouse or a cosy burgundy jumper and ankle boots come Autumn (yes, I sad the A word!) too.... Overall I really liked this outfit although I did think it needed a bit more jazz to it- perhaps a bright jacket or pair of shoes? I am notorious for over accessorizing though so maybe it's good that I didn't have any to hand! ;) I tried on a lot of tops before I settled on this old faithful from H&M  picked mainly because it is so plain. Anything with pockets that I tried looked too fussy and my plain t-shorts were too casual... Put it this way, as I stood in front of my wardrobe, I knew what Goldilocks must have felt like! 

This Bourjois lipstick was a welcome addition of colour to the monochromatic ensemble and it was nice to not wear a red lipstick for once! I am awful for getting stuck in a rut with what I wear and although it won't be long before I am back wearing red, hot pink is a fun, more summery alternative... My hair is looking a little unkempt in these pictures but I am managing to squeeze in an appointment this weekend and am hoping to go back to around this length. I do like having it longer as it gets colder (on me it looks better with hats and no one likes a cold neck!) but hopefully I have a few months before I need to start thinking about layering!

I was umming and aahing on this skirt for a while before I bought it as I can be pretty self-conscious about my tummy and wrap and pencil skirts just seem to draw attention to my diabetes 'salami sausage' but I really liked the shape of it and I was determined to make it work for me. I added my beloved lace trimmed cycle shorts under this and thank goodness I did as this skirt is pretty darned revealing! Don't let its modest length fool you, every time I sat down or even walked more than a few steps, I flashed a little more flesh than I would have liked. I think I'm going to have to either sew down the seam slightly or get a natty kilt pin to hold it together!

How would you style this skirt?

This is possibly my favourite outfit from all the years I have been blogging. It felt really fun and still 'me' but it felt a bit more grown up too, something I often struggle with! It also feels very spring like which is a plus although I actually wore this back in January when the weather was anything but. You know me, always being contrary! ;) I also just realised that all of these things were sales buys, there's nothing like some money off to push you out of your comfort zone!

More and more I have found that there aren't many clothes that I can wear from Topshop but occasionally they come out with a corker, this shirt being a case in point. They have taken a plain white shirt and instantly made it way more interesting with a sheer panel and a mullet hem. (I told you more and more would sneak into my wardrobe!) This necklace is my go-to whenever I need to add a bit of interest to an outfit, it's the perfect length and looks way more expensive than the £3 I paid for it!

This skirt was such a bargain from Oasis when I bought it in the sales after Christmas, the print really reminded me of this Boutique by Jaeger one but actually I think it is much nicer. I have been wearing a lot of jazzy skirts recently and this is the perfect print for Spring, I love the geometric florals! 

Another day, another way to wear my favourite denim pinafore dress! Whether it is warm or cold, this dress is just so easy to wear and perfect for toughening up floaty layers like this sheer floral blouse which I have had for nearly 3 years (!) It was relatively expensive but I wear it so often and despite repeated washing, it still keeps its shape, something that my cheaper clothes just cannot compete with! Mark and I also tried a new backdrop for these photos, I love the dappled sun light and it looks much more interesting than my usual photo spot...

Anyone who has read this blog for more than five minutes knows that I have never been particularly adventurous with my hair but recently I have been pairing plaits with loose waves for a beachier look. Can you tell that I am super jealous of anyone who has been on holiday recently?! I just really wish I was sunning myself on a beach somewhere, I haven't been on holiday for ages...

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo