Frills 'n' Spills: ill

Showing posts with label ill. Show all posts

Geometric print...

Being a blogger can be a funny old hobby- you spend hours taking and editing photos to go in a blog post, agonizing over the words to write with the images (or is that just me?!) whilst trying to keep up with emails, social media updates and comments… all in the few hours you have free in a week. Clearly, something has to give. Recently I have been feeling so out of the loop with blogging, I have barely been posting, thanks to another bout of flu and it all starts to feel a little overwhelming when you start trying to cross things off your ever-growing to-do list (don’t even get me started on sponsored/collaborative posts!) Instead of stressing out about this, I have been trying to remind myself why I blog (this post may be from 2011 but I think it is just as relevant today!) and trying to get back to basics and doing what I love the most; sharing the outfits that I love with all of you wonderful people who read my little blog!

Coat: Dannimac via Mum, top: Tesco, tunic dress: Tesco, bodycon skirt: H&M, tights: Tesco, shoes: c/o Matalan, necklace: Accessorize.

It’s funny, these pictures were taken a few months ago (just look how long my hair is!) and I never posted them as I hated how I looked in them and I was convinced that I was hideous. Yet when I look back at them now, I view them much more kindly. It is far too easy to compare yourself to other people, or berate yourself for not being the best at something but actually I think we all need to be a little kinder to ourselves. We wouldn't dream of being as critical of anyone else and yet we are all our own worst critics, why? I don't know the answer to that but instead of beating myself up about everything I don't have or can't do, I want to celebrate all of the things I can. Here you were thinking you were going to get a generic outfit post and instead you get a stream of consciousness from me ;)

I picked this tunic/dress up one evening when Mark and I were doing our weekly shop in Tesco as I really loved the geometric pattern and the unusual brown and black colour combination. The print and colour scheme reminded me of 1970s prints and I had to resist my impulse to pair it with flared jeans and my gilet but since I last wore it, I have managed to shrink it and it is now in the long top, rather than dress category so it may be being paired with jeans sometime soon. It's a shame as I quite liked the longer length but it is really easy to layer and I hope I will love it just as much if I pair it with slim black trousers instead of a skirt *fingers crossed*

It just goes to show how even just a few months can give you a fresh perspective on something. I have achieved so much even in the last year and I should at least try and remember this when I start to freak out about something! ;)

Any tips on staying calm?!

90s inspired...

As you may have seen from my increasingly grumpy tweets this week, I have been off work due to being ill- always fun when you have lots of work to do (!) Unfortunately, despite being poorly, I have still had to leave the house (usually to top up on painkillers and Coke!) and unfortunately pyjamas are still out of the question in polite society, so what do you wear when you would rather be curled up on the sofa? This tomato red dress from Monki (yes I know, I am a Monki-aholic at the moment) is perfect for slobbing around the house in but is still suitable for leaving the house in. The shape of this felt really 90s to me and although I would never normally go for this style, it was definitely nice to try something different. I will be layering this dress up with one of my striped tops or slouchy jumpers this winter which places it more in my comfort zone, I have never been very good at casual wear but hopefully this dress will ease me into it!

Dress: Monki, belt: Miss Selfridge, shoes: Clarks c/o Spartoo

To make me feel less like a sack of potatoes, I added a belt but as soon as I got home, I got rid of it. When you are ill, nobody got time for that ;)

In keeping with the 90s vibe, I pulled out my leopard print loafers. I haven't worn them for a while but they are really comfy and are perfect for jazzing up an otherwise plain outfit. I really like how they look with rich jewel tones so hopefully they will be getting a lot more wear over the next couple of months...

I'm becoming kinda obsessed with printed shoes at the moment, I have my eye on this gorgeous pair next!

Do you have any tips on how to deal with stress when you are poorly? (I think I need some!)

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

My relaxation staples...

As you know, I have been pretty poorly recently and spent a lot of time curled up on the sofa feeling sorry for myself. It can be pretty difficult to feel good about yourself when you are under the weather but I have a few staples that have been making my life a little more relaxing recently. For me, there's nothing more relaxing than a bath and this Radox bubble bath is lovely. I love the fact that it doesn't smell too sickly sweet either, the masculine, almost woody, scent compliments my new scented candle perfectly and acts as a subtle base for my deliciously peachy moisturiser. I have just found out that the peach range is limited edition so I will have to stock up, this smell is seriously addictive!

Trashy TV and films are part of any good relaxation routine and in between watching one of the many Friends repeats on Comedy Central, I rewatched some of my favourite films. Sometimes a good cry can help to make you feel better (cue Moulin Rouge) but I tend to stick to cheesy and feel good to cheer me up. High School Musical 3 can cure all manner of evils! ;)

Soft cosy lighting definitely helps me to unwind and I love having scented candles dotted around the flat. I have been burning this one in the evening and so far it has barely made a dent in the wax- I predict this will be burning for a while yet!

Verbena and Clary Sage candle c/o Melt Candles

So there you have a few of my favourite ways to kick back but what about yours, how do you relax?

P.S. Melt Candles sent me this candle to review and, as ever, all opinions are my own...

Be right back...

As you may have seen from my Twitter, I have been off work this week with a virus (and a suspected underactive thyroid) so I won't be blogging for a while until I recover....

Till then, you will find me curled up on the sofa watching re-runs of Friends, there's nothing that Rachel and the gang can't fix! Hope to be back soon...

SWBXmas...

On Sunday I spent the day with some lovely ladies at The Birdcage in Bristol for the South West Bloggers Christmas party organised by Hayley, Lyzi, Bee and Gina. I had never been to The Birdcage before and I will definitely be going back, I can see why Hayley thought it would be perfect for a blog meet up! I love meeting up with other bloggers, and I will definitely be going to more events next year. I didn't take many photos but keep an eye on the Twitter hashtag for everyone's posts...

I love the lampshades all clustered together, I want a lamp chandelier!

Birdies on the window!

A rather blurry shot of some bloggers...

Bicycles on the wall above the entrance to the vintage shop...

I want a floral adorned bike!

We had some yummy tea from gorgeous tea pots...

...in vintage cups

...with some gorgeous cake, I chose cherry bakewell, one of my favourites...

THE WINNING TEAM! Sarah, Ceri, Selina and I won a Crown & Glory voucher and a Neal's Yard voucher for coming first in the quiz, I knew reading all those trashy celeb mags would pay off eventually! ;)

The wonderful Claire who very kindly gave me a lift and looked after me all day on Sunday. Claire is one of the nicest people I have met through blogging and it was lovely to spend the day with her, despite me choking to death for the whole day- I was later diagnosed with whooping cough so her TLC was much appreciated!

The lovely Christmas tree with presents underneath it- I can't wait to see what I got!

Leon cherry and almond cookies with chocolate chips...

There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked goods wafting through the house, apart from not having to make them yourself.After a horrible few days of being ill and feeling sorry for myself, Mark decided to take decisive action and snap me out of my stupor by baking me some cookies.I love my Leon cookery books ( I also posted about the tracker bars I made) and Mark adapted this recipe from one in the Leon cakes and puddings book, which produced some wonderfully nutty cookies.

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Diabetes is a topic that is very close to my heart. As you may know I was diagnosed with diabetes nearly 14 years ago and it was probably the most difficult thing my family and I have had to go through. I have had some horrific ups and downs and at times it has felt like I was the only person suffering with this. Luckily, despite the lack of information and advice given to us by some of the doctors and nurses, Diabetes UK stepped in with their magazine Balance. I don't receive it any more but it helped me and my mum through some very difficult times and I will always remember the time I won £5 on the crossword (I was nine at the time!) So why am I bringing this up now you may ask? It is diabetes week and Diabetes UK are aiming to raise awareness and to get people talking about diabetes:

"A Diabetes UK survey has found that nearly one million people in the UK could be risking their health and experiencing emotional distress by keeping their diabetes a secret.

As a result Diabetes UK is raising awareness of the importance of talking about diabetes during Diabetes Week this year (12 to 18 June) and we are encouraging anyone having difficulty opening up about their condition to call our Careline service for help."

I know that I found it very difficult to talk to people about my diabetes and even if I hid it away that it would go away. It really impacted on my confidence when I was younger and this is why I think things like this are so important. I am lucky enough to have amazing family and friends that have been there to support me through it but not everyone is that lucky. If you know that other people are going through the same thing then you won't feel so alone which can only be a good thing, right? To raise some money, I am planning to sell all of the clothes that I don't wear and split the money between Diabetes UK and the PSP Support Network, another organisation close to my heart. I don't want to preach, I am not going to try and guilt trip you into donating money (although obviously that would be nice!) but rather to talk to people, do a little research and celebrate Diabetes Week with me!

Do you know anyone with diabetes?

P.S. If you have any questions then I will be more than happy to answer them !

This week has been...full of ups and downs...

As you may know, I have been taking part in the Aussie 'lighter life' challenge and this Saturday I attended a bootcamp day with some lovely Angels at the Reebok gym in Canary Wharf. I thought it would be a day of fun and games but, whilst I enjoyed the exercise we did, the yoga was more intense than I anticipated and 'Gymanda' certainly put us through our paces! When I got there though, I tucked into a yummy breakfast of strawberries, blueberries and pomegranate. I have been trying to eat more healthily recently and my fridge has been stocked with fruit and veg rather than crisps and chocolate!

Luckily I won the giveaway at the lovely Lily's blog and won some yummy '9 bars' which I have absolutely fallen in love with! They are really filling and packed full of seeds and nuts which always make me feel more healthy ;)

So far the nutty one is my favourite but the original also deserves a mention!

I am also indebted to the lovely Lil (who was also my exercise buddy on Saturday!) who introduced me to the infamous Hummingbird Bakery which completely negated any good done by the bootcamp day! I figure though, as long as I don't over indulge then I should stay on track for a lighter life this Spring!

The wrapping was SO beautiful that I didn't want to open it!

I also need to mention my most recent purchase. I bought a gorgeous red midi skirt from the lovely Jazmine but I'm struggling with how to style it...heels are a must but I'm not sure about the rest of the outfit which is where you lovely ladies come in! Any ideas about how to make me look chic rather than dumpy will be greatly appreciated and the best suggestion will have an outfit post dedicated to them ;)

In an ideal world this Danielle Scutt necklace would definitely feature...a girl can but dream! I mean what could be better than teapots and red lipstick?! I also LOVE this teapot ring... jewellery perfection!

I forgot to add that this is an EPIC hot chocolate with Malteasers, fudge sprinkles, marshmallows, whipped cream... it's basically heaven in a mug!

A special mention has to go to my friends Ian and George this week, who have made me feel a lot less stressed about the dreaded exam season and the revision it entails. I mean what could be better than days spent chatting and doing walrus impressions with chopsticks?! [I'm afraid I don't actually have photos of this rather amazing occurrence! ] It was just what I needed after another week of illness and stress too :)

What have you done to cheer yourself up this week? Have you done any window shopping recently?

P.S. Posting will probably be a bit more sporadic over the next couple of weeks as I have my finals coming up [eek!] so my focus is (temporarily) away from the blog :)

This week has been...the Maria version!

As Danni is currently somewhere underneath a massive pile of work, I have (temporarily) taken over! SO what have I got up to this week?

I've had a night of girly cocktails...

...partied with Mr. Mark Ronson- seriously he was SO good, he even played my favourite song of his: Somebody to Love ME. I fell in love after the first listen...

(♥)

... finally got to meet Carla and some other lovelies at Plus London! [Cue utter fangirling!]

...had the best salad in the world

... received a lovely little parcel from Sarah which totally made my week!

...tidied and sorted out my wardrobe and found LOTS to sell...

...and woken up to Elle magazine, courtesy of Lisa...

I have been fairly ill these past couple of weeks but these little things have been making me smile, despite my horrendous workload and test on Monday [sob] luckily Spotify threw up this little gem a couple of days ago Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley: 123 Masterpieces! and I have been jiving away ever since.

What have you been up to? Any feel-good tracks to recommend?

REPOST: The day of the black dog...

After our round-up of 2010, I wanted to repost this post which I wrote about this time last year. Depression isn't the easiest of subjects to talk about and this is only my personal take on it. I know that this time of year can be particularly difficult for people but I hope that people read this and take something away from it. If you ever want to chat (about this or anything else) you can always find me on Twitter or via email.

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I think it is fair to say that everyone has days where everything seems to go wrong, but sometimes you experience something that can't just be attributed to a 'bad day'. Winston Churchill described this as his 'black dog'. Many other famous faces have struggled with depression and it is an illness that can affect anyone and everyone.It can be triggered by the smallest (or largest) things but there are often triggers that you experience throughout your life, and if you can spot these, then you can often stop the depression before it has a chance to get a hold on you and spiral out of control.

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Due to my overly emotional personality,and my tendency to worry about EVERYTHING, I have been prone to bouts of the 'blues' throughout my teens and now in my twenties. I can often be quite paranoid, something that isn't helped by my insecurity and complete lack of confidence. Some days I can be happy and relatively carefree but some days I just want everything to STOP.Brooke Shields described being depressed as "I just felt as though I would never be happy again, and as if I had fallen into a big black hole." If even famous faces who have the world at their feet feel down, then how can normal people expect to escape the clutches of the 'black dog'? I think there is a tendency with depression to keep it hidden away, perhaps with the hope that out of sight will mean out of mind, especially as a teenager. People can be very quick to dismiss it as a "phase" when you are brave enough to reach out and this causes you to keep it hidden even deeper. So what can you do?

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First of all, try and remember that it is NOT YOUR FAULT.Take a step back from the situation (I know this is often easier said than done) and try to calm yourself down. What has triggered your sadness? I find that when I get stressed about work or if I am ill, I am MUCH more irritable and prone to feeling down. It is SO tempting to just stay in bed or on the sofa all day but if you are doing something, you often don't have time to fret about what is worrying you. Obviously, if your essay or assignment is what is stressing you out, then it is a good idea to do this! Just not straight away. Have a bath or shower first. Wash your face. Weirdly enough, brushing my teethalways helps me to feel a bit more positive. Do whatever it takes to get you out of bed and up to face the world.

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Once you have identified your triggers you can work out ways to circumvent or completely avoid them. For example, if you are having trouble with an assignment, go to your lecturer. If it's boyfriend trouble, talk to your friends. If your friends are the problem either try talking things over with them or just try and find some new people to befriend. Sometimes it can be easier to talk to someone who is removed from the situation as they can give you a more balanced opinion on the situation you find yourself in.

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Surround yourself with people that you love and trust. If you trust them you can tell them what you are thinking or feeling without worrying that they are judging you or going to think you are being stupid. Your friends are there for you when you need them...so take full advantage of their love and support. I am lucky enough to have my lovely boyfriend Mark and Danni to listen to me and to make me literally laugh myself silly. However silly my problem they are there for me and that is something I can't thank them enough for. My family are also there for me when I need someone just to talk things over with and nothing can beat a hug from your mum or dad!

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The internet is your friend in this situation. Whether it is joining groups on Facebook or browsing pictures on We Heart It, there is bound to be something to cheer you up. I have literally HUNDREDS of bookmarks but these are the ones that I go to when I need cheering up. In addition to this, I read the blogs of all the lovely ladies on our blogroll- I can guarantee that they will always cheer me up!

♥ We Heart It

♥ Looklet

♥ Colour me Katie

♥ Fashion Gone Rogue

♥ Who What Where

♥ College Candy

♥ Sorry I missed your party