Frills 'n' Spills

It has been a while (nearly three years in fact!) since I last wore this skirt but the sunny weather a few weeks ago was the perfect opportunity to dig it out again. Yellow can be a bit of a difficult colour to wear but paired with white, it is much more wearable and this felt like a really fun and cheery outfit that really put a spring in my step. There's nothing like swooshing around in a maxi skirt to put a smile on your face! The skirt itself is pretty sheer, despite being lined, so I pulled out my trusty lace-trimmed cycle shorts to make it decent. I'm not sure quite why it is quite so see through but I thought I would rather be safe than sorry. The H&M shorts are notoriously hard to get hold of but I managed to find some in my local store so stocked up. I just wish I could get hold of a black pair too!

I'm not quite sure what happened with the lighting in these photos but I promise my make-up was the right shade in person! I have been mixing my Nars Orgasm illuminator with my beloved Dr Jart BB cream for a natural glowy finish recently and I really like it paired with a peachy lipstick (my favourite is the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy, it is such a gorgeous shade and so easy to build up.

I love cropped cardis like this as they nip me in nicely at the waist and stop me from looking too shapeless. This thin cotton one is ideal for me as I can wear it over a vest top without feeling too warm- always a problem when you radiate heat! This necklace is one of my favourites and has the perfect colours to match my nails and make-up which is always a bonus!

These sandals were one of the best things I bought last year and they were the first shoes I thought of to pair with this outfit. This is a long skirt so the block heel added some much needed height and they were simple enough to not distract from the rest of the outfit. The nail polish I am wearing is the Max Factor mini nail varnish in Diva Coral and it is the perfect summery shade- you all know how much I love coral! ;)

 

I normally end up pairing grey or red with this dress to make the pastels more wearable but as soon as I remembered my orange shoes, I was sold. The orange colour looks fab with the lemon yellow and these heels are just so darned comfy that I would wear them with everything if I could! You can see how pale the dress is here along with my pasty limbs, the orange looks almost neon in comparison!

Picking a Christmas outfit is always tricky, you have to be able to eat insane amounts of food (I can't be the only one to have eaten 10 tons of cheese over the past few days, right?!) but still look (relatively) dressy. My family have always dressed up for Christmas and Boxing Day but Mark's family are always slightly less OTT so this year I had to tread the line between smart and casual which I always find really difficult. I had been planning on either wearing this dress or this dress but when Mark and I were in town on 23rd, I spotted this lacy beauty in one of the charity shops in Tewkesbury (yes I may have a bit of a thing for lace dresses!)

I was originally a little unsure of the colour as pastels can make me look really washed out but with the black belt and strong make-up, I think I managed to pull this blush pink/ lilac colour off. I really love the lace overlay and it was an outfit I felt really comfortable in, even after eating my own body weight in mince pies.

The dress was originally from the Debut range at Debenhams and I think it shows in the cut and fit of it, this was clearly designed for a special occasion and it made me feel really elegant when I was wearing it- a very strange feeling for someone as clumsy as me!

I imagine this would look really lovely with nude tights or bare legs come the warmer weather but the single digit temperatures convinced me to wear my trusty black opaques instead. These cosy tights were a Tesco bargain and I have been wearing them non-stop. 40 deniers just don't cut it in this weather but unless I am outside for a prolonged period of time, the Primark fleece lined tights are just too warm for a radiator like me so these 60 deniers are perfect!

 This lipstick is another Max Factor special and despite being called Pink Brandy, it is a gorgeous peachy colour. It brightens up your face nicely but is perfect if you like a more subtle finish. 

I have had these shoes for years and years now and they are super comfortable but they're are looking more than a little worn now! They have always been my go to shoes for when I need some leg-lengthening but I think these will have to go to the great shoe-box in the sky soon *sob* and I will have to look for some replacements. Any ideas?

Unusually for me, I went for a slightly edgier colour with my nail varnish. You are most likely to see me wearing classic reds or pinks on my nails but this Chelsea, 'Rouge Noir' inspired shade, from Nails Inc is a deep blackcurrant purple that adds a nice contrast to an otherwise twee coloured dress. The clutch I am using is my Monki wash-bag (as seen here) as the colour went almost perfectly...

A close up of that gorgeous collar detail and my make-up. I went for a soft peachy look as the dress called for something quite delicate and spring-like. I have also found my perfect peachy coloured lipstick too, Max Factor strike again with the Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in 'Pink Brandy' and I am in love, I really can't see me wearing anything else for the foreseeable future! 

All in all, a very spring-like outfit, let's just hope we get some warmer weather now!

What are you hoping to wear this Spring? How would you spend a lottery win?

The shape and length of this skirt is perfect for work, especially when its warm outside. These photos were taken around 5.45am on Wednesday morning and the temperature went to a rather muggy 23 °C so I was glad of my bare legs and sleeveless blouse! 

Quite by accident, I had bought this skinny belt in a pack of three from Primark recently (for 50p!) and the orange matched perfectly, never a given, especially if you try and match colours between shops! 

What do you wear to work when it is warm? Do you associate particular colours with seasons? 

 

Luckily it looks good with black (another colour that I don't wear very often) This leather jacket is one of the biggest bargains I have ever had and I wear it all the time... This backdrop is just around the corner from our flat and I loved the dappled sunlight and gorgeous blossom, with the sunshine it almost felt like Spring!

In an attempt to be more adventurous with my make-up, I actually wore eye shadow which I haven't done since I was about 14. I used to be obsessed with Rimmels's green eye-shadow [don't ask me why!] but this Little Round Pot in Anis from Bourjois is infinitely more sophisticated...

The perfect shade of mint on my sunglasses, another Primark bargain!

How do you adapt trends to suit you? What colour are you lusting over at the moment?

Easter is always a big occasion in my family and this year was no exception. It was fantastic to see nearly all of my family and as ever, the food was fantastic! These photos have been sitting on my computer for ages but I wore a variation of this outfit for all the Easter festivities...

This seems to be my go to dress for family occasions where you want to look like you have made an effort but also know that there is going to be lots of nice food- although I would usually avoid a drop waist, this one seems to skim my food baby nicely ;)

Another day, another backless dress!

The colours on this dress were described as looking like a daffodil, like custard and the inside of a Crème Egg, perfect for my new-found love for the colour yellow! 

I love the tiny pleats and the contrasting sleeves. I never thought I would be a fan of either yellow or leopard print but here I am wearing both in one outfit... blogging has certainly taken me out of my comfort zone! 

Worn with my 'Miss Piggy' shoes... the perfect chunky heel!

Outtake of the day: trying to twirl and looking like a fool...

The best part of Easter for me though has to be the Easter Egg hunt, you're never too old for hunting chocolate right?!

What did you do at Easter? Do you like Easter egg hunts?