Frills 'n' Spills

A couple of weeks ago I went to visit my friend Cindy and helped her to pick up some pieces for a 1970s fancy dress party. I wore this outfit to work on the following Monday and obviously I had been influenced by the time we spent wandering around the charity shops in Portishead. This outfit is almost as 1970s as you can get! Swap the skinny jeans for flares and you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time... You can tell it is starting to get darker in the mornings as these photos came out pretty dark, I think it will be back inside for photos soon :( 

The grass by our flats hasn't been cut for weeks and with all the weeds wild flowers it is almost looking like a stereotypical blogger meadow. Now, to qualify as a 'proper blogger' I just need a lace maxi dress and a flower crown to take pictures with ;) In all seriousness though, it is very pretty and much nicer than boring old grass, here's hoping they don't cut it for a while longer... You can't really see them thanks to the long grass but these tan loafers are a long standing resident in the Frills 'n' Spills wardrobe and have been my shoe of choice recently - New Look really are brilliant for simple comfortable flats. 

Does the 70s ever inspire your outfits?

I never thought that there would be more than one post of me dressed in exercise gear on this blog but strangely enough I have been enjoying exercising (when I can motivate my sorry self to go for a run or head into the gym!) Since this first post I have expanded my collection of exercise gear and this purple and orange top is a suitably jazzy addition to my wardrobe. It is a pretty weird shape but is really comfortable and most importantly it doesn't ride up when I'm exercising - there's nothing worse than constantly having to hoick stuff up or down!

I really love the colours but the best part of this top has to be the pocket. I always struggle with where to put my insulin pump when I am exercising (I could take it off but I don't like to be without it completely as it makes me a bit nervous; yet so little exercise gear has pockets.) Nike, Adidas, Reebok, whoever, if you are listening, please make more clothes with pockets, diabetics everywhere would be thrilled!

What do you look for in exercise gear? Have you got any ideas on how I could tone my tummy?

My atrocious attempt at bouncy Kate Middleton locks paired with peachy make-up helped to lift an otherwise dark outfit.  When Autumn starts to kick in though, I imagine a brown smoky eye would look nice (if only I could actually do anything with my make-up!)

I have raved about Tesco tights before on the blog but I think it is well worth mentioning again, they are absolutely amazing and really opaque... I probably should have worn heels with this outfit but my feet just can't hack it recently so it's flats all the way!

Where can I buy more wrap dresses?

You know how much I love this bright yellow bag and the bright colour paired with the basket weave makes it feel like a picnic basket too (in the best possible way) 

Do you own a dress that you keep coming back to?

I love the cut out shoulders on this jumper, it certainly makes a plain black jumper more interesting! I was quite pleased with how my hair and make up looks here too, not bad for one of my first outfits back in the real world after being poorly! 

See what I mean about a mix of textures?! I'm pretty sure I have shrunk since I last wore these trousers, heels are most definitely necessary. I don't wear these shoes as often as I would like as me and heels are a bit of a lethal combination (comfort is most definitely a priority!) but they definitely help to make any outfit look much more elegant.

How would you style this jumper?

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!

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...

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...

I bought these cords back in April as an alternative to jeans to wear to work. I don;t know why but even though they are as comfy as jeans (maybe even comfier) they look much smarter, goodness only knows why! These dalmatian print shoes seem to get pulled out every time I wear polka dots, I guess they're as close as I am going to get to polka dot shoes...

Now I know some of you will be rolling your eyes at a bit of a cliche post but as it has been over 3 years since I have last done a 'what's in my bag' post, I think I am entitled to show off my new Fiorelli handbag without too much grumbling right?! ;) Usually you would find all of the stuff seen below... and a layer of receipts and debris filling up my bag but as this is a new handbag, it hasn't had chance to get completely full yet. Just give me a week...  ;) The colour of this was what first drew me to it, and the basket weave makes it feel very summery too. The fact that it is HUGE, is a massive bonus. I can fit everything but the kitchen sink in here...

Sunshine yellow handbag from Fiorelli c/o Spartoo

Like many other people, I carry round a lot of stuff. After the usual purse, phone, keys I have whichever book I am reading at the moment (P.S. I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling and it is really good!), my diabetes stuff with my beloved Frodo key ring, Sudoku book for doing on my daily commute and toiletries. I love the fact that the compressed deodorants are teeny but with the same amount of product, deodorant/bodyspray is a necessity in this hot weather!

My purse is a lovely red leather Radley with a really cute dog in a boat, the perfect summer activity,  The latest Radley dog to win my affections is this "Catch of the Day" as it has the Radley dog and a puffin, two of my favourite things... There was a really nice blue purse with them on but it has now disappeared from Radley's website - if anyone comes across it, get in touch! The brown pouch holds all of my diabetes stuff, after nearly 16 years I have managed to really pare down the amount of medical stuff I cart round with me (not that you would know if from the size of my bag!)

What's in your handbag?