Frills 'n' Spills

Certain colour combinations always look great together and I think brown, caramel and cream will always look luxe. The wonderful Islabell (whose blog is a constant source of inspiration) inspired me with this colour combination and I couldn't wait to replicate it with pieces from my own wardrobe... 

 I am always wary of this dress looking too bridal so the brown accessories toned it down and  provided a nice contrast against the bright white lace.  As ever, I have my favourite accessories combination topped with my favourite coat which has barely left my side. The cashmere and angora mix is perfect for keeping me all snuggly and warm!

The dress originally came with an under-slip but it was SO short that it was indecent so I bought a replacement from good old M&S to keep my dignity intact.... unfortunately it is longer than the dress in all of these photos, DOH! 

Pretty lace and a full skirt make Maria a very happy girl indeed...

I loved the mix of textures that the accessories provided and  I can't wait to add longer socks and taller boots as the nights draw in! This faux fur stole is becoming another blogger favourite (remember that cranberry Topshop skirt?) but it's easy to see why- it keeps me super cosy whilst adding a sense of slapdash elegance to any outfit. 

How would you 'de-bridal' this dress? Would you wear faux fur?

P.S. Apologies for my continued absence from blogging, I have been so busy but I cannot wait to catch up on all your fab posts! <3 

It's no secret that I love my birthday and this year was no exception. I had the best time and I am definitely looking forward to next year! Apologies for the blurry photos, it's difficult to take artistic shots when you are busy dancing... 

Every year Mark makes me a birthday card and this year it was A PUG IN A PARTY HAT :D along with some Lindor which totally made my day!

My traditional birthday cake of chocolate cake filled with cherry pie filling and fresh whipped cream... swoon!

A close up of my hair and my smudgy smokey eye...

A group shot of George, Mark, Chris, me, Mike and Oli... 

I love the annoyed looking zombie in the back of this one!

The facial expressions in some of these photos are hilarious! 

A close up of the dress and my FLASHING BIRTHDAY BADGE

Doing the Thriller dance :P

I love this photo :)

Lining my stomach before I went out...steak and chips [YUMMM]

The morning after the night before...

My beloved bag, a present from my parents... it's so red and shiny!

George, Pete and me...

View from the Bullring

George, Mark and me...

Mike, Soph and me...

A slightly better picture of the dress! I bought it all the way back in June and I have been waiting to wear it ever since. I have always shied away from yellow but there was something about this dress that just called out to me and I'm glad I wore it as I got so many compliments :) I really cannot thank everyone who wished me happy birthday enough, I was overwhelmed by all your good wishes and I really had a fantastic time so thank you ♥ 

What did you do for your birthday?

Hello, everyone. This is Maria's boyfriend, Mark. I have sneakily "hacked in" to Frills 'n' Spills to wish Maria a very Happy Birthday and to let you all know that she's going to be away for a few days.

Maria has been working extremely hard recently, and so she is being whisked away for the weekend for nice food and lots of partying with her friends.

Don't worry, though... Maria will be back soon with more outfit posts, recipes and all the other amazing stuff that you know and love her for!

To Maria: have a really great Birthday and I will see you later! Lots of love,

This jumpsuit is one of those pieces in my wardrobe where everyone is very scathing about it "Patterned floral jumpsuit? you'll look like a sofa!" but whenever I wear it, I get compliments left, right and centre, it's definitely a piece that looks better on, than it does on the hanger! I wanted to wear it differently to the last time I wore it and so I decided to go a bit more glam for a trip down to the local pub ...  

The best thing about this outfit though was how darned comfy it was, forget your slouchy leggings and cardigans, jumpsuits are the way forward in comfort dressing!

When I find a combination of accessories I like, I wear it to death (remember these boots?!) and so I paired the jumpsuit with these gorgeous pewter accessories which I wore fairly recently. If it isn't broke, why change it up? ;)

The best part of this outfit though was these AMAZING legwarmers. I won them in a giveaway from my darling wifey Laura and decided that the flared trousers camouflaged them perfectly. I'm not normally a fan of the heels and legwarmers look but this was too cosy to resist!

Would you wear a patterned jumpsuit? Do you stick to tried and tested accessories or do you try and branch out? 

I don't there is anything that is making me smile as much as this dress at the moment! The Fairy Hobmother visited me after I commented on Ellie's post and very kindly gifted me with a £50 Amazon voucher which I couldn't wait to spend!

I will be honest, this dress isn't the most flattering one I own, or even the cheapest but it's fun and sometimes that is just what you need!


I wasn't sure if the blazer made it look too severe but my leather jacket was just too much 'look'. I thought it was better to leave the focus on the dress rather than overwhelm it with too many accessories. 


This picture shows the print a bit better, how fun is it?! 


I am totally in love with my 'Coral Shimmer' lipstick by Natural collection, the perfect peachy colour, ideal for picking out all these gorgeous autumnal colours in the leaves at the moment!

My little treat to myself: Fashion Face Off playing cards, Gossip Girl Seasons 3 and 4  and the banana dress of dreams...

You too can be in with the chance of having the Fairy Hobmother visit you, just comment on this post and tell me what you are wishing for! 

Would you wear fun fruity prints? What are you wishing for? 

I love all things almond so amaretti biscuits have always been high on my list of favourite biscuits. The only problem is, no-one makes them so they are chewy in the middle! When I saw this recipe in 'The Cookiepedia' I knew that it was going to be first on my list of cookies to make. This recipe was super quick and very easy and the biscuits taste even better the next day too, this is definitely my new favourite recipe to 'wow' people with...

This weekend I went to London for my baby cousin's christening and looking back at the photos of my outfit, it is very 'heritage inspired', something the magazines keep marking out as a 'key trend' for this A/W, and a trend I would happily buy into with it's rich colours and gorgeous textures...

I chose this dress as the length ensured it was church (and family appropriate) as well as being ridiculously comfortable! I don't have many dresses that are both dressy and long so this one tends to get wheeled out whenever I need something that looks more dressed up than one of my usual floral dresses... 

Please excuse the silly pose, I was trying to get my bag and shoes into the same shot because I thought my brother was zoomed in... unfortunately he wasn't and I just look like a fool...

This, for me, is what Autumn is all about, luxe colours and a multitude of textures. This faux fur collar has to be one of my favourite things to wear at the moment. I kept my eye out for a vintage one but after stroking this silky soft one in H&M the other week, I was sold! Keep your eyes peeled for more outfit posts with it in, coming your way very soon... 

A picture of the bag in slightly more detail. Please excuse my huge man hands! I love this bag and despite it being extremely small, it was perfect for carrying the essentials and matched perfectly with the shoes... I love it when an outfit comes together! 

What would you wear to a christening? Do you like the heritage trend?

Whenever I wear jeans I feel like I am 18 again, trotting off to college brimming with that dastardly mix of excitement and insecurity. Years of never being able to find a pair that fitted left me disheartened and I swore myself off jeans for about 2 years. I first broke with these second hand flares, then these berry beauties and now another pair have wormed their way into my affections. Say hello to the Topshop Kristen jeans that have stolen my heart...

This outfit felt like classic 'capsule wardrobe' fare (which I normally avoid like the plague) but I loved its mix of practicality and warmth on a chilly Autumn day.

I paired the jeans with my current favourite top/boots/belt combo to ease myself back into wearing jeans without feeling too self-conscious and I have to say I was pleased with the results. I know the majority of you are probably rolling your eyes at your computer screens right now but JEANS SCARE ME, so wearing them and enjoying it, is quite an achievement!

In my head, the fact that they were high waisted made me think that I had legs like a supermodel but sadly, these pictures have proven otherwise! I must have had my rose tinted spectacles on that day :P

The detailing on this top is quite something, on the hanger it looks a bit 'blah' but when you put it on, it makes you feel like a million dollars... MAGIC.

I still can't get over how gorgeous the cathedral is in Worcester!

Outtake of the day: I was so excited to see statues (on a cathedral nonetheless!) that I forced Mark to take a picture of me with them, secretly I think it's because they matched my coat.... 

What clothes scare you? Have you ever sworn off wearing certain items of clothing?