I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

Outfit:
Floral perplum dress: Asos
Nude platform pumps: Primark
Nude envelope clutch: Asos

I bet you are getting fed up of seeing these nude shoes and clutch bag in every going out post. I know I am! It's just they go with absolutely everything and black just seems so harsh with my summer clothes. Although I have a lot of shoes - around 40 pairs is quite a lot for someone who's not a 'shoe girl' - they all seem to be in the same colours. I think I need to branch out and buy some brightly coloured ones! Ahhh this dress makes me so happy. It's just so bright and the flowers remind me 70s wallpaper which is always a bonus. The perplum is perfect for hiding a food baby which is just as well as I'm planning on stuffing myself silly tonight!

As I said i'm off out tonight. One of my friends has came home from travelling after a YEAR! Needlessly to say i'm pretty excited to see her and we are heading out to my favourite restaurant - a Mexican in the next village. Is it sad I already know what i'm having?

What are you lot up to this weekend?

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A snapshot #15

 It's a little bit late this week but this is what i've been up to in the past week.

001. One of my favourite ways to wear my nails recently  is to have a pastel shade underneath OPI Rainbow Connection. It's a little subtle sparkle and everyone seems to comment on it!

002. My Olympic tickets arrived this week which was very exciting! I have tickets for the hockey and football quarter finals. It's made me really wish i'd brought some more but I really don't have the money. Still i'm going to try and make it along to the free road races if I can.

003. I'm back on weightwatchers today thanks to a week and a half of eating whatever I like. While it's been brilliant I do feel a little bloated and am actually looking forward to come disipline in my life once again. Plus I dread to think how much i've put on!

004. When my great nan died, my nan gave me some of her brooches to keep. I have an insane amount of brooches and sometimes forget what I actually have. I found this while sorting through my drawers yesterday and decided it deserved an outing.

005-006. The most amazing charity shop warehouse has opened in my area - it's seriously huge and sells absolutely everything. The furniture is to die-for and I could quite easily have came home with a piano if I had somewhere to put it. I didn't go home empty-handed. I brought a cute little sewing box and pattern - my friend is teaching me to sew over the summer so thought i'd start building up a collection. A lovely decanter for my bottom drawer - I couldn't leave it behind for £2! I play the clarinet and am drawn towards old sheet music. I don't quite know what i'm going to do with it but i'm sure i'll find a use for 50p!

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Pretty in pink

Outfit:
Silk white blouse: c/o Ellos
Neon pink pleated midi skirt: New Look
Nude platform faux-suede pumps: Primark
Nude envelope clutch: Asos
Silver ball bracelet: Tiffany & Co

I was very kindly gifted this silky t-shirt along with a demin shirt (i've got an outfit post dedicated to that very soon!) by Swedish mail order company Ellos. I'd come across the brand on a few other blogs before so didn't stop to hesitate when I was informed I could pick a few pieces for myself! I'm so impressed by the quality considering the prices don't break the bank. They both feel lovely and soft on my skin - there's nothing worse than itchy fabric irritating you all day long. Swedish companies always seem to simple and sleek - H&M and Nelly are just two prime examples. Sometimes simple clothing is what makes the biggest statement in my opinion. I can see this white blouse becoming a staple in my wardrobe - there's no end of things it can be paired with! It's well worth the £17. I'm tempted to buy the other colours too!

I wore this  for a bite to eat at Nandos last night - not been since November according to my loyalty card. How has that even happened?! I may have been a little dressed up but its was a Friday and i'm not going out over the weekend so i'm making the most of it. I've got a bootsale to do today - i desperately need the money to boost my Mulberry funds. I'm nearly half way there!

 Do you have anything planned for the rainy weekend?

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Gingham

Outfit:
Blue and white gingham wiggle dress: Asos
Nude platform pumps: Primark
Nude 1960's kelly bag: Charity shop

This has to be hands down one of my favourite outfits i've worn recently. I brought this dress around a month ago and had been saving it for a special occasion. It fits like a glove and I felt amazing it - can't say that about all of my clothes! I went for a slightly 60s look, I did want to attempt a beehive from Catherine's blog but ran out of time. Next time though! It's just a shame this picture doesn't really do the dress justice, it was a rushed jobbie at the hotel. My friend was none to impressed at taking pictures of me!

I wore this out to a charity ball over the Jubliee weekend with some friend. It turned out to be a really good night despite the fact we were the youngest guests by about 20 years. We ended up making our own fun and NOT getting drunk, Seriously who has the dollar to pay £8 for a glass of wine?! I was not impressed!

How was your Jubliee weekend?

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Casino Royale

I love any old excuse to throw on a pretty dress, have fancy hair and put my war paint on. After all, what girl doesn't?  One place where you can really go all out is a casino - we've all seen the elegant dresses in the casino movies. Casinos always seem like glamourous places - admittedly the only one i've been too is on a Christmas work party where we were handed a wad of fake money and told to blow it all!

With so many casino games to play, it's hard to pick a favourite. But if I had to choose i'd go for the Roulette wheel. I always play it safe and opt for black or red. I think i'm too much of a chicken to pick one number and risk it all. I've never really played any card games - only 21 and Uno! Have you ever played any games at the Casino?

Now onto the most important aspect - the beautiful dresses! I think the more glam the better to be honest. My personal favourite has to be the French Connection one. But at £250 it's a little steep. The gorgeous nude Asos one is a lot more purse friendly at £60. Now what can I sell to raise the funds for it....

Have you ever been to a casino? What would your ideal dress be?

This post was written in collaboration.

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Ahoy!

 Outfit:
Boat printed cotton dress: Asos
Wicker bag with flower: Primark
White plimsols: Vans
Red plastic watch: Toywatch
Ball charm bracelet: Tiffany and Co

It looks like summer has finally arrived - well at least for a few days! I wore this outfit on Saturday to bask in the sunshine. It was such a nice day. Can't really go wrong with pie, mash and liquor, a BBQ and an evening spent in the beer garden. I brought this dress from Asos a good month ago but the weather never been nice enough to let me wear it. I adore the print on it and the cheeky little cut out back. I was trying to channel the 50s look with this outfit, although the plimsols were none to kind my my blistered feet! They were in agony! I think this bag may be my new favourite thing - i haven't been in Primark for two months! I think i'm coming down with something...

Did you all have a nice weekend? Go anywhere exciting?

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55 Factory

The majority of these photos were given to me by the lovely Gemma - I always seem to spend too much time talking at events and completely forget to take pictures! Always the way eh?

Last week I was very kindly invited to the launch of of the second issue of 55 Factory, a cool magazine that focuses on music and fashion features. It's such a lovely handbag size which means it's perfect to pop in your bag and read on your commute into work - i'm always after things to make my commute go faster. TFL will be the death of me! The cover star was Pandemonia who is the rather fetching lady in the orange dress! The launch took place in Covent Garden's Rokit. Rokit is one of my favourite places to have a rummage, I could have spent a fortune on the jewellery if I wasn't so poor! The best thing about any blogger events is meeting old favourites and getting to know new bloggers. I met the lovely Gemma, Elodie and Laura - me and Laura spent ages talking to each other before we even realised who each other was! Thanks girls for giving me a really good night.

The final picture is the amazing Meat Market - i've been going on about this place to everyone. I can't get over how tasty the burgers were. Mcdonalds eat your heart out. They taste like cardboard in comparison!

Thank you so much to Lois of Carrottop PR for inviting and to all the sponsors for the lovely goodie bag. The lip balm is now one of my favourites!

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What would you wish for if you had one chance?

Outfit:
Peach dipped hem shirt dress: New Look
Nude heeled pumps: Primark
Gold coloured necklace: Car boot
Taupe nails: Next
Gold coloured knot earrings: Topshop

This is something that's completely not my style yet I love it. I decided to take the plunge and embrace the dipped hem trend after spotting this dress in the New Look sale for only a tenner. I wore this to a wedding reception last week and have never really felt more Essex my life. With my fake tan and gold jewellery I think I did my county proud! The necklace was a car boot find and it's the perfect piece to wear under collars. Car boots are fab places to find unique jewellery and it's always so cheap too - this necklace was only a £1!

How is your week going so far?

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A snapshot #16

001. I'm getting quite good at this baking lark. Instead of buying clothes i've been buying cookbooks and pots. I think I must have been abducted by aliens...

002. First piece of holiday shopping for a holiday I haven't booked! I couldn't resist this bikini for only £5 in ASDA. Tempted to go back and buy the other colours. I think we are going to go to Morocco this year, we've found a lovely hotel and will hopefully book it in June. Trying to leave it as late as possible in the hope the price will go down!

003. I'm getting well into the Jubliee spirit of things and have been snapping out bits and pieces, Granted I don't need the bits and pieces but i'm a sucker for themed things. These cake tins were a buy from Sainsbury's and will give my scones a good home when I get round to making them.

004-005. I finally got to pay Meat Market a visit when I went to a event (more on that in the week!). I went with a couple of my blogging favourites Hannah and Lily as well as the lovely Aisling and Elodie. I went for the Double Bubble and it was absolutely amazing. The burger was massive and it tasted divine. It was like a heart attack on a plate - which is the reason it was so nice ha!

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I put one foot forward and ended up thirty yards back.

Outfit:
Scalloped collared embroidery anglaise sleeveless white shirt: Next
Black tapered smart trousers: Clothing at Tesco
Pink 3/4 length cardigan: Next
Black gold buckled smoking slippers: New Look
Cameo pearl necklace: Topshop
Topshop gold floral cuff: Gift
Conflower blue nail varnish: Nails Inc Bluebell: free with In Style

This is what i'm wearing to work today to my retail job. The shirt is a new buy on uniform and it's safe to say i'm in love. The collar completely captured my heart and I had to have it! Since i've been losing weight i've started to get my confidence back and am finding myself more and more drawn to wearing trousers. I've always loved how effortless trousers look but have always been too scared to wear them. Child bearing hips do not like trousers! These are without a doubt the most comfortable pair of trousers I have ever worn and I don't have to wiggle to pull them on. Result!

Going down to visit my grandad for dinner today and i've been a very good grandaughter and baked him a treacle tart. Although i'm not too sure it'll be that nice as the pastry is a bit thin and it blistered! Still it was only my first go and I now know I need to invest in some baking beads.

Have you got much planned or are you having a lazy day?

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Weightwatcher recipe: Spanish Cod with Paprika Rice

Another weightwatchers recipe - this time I found it in the magazine. The magazine's a great buy if you're getting a little bored of your meals, they have some amazing recipes. It's well worth the money! I've never eaten so much fish in my life. It's less points than meat on weightwatchers so i've been stocking up.


Ingredients:
1 fish stock cube
Pinch of Paprika - I used about half a teaspoon as I like flavouring!
I diced onion
110g pack of chorizo, cubed
200g of paella rice - I used normal rice as it was what we had in the house
4x 125g pieces of cod fillets
20 cherry tomatoes
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
125g of frozen peas
Teapsoon of dried parsley - it says to use fresh but use didn't have any!

11 propoints per serving
Serves 4
465 calories per serving

The orginial recipe used Saffron but we already had paprika in the house.

001. Crumble the fish stock into a  jug and add 600ml of boiling hot water. Add the paprika and leave it to steep.

002. Cook the diced onion and cubed chorizo together in a non stick pan on a medium high heat. Cook for around 8-10 minutes or until the onion is golden.

003. When the onion is ready, stir in the rice for a minute and slighty turn the heat down. Add the stock to the mixture and leave to cook, uncovered for around 15-10 minutes or until the rice is tender. Make sure the mixture is bubbling slightly. If it drys out, add a splash of hot water from the kettle.

004. Preheat the oven to gass mark 6/200 degrees/ fan 180 degrees. Pop the cod fillets in an overproof dish and add the tomatoes. I wedged as many of the tomatoes inbetween the cod fillets so they'd soak up the juice. Drizzle the fillets with oil. They need to be cook for around 10-15 or until the fish flakes.

005. Add the frozen peas and parsley to the rice and stir in. I left it all in for a few minutes before serving onto four places.

 006. The finished product! It was amazing and one i'll certainly cook again!

Let me know if you try out the recipe!

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This isn't goodbye, it's a see you later

Outfit:
Gingerbread print mint dress: Asos
Black thick tights: Primark
Gold buckle smoking slippers: New Look
Black cardigan: Primark
Black Marc Jacobs solid perfume Daisy ring: Gift from grandparents

My nan sadly passed away on Thursday, exactly two weeks to the day she was diagnosed with cancer. Thank you all so much for your well-wishes, it really does mean a lot. I feel surpisingly ok to be honest, i'm just so glad her suffering's finally ended and she died at home surrounded by the people who loved her. She would never have wanted to live like that and she was in so much pain. I won't remember her like that, it wasn't my nan. My nan used to make the nicest mince pies in the world, used to sit on the floor so her beloved dogs could sit on the sofa, always sit in the garden as soon as the sun came out and who always had a house full. Not many people can say they made a difference in someone life but my nan could numerous amounts of times. As a foster parent she gave so many children a stable home often when they had no one else in the world. Glad you're finally at peace Nanny Dogs. 

I first came across this dress thanks to Sarah - that girl does find some right gems! I immediately had to have it and went a bit mad selling on ebay until I had the cash. Gingerbread Men are my favourite cake to eat - as a child my mum always used to bring me back from shopping. In fact she sometimes does now! It's a lot shorter than I would usually wear but that's nothing a pair of tights doesn't solve. Asos is really starting to suck me in, every spare penny I make on Ebay is currently going on dresses from that site - why did I never really discover it before?!?

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A snapshot #14

001. I was treated to dinner tonight by the boyfriend. We were orginally going to the Toby Cavery but the queue was massive so we opted for a local pub. What a good choice it, these mini burgers were amazing! We popped to see the new American Pie film after dinner which is absolutely amazing! Go see it!

002. Pretty new shirt i've aquired recently as work uniform. I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this!

003. I tried by hand at baking for the first time and attempted a Victoria Sandwich. It came out a little burnt on top but this didn't put anyone off. As you can see it soon got eaten! I think I much prefer cooking actual dinner than baking. Baking makes my arm ache!

004. New shoes! I seem to have gone a bit mad recently and ordered 6 pairs of shoes in the last couple of weeks. I am one of these people that will wear shoes until they literally fall off my feet so I should be stocked up for a good few months - it was well overdue.

005. What online shopping addiction eh? I've had to curb down my spending for this month but on the plus side I have lots of lovely new things to blog about ha!

006.  Just a few things i've picked up in a charity shop recently. I don't quite know why I needed to own some sherry glasses but I figured they'd look lovely on display in my future home. Plus they were only a pound for six so it'd be rude to leave them behind.

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