I'm like a bird



Outfit:
Coral bird print sheer shirt: Leather Lane market
Black skinny jeans: Primark
Black and white tweed long line blazer with a leather collar: Next
Leather black giraffe head loafers: Topshop
Gold statement necklace - H&M

This is what I wore to travel down to Leamington Spa - which was absolutely fantastic but more on that in another post. I've been after some tops and shirts to wear with skinny jeans for quite a while. I need ones that cover my bum otherwise I tend to look out of proportion. Luckily Leather Lane came up trumps (again!) with this gorgeous coral shirt. I don't have much in the #wardrobezoo so  this is a welcome addition!The loafers were also a Leather Lane find. I jumped at the chance for real leather shoes for only a tenner! Every year I like to buy a new coat and this is this years one. Given  the British weather I don't believe you can ever have too many coats which I suppose is why I seem to have 14...

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I wish I could spend every weekend hanging out with my blogging babes!
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You're not as brave as you were at the start

Outfit:
Red and white checked midi dress -  Asos
White plimsols - Vans
Pink staw bag - TK Maxx borrowed from the mother.
Red plastic watch - Toywatch

The one and only set of outfit pictures my boyfriend agreeed to take. To be honest i've lived in the dress during the hot days. It was a complete bargain brought from Leather Lane market (fast becoming my favourite place to shop) for only £10. The market has bundles of Topshop, Asos, New Look and Zara clothes - some are even current season. They just have the labels cut out of them. But if you shop as much as me you'll where they come from without the labels! I may have spent a small fortune there yesterday after I got paid. My mum very kindly lent me her holiday basket from TK Maxx. It was perfect to fit all the daily junk in as well as three pairs of shoes on the way home to ensure my suitcase wasn't over the limt!

I'm off out to catch the train to meet up with all my blogger babes in Lemington spa for a weekend filled with Wagamamas, alcohol and afternoon tea. Sounds like the perfect weekend eh?

Hope you all have a lovely weekend whatever you may do!
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Holiday Outfits Part Two

The title says it all...

001: Burnt orange chiffon midi dress - Topshop (RIP my mum has ruined it in the wash)
002: Boat patterned white cotton dress - Asos
003: White and navy polka dot midi dress: Topshop
004:Orange polka dot midi dress - Asos
005: White chiffon pleated midi dress - Topshop
006: Tropical floral peplum pencil dress - Asos

Also sorry about the poor quailty of some of these photos - I didn't realise how rubbish they were until they were uploaded and was in too much of a rush to stuff my face to take a replacement! The joys of being all-inclusive!
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Holiday Outfits Part One

Getting my boyfriend to take pictures of me is like drawing blood from a stone. You'd think i'd asked him to support Manchester City instead of United the way he moans. So I decided to document my evening outfits on Instagram. To be fair you wouldn't want to have seen me sans make up and sweaty during the day!

001: Hawaiian floral cut out dress - Asos
002: Baby blue cotton sun dress - Asos
003: Red and white checked midi dress - Asos via Leather Lane Market




004: Chiffon green polka dot maxi dress - Asos
005: Blue gingham wiggle dress - Asos
006: Coral chiffon dipped hem dress - New Look

I'll do the second part in a few days - I don't want to overwhelmed you all. As you can see I stuck to my midi favourites. My Asos collection seems to be getting out of control! 

My photoshop skills leave a lot to be desired I know! 
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Holiday blues


Guess who's back? Back again? ME! After two relaxing weeks in Bulgaria i'm back on English soil. I had a lovely two weeks away doing literally nothing  - I must have slept for 12 hours a day! It was very much needed although i'm struggling not eating two courses for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All-inclusive is the best! BOGOF cocktails, chocolate covered pancakes, geniune fake designer goods and bizaare bendy entertainment were among the highlights. Now planning for New York 2014 starts!

How have you all been?!
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The word's on the streets and it's on the news

Outfit:
Topshop navy and white polka dot midi dress - Donated by a very kind friend
Navy 3/4 length cardigan - Primark
Black and cream two tone pumps - Primark
Red plastic watch - Toywatch
Silver charm bracelet - Pandora

The plus side of having a fashionable friend is they unload their pretty clothes onto you. I was green with envy when my friend managed to snag this off eBay for a decent price - the ones i'd seen were going for £40 plus. You can imagine my delight when she offered me it FOR FREE! Of course I was the dutiful friend and told her to sell it on eBay but deep down I was screaming GIVE IT TO ME PLEASE! Luckily she's a bit of a diamond. This has my name written all over - the midi length gets me every time. I'm on the hunt for a red pair of shoes - can't believe I don't own any - and a red bag to make the dress complete.

I know i'm making a major faux paux - in my eyes anyway - by wearing black with navy but I didn't have any shoes to wear! They don't look too bad I suppose!

As you read this I shall just have landed in the hopefully sunny Bulgaria. Hopefully I'll be coming back with a killer tan! Wish you were here!


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Lusting over Dixi

Dixi is one of those brands that came to my attention through reading blogs. I find out about so many wonderful brands that would never have been on my rader - one of the many things I love about blogging. This is just a little sneak preview of what's to come. Exciting eh?

I was immediately drawn to the rings. Like a magpie I love anything big and eye catching. A statement ring can really make or break an outfit which probably explains why my dressing table is overflowing with them!

The arrows and skulls make me want to embrace my inner rock chick while the brown boots would be perfect in the winter for work. It's all about looking fashionable AND comfortable!
The great news is Dixi is offering a special and exclusive discount code which is running until the 9th September - you better hurry up and make some decisions! You just have to spend over £15. The code is : UPDATEMEFS

Has anything caught your eye?
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What's cooler than bein' cool?


Outfit:
Black 3/4 length t-shirt - Next
Hot pink pleated midi skirt - H&M
Pony skin Dalmatian print slipper shoes - Next
Long cameo necklace - Random boutique

This is a typical work outfit - i.e. a t-shirt tucked into a midi skirt. Nothing too exciting but it helps me feel like i'm making some effort going into work. Not too smart for a fairly casual office but smart enough to be working in the city. I brought this skirt months ago for just £7.99 - full price! - and have only really just started to get use out of it after losing some weight. It was one of those skirts that had to go over your head as it wouldn't go past your bum. It was happening to a lot of my clothes ha! These shoes may look pretty but they ripped my feet to shreds by the end of the day. I think they may need some wearing in! Excuse the exposed bra strap I didn't notice until I uploaded them! If i'm looking a bit bleary eyed it's because these at half 7 in the morning. Came to the conclusion that my outfit posts are better when I do them in the evening haha!

I'm off on holiday on Monday - I don't think i've mentioned it enough! I'm going to try and get a few posts scheduled for the two weeks but it might not happen! If things are a little quiet over the next few weeks you know why!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! I'm off to Brighton tomorrow as the boyfriend booked a night in a hotel before we fly out from Gatwick. He's a keeper eh? See you all in two weeks!
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It's all a bit of fun 'til someone gets done


Outfit:
Blue jersey blazer: C/O Glamorous
Floral patterned skinny trousers: Primark
Black vest top: Primark
Patent platform pumps: Primark
Red plastic watch - Toywatch
Gold ball statement necklace - Topshop

I was very kindly sent this blazer from Glamorous along with my lovely top but have only just have the chance to blog about thanks to a broken camera. But that's not to mean I haven't been wearing it! I picked in with the mindset to wear it to work because let's face it blazers really are the perfect workwear - they can smarten almost anything up. I love the soft material of this blazer and vibrant colour immediately brightens an outfit up. We need all the help we can get to brighten up this gloomy weather! It's pretty lightweight too which is handy on the tube. It can be completely freezing in the outside world yet like a sauna underground.

In other news i'm off to sunny Bulgaria on Monday for two blissful weeks in the sunshine. I can't wait to top up my tan and do nothing but drink cocktails, read books and stuff my face. I've only been working full time for about a month but it's really taken it out of me. I survive on so little sleep recently after burning the candle at both ends so i'm looking forward to getting up at my leisure.

How have you all been? Hopefully i'll be blogging a lot more recently - i've really missed it! I've got lots of catching up to do!

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Notting Hill Carnival

I ventured down to Notting Hill Carnival on Bank Holiday Monday. I've not been since I was a kid and am determined to make the most of all the free events in London. It's not quite as fast paced as I remember - it's very stop and start. But it was still a good day out and I managed to finally try curried goat. The food is always the best part of any day out!

Did anyone else get to the carnival?
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Thrifty Finds #1

After picking up lots of junk each week - much to my dad's dismay - I decided to start up a weekly feature where I showcase what i've managed to pick up. No one in my house is bothered that i've picked up yet another compact mirror.

Here's what I picked up last week over the course of the weekend.

001. Set of six Babycham glasses
I have been hunting out for these for god knows how long but everyone seems to know the value of them and asking prices always seem to be high. I spotted these tucked away in a cardboard box under the table. I wasn't going to rummage as I only had ten minutes left but I spotted some whisky glasses and decided to dive in. I got so excited when I realised there were Babycham glasses and even more excited when the seller wanted just £2 for all six! I didn't even try to haggle the price down.

002. Pink Marcel Franck glass atomiser
I decided on a whim that I wasnted to start collecting perfume bottles as I obviously need yet more things to hoard. I spotted this amongst a stall of endless books and managed to haggle the owner down to £2.50. I got the shock of my life when I decided to do a little research and found one on an American antique website selling for $175! 

003. Cameo brooch cameo pendant and brown oval stone brooch
The first thing i'm drawn to at bootsales is jewellery. I'm after any brooches, anything cameo related or any pearls. Basically anything an old lady would like. I'm trying to ween myself off brooches - 30 is perhaps a bit excessive especially as I wear them once in a blue moon. But I couldn't resist this brown one and of course the cameo brooch had to come home with me. It'll look lovely on the lapel of my winter coat.

004. Stratton peacock compact mirror
This beauty was only a £1 and I was delighted to find out it was from the 1960s - I love items with a sense of history. Admittedly i've not used it yet as i'm too scared to lose it but what's the point of it sitting on my dressing table eh?

005.Ornate glass pot
I've turned into my mother and am obsessed with anything glass. Butter dishes, cake stands, triffle dishes and dressing tables sets - we have them all in this house. I have no idea what to use this as - thinking maybe to store my cotton wool? But I had to take it home and it's looking very pretty sitting by my rings!
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My Olympic experience so far




I may be an Essex girl born and bred but London's always had a special place in my heart. From the day my parents took me to the Natural History Museum - I asked to go for my fourth birthday so i've always been a geek -  i've been hooked on the big smoke. I'm finally living my dream of working in the city and hopefully may even move there one day. I therefore think of London as my city and have been extremely proud of how it's pulled the Olympics off. The atmosphere has been electric and i've tried to take advantage. So far i've managed to catch the football, cycling road race and women's hockey and am popping along to the women's marathon tomorrow with my nan and mum. I can't believe just how well team GB are performing and it makes me incredibly proud to be a Brit. For such a small country we have an immense wealth of talent. I feel so lucky to have seen the Olympics in my home country, COME ON TEAM GB!!

P.S Please ignore the not too flattering photos of me - I had extremely early starts ha!

P.P.S That's my dear old dad i'm standing with outside Wembley.

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Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you




Outfit:
Orange lace midi dress: Asda
Denim jacket: Primark
Nude ballet pumps: New Look
Oversize faux-pearl necklace: gift from friend

This an example of an outfit that I wear to work. My office is fairly casual - lots wear jeans and converse. But I like to make the effort to dress up a bit more as I have so many clothes it'd be a crime not to wear them! This denim jacket is one of the best investments i've worn in a long time - it's perfect for the 'summer' we seem to be having! I brought this dress in the sale and it's the perfect length for work to wear with bare legs. It's also pretty handy to take on holiday with me as I guess i'll only wear it a handful of times thanks to this brilliant weather.

I've been getting into the Olympic spirit this week having attended the mens road race and womens hockey today. Attending these sorts of events make me realise just how much I love london. The city really has done so well even if London Transport did make me an hour late for the hockey this morning. Suppose a deflective train can't really be helped... I'm off to see the football quarter final on Saturday, I need GB to come second in their group to see them. I'm also going to attend the womens marathon on Sunday so it's a jam-packed week!

Has anyone else been religiously watching the Olympics? Or been to see some action themselves?


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A Essex based lifestyle blogger who lives a champagne life on a lemonade purse!

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sophie.warner89@yahoo.co.uk.

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