A snapshot #16

001-002. This week involved a lot of baking and a lot of eating by the looks of it. It was my boyfriend's dads 50th birthday so I baked him a carrot cake for his actual birthday and the strawberry cake was baked for his surprise party yesterday. I've come to the conclusion that I love feeding people haha!

003. We went out for a fancy meal for his actual birthday earlier on in the week and i'd forgotten just how tasty lamb shank actually is. I may have accidently consumed three courses that evening making fat club very hard Saturday morning.

004. I was given some preview tickets for Hotel Transylvania from work so my mother and I trotted along to the screening with a cheeky nandos on the way home.

005-006. The highlight of my week was getting to raid the beauty drawer at work and take some goodies home. I made a beeline for the nail varnishes as you can see - a Revlon orange one isn't pictured as I gave that to my mum. I'd never tried China Glaze before but had seen many reviews on different blogs. I love the fact it's so shiny and I haven't managed to chip it within an hour - that seems to be my speciality.

Have you all had a good week?

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Red red wine

 Outfit:
Wine coloured lace skater dress - Next
Black and white tweed boyfriend coat - Next
Black leather giraffe buckle shes - Topshop
Black bayswater - Mulberry
Selection of gold and cream bangles - Allsorted shops

Yes that is my beloved Mulberry you can see. I finally saved up enough money to buy my dream bag and it's safe to say i'm completely in love. I've wanted this bag since I was 15 and it feels amazing that I can finally say I own one. I've already set up another money tin to start saving for yet another bag! I brought this dress with the last of my Next discount and it's become a staple in my wardrobe. It's a great length for work and very comfortable for everyday wear.

I'm slightly suffering today from tiredness after rolling in at 5am this morning. Althought we didn't actually drift off to sleep until about 5.45 thanks to late night drunken talks. My friend moved to North London for Uni a few years ago and we decided to take advantage of her gaff and plan a girls night out in Camden. I had the best time dancing like an idiot and literally didn't stop laughing all night. I've rustled up a carrot cake to help make me feel a bit better. I think tonight might be an early night...

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Leamington Spa

Last Saturday I travelled down ( or up?) to Leamington Spa for a blogger meet up hosted by the lovely Sarah who has the most amazing collection of dresses i've ever seen! Sarah and Char met me at the train station and after we'd waited for Gemma and Kim ,we treked off to the wonderful shop of  Berylune. This little treasure trove consisting of beautiful vintage trickets, wonderful stationary and colourful Zatchels.It's well worth a visit if you're ever in the area. We were treated to a giant slice of Sarah's gorgeous Victoria sponge in the "Bitch and Switch" room above the shop.It was here that Rosie and I bonded over our love (not!) of my home town. It turned out she knew someone from where I live. Small world eh?

After a cheeky cocktail in Wagamamas we took to the travel lodge to make ourselves beautiful for a night on the town. Hannah, Aisling and I may have had a cheeky glass of wine while getting ready... The darling Katy met us for dinner where I stuffed my face with some delicious noodles plus more cocktails. Of course!

After a mini bar crawl and some drunken dancing in Moo we managed to stumble home where the girls spoke of their disgust of me stuffing my face with a kebab. I honestly thought it was a staple after a night out...

With tired eyes we all woke up on Sunday morning ready to stuff our faces with cake and finger sandwiches at an amazing vintage tearoom. Seriously the cake collection was out of this world. It was the hardest decision of the weekend to decide what to have!

Thanks so much to the wonderful Lauren who very kindly dropped me off at the station. It was lovely to meet a fellow Essex girl! 

I had the loveliest of weekends and can't wait to do it all over again! 

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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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