I heart these...

As you'd know if you read my blog yesterday, I've just started exploring we heart it and have uncovered some beautiful images. Above are 10 of my favourites so far, including some I only came across today...so maybe being unable to post pictures yesterday was a good thing, as I would have missed out on some of the best. And my online album is sure to be getting fuller and fuller, so I reckon that image posts might be making a more regular appearance on the blog, as I can't resist sharing them with you all. Would you like to see more photos on my blog? And how would you like them to be arranged? I'm thinking of doing a mix of both random and themed posts, but there's nothing set in stone yet!!

Till next time...

What's-in-my-Wardrobe Wednesday: Yesterday's Buys

It's back!! After months and months, "What's in my Wardrobe Wednesday" has finally returned!! :-) Can you tell I'm just a little excited?! Anyway, without further ado, onto the most important thing: the clothes...and the shoes...and the accessories...I'm sure you're getting the idea lol! Now as I mentioned in yesterday's post, I've done a bit of shopping, so what better way to share my purchases than by blogging about them in a Wardrobe Wednesday??

All of yesterday's buys came from Primark...if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that it's one of my most favourite shops ever! If not, well you do now! Having said that, I was just a little bit disappointed with it yesterday. Whilst I did buy some fabulous things, there wasn't really that much that jumped out at me and begged me to take it home, and that's a bit of a rarity. But never mind...I suppose it saved me money, at least ;-) And finally, for your delectation, here are the pieces that did return home with me:

Denim effect leggings in black and blue

Just a couple of basic buys to begin my post with, these leggings will help refresh my quite tired looking leggings collection...I can think of at least one pair that have seen better days! They'll be a wardrobe staple worn underneath longer length tops for a more casual look (I'm wearing the blue pair today with a blue and white striped cotton cami) and I know from experience that they're especially comfy to wear on fat days lol!

Black, white and grey floral print skater dress

This is a piece that definitely has autumn written all over it (or maybe even summer if our recent weather's anything to go by!). I think it'll look great worn over black leggings or super opaque tights, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to dress it up or down depending on my footwear and accessory choices.

Dark grey stud detail pumps

Grey canvas pumps or high tops have been a wardrobe staple of mine for well over a year now, and I was desperately in need of some new ones, due to the fact that my old ones are letting water in. These are a bit darker than the ones I've previously gone for, but I was attracted by the stud design, which you can see more clearly here:

Whilst I love the originality of these (and also think the checked lining is pretty funky), the one downside is that they're cut quite low at the front, meaning that if I wear them with leggings you can see quite a lot of my socks...not such a good look!! So I get a feeling I'll be saving these for wearing with jeans/trousers and keeping my old pumps for wearing with leggings based outfits like today's.

Coral and teal rose print scarf

I absolutely love the colours in this scarf...I think they're gorgeous!! This is actually a piece that's caught my eye a couple of times before, but I've resisted up until now, as I wasn't quite sure what I was going to pair it with. To be honest, I'm still not, but I thought that it was too pretty an item not to be mine!!

And last but not least...

Beige shiny effect mac

A classic mac was also on my shopping list for yesterday's trip, and I think this one's absolutely perfect and can see myself hopefully wearing this for years to come. I love how the subtle sheen makes it a little different, whilst still being timeless and elegant in design, and I love the fact that the belt is long enough to tie in a proper bow (although this is something I've obviously not quite mastered yet judging by the photo!!)

Here's a back view:

Ignore the creases on the back and focus on the puffed shoulders and back vent detail instead!! I'm really looking forward to wearing this, both for work and also to help smarten up more casual outfits. My first beige mac...I almost feel like a proper adult!!

And there we have it...hope you enjoyed :-) Till next time...

Well hello!!

Long time no speak!! I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I've last blogged...I don't know where the time's gone, all I do know is that I've been majorly busy!

So very briefly, here's what I've been doing for the past 2 weeks:

• Working...I've been working in the same school for the last 2 weeks, covering a teacher's paternity leave. They're not the easiest class to deal with, and there have been some moments where I've felt completely overwhelmed, but they've been coupled with some students who are a delight to teach, and times where I'm so proud of what they've achieved.

• Spending weekends with friends...the last two weekends have been time for fun with friends. The last weekend in January was spent relaxing at the pub and seeing Sherlock Holmes (again!) with my sister Amy on the Sunday and last weekend I went to a drama group party and out to a cocktail and karaoke bar for my friend's 23rd. Good times!

• Acting: Between January 27th and January 30th, I spent every evening dressed as a villager for my drama group's production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". It was really tiring, especially when coupled with 6:30 am get ups for work, but really fun at the same time! I can't wait for our next show. We're doing a musical revue which premieres in July...rehearsals begin in March!

• Driving: I've been keeping up with my driving lessons and the feedback off my instructor has been really positive...apparently it won't be too long before I can be entered for my test! Woo hoo! :-)

• Baking: I've started to develop a bit of a reputation for my gingerbread and I've baked two batches over the last two weeks...neither of them for my family, much to their disappointment! I'm starting to really love baking and am finding it much more relaxing now I know what I'm doing, but I think I should maybe expand my repertoire a little bit so am on the lookout for new recipes. Anyone got any suggestions??

• Preparing for job interviews: I had another job interview yesterday and spent some of the weekend preparing for it and planning a mini lesson for my classroom observation. Unfortunately, I didn't get the job but the feedback I received was very positive...the headteacher even said he wished he could have given me the job, but unfortunately I'd come up against a slightly stronger candidate. I'm not too downhearted, especially because I received a call yesterday from another school saying I'd been shortlisted for a job vacancy there too...my interview and lesson observation are in a couple of weeks!

And finally...

• Realising that my friends were right all along and that Robert Downey Jr is pretty damn fine...This one is pretty much self explanatory, but I'm going to explain myself anyway! I has been a long held belief amongst many of my friends that RDJ is hot, but I stubbornly disagreed. Yeah, he was ok, I thought, but nothing special. Even when I heard about Sherlock Holmes coming out, I was more excited about watching Jude Law for 2 hours than anything else. Then I saw it and it was like seeing him for the first time. It was quite literally a thunderbolt moment, and I was like "So that's what they see in you!". And now I'm hooked...I can't get enough! And if you're reading this and you still don't get it, here's a little something that might just change your mind:
  

What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday - Primark and Asda shopping trips

I've been off work this week as it's the school holidays, and have spent quite a lot of time relaxing and generally being a bit lazy! However, I still managed to find time for a bit of shopping on Monday. I went to Primark, which is just about my all time favourite shop, and whilst there wasn't loads that really grabbed me, I still picked up a few bits:

Red long sleeved top
This is just a really good basic buy, that I think will go equally well with a pair of smart trousers for work or jeans at weekend. Plus I love the fact that it's got tiny buttons down both sleeves...you can't see them on the picture but they make an otherwise ordinary top seem much more interesting.

Navy/red checked shirt

I absolutely love checked shirts at the moment, and thought the colours in this were gorgeous! When it gets colder, I might wear it layered up with the red top I bought.

Tan studded ankle boots

I love these boots, and have practically worn them non stop since Monday evening. They're wide fit too, which means it makes it much easier for me to tuck my skinny jeans into them! This is generally how I've worn them since I bought them, though they look just as good with jeans worn over the top. Just about the only bad thing is the fact they haven't got much grip on the soles which means that I've nearly gone flying on a pile of leaves a couple of times!

Black bead bracelet with silver flower detail

At the moment, I'm really into bracelets and bangles so took the opportunity to pick up a couple whilst I was shopping. I just found the flower really eyecatching, and think that this could really dress an outfit up.

Gold and ivory charm bracelet

This was another piece that really caught my eye...I just loved the detail on it and thought it looked much more expensive than it actually was (I think it was only about 2.50 or 3.00!). I think it's really pretty and have already been complimented on it, which always makes a girl feel good! The only thing is that the charms do make quite a lot of noise, so I'd be no good wearing it if I was trying to sneak up on someone lol!

A couple of hours after returning from Primark, my mum, sisters and I went to Asda where I picked up this cardigan:

It's something I'll probably wear layered up with a long sleeved top underneath, either for work or at weekends, depending on what bottoms I choose. When I bought it I had a choice of either black, stone or green. I went for this one because I thought it was an unusual shade, and didn't have anything else quite the same colour.

Anyway, that was my shopping! Hope you enjoyed and I'll be back with another wardrobe post soon (maybe it'll even be on a Wednesday next time)!

What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday - Silver necklaces

Well...technically not real silver, but they are silver coloured! This week I'm going to be sharing some of my favourite pieces of costume jewellery, my silver toned necklaces.

Diamante drop pendant
I can't remember where this necklace is from, or who bought it but it's one I wear quite a lot. I love its simplicity and sparkle, plus it has a really strong chain which means I'm not worried about it breaking.

Diamante tassel pendant
I think this was a present off my friends J and N for my 24th birthday. Although I don't wear this as much as some of my other jewellery, I think it's a very pretty piece and I like the fact it has an adjustable chain so I can wear it long or short depending on the top I've got on.

Filigree heart necklace
This is one of my all time favourite necklaces. It's another Primark bargain, but I think it looks much more expensive, and I've had compliments on it almost every time I've worn it. I love all the intricate detailing on the hearts, and the way they link together. Although it has an adjustable chain, I always try and wear it as short as possible to give a choker/neck plate effect.

Silver/clear multi charm pendant
This was another birthday present, this time off my friends G and L for my 25th. I think the charms give it a really fun and current look, and it also comes with matching earrings if I really want to dress things up!

Pink/Purple charm pendant

This was an end of year present off one of the children in my first ever class as a qualified teacher. In some ways it's quite similar to the previous necklace, it's got charms at the front and comes with matching earrings. However, this pendant has a much shorter chain, so I tend to wear it with a v neck top, so the charms can fit nicely in the v. It's also front fastening which is quite unusual, none of my other necklaces fasten in that way!

Silver heart pendant

I bought this from Primark a couple of years ago when there was a trend for heart shaped pendants, and even though they're not as popular now, I still love wearing mine! As the heart is on a long chain, I usually wear this with tops without much detail on the front, so things don't look too fussy!

And that's it from my wardrobe for this week! Stay tuned for more exciting updates! ;-)

What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday: Spotlight on Next

Like many other bloggers around at the minute, I've been inspired to write a themed series of posts, and as I love all things style shopping related...welcome to What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday! I'm not sure if this is going to be a regular series of posts yet, but in it I'm aiming to include posts on any new items I buy, as well as items on old favourites that I absolutely love and maybe even some of my top fives in various categories.

So to kick off, I'm focusing on some of my recent purchases from Next/Next Clearance as this gives me the chance to blog about my latest clothes/shoes purchases which I mentioned here, as well as sharing a couple of pictures of possibly my favourite pair of shoes at the mo.

Without further ado...here's the clothes first:

Cream bow neck top...despite the slightly dodgy picture, this is really lovely on! I've already worn it once for work, and then to the pub in the evening and think it's a really versatile piece that can be worn for lots of different occasions.

Cream top with black waterfall (?) front detail... I was initially attracted to this top because of its interesting front detailing and also its slightly unusual shape. The picture, unfortunately, isn't the best, but again the top is really flattering to wear. I can see myself wearing this for an evening out, maybe with my indigo skinnies and the shoes I'm going to show you in a bit. The final reason I love this top is because of the back...

It has an exposed zip, which I think is quite cool and is also apparently really 'in' at the mo.

Remember this post about my grey high tops? Well, I think I might have found a new love...while these pumps will never replace them, they're the best distraction I've found in a long search:

And finally comes a pair of shoes that I absolutely adore! They're about the comfiest high heels I've ever owned, they're shiny (and dare I say, a little bit sexy!) and they have a ribbon tie and a spotty inside. In short, they're just about perfect for me! What do you think of these babies??:

Not the best pic, but you can see the spotty insides and the ribbons!

And finally a side view, showing one of them in all her glory (yes, my shoes are female, deal with it!)

So, all that's left to say is thanks for reading my first What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday (that's assuming that anyone other than me has done!)...hope you enjoyed it! :-)

My blog design

So over the last few days I've been spending quite a bit of time browsing blogs and have been amazed at how fantastic some of them look. I really wanted mine to look better, but I didn't know how. So I did an internet search and came across this fantastic website:

http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

They do great blog designs, including lots of amazing things you can get for free! They've really improved the look of my blog, and if you're searching for inspiration for yourself, I'd seriously recommend them! :-)