Monday Monday

Well, it's Monday and my day has mainly been spent:

• not working...it's the last week of term, so I was expecting it to be quieter than usual. I do have a half day booked for tomorrow, but that's it so far.





• on the Internet...Facebook (I'm currently addicted to Cafe World!) and Blogger have been my main websites of choice today!





• being domesticated...I made this dessert:

(nothing too complicated, just mandarin oranges on a biscuit crust...basically a cheesecake without the cheese!)

• I also washed up, and cleared my summer clothes out of my wardrobe and put them away for the winter!

• and listening to the radio...my songs of the day have been Tik Tok by Kesha, Bad Romance by the Gaga, Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo and Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

This is what I've been wearing:

Black and charcoal 2 in 1 pinafore : Lime at Next, Black leggings: Peacocks, Grey boots: Rocket Dog via Amazon, Watch: Present, Pearl bracelet with butterfly detail: Primark, Diamond cluster ring: Asda (present off my Mum and Dad for my 21st)

(Except for this morning, when I was wearing work trousers instead of leggings and black flats instead of my boots!)

After I post this...I'll be going to rehearsal for an hour, then spending the rest of my evening relaxing and getting my stuff ready for work tomorrow morning!

Tomorrow...I'll be posting another "What's in my Wardrobe" post, all about sequins. I know it'll be a day early but there are a couple of special things happening on Wednesday that I want to blog about then and I'd rather be early than late lol!

So that's all for today! Hope you've had a great start to the week...and remember, only 4 days till the weekend! :-)

What's in my wardrobe Wednesday - Beautiful bracelets and bangles (and a pair of earrings!)

Well, I haven't done a Wardrobe Wednesday post for quite a while...I always seem to remember on Friday and by then it just feels too late to write one! But by some miracle, I'm online and it's Wednesday, so it feels right that I should restart the series! This week is all about beautiful bracelets and bangles... I love all kinds of jewellery, but gorgeous wristwear is my favourite. I've already shared some pictures of my newest acquisitions in the shopping posts I've done, but I also have some older favourites that I rely on too and these are what will be in the spotlight today!

Copper leather look bangle

This was a gift that I found in my Christmas stocking a couple of years ago. I love this because it's quite simple but really different too, and it looks good worn with a wide range of colours.

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Pearl triple string bracelet with butterfly detail

This caught my eye in Primark earlier this year and I knew I had to have it! I love pearls (real or imitation...I'm not fussy!) and liked the vintage look of the butterfly detailing. Plus it was ridiculously cheap, so it really was a match made in heaven. Again, as it's quite neutral, I've worn it with a whole range of outfits for many different occasions. The only downside is that butterfly has recently broken, so I don't wear it as much as I used to :-(

Brown and gold enamel bangle with diamante detail

This was a present from my mum and dad...although I'm not 100% what for! I'm sure it was something to do with my education...either passing exams or graduating from my degree or post grad course, but I just can't remember the exact occasion! I mainly love this as it's so unusual...I've never seen another like it, and it makes me feel really unique! The colours also fit in great with much of my wardrobe; I own lots of brown, beige, and neutral clothing and the bangle matches well with all of these.

Black and white swirl bangle

I picked this up from a local low cost store to go with a 60s themed outfit for a fancy dress party. While I don't wear this as much as some of the other things featured today, it's the perfect match for any of my black and white tops that often make an appearance during the warmer months as they're all short sleeved! It's also good to wear as it opens at the back meaning I don't
have to force it over my hand when I put it on or take it off!

Gold effect bead bracelet with gold flower detail

I bought this from Dorothy Perkins to go with a black dress and black/gold clutch for an 80s themed murder mystery. Not only was this a real bargain in the sales, it also co-ordinates well with most of my wardrobe, meaning I'm never short of occasions to wear it.

Blue and grey multi gem bracelet with black enamel and diamante detail

This is probably the "blingiest" piece of jewellery I own and I LOVE it! I bought it from Debenhams last year to match with a blue and black dress that I was going to wear for my work Christmas party. It's from the EB diffusion line by Erickson Beamon, and whilst it's a bit pricier than most of the other costume jewellery I buy for myself, I think it was well worth it :-) I wear it with my party clothes but also to add a little spin to more casual outfits...in my mind there's nothing better than dressing a casual outfit up with some fabulous accessories!

Brown and gold textured bangle set

This was the Secret Santa present I received at work last year. I later found out that my line manager (head of my age group team) was the person who got them for me and can I just say she got me SO right! I love my browns and golds and I love bangles and these are just so pretty...it was love at first sight! They're one of my most frequently worn accessories (in fact, they're jangling away on my right wrist as I'm typing this!) and I think they look great for both work and play!

And finally, here's a little gatecrasher making their way into the post...

Wood and turquoise hoop earrings from Barefoot Maiden!

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I told you that I'd won a giveaway that Holly at Her Southern Heart was running? Well, those little beauties above are my prize! They arrived yesterday, courtesy of Barefoot Maiden's Etsy shop. And while I haven't worn them yet, I already love them! So thank you Holly and Barefoot Maiden!

Fingers crossed, I'll be able to keep up the habit of posting on a Wednesday now! Next week I'm thinking of doing a post on party wear...maybe focusing on sequins, and possibly one on winter woolies after that, but I'm open to suggestions! If there's a particular post you'd like to see, let me know!

What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday - Fancy Dress for Less

Once again, I'm late with this post, and I'm feeling really lazy at not blogging for 6 whole days...but at least I'm here now, better late than never and am making up for my guilt by giving you 2 posts for the price of 1! So sit back, relax and enjoy...a little bit of my weekend mixed up with a whole lot of outfits!

Now, I love going to parties, and every now and then, the time comes around for fancy dress. I love that too...but what I don't like is the cost involved. Whilst some of my friends have bought expensive dressing up outfits in the past, I really don't see the point. It's not as if it's something you can really wear again, unless you want to run the risk of everyone knowing what your outfit will be before every single party (because it's ALWAYS the same one!)! Now that's not to say I won't buy outfits if they're the right price...but I like to be a bit more creative if I can! So here's a few outfits I've created in my time, and a few tips for getting a cool looking outfit for less. I'm not saying I'm a style expert or anything because I'm most certainly not, but I have been pleased with what I've managed to achieve!

1. 
   Work with what you've already got

Last Saturday, I went to a Halloween party dressed as a witch and had a fantastic time! Initially, I had planned to buy a costume but could find nothing in the shops. At first I started to panic but then I remembered a dress I already had and everything else started to come together. This is what I wore:

I wore this black dress...you can't see very well but it had wide bottomed sleeves and a zig zag hem...perfect for a witch. I teamed it with black fishnets over purple tights and my black ribbon tie shoes from Next...all three were things I already owned. The only new addition to my outfit which cost 1.50 from a discount shop.

2. Start shopping early

Now I know this isn't always possible, but if you know about something in advance, I'd strongly recommend looking around earlier rather than later. A good example of this was for my friend's 25th. In honour of our decade of birth, he decided to go for an 80s theme and I was determined to buy a vintage 80s dress for the occasion. So I looked on Ebay...and every now and then I saw a dress I liked so I put a bid (or ten!) in. But they went for too high a price so I missed out...that's another thing I'd say...always set a price limit! But because I still had time left, I didn't get stressed and just kept looking. And then it happened...I saw a dress, bid and won! In fact, I was the only bidder and bagged myself a genuine 80s gem for less than a fiver. What do you think?:

I teamed the dress with leg warmers which I also bought off Ebay for a couple of quid and a pair of 80s style black stilettos from Dorothy Perkins that I already owned.

3. Customise the basics (or get others to do it for you!)

A couple of years ago, 2 of my friends had a joint fancy dress party. The theme was cartoon characters and for a while I was stumped. How could I find quite a simple outfit? Then I thought of Wilma Flintstone...all I'd need was a white dress and a string of pearls and I'd be sorted! So the white dress hunt was on, and I eventually found a strappy white sundress for a few pounds. Then my mum got to work on it. She removed one of the shoulder straps and cut the bottom so it was jagged. Add a string of chunky pearls that I borrowed off a friend and a wash in/'wash out hair dye (that didn't really work!) and voila!

4. Buy items that can multitask

I probably spent the most I ever have on the fancy dress outfit I wore for my friend's western themed birthday party. But I didn't mind because I knew I'd wear everything again and I have. My cowboy boots...check! A checked shirt..check! A cowboy hat...check! (It's great for those sunny days!)

And finally one more tip that doesn't have a photo with it!
5. Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise

A really good example of this was when I was looking for a simple and cheap costume and decided to go as a police officer. I had the black trousers, white shirt and sensible shoes already so all I bought was the accessories: handcuffs, hat, neckerchief, badge and epaulettes for my shoulders. Hey presto: instant outfit!

Another example of this was when I went to another 80s party. I bought another cheap dress off Ebay, but then made it a little bit special by adding a vintage belt (again from Ebay) and an 80s clutch that belonged to my mum!

So hope you enjoyed! Like I say, I'm not claiming to be an expert...but if at least one person gets any ideas from this, I'll be very happy! :-)

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! ;-)

Stylish Saturday!

Well, at least I hope so! I know when I restarted the blog, I said there would be some posts about fashion, and I realised today that I hadn't done one yet. So I've decided to do an outfit post for today, my added motivation being that today's the first day since Wednesday when I've felt like my normal self! So without further ado, here's what I'm wearing today:

Strapless lilac checked dress: H and M (This was a real bargain in the sale a few weeks back - I got it for less than half price!)

Black leggings: Peacocks

Grey marl canvas high tops: Primark

As I write this, I'm also wearing a black boyfriend cardi, also from Primark.

You can't really see the jewellery I'm wearing, other than my black strapped watch with a diamante inset dial that I got off my family when they went on holiday a few months ago. I also have on a silver bracelet with "Pandora" style beads that I bought myself from a jewellery party and my gold diamond cluster ring that was my 21st Birthday present off my Mum and Dad.

Finally, I apologise for the poor picture quality. I had to stand on my bed and put my phone on timer to get a full length shot lol!