Smiggled

I’ve always been a stationary geek; during my school days going shopping for a new pencil case and pens at the end of the school holidays was my favourite thing about going back to school, and when the craze took off I really was the girl with the most gel pens (my teachers were not impressed with my tendency to write in pastel pink).
Recently I was contacted about a company called Smiggle, an Australian brand taking root in the UK (you can click through to the Aussie site to see the full product range). To celebrate the launch of their first UK store opening in Westfield, Stratford I was sent a box of Smiggle goodness and it was just like Christmas all over again!
30 gel pens?! HELLO heaven. I apologies for the amateur scribblings, I was so excited to start using everything but I never did profess to be an artist. Neat handwriting (usually) is as far as I get on the artistic front. But still, what a package of joy and delight. I love the zippy pencil case, I’ve stuffed all my favourite pens in there- am I the only person who has a few pens reserved for “best?”.
I think it’s fair to say I’m a big fan of Smiggle- they have three more stores opening in the UK over the next month or so and I’m really hoping that they eventually decide to come to Bristol so I can go stationary shopping as often as I want…or at the very least launch as an online store. I’ve been having a browse on the Australian website and these pens as well as this iPad case feature high on my wish list.
Fellow stationary geeks, are you excited for the Smiggle?

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Inspired By: The Little Mermaid

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes during my regular browsing of my favourite online retailers I get inspired to put together a little dream outfit. This is what happened the other day when I happened across three pieces that instantly made me think back to one of my favourite Disney films- The Little Mermaid.

PicMonkey Collage

Dress: Chi Chi | Bracelet: Jr. Dunn | Shoes: Ted Baker @ Sarenza
The dress is very aptly named Ariel which triggered the whole thought process in the first place. It’s been a while since I had a good look at Chi Chi and they have some rather spectacular new arrivals right now.
Talking of spectacular how stunning is this bracelet? The colours reminded me of being near the sea whilst the gold setting, along with the shoes reminded me of Ariel’s love of all things sparkly.
Do you ever get randomly inspired like this? I’d love to know what triggered off your latest creation.

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Learning to Love

This was meant to be a simple outfit post, just like the ones I put up here every few days. The posts that come with blurry photographs (soon to be no more) and my take on personal style. Somehow this one ended up being a little more than that though, it’s funny how life teaches us lessons in the most un-expected ways.
Dress: Monki | Shoes: New Look | Tights: Primark
The last time I wore this dress I looked a little different. I had assumed, since then that by the time I had got to where I am now, weight wise that this dress wouldn’t fit, or would have been resigned to the “can’t possibly wear that anymore” section of my wardrobe.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I tried in on last week during a moment of curiosity. I was feeling strong and able to cope with the potential burst of self hatred that could follow, but it never arrived. Instead I realised that actually I really didn’t look bad. For the first time in years I looked in the mirror and didn’t automatically start picking flaws with what I saw.
I know I’m not perfect, I need to exercise, tone up (and stop smoking) but the foundations are there. Months of hard work and I finally have the basic structure to build on. It’s simply not possible when under-eating, or underweight. You don’t have the strength or energy and my thinking was so distorted that I couldn’t see any point when everything was a mess.
The last few months, as my weight has increased it’s like something has flipped. I can see clearly, think rationally and live a life outside of the confines of an eating disorder. For the first time in 11 and a half years I feel free, and practically normal. There’s a little way to go, but I’m pretty much there and I have no intention of ever slipping back. It’s not been easy, not by any means but it’s hands down the most satisfying thing I’ve achieved.
This body has been through a lot with me- starvation, neglect and near death experiences in the past, but more recently adventures, fun and  back surgery (that came about from living a normal life). I’m glad my body is a  fighter, it’s made me respect it more and I’m looking forward to the future. A future with a lot more Monki dresses in it.
Sorry for the step away from my usual posts, but you know…I just wanted to share. Many of you reading this have been through a large part of the journey with me, cheering me on the whole time- so thank you. Thank you for sticking by me.

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Sarenza Sunday- Pow!

I love a good statement shoe almost as much as I love a good wedge heel so you can imagine my joy when on my regular browse through Sarenza’s latest arrivals I found the perfect combination of the two.
Meet the Love Pow by Love Moschino. At £165 it’s way above what I can afford for shoes right now, but I can still bask in it’s beauty. The perfectly unassuming neutral upper combined with the eye catching comic strip heel makes me very happy. And hey, Sarenza have fab sales, I recently snapped up my dream boots which had previously been listed as just a dream. I’ll be watching and hoping that one day these meet the same cut price fate.

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The Eyes Have It

It would be fair to say I’m quite fussy when it comes to eye makeup. So many times I’ve bought a promising looking product only to find it doesn’t quite meet expectation. These days I tend to stick to what I know and rarely branch out. Still, I was curious about Eye of Horus and their new Goddess eyeliner pencils. I was sent Jewel Amethyst to review, a highly pigmented liner with micro glitter to boot.
This was everything I could have wanted from an eyeliner. Rich colour, subtle sparkle and a smooth application. My biggest gripe with eye pencils is that they often drag, or don’t leave more than a smudge of colour on your lids. This did so seamlessly and lasted all day without budging. The colour is really buildable so you can go as subtle or full on as you like and there is a smudger on the other end of thepencil for a more messy look. At £13 it’s on the pricey side for an item of makeup but it’s worth it, I think…I’ve spent more than that on eyeliners that don’t get further than one use.
I’m really intrigued by the brand, I haven’t heard much about them so far but their products look superb. If everything else is as good as this eyeliner was then I’m going to get saving and start stocking up!
Currently available to buy here
Have you ever tried a product from the brand?

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