Shine Bright

Over the last few months I’ve found myself braving quite a new few styles when it comes to clothing- from the matchy matchy co-ord to bearing all in a cropped tee it seems that nothing has been off limits. One item that took mea while to warm to was culottes, especially those of the midi length, but now I own a pair I am wondering what on earth took me so long; flattering, comfortable and with more dignity saving potential than the humble midi skirt, I’m a convert.

Vest: New Look | Culottes: New Look | Boots: H&M | Necklace: Local shop

These culottes from New Look were something crazy like £7 in the sale which is why I finally decided to take the plunge and make a purchase. I’d been eyeing this particular pair for a while and I’m pleased I didn’t miss out as they are a super versatile addition to my wardrobe and perfect for this time of year. I wore this outfit for a sunny Sunday stroll around Bristol with Ben, taking in the eccentricity of Stokes Croft and the tranquility of the Harbour-side but they would also work well for the office with a smarter top and some flat shoes.
When I say that this necklace is from a local shop, I not only mean a shop that is local to me in Nailsea but that only sells goods made by local people. I can’t resist popping in there for a browse every time I pass as there are always stunning new arrivals and I like to support local talents. This was actually a gift from Ben who shares my love for all things unique and handmade and I always get comments on it whenever I wear it.
Talking of comments, these boots got a fair bit of attention when I was out and about. I had them on order from H&M for ages before they finally arrived; it took about six weeks for them to be in stock but they were well worth the wait. I didn’t realise when I ordered that they are not only patent but somewhat holographic, which makes them even better in my eyes; I was desperate for a pair of silver holographic boots last winter but these are a bit less “out there” and will no doubt be lived in all through the next few months as despite walking for miles in them they remained immensely comfortable.
Ben and I stumbled across this gem of a shop whilst in town that weekend- yet another reason why I love Bristol so much, it’s such a creative city with a brilliant sense of humour…it’s taken a few years but I’ve really got to know the place lately and I fall a little more in love with every visit (and yes, it’s shameful how awful my knowledge of Bristol was before last year, I blame being a small town girl on the out-skirts!). What do you love about where you live?

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New York Fashion Week Favourites

This is the first of a series of four Riddles I’m creating, rounding up my favourites from the Spring/Summer catwalk shows. If you like what you see then please do spread the word on facebook/twitter/your own blogs and watch this space for the London edit next week…

Oh, and let me know in the comments who your New York favourites were!

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Posted in riddle, trends

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Monki Love

The dress in this post is both the first item from Monki (via ASOS) that I bought but also the first bodycon piece of clothing that I had ever bought and then worn more than once. It has to be one of the most forgiving dresses ever, worn through a stone and a half of gained weight and still fitting me in a way I like. It also happens to be a great piece for this time of year as the silhouette lends itself perfectly to layering, in this instance I added in my cream biker jacket from Pull and Bear and some heeled sandals from Clarks.
I bought this jacket to be a Spring piece, thinking that cream wouldn’t be a good colour for the latter part of the year but I think that actually it’s a good all-rounder and it will be worn until the weather gets too cold to wear anything but a winter coat (please don’t be soon!). Pull and Bear did this in loads of colours at the time for around £25 and I’m kicking myself for nothing picking up a black one too.
The dress might be worn to death but it’s lasted well- as with all of my Monki pieces it has washed really well without losing the colour or the pattern bleeding. I’m itching to visit an actual store, which is yet more reason to get my backside up to London during my week off at the end of September- I’d be going solo though and to be quite honest, I’m a little afraid of being let loose in the capital alone!
Talking of weeks off, I’ve got a lovely long weekend ahead of me as I booked some extra time out of the office for Ben’s Birthday weekend (his Birthday is today). We don’t really have any solid plans this year but it’s nice to actually know I can be at home, bake him a cake and generally just chill out and not rush anywhere. We’re heading in to flu season at the surgery next week so a couple of days relaxation is very much required!
Should I brave London alone?

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Boots & Brogues at Amazon

I don’t know about you but Amazon isn’t the first place that comes to mind when on the hunt for a new pair of shoes. I have only recently (well, in the last twelve months) been aware that they actually have a pretty amazing shoe store selling a HUGE range of footwear from brands I love. With the new season just beginning I thought it’d be timely to show just a few of my current favourite offerings, after all I haven’t done a shoe post in what feels like forever…
Hover over the images for brand information.
I’d happily wear any of these styles but if I was forced to pick just one it would have to be these Dolcis boots as they are everything I want from an ankle boot…and only £40!
Which pair would you pick? Or take a look at the Amazon shoe store and let me know your choice below…

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Autumn Baking- Sticky Plum Flapjack

It feels like ages since I tried something new in the kitchen, I never seem to find the time to bake these days and when I do I tend to stick to old, faithful recipes that I know won’t fail me. A glut of Victoria plums in the garage last weekend spurred me in to looking outside of what I knew and for something I could bake to save them from spoiling…plums are my favourite fruit at this time of year and the idea of them going to waste did not sit well. A quick trawl of some recipes books and I stumbled over this recipe in one of our many “Good Food” books and decided that these sticky plum flapjack bars just had to be made.
Now, as you can tell these got a touch burnt on top which was kind of gutting as they had previously looked and smelt so incredible. This wasn’t due to lack of care though, nope, this was despite cooking on a lower temperature than stated and for less time- our oven isn’t on it’s best behaviour at the moment and seems to decide to cook how it best sees fit no matter what instruction we give.

Thankfully these still tasted amazing, and they were a bit more like an oaty cake due to the addition of flour. Plums, doused in sugar and spices were the perfect compliment to the oats and I’ll be making these again (but maybe in someone else’s oven!) in the very near future. I also think the recipe would lend itself well to fresh apricots so that might be my next venture…they also happen to go rather wonderfully with a cup of tea.

You can find the recipe here, let me know if you make some of these, or what else you’ve been creating with all the wonderful fruits that this time of year brings.

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