Monthly Archives: November 2015

Basic

25th November 2015
The darker, colder days are driving me mad. From having more sets of outfit photos than I knew what to do with to now having to really eke out what I do manage to get is massively frustrating. Not to mention that most of the time the weather is so bad that all I want to do is pull on my largest wooly jumper and some cosy tights and slippers and hibernate from the world. Still, I do occasionally get dressed properly and it turns out that Ben’s flat isn’t too bad in terms of lighting and shelter from the wind and rain to take some pictures.

Jumper c/o TTYA x Long Tall Sally | Skirt: ASOS (get it here) | Boots c/o Just Fab

A skirt I originally bought for wearing in the Summer months has proven more versatile than I thought especially as the jumper is so soft and warm. I really like the combination of tan and black- it makes me feel far more sophisticated than I actually am…

As I mentioned in a post last week I am definitely taking my blog down more of a lifestyle route at the moment, even thought these photos turned out ok I kind of feel like taking a break from constantly “dressing for the blog” and always thinking about where to go for some decent shots. Hopefully in time that phase will pass but for now I’m taking the pressure off of myself and focusing instead in other things that are making me happy right now (that and Christmas content galore, sorry!).

Do you put too much pressure on yourselves when it comes to blogging? Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s a hobby and I won’t be disowned by anyone if I change things up a bit or step back for a while.

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits

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Gifts for the young (and young at heart)

23rd November 2015
Anybody who knows me will attest to the fact that despite being 28 years old I still have the sense of humour of an eight year old. From fart jokes to all things frozen if it’s age inappropriate you can pretty much guarantee I’ll love it. With this in mind I thought it only right that I pop together a Christmas gifting feature for fellow childish (or actually young) people with a little help from my friends at Getting Personal.
My postman took on the role of Santa and delivered a massive box full of goodies from Getting Personal* to my door. Inside was an array of some of their novelty present offerings all of which are 100% right up my street and will hopefully serve to provide some inspiration (or wish lists) for you too.

First out of the box was this doughnut mug* which I think is brilliant. At £8.99 it would make for a pretty sweet (sorry) secret santa gift for anyone who loves their baked goods and can’t resist a biscuit with their brew.

This was swiftly followed by a less sweet treat that appealed to my pre-teenage sense of humour in a massive way. The poop emoji is probably my most used (which obviously says a lot about the people I converse with) and this cushion* clearly belonged in my life. Actually, much to his disgust it now has pride of place on Ben’s sofa so it’ll be a lump of coal from him to me come Christmas day I’m sure.

On a sweeter note we have this adorable Jelly Baby night light*. One of these has been on my wish list for the longest time and it’s currently spreading it’s cheerful pink glow on my desk. Operated by touch and irresistibly cute I know so many people who would appreciate one of these and at under twenty quid it won’t break the bank.
Last but by no means least comes a gift idea that would be perfect for grown-ups and children alike. The My Choc Pick ‘N Mix* is an affordable way to indulge the chocaholic in your life and it reminds me so much of going to the local newsagent on my way home from school on a Friday to get a 10p mixed bag for being good (or bribery to be quiet for a few hours). Obviously this is the gift that keeps on giving as it can be re-filled time and time again, most likely on a daily basis if you’re anything like me.
Are you guilty of being a perpetual child and have I helped solve any of your gifting woes this year? Which of these would you most like to receive?

Posted in brands I love, christmas, gifts

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#LittleBlackBoxes with TNT direct

20th November 2015
Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately you’ll be aware that next Friday the 27th November will otherwise be known as “Black Friday”. Originating in the USA, the day after thanksgiving sees retailers slash prices of their wares in preparation for the Christmas gifting season. To celebrate this the folks at TNT Direct sent out some #LittleBlackBoxes to help set the mood.
The box housed a whole variety of familiar all-black products including some of my long-time favourites…
Black nail polish and lipstick takes me right back to my late teenage years (you know, like a decade ago) when I tried to be edgy. Although I never did manage to pull off either with much success and steer very clear these days both of these products bought back some hilarious and mostly drunken memories of being young and carefree with my friends.
100% Gold Chocolate– this is as dark as chocolate gets and I love it! Given the choice I’d take dark chocolate over milk any day and the stronger the better in my eyes. This particular bar is just to my taste and goes wonderfully with a cup of strong coffee…
Which leads me swiftly on to my next favourite, Coffee from the Little Coffee Bag Co. I’ve always taken my coffee black, I just prefer it that way. I also drink it so hot I risk burns in my mouth every time. These coffee bags are perfect for a proper cup at work where a cafetiere is too much faff, I’m looking to stock myself up asap having discovered these.
Growing up I was the odd child who loved the strongly flavoured sweets, aniseed and liquorice being particular favourites (and with family in Holland I have always been well looked after when it comes to liquorice). Black jacks and liquorice wheels are both long time favourites and the ones supplied in my Little Black Box didn’t last long at all!
Will you be shopping the Black Friday sales? I admit I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping by this point but I’ll still be scouring the stores for any additional gifts to be giving.

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Posted in life, life stuff

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Buntella from Boomf!*

18th November 2015
A couple of years ago I featured Boomf, the coolest marshmallow brand in town. It’s a brand I hold a great deal of affection for so when they got in touch to introduce their latest venture, Buntella I knew I was in for a treat.
Essentially Buntella is customised bunting. Even as someone who never bought in to the bunting fad I was pretty intrigued by this. As with Boomf you can create a product entirely out of your own photos or choose from a set of designs from various artists suitable for any occasion. I opted for images designed by The Corrigan Sisters as I wanted something to brighten up my room, not to say I don’t approve of the own photo approach- I think that would be amazing for a special birthday of wedding celebration!
Each Buntella compromises of nine triangles and come packaged in a neat little box just like Boomf mallows. The quality of the images is fantastic and the fabric has a good weight to it so it hangs beautifully. The bunting comes ready to hang (assuming your cat doesn’t make a beeline for it like Mae did) and is a super quick and easy way to jazz up any living space.

I couldn’t resist these pun-tastic prints especially with the “biscat” design. At £25 I think this makes for a pretty good value way to add something to your home or a special gift. What better way to show a friend how much they mean to you than plastering your mug-shots from nights out and happiest memories on to bunting?

What would you put on your bunting and what do you think of the idea? For me it’s another winner for the brains behind Boomf! Not to un-tangle the feline beast.

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Posted in brands I love, gifts, inspiration, interiors

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& Other Stories

16th November 2015
Trust me to be a few years late to the game on discovering a gorgeous brand that makes me want to buy everything they stock. I always did get a pang of envy when I saw & Other Stories pop up on the blogs I follow, knowing that unless I made a special trip to London I would only be able to browse online (which let’s face it, just isn’t the same) I resigned myself to the fact I had rather a long wait on my hands to experience the joy myself.
That experience actually came about sooner than anticipated as when I was in Spain at the start of October I happened upon their Malaga store. A lengthy browse on our first trip there convinced Mum and I that we had indeed being missing out and we promised ourselves another trip before the end of our holiday to make a purchase each (courtesy of my very generous Dad who in the end paid for our purchases, thanks Dad!).

Dress: & Other Stories (here) | Tights c/o Heist | Boots c/o Just Fab (get them here)

With an un-limited budget I could have quite easily bought an entire wardrobe worth of clothes from & Other Stories (with the jewellery and shoes to match). Being limited in both budget and luggage allowance Mum and I both picked out one dress each with resolve to save up for a trip to London and spending spree next year. I went for the drop waisted cactus print dress which I was inexplicably taken with over everything else that was on offer. I love the subtle Victorian vibe to this dress with the sleeve and collar style and it’s such a dream to wear. Mum was equally taken with the print and went for the sweater dress version which is equally wonderful.
Even browsing the site today looking for the products for this post I’ve added another dozen items to my wish list, oops! Have you experienced the wonder of & Other Stories yet? What has impressed you most (and how am I going to resit blowing a month’s wages when the post-christmas sale starts!?)

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Posted in brands I love, life, outfits, shopping

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