The Little Green Dress

Every season I seem to have a colour or palette I favour more than any other and this time round it would appear to be the turn of the earthy tones- rusty reds, navy blue, mustard yellow and deep green…give me any of those and I’m a happy bunny. With that in mind it was inevitable that I’d once again break my resolve not to buy new clothes when I stumbled across the dress in this post on a Christmas shopping trip the other week.

Dress: Zara (can’t find online but it was £19.99) | Boots c/o Just Fab | Necklace c/o lolaandgrace

Zara is one of those shops I go through phases with and actually I avoided it for a long time after breaking my foot in a store in Holland (yeah, I know). My most recent venture in to the Bristol store was entirely unplanned and led to me trying on about ten different dresses- they are on fire right now! I do find the sizing and fit in Zara quite unpredictable and most of them just didn’t sit right which actually saved me from imminent skint-ness but this bottle green fine cord dress was just…I don’t know, it was just right and I couldn’t bring myself to leave without it.

I did wonder if I’d find the sleeves annoying but actually I don’t and this has fast become one of my favourite items in my wardrobe. I’ve styled it for day time here but it could easily be taken up a notch in to an evening dress too with some heels and a bit more jewellery. I just love this shade of green and how it goes with the colour of my hair, it makes me realise how faded I’d let it get before colouring it though, oops!

These boots from Just Fab haven’t really left my feet since their arrival and I’m going to need to try and wean myself off of them a little bit to make them last longer. They are just so comfortable though and add a smarter touch to all of my outfits- much needed at times! For once I finished off the look with a piece of jewellery too, adding in a statement stud necklace from my pals at lolaandgrace for completeness.

Are there any shops that you go through phases with? Zara and Topshop are my main two, I ignore them for so long and then go in and want to buy everything!

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Degustabox- the November edition

The November Degustabox has been one of my favourite boxes in a long time and that really is saying something. I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone. Carry on reading if you want to learn more about the fabulous contents of November’s box.
First out of the box was a new product from Belvita– the soft bakes are perfect for breakfast on the go, or for a snack during the day. Soft, delicious “cookies” filled with wholegrains, fibre and vitamins and flavoured with either red berries, chocolate chips or golden grains I’m a big fan of these despite not being overly keen on berry flavoured products. RRP £2.79 per pack although I’ve seen them on special offer in many supermarkets lately.

With Christmas on it’s way I’m starting to stock up on condiments (I am the condiment queen). The inclusion of some orchard fruit chutney by Branston and some baby beetroot from Bourne & Wallis was very welcome. The chutney is wonderful with cold meats and cheese and I doubt the jar will last until the 25th and the baby beetroot is perfect for adding to salads made up of leftover cooked meats. Yum!

Food Thoughts organic fairtrade 100% cocoa powder was another timely arrival as I have kickstarted my Christmas baking over the last few weeks. Wonderfully rich and with no added sugar this makes a mean chocolate cake.

I’m not a cider drinker despite hailing from the West-Country. This dry and crisp Apple Cider from Rekorderlig was enjoyed by my dad though and got the thumbs up from him as an alternative to the much loved classic drink.

Jelly is a must have for any party in my household and it’s even better with the addition of glitter! Hartley’s glitter jelly in strawberry has a wonderfully festive feel to it perfect for any party dessert and the new Black Cherry jelly is delicious and would make a brilliant black forest trifle or some other such pudding.

I think by now people are well aware of how much of a popcorn fiend I am so it goes without saying that one of the first products I homed in on this month was the Butterkist discoveries salted caramel flavour. A brilliant twist on the sweet and salt combination (although the original sweet and salt is still a favourite and this bag didn’t hang around long.

Crackers are a must over the festive period and Ryvita have some great products for serving up dips and cheese. The green and black olive are divine, really tasty and come in handy snack packs so you don’t get left with soggy, stale leftovers. The cheddar and cracked black pepper thins are great for dipping- salsa, humous and soft cheeses are all great accompaniments and they are also a new favourite to dip in to a bowl of steaming hot soup.

Last but by no means least were a couple of treats from Nim’s Fruit Crisps and Divine. The fruit crisps are 100% fruit and dried to perfection. Full of fibre and vitamins these are great for afternoon snacking when the sugar cravings hit and perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth. The Divine dark chocolate with raspberries was a lovely end of the day treat with a strong cup of coffee by the side- a long time favourite chocolate brand it was great to discover this flavour combination.

Have you tried any of the products in the November box? I’d love to know what you thought of them. If you fancy giving Degustabox a whirl for yourself you can claim an impressive £6.00 off of your first box when you use the code BLDEG15. Let me know if you decide to give it a whirl.

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The Bargain Party Dress

December can be a very expensive month. Between shopping for presents and Christmas parties money seems to flow out faster than I can keep a track of. It doesn’t stop me wanting a new outfit for the annual work party though, despite owning plenty of perfectly serviceable dresses that I’ve worn perhaps only a handful of times before I get an overwhelming urge to pick up a new frock as soon as the date is announced. This year was no exception and I went off to our party on Saturday night in a sparkly new frock that for once didn’t break the bank!

Dress: H&M (get it here) | Shoes: Dune (similar here)

At £12.99 this dress is an utter bargain right? Actually when my Mum ordered it for me (she knew I was taken with it) H&M had it on offer for just £6.99 which is just insane. I did worry that a red dress might be too much with my hair but actually I really liked how it looked and wasn’t going to let my hair dictate what dress I could or couldn’t wear.

As the dress has subtle sparkle running through it I thought it was high time to dig out my super sparkly Dune shoes that only get an outing at this time of year. If you can’t go top-to-toe glitter in December then when can you, right?

In previous years I’ve gone really OTT with the sequins for the work Christmas party but decided to tone it down a notch this year, a simple style isn’t usually how I party but with such a bold colour I really didn’t miss out on the bling.

Do you like to have something new for the party season? Have you spied any bargains on the high street?

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The Christmas tee with Lush T Shirts

December is probably the only month where you’ll see me willingly wear a slogan t-shirt. Novelty knits are great all year round but the humble tee? They remind me of being a young teen trying to impress. My blog sponsor, Lush T Shirts sent Ben and I a piece from their Christmas collection to help us embrace the festive madness, I’m not sure Ben was too happy about this but to be honest he got very little say in the matter…

My tee | Ben’s tee

At £14.99 these are an affordable alternative to the traditional Christmas jumper and a bit of fun for any social gathering. As with any tee from Lush T Shirts these are amazing quality and will last for years to come. I’m not sure Ben will be braving it outside of his flat wearing his new tee but I’ll be popping mine on for our annual Christmas Eve lunch at work…and any other occasion that calls for a bit of fun and novelty factor (pretty much every day in December right?).

Do you like to embrace the fun side of Christmas? Which tee would you pick from the Christmas collection?

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A Flamingo Gifts Christmas

With only three weeks until the big day (yes, really!) I am finally coming to the end of my gift-guide type posts and starting to wind things down so I don’t completely run out of enthusiasm before December 25th rolls around. It wouldn’t be Christmas on the blog without featuring one of my favourite gift shops and some of their fabulous present ideas though…
My friends at Flamingo Gifts recently sent over a parcel of brilliant gifting solutions for even the most awkward to buy for person. Nestled in among the treats was perhaps THE most perfect item for aspiring cat ladies everywhere and something I just needed to have in my life. The Crazy Cat Lady action figure (£14.99) has rapidly become one of my favourite possessions, it makes me feel like I’m looking at my future and would make a fun and novel gift for the feline fanatic in your life.

I’m always looking out for ways to show my best friends how much they mean to me and this cushion by Sass and Belle says it how it is. This actually didn’t make it in to December before being given away to my very best friend ever, hopefully it will serve as a constant reminder of how special she is.

I thought this funky squirrel planter is such a fun piece and would make the ideal present for so many of my friends as we all grow up and start buying homes and settling down. I’m not known for my talent looking after plants but with it’s self watering feature I think even I can nurture something lush and green with this…watch this space!

Last but by no means least there was a practically perfect mug which at under a tenner would make a great secret santa gift for anyone who thinks of themselves as perfection personified. This found a new home with my Grandad, who is by anyone’s standards pretty perfect but would equally be ideal for a teenager or work colleague.

As ever Flamingo Gifts have really impressed me with their great selection of gifts and regular new arrivals. It’s a one stop shop for all of your present buying needs whether you still need something quirky for your Dad or fancy a little treat for yourself.

Has anything caught your eye and how is your Christmas shopping coming along?

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