Ted Baker Sale Wish List*

It’s always the way, you’re on a shopping ban and all of a sudden you see your favourite high street and designer brands slashing their prices and putting yet more temptation in your path. It happens to me on a near daily basis at the moment, the latest being in the form of an alert from Love the Sales about some serious Ted Baker bargains! Seeing as I really cannot justify spending any more money at present I thought I’d pop down my top picks in the form of a wish list instead. I just love Ted Baker although budget restraints mean I only own a couple of small accessories.
To be fair to me, if I was in a position to purchase all of these pieces would be an investment especially the two darker dresses which would be perfect for the upcoming festive and party season! I think out of everything though my favourite item is the burgundy handbag which is just screaming out to be paired with a whole array of Autumnal colours…but alas. I must resist.

No doubt further temptation will come my way, it’s inevitable (and of course when you do have money to spend there’s never anything you want). With the holiday season approaching faster than I’d like I’ll also be looking to get ahead with my Christmas shopping and hopefully scoring some Black Friday Deals when the time comes. I’ll be on more of a budget than usual this year so I’m hoping to grab some great bargains!

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New In- Jewellery from WatchShop.com

You’d be excused for thinking that a website named WatchShop.com would sell only watches. I myself was guilty of this until the other week when I parcel arrived for me which went on to prove me completely wrong. It turns out you can also buy jewellery from WatchShop.com and they stock many of my favourite brands including Guess, Ted Baker and Thomas Sabo to name but a few. I was incredibly lucky to receive a selection of new arrivals and wanted to show them off ASAP!
All items c/o WatchShop.com
The first item I unpackaged was this pretty little necklace from Anne Klein. This isn’t a name familiar to me but I love how delicate this necklace is, I really love simple pieces with just a touch of sparkle and this fits the bill perfectly.
Next out of it’s pouch was this little beauty from lolaandgrace who long time readers of the blog will know I’m already very familiar with. This is one of their more delicate pieces and I love the opal-esque pink stone and pink crystal detail. Again this is a super subtle and elegant piece that fits my current jewellery style perfectly. Keep an eye out for their new collection, there are some serious stunners about to be released!
Last but not least comes this stunning Lola Rose bangle (jewellery range not yet on the website). I’m not the greatest wearer of bracelets and bangles purely because I tend to forget but this one is just so pretty and fits my dinky wrists perfectly- with the bonus of being adjustable. I’ve been pairing this with 1/2 and 3/4 sleeve tops when I want to add a girly touch and I have a sudden desire to stack bangles up both arms as high as they will go!
What are some of your jewellery brand favourites? Which of these pieces has caught your eye the most?

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The Statement Ankle Boots

I’m not usually one to jump straight on a trend. Usually I’ll let it pass me by for a while (read, wait for key pieces to go in the sale) then tread cautiously in to it. I do make exceptions sometimes though and when statement ankle boots started hitting the stores I knew that sooner rather than later I would need to own a pair.

Pinafore: New Look (black version) | Top: New Look | Boots: ASOS (keep a close eye out for more stock!)

Most high street retailers have a version of the statement ankle boot (or six) available but it was the ASOS Emilia that won my heart in the end, although there are several other pairs that I wouldn’t say no to should I come in to some money. I did wonder at first how on earth do you style such a piece but since their arrival I have found them surprisingly versatile, they go with denim and block colours perfectly- I’ve not braved clashing patterns yet but it’s only a matter of time.

These days I tend to go for flat shoes and boots over heels and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to walk in these but they are really comfortable. I’m quite literally head over heels for these beauties and have absolutely no guilt about owning yet another pair of boots.

This New Look pinafore dress is another relatively new arrival in my wardobe, before the news that I wouldn’t be back to work quite as soon as I thought. It was a steal at £14.99 though and can easily be smartened up for work or dressed down for a causal look so I anticipate a lot of wear from it and it has plenty of layering potential.

Have you braved the statement ankle boot yet? Which trends have caught your attention?

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The August 2016 Degustabox and Discount

Another month has somehow slipped past and brings with it a brand new Degustabox review post for you! The August box was a bit of a mixed bag when it came to the contents and as is often the case the majority of the products were brand new to me which is always a plus as I can give my true first impressions…let’s get stuck in!
First up we have some cooking sauces from Geeta’s and Capsicana. I have a feeling the Geeta’s products have been featured in previous boxes but the Capsicana ones were brand new to me. I admit these haven’t fully been tested yet, I’m not a big curry fan so these are in the cupboard waiting for Dad to try. Mexican I can do though and the chilli and honey cook sauce gets a thumbs up!
I expect most people in the UK will have at least heard of Dorset Cereals- I’ve been a big fan of their products for many years! This month’s box included a pack of their bircher muesli (and adorable scoop!) to try out…I don’t really like to stray away from my tried and tested porridge breakfast but I did make up some of this to sample…the flavours are lovely and it did make a nice change but I’m not over keen on the texture (I feel like I needs to be hot!) so I’ve passed this on to my Granddad who is loving it.
These NutriPots are something I’ve not seen before and looked delicious, the Moroccan Couscous did not dissapoint on the flavour front and I like the fact that these pots are high in protein and have no added colours or preservatives. Perfect for lunch at work when I ever get back…at £2.49 they are a bit of an indulgence but as an occasional treat/change from a packed lunch I think that’s not too bad.
Another Geeta’s product was included in the August box in the form of Mango Chutney. As I mentioned earlier I’m not a big curry fan so rather than use this as a traditional accompaniment I’ve been adding it to sandwiches and salads because that’s how I roll. The sweet and sticky BBQ sauce and marinade from Tabasco sauce is still waiting to be used, I’m thinking of adding a dollop to a chicken burger next time I have one as BBQ and chicken are a match made in heaven, right? (Assuming you’re not vegetarian/vegan!)
The green tea from Clipper is something I purchase frequently in various flavours, it’s definitely my favourite brand. This blend with lime and ginger is a great boost at the start of the day. Not quite good enough to make me give up my morning coffee habit but enough to make me feel somewhat virtuous. I’m not sure why I photographed the olives from Oloves right next to the tea because they don’t go together at all, but damn I love olives- after years of being convinced I hated them. I love this handy little snack pouch and the chilli and oregano flavour gives an excellent kick.
At this point in photographing the products Mae decided to gatecrash, she seems to think that anything that comes in a box belongs to her…so wrong kitty, so wrong! As is usual for me the drinks selection from Degustabox got passed along to friends and family with exception of the Get More Vitamin drink which I have tried before and really like. I’d drink this all of the time if it didn’t cost £1.45 per bottle!
It took me a while to work out the difference between these two bags of cracker snacks from Rakusen’s Snackers but eventually sussed that one is an original version and the other is gluten free. Both are deliciously addictive and a great healthy snack. I happily munch them plain as I think they taste great on their own but they are damn tasty dipped in to a tub of houmus as well, especially caramalised red onion flavoured!
Last but by no means least comes this popcorn from Willy Chase, dubbed as fit corn. This is made with local ingredients and comes in four flavours of which I received the salted honey variant. Initially I was disappointed with getting this flavour as I don’t really like honey but the salt helps balance it out and this is actually really rather tasty! I love popcorn so will be seeking out the other flavours ASAP!
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £7.00 off of your first box by entering the code BLDEG15 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand one and off over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

Branching Out

Look at me on a roll with the outfit posts at the moment, I suppose I’m starting to feel a bit more like myself again & feeling like actually getting dressed rather than sticking on the same denim pinafore or skirt every day. Getting signed off from work dented my confidence somewhat, but with a new resolve to get well and some good news in that I’m finally starting to turn a corner I hope it’s not too long before I’m back now. In the mean time I’m enjoying spending time with my nearest and dearest who have all rallied around to support me over the last few months. The perfect example of this was when Mum and I packed up a little picnic last week and went to visit a favourite park of ours near to where my flat was to make the most of some late summer sun.

Dress c/o George at Asda | Sandals: Primark (last year)

We decided to take my camera along on our picnic as the park is really pretty and I was having one of those days where I felt like moving away from my bog-standard denim. Actually, I really pushed the boat out here and put sandals on instead of trainers which has been almost unheard of for me this year.

I don’t know how much of my personal life/eating disorder recovery people are actually interested in reading about here. I’ve always been open about it as it’s taken up half of my life so far so if anyone would like to know a bit more about how I’m doing and follow the journey to health then let me know. Alternatively, if you’d rather not…then let me know that, too!

Do you have a favourite picnic spot?

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