Monthly Archives: March 2017

All the Embroidery

13th March 2017
Just in case you hadn’t gathered by now, I love this seasons embroidery trend. A lot. It’s probably the only trend I’ve actively followed- and to be honest, other than the one for all things pink (which I also love) it’s the only one I really know about.

Jumper: Primark (recent) | Skirt: Vintage | Ankle Boots: New Look

I picked up this skirt when I went to the Bristol Textile Recyclers Vintage Kilo Sale back in October and it’s been hanging in my wardrobe waiting to be worn ever since. It’s vintage Monsoon and I love it- there are some gorgeous embroidery detail skirts on the high street at the moment (I especially love this one and this one) but a lot of them are just SO short, and now I’m rapidly approaching my 30th birthday I’m starting to wonder if I’m getting a bit too old to sport a mini skirt at all times and so I’ve decided to embrace the midi a bit more. The only trouble with this skirt is that it’s a pencil skirt, something I usually steer away from and because of this I was at a bit of a loss of how to style it. As soon as I saw this hummingbird embroidered jumper in Primark for a mere £12 I knew it would make a good partner for it so snapped it up, resisting the urge to size up as I usually do- I think that might be the key with pencil skirts, opt for a more fitted top half as well, although slouchy longer tops do seem to work well too.

Footwear was another problem especially as it’s still a bit too nippy to bring out the ballet flats or sandals. In the end it was my trusty pewter ankle boots that saved the day, and despite these photos not being the greatest representation of the outfit (thanks to the persistent drizzle) it’s an outfit I really loved and I wish now I’d put a bit more effort in to making sure things were tucked in properly, popping on some brighter lipstick and persevering until I had photos I was happy with. I’m struggling a lot with my inner perfectionist at the moment and it’s leading to a lot of dissatisfaction with most aspects of my blog and with my life in general, ho-hum. It’s taken me forever to get around to writing this post as I didn’t deem the photos worthy enough and sometimes I get the urge to delete my entire blog and start again.

How do you silence your inner critic? And how are you wearing the embroidery trend?

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Posted in fashion, life, life stuff, outfits, shopping, trends

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Snacking: Quinoa Crinkles from Burts Chips

12th March 2017
I’m going through a distinct savoury phases with my snacking at the moment. It seems to go in cycles where for a month or so all I want is biscuits (rich teas or party rings preferable) and then suddenly the need for something savoury kicks in and I become a fiend for salt. That being said, I’m not really a fan of traditional crisps- I prefer roasted chickpeas, Hippeas and Burts Chips Lentil Waves over a packet of Walkers so when Burts Chips got in touch to announce the arrival of their new “Quinoa Crinkles” and offered to send me some to try I gratefully and enthusiastically accepted.
Made with (the currently very trendy) grain Quinoa these are deemed to be a wholesome and interesting alternative to the traditional crisp and claim to combine delicious taste, a boost of fibre and top quality ingredients. Each pack comes in at around 85 calories making them perfect for anyone who is watching their weight and the Quinoa Crinkles come in two flavours- sweet pepper & chorizo and west country cream cheese.

I still can’t make up my mind on the sweet pepper and chorizo flavour. On the one hand it’s beautifully strong and definitely unique, but on the other hand my palette struggles to make sense of two such bold flavours together with the over-tone of the sweetness. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy these, because I did…they just aren’t what I’m used to- but they have me wanting more which must count for something.

The West Country Cream Cheese was lovely. My experience of cheese flavoured snacks only extends to Quavers and Wotsits so I didn’t have the highest of standards for these to live up to. These are cheese snacks for adults, with a bold yet creamy cheese taste with a slight hint of onion. Out of the two these were my favourite but I’d happily buy and either either of them again. I’m also a massive fan of the Lentil Waves but in terms of flavour and texture the mighty Quinoa comes out on top.

For more information, stockists and the full nutritional breakdown pop along to the Burts Chips website.

Tell me about your favourite savoury snacks in the comments.

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Big thanks to Burts Chips for the samples (and for setting off another snacking addiction).

Posted in food, review, snacking

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A Vintage Wish List with Rokit*

10th March 2017
I always have, and always will have a special place in my heart for vintage fashion. It’s what got me interested in the industry in the first place and despite not owning very much vintage myself these days (although my collection is growing thanks to events like the Vintage Kilo Sale I went to last year) I have a list of websites I visit regularly to lust over their latest offerings and compile wish list after wish list.
One of those shops is Rokit who began life as a market stall in Camden in 1986. Since then they have opened four physical stores in London as well as having a virtual treasure trove of a website that features hand picked items of retro and vintage clothing.
The pieces for sale on the Rokit website include vintage classics, designer finds as well as re-worked pieces making it perfect for the style conscious, eco-friendly and lovers of the eccentric alike. I’ve picked out just a handful of pieces that have caught my eye- some on the eclectic side of things such as the Teddy Bear print vintage Moschino dress and others that fit perfectly in to current trends- these include the vintage 1960s Levis denim jacket as well as the gorgeous pink lace dress which would be just perfect for S/S17.

Price wise things are pretty on-par with other vintage retailers- I suppose even the second hand market needs to be competitive these days! Dresses start from around £20 which I don’t think is too bad, unfortunately for me the pink lace dress is £65 which means it must remain wish list only, but it really is a beautiful piece and you won’t find every girl and her dog wearing it on your local high street. There is also an impressive array of shoes and bags on the website which I didn’t dare allow myself to browse for too long…

Where do you head for vintage pieces? Tell me about your best ever find in the comments below.

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Posted in fashion, shopping, vintage, wish list

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Girl Power!

08th March 2017

I love a good slogan t-shirt so when Teespring got in touch to introduce themselves and offered me the chance to pick out one of the many t-shirts they have for sale to feature on the blog I wasted no time in taking a look.

Tee c/o Teespring (get it here) | Trousers: Monki (get them here) | Shoes: Zara (sale find)

This outfit is an usual one for me- firstly I don’t think I’ve ever owned a bright yellow item of clothing before but I was really taken with this “Girl Power” design. It costs £22.00 which is reasonable for a high quality tee (prices vary, some tees are just £15 & there are also sweatshirt and hoodie options) with the added bonus that when you purchase this particular design 25% of every sale will be donated to International Woman’s Day charity partners Catalyst and WAGGGS (more info). It happens to be International Woman’s Day today, 8th March and it’s a cause we should all be paying attention to- aiming to achieve a more gender equal world and workplace.

The second reason this outfit is unusual for me is because, well, trousers! I don’t often do trousers although I seem to have spent half my life looking for the perfect pair that suit both smart and casual occasions. I spied these in Monki when shopping with a friend and although I wasn’t intending on making a purchase at the time, once on I knew I had to. These are exactly what I want from my trousers- half elasticated waist included and at £25 they were a steal. They also come in black which I’ll be picking up at some point, perfect for my hopefully imminent return to work or for dressing down with slogan t-shirts and converse/flats.

What do you think of this outfit? Let me know if you decide to design something on Teespring- you never know, it might be your design I wear next!

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Posted in brands I love, charity, outfits, shopping

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Uk Travel Bucketlist: Liverpool*

06th March 2017
I’ll admit I’m not particularly well travelled when it comes to the UK- not when it comes from venturing North of the South West at least. Devon and Cornwall I’ve done a lot thanks to spending most childhood Summers there and it being a relatively short drive away for days out and weekend trips. For some reason the opposite direction has always held less appeal to me and apart from Birmingham, Leicester and Melton Mowbray I’m struggling to think of other places I have visited.

That’s not to say I don’t want to though and I have a long list of places I’d like to pay a visit to when time and money allows (and of course it will be so much easier when I’m driving). These places include a LONG overdue trip up to Leeds to visit my brother as well as places like Manchester and Liverpool for the shopping scene- yep, I’m basing my travel bucket list on the places I most want to shop.

Home to some fantastic Liverpool restaurants and a huge array of some of my favourite shops- think Zara, Victoria’s Secret and All Saints as well as high end retailers like Michael Kors and Reiss as well as the UK’s only Beauty Bazaar in Harvey Nichols, Liverpool One is pretty high up on my list of places to visit. There is also a Disney Store which I admit is a huge pull for me despite being almost 30 as they are few and far between these days and there is almost always something I want from there- namely their mugs because a girl can never have too many mugs right?

Liverpool One is also home to some of my favourite places to eat- although I’ll be honest and say I’m not the most adventurous or experienced at eating out (yet, it’s a work in progress). Jamie’s Italian is one of my favourite dining chains and I’d definitely be making a pit stop there, and given that it’s likely to be at least a one night trip if not more I’m sure visits to Nandos, Pizza Express as well as several coffee stops and a cheeky prosecco at the end of the day will also happen.

Here’s a handy guide to what is on at Liverpool One right now.

What's going on at Liverpool One_ (2)
So, aside from Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester where else do I need to be adding to my UK travel list? I’m open to lesser known places too- I’m not solely about the shopping, I’m more than happy to soak up some culture and visit as many tourist attractions as you throw at me. Once I’m driving there will be no stopping me (aside from the seemingly ever climbing cost of petrol that is!)

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Posted in shopping, travel

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