The New Pinafore

Look back at my outfit post archive and you’ll probably notice that I have a bit of a thing for pinafore dresses- typically of the mini dress, dungaree style variety that is ten-a-penny these days.

On a recent shopping trip with Mum we were browsing in Monki (of course) and found the perfect new pinafore for my collection- a step away from tradition with it’s midi length and over-sized cut this seemed like the perfect way to update my wardrobe whilst sticking to what I know and love.

Dress: Monki (here) | Velvet Tee: New Look (here) | Boots: Daniel Footwear

I’m always happy to see Velvet appear in the shops at this time of year, it’s one of my favourite textures to wear and this teal tee from New Look is a bargainous (£12.99) update for both smart and casual. I’m not really sure where I’m at with my personal style at the moment, it seems to have taken a bit of a back seat as I’ve been coming to terms with being at a very new health, and therefore weight territory in this journey called recovery from anorexia and most recently I’ve taken to hiding away in anything that, well, hides me.

In the mean time I’m really enjoying outfits like this as a bridge between wanting to hide and still wanting to look semi like I’ve bothered. I’m looking forward to layering this dress with some chunky knits now the weather is turning much colder. And I’m looking forward to a fresh attitude to my body, to my health and to blogging in 2018. I plan to finish this year by coasting through, meeting the last few goals that need to be met- next year is all about actually living, building upon who I am and increasing my confidence and hopefully getting more inspired with blogging to bring about some fresh content, a new look and a new attitude.

Watch this space – a promise or a threat?

end

The Rise of Being Connected 24/7*

domenico-loia-310197

Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash

These days it feels pretty much like I’m never not connected to the internet. The only time in recent memory was during the week I spent in the North West Highlands where I had almost seven days entirely free from my laptop and constant influx of emails. This really got me thinking about how much I rely on the internet these days for just about everything- from doing my day job to working at home- and with thanks to internet providers like TalkTalk Business anyone who wants to be their own boss, can be.

During that week I was away it really hit home to me just how dependant I am on having a constant connection, 24/7. After the initial adjustment period I really started to enjoy having a break and being forced to focus on other things- books were read, board games were played and the times where I did manage to grab a spot of Wifi were spent generally being more productive than when I have constant access to the internet.

That being said, it was frustrating too. Being on holiday could have been the perfect opportunity to sit down and catch up on getting some blog content written, and being able to stream music or use Netflix would have been really handy, and I’ll admit, it came as a bit of a shock to actually stumble across an area of the country that hadn’t yet manage to conquer connectivity.

A break from the online world was on the whole a refreshing thing and I do feel like I had more of a relaxing time than had I been able to update social media, keep connected with friends and family or write blog posts. It did however make me eternally grateful for the advances in technology meaning that I can go away to different places and still be able to meet blogging deadlines, respond to urgent work emails and keep updated with friends and family.

In this day and age I feel this is a bit of a divisive subject, even within my own head. I don’t like that feeling of dependance on modern technology- it feels a bit defeatist and almost a bit…sad? But on the flip side, being out of contact with my nearest and dearest (no internet and no phone signal meant no texts to my family, no face time with the cat and no catching up on the latest happenings within my friendship group).

How do you feel about being constantly connected? Do you feel like the benefits outweigh the somewhat sad fact that these days you can access a whole world of information all of the time and do work wherever in the world you might be? As you’ve gathered, I’m torn. It’s so hard to switch off when you know you’re constantly online and you feel like you might be missing out- I’ll pick up a book then get distracted by yet another notification and not return to my page for hours, or even days.

My personal solution, I think, especially over the festive period where family time should take precedence is to try and have a day or two where I do switch off, flip off the WiFi, ignore my emails and crack out the board games.

I’d love to know where other people stand on this- I feel like it’s a more and more relevant topic and technology advances, and I might starting to show my age here, but I do kind of miss the good old days whilst appreciating what being constantly connected has helped me to achieve.

end

Tiny Tricks To Turn Your Home Into A Vintage Palace*

Photo by Brianna Fairhurst on Unsplash

Vintage isn’t just something that consists of hip clothing– it’s a lifestyle, one that you can implement in to every aspect of your day to day living. This means that your home could benefit from being changed from a boring little apartment or rental property to a vintage palace. Lots of people rent their homes now, and so they feel that they can’t make major changes, but there are ways to turn your home into a vintage dream, it just takes a little creativity.

Maximize Wood Furnishings
To increase that vintage feel you should purchase plenty of wooden furniture. From sideboards, to bookcases- or anything else you can think of this doesn’t just help to create that nostalgic feel but it brings a lot of warmth and character to your home. And, regardless of the quality of wood whether it is single planks or board and battered any type of wood adds a very vintage appeal to any modern looking home especially with the addition of some Chalk Paint.

Go For Earthy Tones
It’s a great way to offer a timeless look in your home and by going for muted colors it helps everything to blend in rather than overshadow. It’s a very subtle process but you can even purchase accessories that although are essential to the home, still blend to that vintage style and feel. Something like a towel rail radiator you can purchase in vintage styles and is practical at the same time. The blending process is quite difficult, so, if you have guests over that don’t notice it don’t be concerned- it means that you’ve done your job well!

The Thrift Store Is Your Friend
When looking for ways to decorate a home in a vintage style accessories are going to be your saving grace. To spend an afternoon in every thrift store imaginable stocking up on quirky footstools, tea sets and tray tables, you will gradually begin to get a feel for what will benefit your home. And the great thing about thrift stores is that you are going to come back fully loaded with every item imaginable for a very cheap price! Lots of people underestimate a thrift store because the quality of items may not be at their best, but the great thing about making your home a bit more vintage is that an imperfect item can be an advantage in this case, adding to the vibes.

You Can’t Fight Architecture!
The big issue in trying to add a vintage layer to your home is that if you have a thoroughly modern apartment or house, the styles can tend to jar somewhat. Instead, don’t fight the natural architecture of your home look at how you can use this to your advantage. This means go in with a basic plan and it will benefit your home far more than if you decide to randomly swathe your home in a mishmash of styles.

Vintage is very popular right now, and the great thing about vintage styling does that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. If you are renting a property, or you are somewhere that you can struggle to put your stamp on, try a few of these, and see how it benefits your home.

end

Introducing Pablo

It’s the internet’s worst kept secret that I am a complete cat loon, so it’s odd that it’s taken me so long to write this post given that it’s over a month since a new feline entered my life.

And what a month it’s been! From timid, 8 weeks old bundle of floof to (almost) 13 weeks old boisterous adventurer it’s been an absolute joy and delight having Pablo around.

Technically at the moment he is Bob’s kitten, although he tells me I have a good stake too- he lives with Bob and his brother but one day will become ours when we set up home together. I get weekend and some weekday ownership and that includes my share of vet trips, litter box duty and emergency dashes for kitten food because we can’t keep up with his voracious appetite.

Named after the notorious Pablo Escobar (Narocs fans, what of it?) this grey and white fuzz ball is turning out to be a real character and certainly keeps us on our toes as he works out how to pounce, growl and cause chaos wherever he goes. The meow is still a work in progress but he’s making his presence felt in many other ways to make up for it.

Fear not Mae fans, she’s still my main feline companion and my absolute bestest girl- getting photos of her right now is proving a challenge though, with a penchant for hiding under duvets and running the second she spies a camera…but she’s as devious and characterful as ever and I’m sure it won’t be long before she graces the blog with her presence once more.

end

Christmas with Tangerine Confectionery

A couple of weeks ago, after a long old Friday at work I got home to discover a giant mystery box awaiting me. I had Bob with me at the time and we spent a few minutes speculating what could possibly be inside before curiosity got the better of us and we broke in to it.

It was with complete delight that we discovered a box packed full of sugary goodness from Tangerine Confectionery who had put together a selection of their products ideal for the festive season as well as a few games and the ultimate festive film- Home Alone. We wasted no time at all in getting stuck in.

The Sweet Champions box was undoubtedly the star of the show for us, crammed full of favourites such as black jacks, wham bars and sherbet fountains we loved everything about this. It would make a fantastic stocking filler for any sweet addict, or a great alternative to the festive boxes of chocolates that everyone hoards at this time of year. You’ll find this is all major supermarkets for around the £4.00 mark, I’ll certainly be buying a few now that quality street and roses aren’t what they used to be (sore subject around these parts).

Also within the box was a selection of stocking filler ideas such as the Vimto jellybeans and bonbons set (my favourite), a box containing princes marshmallows and chocolate covered marshmallows and another containing wham bars and cosmic sour sweets. I really liked these little boxes of fun which I’ve seen for sale in Wilko for a very reasonable £2.00.

I’m not a fan of fruit flavoured chocolate very much so the Raspberry ruffles didn’t appeal to me, but the mint ones are confirmed delicious. These are a proper blast from my past and would be good as part of a hamper gift of for offering around to guests.

Being the resourceful people we are we also utilised the big gold box all of these products were packaged in…
I’ll do a full post on the recipient soon as he is long over-due an introduction, but in the meantime check out our twelve week old bundle of trouble enjoying his new crib…
end
The products in this post were a gift from Tangerine Confectionary and I was under no obligation to post, all opinions are mine and Bob’s (with a little help from Pablo).