The Bristol Bag*

[post contains gifted item]
Having lived (admittedly just outside) in Bristol for almost 32 years, I have a lot of love for my buzzing, creative and quirky city. I also love supporting both local and less local small business, so when I was contacted about Paper Bag Co, a company based in Wiltshire who specialise in eco friendly bags, who in collaboration with Overt Design in Bradford-on-Avon have released a range of local, eco-friendly bags I was keen to get on board.

Dress: Monki at ASOS (bargain!) | Tee: Topshop | Bag gifted

A quick diversion away from the bag to say what a bargain this dress was- £8 in the ASOS sale and still available in many sizes. I’d had my eye on this for full price so happily broke my shopping ban to make the purchase!

Back to the bag though, how stunning is that design? It’s the most perfect size for daily use. I can carry all of my work paraphernalia around with me, and it holds a heck of a lot of shopping- I’ve not purchased a single plastic bag on my weekend grocery shops since it arrived which is nothing short of a miracle.

I’ve had so many comments about this bag There are several bags in the range of local designs; Bath, Bristol, Frome, Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge.

If you want to buy a bag you can contact Paper Bag Co through their website or give them a call on 01373 825 834.

If you could have your favourite town or city printed on to a bag where would you pick?

Down at the Piano Bar with Vendula London

The champions of unique Vendula London creative bags have done it again with their gorgeous new collection of handbags. I have quite a collection of Vendula London by now but I think my latest addition, from their Piano Bar collection has to be a favourite.

Dress: New Look | Blouse: H&M | Loafers: New Look | Bag c/o Vendula London

This bag, in what appears to be a first for Vendula London has actual glitter on it. You have no idea how happy this makes me! I opted for the pink version of the bag but it also comes in black. Other than the colour there is one small difference in that the pink bag has a finer glitter which won’t damage clothing whereas the black has thicker, coarser glitter that is only on the front of the bag to avoid potential damages. The attention to detail on Vendula bags is second to none, these are real statement pieces that are well worth every penny of the price. If piano bars aren’t your thing then make sure to check out their other collections…Downtown Abbey fans you’re in for a treat!

This is such a classy piece that dresses up any outfit. With my sights set firmly on getting back to work soon I decided to pop on an office appropriate outfit and I feel that this bag works well with it…but it would also look great with a party dress for a swanky night out.

The pinafore dress is the same as the purple one I featured the other week but in black from the tall range. At under £15 I couldn’t resist getting both, and the h&m blouse was another ridiculous bargain at under a tenner.

This post is a bit all over the place, which pretty much sums up myself right now too. I’m working on getting my head straight though so in the mean time just sit back, relax and enjoy the whole point of this post- the glorious handbag!

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Fashion your Fringe with New Look

My love of new season fashion doesn’t limit itself to just the clothes, oh no. With a plethora of stunning shoes and accessories hitting the high street I’m in accessory heaven so it was with great pleasure that I teamed up with New Look to bring you today’s post.
They sent me over a fringed detail bag from their new collection, fringing was huge news for the Spring/Summer season and doesn’t look set to be going anywhere as we move in to Autumn/Winter so I thought it was about time I get it a go. I’ve not really entered in to the realm of dangling detail before now, I suppose I thought it was limited in it’s versatility and wouldn’t go with an awful lot but I was willing to be proved wrong which is just as well as I’m really in love with my brown patchwork fringed bag.
The first look I went for was a sort of late-summer festival vibe featuring this gorgeously ethereal dress from Valour & Valkyrie and my trusty Primark sandals. This bag would be the perfect festival companion as it holds SO MUCH STUFF- I’m the kind of girl who carries her whole life around with her so a roomy bag is a must! It also goes across the body which is great when you want to keep your hands free for beer/dancing.
I then thought I’d pop together a typical weekend look, honestly I’m living in this kind of thing when I’m not photographing stuff for the blog. The suede mini skirt is going to be a staple for the cooler months and a simple cream top and denim shirt keep things low-key. I really like how the varying shades of brown in the bag complement this outfit and it’s ideal for some Saturday shopping therapy whilst the football is on (because yes, I am once again a football widow).
Last but not least is a transitional outfit for the move from Summer dresses to Winter layers. I picked up this dress in Joy last year and I’m pleased to see it fits in well with the trends a year on too. I loved the combination of mustard yellow and the brown tones of the bag but couldn’t resist adding a bit more colour with my velvet Bertie boots- I remember the look of bemusement on the woman’s face when I hobbled up to the checkout on crutches to buy these babies!
So what have I learnt? Mostly that fringe details are surprisingly versatile and this is my must-have accessory for the coming months. I’ve also learnt that I am still as clumsy as ever and keeping getting my tassels stuck in doors. Some things never change!

How would you style up this bag?

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The Hardworker

As much as I love and cherish my Mulberry handbag I do like to change things up every now and again (not to mention give it a bit of a break!) so when House of Fraser offered to send me a product from their impressive array of accessories I skipped right by the shoes for perhaps the first time ever and headed straight for the bags. I’ve been wanting a “trendy” backpack for ages now, although I had reservations about how much I’d use it- finding a bag that could be both traditional handbag AND a backpack? I’m living the dream!

Jumper c/o Wearall | Jeans: Primark | Converse via Sarenza | Bag c/o House of Fraser- out of stock but huge selection here!

The bag is by Steve Madden and is now out of stock on the House of Fraser website, probably because it was a crazy bargain in their sale! I just love the mid-blue colour, it makes such a change from my usual black or brown and the silver details toughen it up just a touch. It’s the perfect size for all of my every day essentials (plus a whole host of stuff I carry around but can’t exactly be called essential) and it’s great to have the option between backpack and handbag, perfect for someone as indecisive and fickle as I.
I couldn’t resist giving my cat jumper an airing, it’s probably my most worn piece of knitwear from the last 12 months and it’s the perfect way to cheer up a day where you feel more than a little bit rubbish. I keep meaning to pick up another pair of these skinny jeans from Primark, I paid £9 for this pair over a year ago and they have worn and washed so well, especially compared to other pairs I have that I’ve paid rather a lot more for. I feel like I should step away from the skinnies for a while though, I really fancy embracing a pair of flares but have yet to find any that are just right- length is a big issue for me but I’m searching in earnest!

I probably ought to look to replace my Converse before too long as well, worn to death the rubber is starting to split and they just look tired. I do think Converse look best once they have been worn in a bit but I think I’m starting to take the look a bit too far- it doesn’t stop me slipping them on at any given opportunity though!

Backpack vs. Handbag- which would you pick?

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How nice of you Nica! *giveaway*

There are some brands I’ve been lucky enough to work with more than once on the blog and Nica is one of those. They’ve always been so nice and friendly through all their social media accounts and have provided me with several gorgeous handbags for my collection.

My most recent partnership with Nica also has benefits for you, my loyal readers too…not only did they send me a brand new bag from their Crossbody Bag section they have donated another for me to giveaway!

Dress: Peacocks | Shoes c/o Ikrush | Bag c/o Nica

I am so in love with the deep berry colour of the Lizzy Crossbody Bag in Raspberry. It’s the perfect size for popping essentials in for an evening out or a trip to the shops- I love my Bayswater, but sometimes I need something smaller and lighter and this berry beauty fits the bill perfectly. As with all Nica bags it’s of super high quality and I’ve found they last for ages, I really hope you love it as much as I do because one of you guys reading this will be lucky winner of one of your own!
Entering the giveaway couldn’t be easier, just follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below- Sorry but this is a UK only giveaway but I will make it up to you in the near future!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! Sorry I look so hot and bothered in these photos…it was such a hot day, nearing 30 degrees and it’s just impossible to find anything to wear in the humid British Summertime (although the sunshine makes me endlessly happy!)

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