Cosmic Vibes

The other week, fuelled by good news for us both from work Mum and I popped on the bus and headed in to Cabot Circus for a long overdue girly shopping trip. It had been forever since we last managed to do this and it was so nice to spend some time browsing the new season arrivals, having a lazy lunch and generally catching up.

Of course one of our first stops was Monki, as ever they have some amazing pieces in right now- my wish list is huge. Sadly my budget is not huge so I had to limit myself to just a couple of bits this time round but I’m setting aside some money for another treat in the not too distant future.

Dress: Monki (here) | Boots: River Island

I absolutely love this print, it reminds me of outer space and the entire range of items with it on have made their way on to my wish list (how awesome are these trousers?)

I’ve said before how much I love Monki and their over-sized dress style, perfect for someone who’s still on the weight restoration journey and generally ideal for chilling out and relaxing in whilst still looking cool. I paired the dress with my rose gold ankle boots for a girly dinner date with my best friends but I’ve also worn it with my standard Converse/Pink Puma trainers for more casual vibes.

Do excuse the state of my hair right now. It is LONG overdue a cut and colour, the 29th of August cannot come soon enough! I decided to try and stretch it out for four months rather than three and the regret is hitting hard!

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Monki See, Monki Do

A couple of weeks ago, having cashed in the contents of our piggy bank (saving up all of your silver coins pays off, trust me!) Mum and I headed in to Bristol for a bit of self-indulgent retail therapy. I already knew exactly where I wanted to spend my cash and made a beeline for Monki as soon as we were off of the bus- well, after a coffee stop of course.
I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not that Monki opened their second UK store in the fair city of Bristol. Already borderline obsessed with the brand the arrival of an actual store has ramped that up a notch and my wish list is out of control. Thankfully I managed to exercise some self restraint and left with just a couple of the many items I have my eye on- the rest I have earmarked for a Christmas money spend up!

Dress & Jumper both Monki | Boots: Long Tall Sally

I almost didn’t try this dress on. On the hanger it just looked a bit shapeless to me but I loved the print and with a bit of convincing I added it to my bundle for the changing room (and oh what changing rooms, nice job Monki!). The second I slipped this on I knew it was coming home with me, far from being the shapeless sack I had envisaged this dress drapes beautifully and I loved the midi length as well.

I also picked up this jumper which was an absolute bargain at £20. I intended both pieces to be separates but it turns out they also look pretty awesome layered up which means I’ve essentially bought three outfits for £45 as both the dress and jumper work well alone too.

I predict living in this outfit over the festive period, it’s warm and cosy and the dress has plenty of room for the inevitable festive food babies that will be occurring…the first of which is likely to be today as it’s Mum’s birthday and we’re off to an epic farm shop/restaurant for a celebratory lunch. Happy Birthday Mum!

Are there any shops that you’re currently obsessed with? I’m afraid you’re going to be seeing a lot more Monki on the blog in 2017!

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Autumn/Winter Fashion Fix with Cabot Circus

Oh Cabot Circus, just another reason why I love Bristol so much. I remember the day it first opened when I was studying at College and my entire class flocked down there to check it out and get some interviews (journalism, woo!). I still find it as impressive today as I did when I was only 20 so it’s always a delight to be invited to an event there.
I’m a bit slow in writing this post, but last weekend I was invited to go and view one of the Autumn/Winter Fashion Fix shows (they do 8 shows over two days) to get a look at what’s hot for the season ahead and get inspiration on how to update my wardobe. The shows featured five of the hottest trends right now- pastels, folk, red, metallics and faux fur and were styled with items that you could then go off and buy (oh the temptation!) I was most interested in the pastel selection having struggled with my style challenge but honestly I loved everything they sent down the super shiny catwalk. Sitting FROW with blogger pals Hayley (also found here) and Tara it was great to see everything up close and personal. I took near to 200 photos but have since realised my catwalk photography skills need some serious brushing up on! Still, here’s a little selection of what we saw and some of the outfits I loved the best…
Thank you to Cabot Circus for putting on yet another fabulous show- I’ve been to quite a few of these now, either as a blogger or off my own back (they are always free to watch)…I’m fighting the urge to go and buy everything I’ve seen right now- especially the gorgeous pastel coats and an amazing folky print dress from Joy!

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Style Challenge: Winter Pastels with Cabot Circus

I do love a good challenge, and when Cabot Circus asked me to pick out and style up my favourite trend for A/W 14 I was oh so up for it. I picked pastels as my trend (you can see SJ’s take on red here) and thought I’d have quite an easy task; oh was I wrong, pastels might be hot news for A/W but this hasn’t really filtered through to the high street yet and it was a bit of a mission to find an outfit as nothing I had seen online was in stock in the stores I visited! Still, never one to back down I resisted picking a new trend and eventually found an outfit I loved.

Dress: Topshop c/o Cabot Circus | Cardigan & Necklace: New Look c/o Cabot Circus | Backpack: Accessorize c/o Cabot Circus | Boots: Miista

I usually avoid Topshop as I don’t ever find things I like that I feel are worth the price tag. This dress caught my eye as I was racing around, just hanging innocently on the back wall. At £30 it was a really good price, it fits beautifully and is a lovely crepe fabric that will be warm enough to wear all winter with some thick tights and a cardigan. Pastel item number one? Check!
I didn’t want to over-do the pastels as together they can all look a bit sickly, this soft grey midi-length cardigan from New Look was only £19.99 and is super warm and snuggly. I’m a fiend for cardigans and have been after a longer length one for ages, I love how it looks against the dusky pink of the dress. I also grabbed this necklace in New Look as the colours work really well with the rest of the outfit and it’s great for dressing the outfit up a little. The backpack from Accessorize was an impulse purchase, I had been looking for footwear, but I’ve been after a bag like this for ages and again the soft grey works really well, and the gold zips match the necklace. I’m all for a spot of matching every now and again!

With my beautiful Miista boots on my feet I feel I did just about ok with this challenge. I went in to Cabot Circus with a vague idea of what I wanted and this wasn’t it…but it’s a very “me” outfit and I can guarantee I’ll be wearing it to death!

The whole challenge is in aid of Cabot Circus’ Fashion Fix which is happening this weekend. I’ve been to a couple of these before and they are always brilliant. Over the course of the two days there are several catwalk shows displaying all of the hottest trends for A/W. General attendance is free but you can apply for VIP seats too, right up until the 25th September (get your skates on, there are only 80!) If you manage to reserve your seat you’ll also be entered in to a prize draw to win a £50 Cabot Circus gift card (per show) so really…get going!

Cabot is probably my favourite place to shop in Bristol and this event is going to be brilliant, going from past experience. The atmosphere is always fantastic so if you’re in Bristol over the weekend then I strongly suggest you pop on down…

…See you there? I’ll be milling about on Saturday.

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Bristol Ladies- Marisota Pop Up Event.

Here’s a heads up for you Bristol readers; Fashion etailer Marisota are coming to Cabot Circus from Tuesday 25th March for six whole days. This visit follows on from last year’s launch of the “shapeology” concept. The Pop-Up tour started on March 13th in London and is designed to give both new and existing customers an insight in to what shapeology is and see it in action.
For a little background info Marisota is part of J D Williams, the UK’s largest independent multi-channel Home Shopping retailer. Its Shapeology concept is an evolution in fashion design and offers women of all shapes and sizes the chance to wear fashionable pieces, which will enhance their figures and ultimately give them ‘can wear’ confidence. The brand works closely with TV super-stylist Mark Heyes (who designs his own range for them) and he can be expected to pop in and out of the store to say hello to customers. There will be a team of specially trained shapeologists on hand to guide customers through the range and help them decide what works for their body shape.
Marisota’s ‘magic mirror’ will enable attendees to capture their new look and allow them to send it instantly to their friends via Facebook, Twitter and Email. They will also be able to print out a copy to take away with them. Live models will grace the windows to showcase the looks.
There will be a selection of fashions in sizes 12-32 as well as key accessories, swimwear and shapewear. Customers will also be able to order items featured at the events in-store and will be given a special 20% discount AND free home delivery.
I’m not going to be able to pop along to this due to still being on sick leave which is a shame as it sounds like fun! Let me know if you are planning to go or if you do- I want to see those snaps!

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