Embroidered George Flat Shoes

Hey All

Lately I've been trying to save money as I'm learning to drive and aiming to buy a house early next year which has meant less shopping. The embroidered trend is one I've been admiring from a far, I've been loving all the demin with embroidery but so far have resisited.

That was until I popped into my local asda and saw these beauties for a bargain £14!!

Boux Avenue Haul

Hey All

I definitely don't buy new bras as often as I should. When La Senza closed down I've tried different shops but not found one's I liked enough to go back and re buy. When I was feeling spendy the other day I decided to pop into Boux Avenue, L is a big fan so I decided it was about time I gave it ago.

They had an offer one where if you bought the bra you got free matching pants. I love buying sets but always find the knickers seem really expensive so when I saw the offer I was sold. I went to be measured as I've not been for ages. I have actually been wearing the wrong size...ooops. The lady doing it was great and picked out different styles and sizes to try to find what I was comfortable in.

I ended up picking up two styles. I went for light colours as I really needed a new white bra and the floral print was too pretty not to pick up.

I ended up going for the Chloe Lace Balconette Bra. I never used to choose a balconette style but I really like the shape this gives me and it's so comfortable. I'm surprised how much my tastes have change. The matching knickers are soooo comfy too plus they look good. 

The floral print bra is a boost bar so enhances cup size. I always favoured these bras a few years ago and love the shape it gives me but not sure if now it makes my boobs look too big. It's comfortable but I probably wouldn't buy this style again unless my boobs shrink a bit again. It's currently on offer as well for cheaper than I paid but lets not mention that! 

Boux Avenue has won me over and I'm already eyeing up my next buys. The Anoushka bra is next on my list!!

Where do you find best for bras?

Love M

xxx

Cardiff Fashion Week

Hey All

Last week I headed to an event to showcase what was going to be at Cardiff Fashion Week. L has been to a previous Cardiff Fashion week (you can see that here) and we've been to London for Fashion Week a few times so I was excited to see what Cardiff has to offer!

With the Atrium being in the city centre, having a Fashion Week in Cardiff could really help promote up and coming designers and showcase what the city has to offer. As someone who moved to Cardiff after uni I do love things that help promote what a great city it is!

Cardiff Fashion week is running from 22nd - 29th October with loads of great activities going on. 29th Oct is Fashion Show day. Tickets are available for the shows which will be showing off students work, high street fashion and some Welsh Designers (I'm sad I'm away this year and will be missing it!!). There is also a designer village with fun workshops going on and stalls to visit, if you visit the sponsers page you can find some of the brands that will be there.

I got to meet the designer behind The Power of Greyskull who designs amazing workout gear. I'll be ordering some as the best part is it's all bespoke made so I can easily get leggings that are long enough!!

Here is the link to the website with the full line up of what the week has to offer with fun things happening during the week, It's in perfect time for some half term activities!

Are you heading to Cardiff Fashion Week?

Love M

xxx

Elsie's Attic - Vintage Dresses

Hey All

Hope you've had a good weekend. I thought I'd share some dresses I've been loving lately especially for special occasions. Whilst browsing facebook one day I discovered a page called Elsie's Attic (facebook). I instantly fell in love with all of the dresses and as my niece is called Elsie took it as a sign I needed to order lots (who am I kidding I just liked the dresses and use anything as an excuse to shop!) I'm a pear shaped girl so anything that nips in at the waist and goes over the hip is a winner for me.

The first dress is a Lindy Bop dress. Elsie's Attic stock a lot of these. This was actually a birthday present from my other half's parents as his mum had spotted on facebook that I liked it and offered to get me one of my choice.

I instantly loved the neckline of this dress, the nipped in waste and the print. It's a little bit brighter than the image below shows. Once my other half gets back from his work trip I'll try and get some better one's of it. I love that the dresses can be worn with or without petticoats. I have a full petticoat I'd planned to wear with it but actually forgot to take it with me. This one feels great quality and is a lovely silky print dress! The back dips down lower than the front but not low enough to worry about bras showing. Also for me these dresses are great as I can order my normal size and not worry about it fitting over my hips. The dress is £36 but currently out of stock in the bird print. I really want it in the green and the burgundy. I love a good occasion dress! The waspie style belt comes with it too and really finishes off the dress!

The other dress I've got from the website isn't a branded one and one I picked up in the sale. I instantly loved the shirt style top half of this dress. This one comes with a small petticoat built in but for fullness I added my own full petticoat (these can be picked up cheaply on ebay!). I wore this to a friends recent wedding. Excuse the facial expression as I didn't know the photo was being taken (ever a lady with a pint in hand!) This dress also came with a belt made from the same fabric I love that so far all the dress I've ordered come with belts as I do think it really finishes the outfit off. I love the little details on it make the dress look great quality such as fabric covered buttons.

Wedding Guest Vintage Dress

I love dresses like this, they always make me feel glamorous and confident as they are cover parts of my body I don't like. Delivery from Elsie's Attic has always been efficient and it's definitely worth checking out the sale for more bargains.

I'll be ordering more dresses if more occasions pop up. I do have a third dress from the site but no great photos of it. I've worn them to weddings, gradations and dresses them down for dinners without the petticoat.

Would you go for this style dress?

Love M

xxx

here's some links to other wedding outfit posts :)
Asos
hybrid
Warehouse

Wedding Guest Outfit Inspiration

Hey All

I'm reaching the age where I seem to have lots of weddings to go to. I tend to be really bad at reusing dresses and love the excuse to buy a new one. I always have the best intentions to re-wear a dress but it never seems to happen so when the other half asked me to be his plus one for a few weddings in November I instantly started browsing sites.

When I saw Asos had a sale on I started browsing and accidentally ended up with 12 items in my basket making their way to me!

Here are my top picks and I ended up keeping three of these dresses. I had the best intentions to only keep one but they were such bargains I needed to keep a few more.

This is my favourite of the dresses and most likely the one I'll wear. I love the green colour with blonde hair and think the neckline is interesting. It's also really comfortable as while it's tight it skims everywhere. It also comes in petite range too. It comes in at £31. (link)

I love mint green and I'm yet to own much in this colour. I love the length and fit and it's a little booby but think the length still makes it ok for a wedding. For me I wasn't sure if this was too summer wedding due to the colour but it is available in a few other colours. It is a bargain £19 and is great quality. (link)

This one is the other half's favourite. I know he's biased to it though as he loves red dresses. I love the tone of this as I do find red sometimes looks cheap but as it's a bit more on the burgundy side it looks nicer. I love the touch of lace. I'm a lace fan but I do think it's hard to find lace that doesn't look cheap sometimes. It is a very tight dress so this one may only be worn if I lose a pound or two so I'll feel comfortable after eating. Another bargain at only £18. (link)

Lastly is this Lipsy one. I rarely find anything in Lipsy I like. I find it can be chavy, or way to short for a tall girl. I'm also not a fan of an exposed zip. All of that aside I love this dress. It's a thick quality fabric so doesn't bunch on the body and just skims. It has padded cups so a bra isn't necessary, no exposed zip and a fair length. I love how the lace contours the waistline to help it appear smaller. This one is also only £19. (link)

Unfortunately this dress didn't fit me when it arrived. If it did I think it would have been a favourite. I think it's so simple but cut really well and stunning. It also comes in a cornflower blue. I think with pretty jewellery it would be amazing. (link)

With such bargain dresses who am I to resist a new one!

Where is your go to shop for wedding guest outfits? Which is your favourite?

Love M

xxx

Pay Day Haul

Hey All

Hope you've had a great weekend. Mine was plagued by complete exhaustion on Friday. Thankfully a two hour nap and a lie in on Saturday sorted out the sickness and headache. I did feel a bit crappy still on Saturday but I think stress had something to do with that.

I always get paid earlier than everyone else so last week I was feeling like I hated everything in my wardrobe and needed some new bits. I've mentioned on here before but lately I'm loving being more casual with my style so I decided I need some new t shirts! New look stole a lot of my money this month!

This is my favourite top and I've had so many people want to grab it too but around me it's now basically sold out! It's a great loose fit but flattering and I love the rolled sleeves!

I loved the print on this one and thought it would be great to brighten up skinny jeans outfits!

I'm a huge pug fan, so a pug t shirt with a unicorn horn and glitter was something I needed! Admittedly this will probably be a bed top but it was too amazing to leave!

When L and I went to stratford I wanted this t shirt but at the time didn't like the loose style on me. As I said my tastes have changed and I love this shade of green and the print so it needed to be mine!

This one also comes in cream and in hindsight I wish I'd got the cream one. The print shows more on it. I love inspirational quotes and this just sums me up lately! I really feel more positive about things lately and I'm excited about life and getting to do things for me! If only money would stop being a problem!

These dainty bracelets were in the sale for £1! For that price I just couldn't leave them. I love the goldy brass colour and they are thin metal wire and flexible! I've worn them loads since buying them! Most of the shirts were £7.99 or 2 for £12 with the exception of the floral print which was £9.99! i think £6 for a t shirt is a bargain and they all have a great fit. I love pairing them with skater skirts of skinny jeans!

I couldn't resist some make up either. It was 3 for 2 again in boots and I needed a new powder. After hearing so much about stay matte I figured it was time to give it a go! So far I do love it and it is amazing. I also got Rimmel Dark Knight Waterloops. I owned this before and annoyingly lost it. Lastly on the 3 for 2 I got the Real Techniques sponge. I've wanted to try it for ages as I'm a fan of beauty blender sponges so figured it was time to get it.

L and I went to a showcase for Urban Decay so I couldn't resist buying some treat. Especially as it was bonus points when you spent over £50! The lipsticks are amazing pigmentation and I wanted a brighter colour. When I saw this swatched on Nina's hand I had to have it! The eyeshadow I've been eyeing up for ages. It's a really pigmented glitter that the glitter actually goes onto the eye and looks as it does in the pan. I also picked up a concealer. Honestly I don't love it that much yet. Lastly I grabbed an Mac Eyeshadow. I wanted a bright green/purple but just couldn't find a colour I loved so ended up with this matte dark green shade. It looks great applied on the lower lashes and blends easily.

I'm trying to be healthier so also grabbed myself coconut oil to cook with as it was on offer for £6.99 which seemed pretty reasonable to me. I've cooked with it and love it. so far I've not found the taste overpowering in food at all. The peanut butter is 1kg tub! I'm addicted to the stuff and this is made from 100% peanuts so I figured it was worth the extra few pounds to what I'd normally buy!

I also picked up some midi rings and a cute bird necklace from topshop! I'm loving dainty jewellery lately!

Have you got yourself any payday treat this month? Are you eyeing up anything? I'm currently in love with a skirt in Topshop!

Love M

xxx

Spring Wishlist - Fashion

Evening!

Tonight I'm trying to distract myself from dreaded revision for a practical microbiology exam tomorrow! Online shopping is much more interesting than trying to learn different bacteria!

I'm getting inspiration for a spring wardrobe. I really like my style is changing lately but unfortuately I don't have the money to support so I'm day dreaming instead!

Lately I've been finding leggings annoy me. It's too hard to find the perfect pair. I can't seem to find any that are properly black, not see through, don't sag on the knees and are long enough because of this I've been eyeing up treggings. Topshop have an amazing range and some great patterns. 

I love this plain black version. They are £25 and are just easy to wear with everything. I love that they are thicker than normal leggings and still have the stretch to pull you in a little.

I absolutely love the print on these. They are slightly more expensive at £30 but I think the print makes them worth it. They are great for dressing up or down. I'm not sure my pear shape can pull them off but I really hope I can!

images from topshop

I absolutely love my latest primark leather jacket but it's not great for as the weather warms up. I've got a black blazer and really would love some coloured ones for spring.

I love this soft pink blazer and think it would be amazing the floral print treggings. I really want a softer coloured blazer for spring as black can be too harsh. I like that it's tailored as I need jackets to nip me in at the waist or I look big. This one is from Matalan and is £25!

I love the bright blue version too. This would be amazing with light denims!

images from matalan

I really want some distressed denim hot pants with frayed edges. I think they are great with patterned tights for while it's still chilly. The problem is I have a big ass and I'm not a fan of the shorts that show cheek! These look long so fingers crossed. They come in at £25 from Asos!

image from Asos

While it's still chilly I love a maxi dress paired with a jacket. I'm a maxi dress fan. They are so comfy and great for chubby days as they hide everything. I was really drawn to the back of this one from New Look which is £22.99 I'm not sure if the print is a little much for me though!

image from New Look

Lastly I really want some casual cami's that I can easily dress up or down. I really lack strappy tops which are dressy enough for an evening and these look like a happy medium. I love the bright colours they come in and think this one especially would be great with the black and white treggings! I love that it's not too clingy too! These are £12 for Asos!

That's my current spring fashion wishlist. What are you currently eyeing up?

Love M

xxx

 

Ollie & Nic Spencer Retro Bag

Evening all!

A late post from me tonight. I've enjoyed an evening with L tonight pigging out on sushi! We definitely ate more than we should, but at least it's reasonably healthy!

Next week it's my mum's birthday so we decided to get her a nice handbag, Ollie and Nic has an amazing sale and we managed to pick her up a real leather bag reduced from £169 to a bargain £50!!

The problem was there was a lot of temptation in the for me. The sale is amazing and is still currently on. I've needed a new decent sized bag for a while. My current one is really tatty with a broken lining etc.

I couldn't resist the bargain Spencer Retro across body bag. Reduced from £60 to an absolute bargain of £18!! I'm a massive ostrich print fan and the love the effect on bags so this on appealed to me straight away!

The burgundy colour is gorgeous and perfect for the winter months. I also love all the attention to detail on the bag such as the Ollie & Nic metal buttons on the handle and the studs on the bottom of the bag.

It feel quite a stiff material and like it will be durable and good quality. It's a really practical bag that's a decent size with lots of pockets. I like the two on the outside which will be perfect for keys and my phone when I'm listening to music. The zip pocket on the front is really handy for bus pass etc so I can easily grab them.

Inside is a large section with a zip pocket in the middle. I'm going to try and be organised and use this for make up! It also has zip pocket on the inside of the bag and separate pockets for phone and keys if I don't feel safe enough using outer pockets! Plus it has a gorgeous lining.

It's such a practical bag and for the bargain price I had to share with you all! If you are on the hunt for a new bag I'd suggest Ollie & Nic. The purses I've had I really like so I'm hoping the bag is as good!

Love M

xxx

Winter Staples

Hello!

I've been loving the colder weather recently, not so much the storms and the rain but my favourite clothes are winter ones. I just love wrapping up in layers and putting on chunky knits, boots and coats.

I thought I'd share my favourite winter clothing items today to see if yours are the same!

Leather Jacket:

I absolutely love wearing my leather jacket. It seems to go with everything I choose to wear, and for every occasion. Admittedly it's not normally the warmest item of clothing I have in my wardrobe but the fact you can layer it up means it is still a staple, and can help with the transition between months and the outdoors/indoors.

I love casually slinging it on, if only it looked as good on me as in the picture above!

Chunky knits:

You can't possibly go through winter without involving a chunky knit item in your wardrobe.
Scarves are an easy addition and fully functional, as if you needed any excuse to buy something!

I find the bigger the better when it comes to chunky knits, they're definitely more snuggly.

These jumpers from Zara are amazing, I'm hoping they're not from a previous season so I can get my hands on them. They're perfect for trousers for work and with jeans for weekends, plus with the added bit of sparkle can be worn during evenings too!

I always stick with neutral colours as I find them easy to mix and match and I find they suit me most.

Lastly, nobody can be without a hat during the winter.
I used to be firmly in the 'terrified' camp for hats, but having bought myself a huge furry one last year this year it was time for a chunky knit bobble hat.

I've fallen in love with it already and cannot wait to wear it more often.


Boots:

 

I adore boots.

I spent a lot of money on them a few years ago and now they've fallen apart or gone out of fashion. I've tried to be more sensible with my choices this time and have recently picked up a pair of knee high leather boots which are a classic style and hopefully they will last a long time.

They seem to make any outfit come together and can keep your feet a whole lot warmer than other shoes during winter, and more importantly in Britain....drier!

I tend to steer clear of suede purely for the rain reasons, suede boots are beautiful but I refuse to ruin shoes with a puddle again. Leather is definitely my friend.

These boots are beautiful and I'd love to get my hands on some like this!

Mine are similar in design apart from there's no gold bit and they have buckles at the calf level which you can adjust if necessary. They're so comfortable and were definitely a good purchase!

Coats:

Ahhhhh possibly my favourite of the lot.

Coats are amazing, I love my dressing gown and I feel like they're an outside version.

Trench coats are my particular favorite because I'm curvy and need to belt the waist to make me look like I have any shape at all.

Wool coats are definitely worth the investment and I'd love to get my hands on the black one above. It's so chic and the collar is beautiful.

Blacks, tans, greys and khaki colours are all wearable and I'd snap up any that I'd see given half a chance.
The above khaki coloured cape from Zara is beautiful with the leather details, maybe I'll add a cape to my wardrobe this year, but I'd need to find one with holes for hands so I can still function!

I feel like I've been quite boring with my choice of colours for this post but I really am a neutral and classic kind of person. However I absolutely love the bottle greens, deep reds and jewel colours such as maroons and purples and teals. I also love adding some sparkle with embellished tops and accessories.

What do you think of my Winter Staples? Are yours the same?

What kind of boots and coats do you prefer?

I cannot wait to go shopping in the sales, I can't afford much right now but I'm hoping to pick up some bargains this year. Fingers crossed I can pick up some wardrobe staples like a wool coat or different style of leather boot. What will you be looking for?

(all pictures are from Pinterest and none are my own, that site has the best pictures - I could spend hours on it!)

L xxx

Victoria and Albert Museum

A few weeks ago I went to London for the Murad event (post here) and had some time to kill. With little money to my name I did what any other cultural and photo hungry blogger would do.....I hit the museums.

Having gone to the Science and Natural History Museums in the past year my next call was for the Victoria and Albert museum.

I've walked past it a few times wistfully but this time I got straight off the tube, walked through the tunnel and straight into the front door. Woman. On. a. Mission.

The entrance hall was not a disappointment; amazing bulbs hanging from copper wires and an amazing glass octopus/mermaid/creature of the deep type thing! I love arty things like this, they're so eye catching.

There are a MASS of exhibitions throughout the building spread over 5 floors. There are some from Britain, America, China, Japan and everywhere you can think of!
There was some beautiful mosaic pieces from Iran:

There was a stunning hall which suddenly appeared through a tiny doorway and opened out into a cavern like room with amazing portraits and I've no idea what the thing was at the end of the room but it was gorgeous and I was mesmerized by the gold.

I am one of those people that absolutely loves trinket boxes and storage solutions. I am basically obsessed with boxes and drawers, so the following appealed to me immensely!

Imagine hiding away your lipsticks and powders in that bad boy! So many drawers for so many items, I'd have that organised within an inch of it's life if I had the room!

The box below is my absolute ideal box. I'd love to put this on my desk on display but contain items that mean something to me and keep it locked! I love the wood and the metal detail on it.

Having walked into a room that was reconstructed from another property in London, I was blown away by the fireplace. The woodwork was amazing and as the fire place is one of the main focuses of the room this was definitely a show stopper!

There were also some stunning family jewels that I couldn't resist looking at.
There was an intricate ship pendant, a beautiful black/red stone pendant, a stunning book pendant, and a jewelled gold bangle.
I couldn't stop looking at the detail on these and had to fight some people away from them.

This was the most stunning belt I've ever seen. I'm so annoyed as I've forgotten who this belonged to but they wore it to the Queen's wedding all those years ago and the belt and the matching pendant are full of diamonds that are just out of this world.

The only thing I knew was in the museum was a clothing exhibition so I was really excited to get to this part of the museum, which probably accounted for about 5%....if that!

There were dresses from all eras, in all patterns, colours and styles and it was amazing to walk around the displays seeing how fashion and costumes have changed.
The materials were amazing and the stitching and details on the pieces were unbelievable.

I loved seeing the underwear, the petticoat under the dress was also so pretty.

The dress below was one of my favourites, I love black and metalwork on clothing and this dress would be an amazing edition to my wardrobe if I could ever afford it!

Couldn't resist snapping a picture of myself in between the clothing!

I stopped for a quick drink in one of the cafes in the museum and honestly couldn't believe the lighting and decor in the seating area, check out these lights! How amazing are they?!
I'm surprised I didn't dribble my tea everywhere as I spent most of my time staring at the ceiling.

There were some stunning items and I couldn't believe the details; there was this book in the metal work section that was so intricate and detailed I was totally stunned, it's amazing!

I did not see the #no photography' signs outside the jewellery section so apologies to the museum for that....I did snap a picture of this absolutely stunning tiara though. 

I was speechless at how beautiful this was and can only imagine what it would be like to wear one. Maybe I'll have a replica made for my wedding at some point in the future?? Haaa imagine. 

That was my personal highlight of the museum, it was so beautiful!

The lightbulbs at the entrance you could see upstairs on a higher floor through a hole in the ceiling, these were SO TALL! I absolutely loved seeing them all the way to the stop of the building where they were attached and then through to the floor:

This was the perfect trip to fill the spare time I had in between my train and meeting others for the event. It took me around 3/4 hours to wander my way around the whole museum and take a substantial amount of photos.

I really enjoyed doing something completely different to normal and this was COMPLETELY FREE!
I love visiting museums so I will have to do this more often, it's a great way to learn something new, see different things and all without spending any money.

I will have to visit other types of museums in future as I'm always looking for new things to do!

Do you like visiting museums? Do you have any suggestions of museums I should visit?

L xxx