Vivienne Westwood SS15 Exclusive Party

Hey all!

Two weeks ago we were invited to an exclusive party in the Vivienne Westwood store in Cardiff for a preview of their SS15 products - of COURSE we said yes! We've been in store a few times but not for an event so we were very excited.

We arrived at the store to these beautiful cupcakes - they even have the iconic orbs on them! How amazing!

For a while we spent our time doing a few laps of the store and taking everything in. There's so much to look at and everything is beautifully made.

L absolutely love the loves the umbrellas above, they're so chic and the different patterns and colours are so appealing.
Lots of VW's prints are so bright and colourful, the totes below are a perfect example:

M loves the t-shirts and wants to get her hands on the black Chaos t-shirt above, and we both couldn't take our eyes off the wall of beautifully designed bags and purses. The colours were stunning and ranged from blush to bright turquoises and pinks and back to classic black.

The one above is my absolute favourite! I would LOVE to own this bag!
Classic black and kept simple with the iconic orb at the front - it's me all over and it also had zipped pockets to keep your valuables safe.

We loved having a browse around the store getting to know what products were new and generally having a good rifle through the clothes!

What caught both our eyes was the stunning purses, the bows are a really cute details and this turquoise one was something that you would never lose inside the depths of your handbag again! What a beautiful colour - I think we'd both fight over who bought this one first....

The array of colours for clutch bags and tablet cases were also pretty impressive, they looked stunning lined up on the shelves at the back of the store and I can tell you that I wanted at least 5 of them by the end of the evening, The turquoise is again a beautiful shade but the nude, pink and navy all caught my eye too!

Isn't the dress above just stunning?
Such a beautifully bright colour and a simple rose pattern - but iconically a Vivienne Westwood dress courtesy of the beautiful neckline and nipped in waist. Gorgeous!

Next up we found the jewellery counter and it's safe to say that this is the area that will be doing the most damage to our purses.
We wanted everything! In every colour and with all the pieces from each range - you'll see what we mean by looking at the images below. Feast your eyes on these:

Rose gold skeletons?! Is there anything more perfect for scientist/bloggers??

We loved these - not only are they really clever with all of the bones being able to move around but they also have orbs attached to them. I'd love to wear one to work with a white shirt and black trousers, such a simple statement to make.

The orbs pretty much featured everywhere which was a really nice tough to every piece of jewellery, whether they were the focus of the piece or attached to the clasp so you know its a Vivienne Westwood item of jewellery. See below the keys which have the orb at the end of the key:

The rings above were also gorgeous - maybe not for work but as a statement piece for the weekend we both loved the pewter coloured one.  They are armour design and actually move with your fingers. This section was definitely where they will be making their money from us!
L's particular favourite was the rose gold set with blush inlaid - the necklace with the smaller orb is only £75 and its still pretty enough for every day wear. She's going to add this to her wishlist/Christmas list/whenever she wins the lottery list as it is just too perfect!!

It was amazing to be able to browse the store in the evening and see all of the beautiful pieces that Vivienne Westwood Cardiff have to offer. The bags and purses are simply beautiful, the jewellery is stunning with a real edge to it (exactly how we like it) and the clothes are all special but wearable. What else could you want from a designer with a reputation like VW??

Thanks to the Cardiff store for inviting us to this exclusive party, we can't wait to come back and see future pieces!

Do you love Vivienne Westwood clothes? Have you lusted after a bag or item of jewellery from her?

L and M xxx

Winter Wardrobe Updates

Morning pals!

Another Friday is here and we're another week closer to Christmas! It only gets more exciting from here and it's my favourite type of year. Winter clothes are also my favourite kind, layering is the best thing and I love all of the patterns and colours associated with autumn/winter clothing.

Here's what I've been buying to update my wardrobe this year:

First up I picked up this belt from Dorothy Perkins. I've had a belt for dresses very similar to this before and I wore it until it fell apart so I knew it was a good buy. It's definitely good for wearing at any time of year but as has been happening for the last few years the trend for wearing a belt to cinch in your coat is back and this one is going to be making it back into my wardrobe.

Secondly I snapped up this BEAUTIFUL scarf from Zara. I touched it in store and couldn't leave it behind. I love the patterns in tartan and the red is gorgeous and goes with all of my coats, it's a winner and was something I had no idea I needed and now cannot live without. It doesn't leave my neck during the week now!

My latest shoe purchase is from New Look and I had to order them from in store as they didn't have any left. The heel height is perfect for most occasions and the gold buckle detailing is enough to give it a bit more pizazz. These can be worn with leggings and jeans and I look forward to wearing them to the pub over the next few months.

Capes are big news and this blanket cape cardigan type garment is absolutely fabulous. It's super comfy, warm and goes with everything, literally EVERYTHING. The colours mean it complements many outfits but there are also many tartan type patters and colours available too and if I was rolling in the spare cash I'd probably get another.
This one is from New Look and I'm so glad that fashion has produced and comfortable, wearable and warm item of clothing for the winter months. I've always wanted to look chic in a cape, jeans and boots!

Lastly is my new bag also from New Look (they've clearly got a lot out of money out of me recently!) This beautiful bottle green bag has replaced my tired looking black bag for work purposes.
It's awesome, the colour is lush and it holds it's shape really well too which is perfect as I seem to be lugging a lot of paper back and forth to work at the moment!

What have you been buying to update your wardrobe? Do you have anything else on your wishlist?

I'm looking to add another coat, a lovely thick wool one would be lovely but I may have to wait until the sales for the type of quality I would be looking for. I'm fed up of buying important items like coats and finding out they are cheaply made! If you have any suggestions for some hardwearing well made coats leave them in the comments section below!

L xxx

Lou Lou's Vintage Fair in Cardiff

Morning!

If you hadn't heard, Lou Lou's Vintage Fair are one of the biggest vintage fairs in the UK and they regularly visit Cardiff's City Hall. I was meant to go a few months ago but last minute plans changed things, so this weekend i was determined to go.

I had no idea what to expect, how much things would be, if I could haggle etc. It was a whole new experience and I loved every second. I picked up some lovely things so here they are:

Both of these bags were from the same stall, they were from the 1980s and cost £25 each. They have a few marks on them from small wear and tear but are in really good condition, especially the black one. I'm hoping with a bit of leather treatment they will come up good as new.

I'm hoping the black bag will be my new work bag, it's perfect for keeping A4 paper in and has compartments in.

I absolutely love emerald green and have been looking for a coat this colour for a while. It seems to be a rare colour though as I've only seen them for £160. This one is from C&A all those years ago and is actually a size or 2 too big for me. However it's a gorgeous warm coat and seems to look better oversized. It has a button missing but I think I'll take off the top button and move it to the bottom to replace the missing one and it will be good as new. It cost me £35 which is a bargain!

Another stall had leather jackets on sale for £10......TEN POUND! They were all genuine leather too, and this one was in really good condition. Its in the style of a blazer and has pockets which are always handy. The tie at the waist also make it more flattering on me, I always need to be cinched in at the waist and can even swap this out for a waist belt.

This beautiful ring was so pretty I couldn't leave it behind. It fitted my finger perfectly and it's real silver. i don't wear many rings but I've recently been wearing ones that look similar to this, I think they make a really nice statement piece.

The earrings below were also a bargain find. I rarely wear earrings as all of my small ones have been cheap and have therefore broken and I just haven't replaced them. Normally I wear diamond looking ones but pearl ones are also just as classic and for £6 i couldn't resist.

What do you think? 

I think they're my new favourites!

I have to wait for some of these as my mum got me them for Christmas presents, though I am allowed to fix them up with the treatments and new buttons.

What do you think of vintage fairs? Do you love hunting out a bargain?

The next fair is in January and I will definitely be saving some Christmas money for it!

L xxx

WIMH - What's In My (New) Handbag

Happy Sunday morning!

Hope you're feeling as fresh as I am this morning :)

Today's  post is something I've always loved reading but never ever done my own version of. I recently picked up this absolutely gorgeous bottle green bag from New Look for the grand total price of £24.95 - which as you can see from looking at it below is an absolute bargain. With my excitement I decided to do a WIMH post as I've never done one before and as my bag is super clean and free of 1000s of receipts it was the perfect opportunity.

I always love little details on bags and this one doesn't disappoint. Gold is my favourite metallic and its all over this bag!
Buckles, zips and nifty edges along the bottom corners so it doesn't get worn, this bag is just me.







It's actually quite a large bag and fortunately I haven't yet managed to fill it with crap though I'm sure the time will come. It does unnerve me somewhat that it doesn't close entirely and only has a magnetic fix to hold it shut, albeit a very strong one. I will just have to take a different bag when travelling in busy areas as this one will mostly move from my car to my work desk which let me tell you, is not far at all!



So what's in it? What are the essentials for my every day life?



It is surprisingly a tidy amount of things most of which are functional and useful, and so far not a receipt or empty packet of food in sight!

I try not to ever travel without an umbrella, I do obviously live in Wales where it does very frequently rain so it would be rather brave to go out without one. Case closed.

My Jane Shilton purse was given to me by my mum, I thought it was huge initially but actually its a perfect fit for everything and the leather is really good quality.

Never go anywhere without my headphones and my charger. You never know when you will get stuck somewhere and need either so they are a must to keep me occupied!

My glasses are also pretty obvious; though normally it is just the case that's in my bag as I wear my glasses 90% of the time and change to contacts for the gym and special occasions. I'd love designer ones in future!



Next up is the product section; essentials only!

EOS lip balms, Mac lipstick in Coral Bliss, OPI hand cream, Sure deodorant and Soap and Glory hand gel.
I'm extremely shocked that there is only one lipstick in here; last time I emptied a bag I found 12! But it's probably as I've had so many weddings etc recently that I've taken them all back out again.

I'm hoping to get some drawers for my desk at work soon as mine were stolen the week before I started (grrr) so I can leave all of these essentials in there when they arrive.

You can never go wrong with a packet of tissues, they have saved my life many a time. Nude eyeliner from Rimmel is a great way to wake up tired eyes of which I am always a sufferer of! Blink eye drops single use bottles are amazing and have really helped me be able to wear lenses for longer when necessary. My eyes seem to hate wearing lenses now which is a shame and in future I'd love to have eye surgery but again; savings will need to occur pretty rapidly for that to happen!

I also never go anywhere without a mini notebook and a pen, for when inspiration for posts or a list needs to be made. I rather like lists and sometimes they need to be written not typed.

Lastly food. Now it's the weekend so I've clearly not restocked my handbag after a week at work but normally there would be about 5 different bars, apples, bananas and god knows what else lurking around at the bottom. 9 bars are my current favourite but I am also quite keen on Sesame Snaps before the gym and Bounce balls and Naked bars. I'm one of those people who gets 'hangry' easily so snacks are a must for keeping my mood up!

I normally also carry around a box of peppermint tea bags which has just run out. I'm quite partial to tea as it is but with my IBS this tea can work wonders on stopping any cramps so I drink it quite regularly. 

The only downside I've seen to my new bag is a few threads like above; I've cut them off with scissors but I suppose it's just something that hight street bags come with sometimes as otherwise this one was immaculate in the shop.

What do you think of my new bag? Do you have similar contents in your bag?

Send me your WIMH posts for a nose!

L xxx