Sunday 31 July 2011

Outfit of the night

Hey sweeties, just a quick outfit post today from last night. As mentioned in my previous post here, I went out last night with my best friends for a spot of dinner, cocktails and a good gossip. I love our catch ups and cannot go a week without a meet up with at least one of my best friends!! We went to a lovely restaurant called Wildwood that serves gorgeous freshly prepared food. We spent a glorious couple of hours chatting and working our way through 3 delicious courses. Afterwards we decided to drop into one of our favourite bars in Maidstone, MuMu. We ordered cocktails including the MuMu tea cocktail which was prepared in a teapot and served in traditional English china tea cups!

Outfit-wise, I decided to wear my black Armani Exchange vest top with a new Yumi laddered jumper over the top. I wore this with black leggings that I picked up with my shopping in Tesco the other day (thankfully they only cost £6 - they are not particularly good leggings and will now be saved for Zumba class - in future I will stick with American Apparel leggings which are brilliant!) I belted the jumper in with an orangey-red belt from H &M, and wore one of my new H & M scarfs (posted here) casually over the top. I wore my emerald green Zara wedges, my gold H & M headband and a black Chanel bag (sooo gorgeous and one of the benefits of having a best friend with a zillion designer bags!)

I have also added a picture of my friend Nikita with me as she looks so great in her printed maxi and denim shirt tied over the top!

Hope you all had fabulous weekends!! Until next time xoxo

Friday 29 July 2011

Outfit of the day


Just a quick one today sweeties, hubby took me out for dinner tonight which was pleasing for 2 reasons: 1) no cooking 2) I got to wear my new green Zara skirt! I bought this beautiful emerald green skirt in Zara the other day and have been waiting for an opportunity to wear it! I matched it with a black Armani Exchange vest top, and a sheer black shirt with gold buttons from Primark. My patent heels are from Carvela, and my bag is a vintage leopard print clutch that I bought from a vintage shop in the Marais, Paris. Lastly, I wore my diamond studs, a gold headband from H & M, a snake bracelet from Primark and a gold ring from Topshop.

Hope you are all excited for the weekend, I am very happy as I am seeing my best girlfriends tomorrow for some dinner, drinks and a gossip. And on Sunday.. who knows? It all depends on the weather... until next time xoxo

Wednesday 27 July 2011

A tribute to Miss Bradshaw

Hello dolls, hope you are all having a lovely week so far and the sun is shining where you are! I am on day 3 of the holidays and having a blast, relaxing, doing a few household tasks and catching up on some reading. Today I had planned to go shopping but I awoke with a horrible migraine coupled with nausea so decided a sofa day was best all round! I decided on a sex and the city marathon, and watched both of the movies back to back : ) I adore the films as much as the television series and all these years later, I am still in awe of Carrie and her amazing outfits!

The films got me thinking about my favourite Carrie dresses over the years, and the way her style evolved as each series passed. There are many things I love about Carrie's dress sense: the individuality she displays, the way she teams items that would not be normally thought of as a perfect match, and the fantastic mix of vintage and new. I love the way she is not driven by the top designers, yes these feature in her day to day wardrobe, but she is equally as comfortable in thrifted and vintage items. The way she incorporates such a mix into her wardrobe is eclectic and exactly what makes her the style icon she is.

I cannot post every single dress/outfit that I ever loved here as this post would go on all day! However, after much thought, I have singled out some of my favourite Carrie outfits:




From top to bottom:

1) Vintage John Galliano for Christian Dior dress and Christian Louboutin booties - Carrie wore this dress in the TV series and I love how they bought it back for the second film. This is one of my all time favourite dresses.


2) Carrie's classic tulle tutu - I think this item epitomises Carrie's style - laidback, care-free and luxe.


3) Vintage Halston Heritage mini dress, sparkly Christian Louboutin pumps and Chanel clutch - a great casual summer day look and I love the shades!


4) Vintage dress and a Fendi clutch - The print on this dress is gorgeous, this is the kind of thing I can imagine wearing to a wedding or christening. Love the sleek style of her hair too.


5) Vivienne Westwood dress, Manolo Blahnik shoes and a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch. I love the pink prom style of this dress. Carrie often upped the volume in the skirts she wore, creating a look of drama and opulence.


6) Vintage coat, dress and belt, Timmy Woods bag and Dior sandals. I adored this Tour Eiffel shaped bag when Carrie showcased it in the first SATC film. Love th tough black gladiator style sandals with the pretty dress too.


7) Halston Heritage maxi dress. Being a huge fan of the colour orange (view my own orange dress here, I adore the colour and style of this dress from the second SATC film. Perfect for a hot summer's day i'd say ; )


8) And last, but by no means least, how could I leave out Carrie's Vivienne Westwood wedding dress? Alas, she did not make it down the aisle in this gorgeous gown, but she looked stunning nonetheless. I love the fact that the dress was from a British designer too ; )


So there you have it, what do you think of Carrie's style, and do you have any particular favourite outfits or looks that have inspired you?? xoxo

Monday 25 July 2011

New season Zara arm candy

Zara is one of my absolute favourite shops on the high street. I can always find something in there, and I find the quality extremely good. The clothing is classic and current at the same time, well made and reasonably priced. The bags are beautiful, and tend to look a lot more expensive than they actually are. Visiting Zara a couple of days ago, I noticed a whole load of new bags had arrived and quite predictably, I want them all!! Here are a few of my favourites...






From top, left to right:









I love the shopper styles as they are so classic, easy to wear and add a luxe look to any outfit. The lovely Olivia Palermo obviously agrees as she has been snapped with the tan plaited shopper on many occasions:





I love how she has paired this oversized bag with a simple black outfit, perfectly accessorised with a polka dot scarf and black shades.

I also love the little messenger style bags, the orange is gorgeous and would add a fresh pop of colour to any outfit. The tan messenger bag reminds me of my little vintage bag that I wore yesterday and blogged about here.


Hope you like my selection xoxo

Sunday 24 July 2011

Sunny Sunday

So dear followers, the weather was amazing today! Really feels like the start of the holidays now! Hubby and I had a lovely lazy morning and then we decided to have a day trip to a beautiful castle called Hever Castle - I have not visited since I was a child so it was lovely to wander around and relax, taking in all the history and the events going on (jousting, archery and live music - we picked a good day to go!) We had a picnic lunch that hubby had prepared - he popped out this morning for fresh bread and meats, cheese, quiches and other bits and pieces and prepared it all while I got ready, so sweet, love him : )

I decided to wear a nice relaxed outfit in light shades so I would stay cool in the sun:




I decided to wear my cream coloured Marc Jacobs shorts - I love the tailored look of these, the tiny pinstripe throughout at the button detail down both sides. Plus they are excellent quality as you would expect from Mr Jacobs!! I wore a white vest top from Armani Exchange and a light blue H & M short sleeved shirt over the top that I tucked into the shorts. I bought the shirt the other day and I love the cute roll up sleeves and the tortoiseshell buttons. To finish, I wore my new Topshop pumps , my two new gold necklaces, my new gold ring, my diamond studs, my D & G sunnies and a vintage saddle bag that belongs to my mum! She has had it for years and I love it : )





My little vintage saddle bag and gold ring. In the picture above you can see my Claireabella bag that I blogged about here. I made hubby carry this bag all day lol, he looked so cute with it on his shoulder ; )


My little gold necklaces from Topshop. So cute and a nice finishing touch.




Such a lovely relaxing day, hope you all had amazing weekends too xoxo

Saturday 23 July 2011

A few little bits of Topshop

Just a quick post today, firstly I want to say happy weekend! Secondly a massive thank you to everybody who has followed my blog and commented on my posts over the past few weeks. It means so much to me that I have this support, and I have been completely overwhelmed by your interest and kind words. So thank you xxx


After my Topshop post yesterday, I thought it only right to go in store and have a look around. I was short for time as I only popped in after work and was later meeting a friend, so I had a quick look around and then settled on a lovely new pair of ballet pumps and some new jewellery.





I love the classic tan colour of the pumps and the tassell detail - reminds me of the golf shoes my dad used to wear when I was little! Posting this picture makes me feel a bit sad now as ballet shoes remind me of Amy Winehouse - she was always in those satin pink ballet pumps : ( So sad for Amy and her family.







This picture isn't great but I love the key and the peace symbol inside the circle part of the key. I have noticed a lot of peace themed jewellery on the high street and I like it... Love little gold necklaces so much right now, they are fab for layering up. I also bought another little gold necklace with a pearl charm and a gold ring but it couldn't get them to photograph that well at this time (one day I will learn how to use my camera!!) but I will upload pics soon.


Hope you are all having lovely weekends, here's hoping for nice weather tomorrow!! xoxo

Thursday 21 July 2011

New Season Topshop

Topshop has always been one of my favourite shops on the British high street. Every season they produce catwalk inspired looks at reasonable prices, clothes, shoes and accessories that are adored by celebrities and the girl on the street alike. Topshop is a shop that I can always find something in to buy, and I love browsing the rails for my next amazing find.

Browsing the 'new in' items on the Topshop website, I have found a whole range of gorgeous new A/W items that I need in my life very soon...



1) Rust leopard tunic dress £26 - I think this would be great in early autumn layered with a cardi and classic pumps or boots - easily dressed up or down.


2) LOVE these shoes...snaffle trim loafers £32. These would look amazing with classic or brightly coloured jeans and, a nautical striped top and blazer.




3) Burgundy skinny biker trousers £38. I love the colour of these - a slightly softer option than red. These would look great with a black biker jacket and pumps.

4) Mustard cross body bag £25. An excellent price for such a cute little bag! An amazing colour still very much on trend, this would work well with a whole host of autumn/winter outfits.


5) Knitted cream stripe jumper £36. Every girl needs a classic breton striped top in her wardrobe and this one is perfect. A great buy for winter as it is a knitted material rather than jersey - warm and cute!



6) Navy faux fur collar coat £75. I love this coat so much! Warm and cosy looking but chic too. I would wear this with skinny jeans and wedge boots walking along the Champs Elysees in Paris at Christmas time.... (hint for hubby... ; )



7) Black lace up side wellies £26. I see people wearing wellies more and more outside of festivals these days, I think these would be perfect with black leggings and an oversized jumper... cool and comfy.

Hope you like my picks and are all having a good week, one more day til the weekend! xoxo

Wednesday 20 July 2011

The wedding of my dreams


Like most little girls, I dreamed of my perfect wedding day as I was growing up. I flitted between ideas of castles, stately homes, summer and winter weddings, big cinderella dresses and sleek gowns. I always knew that I wanted my wedding to be a grand affair, requiring meticulous planning with no stone left unturned. Luckily, I am a very organised person, so planning my dream day came easy to me, and I enjoyed many happy hours planning the tiny details that would make my wedding stand out!


Firstly, fashion and beauty. I have always had a very clear picture in my head of my dream wedding gown: strapless, covered in crystals and sparkle, with a massive full cinderella style skirt. When it came to it, I ended up preferring slightly less dramatic skirts - in terms of fullness that is. I must have tried on a good 30 gowns, however, like the old saying goes, when its the one you just know! My chosen gown was the 'Rowena' by the award winning designer Maggie Sottero. It was indeed strapless, covered in crystals with pleating and a caught up skirt that artfully draped and swished - it really was my perfect princess dress, and fit my venue perfectly. I wanted my shoes to be equally as dramatic and princess-like, and went for the super-sparkly 'Spyra' sandal from Moda in Pelle.




Like with my dress, I had a very fixed idea about my makeup. I love makeup and creating new looks but I also wanted the luxury and stress free option of a make up artist on my wedding day. I was very lucky as I found a fantastic make up artist called Emily Rose who understood my vision perfectly. I don't really do the 'natural' look even on a day to day basis, so I definitely did not want to go down this road on the biggest day of my life! I wanted flawless skin, defined cheekbones, dramatic smoky eyes, big eyelashes and glossy lips! In terms of hair, again, I have always had a very fixed idea about how I wanted to look - none of this soft curls and waves, I wanted a proper bridal up-do, high up on the head and dramatic! I have always been told I have good cheek bones and can carry off this look so I felt quite confident about picking this style. To get the dramatic style I craved, my hair stylist used some hair extensions which I loved. Finally, I completed my look with a dramatic cathedral length tiara and beautiful sparkly tiara.



This shot shows off a bit of my make up and hairstyle. My veil is still on but I removed the tiara after the pictures were taken. How cute is our magician?? (A pupil from my school and very talented : )


Lastly, our wedding venue, style and a confession. I bought EVERY single wedding magazine on the market during our one year engagement. I dread to think how much I spent on magazines alone (The majority retail at £4.99 or thereabouts). I just loved looking at all the different decorations, themes, styling ideas and DIY ideas. I was determined to emulate the beautiful weddings I saw in these magazines, and to make every little detail count (I even wanted bride and groom loo roll but hubby said no!)

Boys Hall, our beautiful wedding venue


We chose the beautiful 17th century stately home Boys Hall as our venue: the most expensive place we looked at but one we simply fell in love with. Both of us adore antiques and historic houses, and we really wanted a building that had original details and a story to tell. Our venue was everything we had ever dreamed of: breath taking, luxurious and original. We were very lucky to have a gorgeous sunny day, so our guests were able to enjoy drinks and canapes on the lawn, and mingle outside in the sunshine. In keeping with this look, I styled the venue in a shabby chic style, spending hours designing table plans, purchasing bunting, antique jars for our candy bar, bird cages for the centrepieces, antique tea cups, saucers and cake plates... so much fun! I loved the overall look and would not change one single thing!



My wedding day really was the best day of my life and made all the hard work and expense worth it! Hope you enjoy the pics and thank you for all your lovely comments, I really love reading them xoxo

Tuesday 19 July 2011

The Big Cover Up

Right, I know we are still (supposedly) in the middle of summer, but the thing is, the high street is on the turn... Spring/Summer 11 is slowly but surely evolving into Autumn/Winter 11 and its looking mighty fine! Every time I shop (which is every few days on average hahaha), I notice more and more cooler weather items emerging, which has got me thinking about layers, coats and jackets!! In my opinion, a girl needs a good range of jackets and coats in her wardrobe (particularly in a cool and rainy country like the UK!) Each year we get a whole host of new styles and designs, however, there are particular styles that are always in style and remain classic, season in, season out. Below is my classic selection, eternally stylish and wearable season on season:



1) The classic leather bomber, ASOS £120. Best in black, cropped on the waist, zipped front and made of soft, supple leather. This jacket has been given an update with the shearling collar (removable - more the better)


2) Classic beige trench coat, Burberry at net-a-porter.com £650. Ever since Audrey Hepburn wore the classic Burberry trench in Breakfast at Tiffany's, this item has remained effortlessly stylish and eternally chic. Of course, there are some beautiful trench coats on the high street, Topshop and Zara always have a good selection. I do not yet own a Burberry trench but aspire to one day - a very good friend of mine managed to get the classic double breasted beige trench at Bicester outlet in Oxford for around £400!



3) Classic Blazer, ASOS £55. A good fit is essential, classic colours are most versatile (think blakck, navy blue, dark grey and beige). Roll up sleeves are cute and can make your look a litle more casual. Blazers are perfect for chucking over dresses as the weather cools down a bit, but look equally as good with jeans and wedges.


4) Faux Fur coat ASOS £70. Another true style classic, these days its all about the faux fur and with so many realistic faux fur coats on the high street, there is little need to go down the real route. Anything goes with fur coats, cut below the waist or hitting the knee, a fitted style is essential, and belted in at the waist always adds a touch of glamour and femininity.


5) Casual day to day/festival style jacket, ASOS £60. A good casual jacket is always a clever buy, and so easily chucked on with jeans and flats. I really like the below jacket, the quilting and colour is old school and a tad geeky, but I love it : )


So there you have it glamorous girls, a selection of truly classic and versatile coats and jackets. All new season but so classic that they will be just as relevant and stylish years down the line. I will feature my own gorgeous Zara leather jacket, River Island Blazer and Armani exchange winter coat (a bit of a splurge last winter but so warm!) in a future post xoxo