The big birthday weekend!

Hey dolls, so sorry for my lack of posts over the past few days, this Monday was hubby's 26th birthday, and I had a whole 4 days of treats lined up! As I blogged about here , this weekend just gone was the weekend where we had our mini-break in Hereford, and attended the Big Chill Festival! We had a lovely 3 days away, eating out, shopping, visiting some caves in Wales, and of course, spending the whole day at the Festival! The festival itself was everything I hoped it would be and more, there was so much going on and we saw some amazing acts, including our favourite band Metronomy, and our favourite artist Kanye West!! We rounded off hubby's birthday weekend with a trip to the cinema to see the new Transformers film, and then a day in London for shopping, lunch at one of our favourite restaurants Cafe Rouge, and an evening at the BBC proms at the Royal Albert Hall! Phew!

To the festival, I wore some newly purchased items, a blue and white striped shirt from Hollister with a white vest top also from Hollister underneath. My white shorts are also Hollister (I see a pattern emerging!). Accessories-wise, I wore my vintage cowboy boots, an oversized ring from H & M, my Thomas Sabo bracelet, my vintage gold charm necklace and slouchy Jasper Conran bag. Later on, as it started to rain a bit, I bought a really cool official festival hoodie and wore it over the shirt to protect my hair from the rain!

The last picture shows the outfit I wore out to dinner the first night we were there, it was not very warm so I wore some classic dark denim River Island jeans with my Next wedges and a new sleeveless shirt from H & M. I really like the colours and style of the shirt, and I wore it tucked in which seems to be one of my favourite styles at the moment : ) I also wore my gold H & M headband and new green oversized ring from H & M.

Hope you all had lovely weekends, now I am back, posts will be frequent this week! : ) xoxo

New Jewels

Hi dolls, hope your are all having a lovely week, almost Friday now yay! After the beautiful sunshine we have been enjoying in the UK this week, the weather was not so good today, raining constantly for much of the day. Luckily I had done all my shopping and trips out and spent the day packing and organising for our festival trip tomorrow! I am sooo excited and have everything prepared which makes me even happier. The suitcase is packed and sorted into day and night outfits, I have packed an extra bag of food and snacks, and lastly, I have printed all of the information I previously researched, including details of restaurants, castles and historic houses to visit, and directions to our hotel and the festival. Oh and i've packed the festival tickets, don't want to forget those! Hubby is home from work now so all we need to do is take it easy and wait for the fun to begin!

Anyways, todays post is a showcase of some new jewellery I have bought recently. I keep seeing gorgeous little gems everywhere I go and I can't help indulging! One shop I am really looking forward to visiting next week is Forever 21, which has opened a new branch on Oxford Street. I couldn't find it (did I ever mention I am rather directionally challenged!) when I visited Oxford Street the other day, so hubby has promised to help me find it when we head to London next Tuesday. I keep reading about how good the shop is, and how brilliant the jewellery is, so I am very excited!!

From top to bottom:

1) Shimmery green stone set on gold ring from H & M - £3.99

2) Amber gem stone drop earrings from New Look - £4.99

3) Bright pink and purple peace charm necklaces from Topshop - £1.50 each (in sale)

4) Silver with gemstone flower ring from New Look - £4.99

5) Long silver chain with large purple stone necklace - £1.99 from Boots (in sale)

6) Gold chain and charms necklace - £12.99 vintage from Rokit Covent garden

7) Long chain gold necklace with turquoise stone - £1.99 from Boots (in sale)

I love the green stoned ring from H & M, and the necklaces from Boots were a complete bargain! I only noticed them by the door as I was leaving and couldn't resisit as they were such good value! Love the vintage necklace too as it is different and very 'ghetto gold' (Carrie's phrase for cocktail gold jewellery!) Hopefully I will be showcasing some of this jewellery this weekend at the festival!

Hope you like, I can't wait to share my festival outfits with you all when I get back! Enjoy the weekend, hope the weather is beautiful for you!! xoxo

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

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

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

Style at home

Once a month, my best friend and I take a shopping trip to a town nearby known for good antique and homewear shops, we shop a lot, and it is a good way to mix things up and keep things fresh. Plus, we both became homeowners in the last couple of years so buying things for our houses is a new vice! I love shopping for home goods. Almost as much as I love shopping for clothes! I think this new fascination came only when we purchased our own house - I was nowhere near as concerned when we rented. As our house is our own, I want to style it and fill it to the brim with things that we love, things that show something about our personalities, and things that remind us of the many trips and holidays we have taken over the years. Whenever we go away, I have to bring at least one thing back to remind me of the fun time we had, and the beautiful place that we visited.

Just like with clothes shopping, I like to seek out new and interesting places to purchase things for my home. I would say that I like a good mix of old and new, I adore antique furniture, but I like to mix it up with new home accessories and furnishings. Charity shops are always worth a rummage - one of my favourite finds was a beautiful glass decanter that I pour bubble bath into, and which stands proudly on the end of the bath - so much nicer than a cheap plastic bottle! I also really like some retro items and the shabby chic look. Above all, I do not like things to be too 'matchy matchy'. I also cannot stand clutter or sparsity in a home. Minimalism is a no go for me!

Below are some of my favourite and latest purchases, let me know what you think xoxo

New embroidered leaf rows cushions, £14.99 each Dunelm Mill


Our bespoke wedding invitation created by a talented year 11 boy at my school. We have framed it and hung it in our hallway

Pictures I made myself by pressing flowers from hubby and mounting on a stripy green and white card. Frames from Ikea.


Wooden elephant from Thailand to remind us of our amazing elephant trek at Khao Sok national park.

Russian dolls from my nana xoxo

My amazing new artwork! Photo in white frame created by a GCSE photography student at my school, print in black frame from www.folksy.com. Hubby will be hanging these for me this weekend, for now they rest on a shelf. Both frames from Ikea. The pink bird ornament is from TK Maxx and the white bird ornamant from a little homeware store in Tenterden. (Can you tell we like birds??!)

Purchases today, my new wooden plaque that I will be hanging somewhere in the kitchen - I really like the message.

Cute little hanging sign from Dunelm Mill.

It's vintage darling...

In the past few years, vintage clothing and accesories have taken off in a big way. ' Oh this? It's vintage darling...' has become the oft muttered phrase of many a Hollywood superstar on the red carpet. Wearing vintage is not only cool, but a necessity if you are to cut it as a grade A fashionista. With the likes of Lilly Allen not only wearing vintage (and looking fabulous), but going so far as setting up her own vintage shop, the time has never been better to invest in a bit of vintage-chic for your wardrobe.

With this explosion of old-but-still-good fashion comes a new breed of shops, probably not on your high street, but tucked away on a different type of shopping street. Look out for the rustic style cafes and tiny art galleries and a vintage shop will not be too far away! We no longer have to haul ourselves to London to invest in this look, vintage shops are popping up everywhere, you just need to know where to look. The web is a good place to start:

http://www.govintage.co.uk/directory.php

This website is particularly helpful and lists vintage shops by region (UK only). Ebay is another good bet, with the prospect of many happy hours spent trawling the lists of vintage items and memorabilia.

If you are a vintage virgin, I would suggest starting with a few accesories. I have been a fan of vintage for a few years now and I have to say, I still find it easier, and prefer to add vintage accessories to my modern looks rather than wearing vintage clothes themselves. That is just my personal preference, however I do admire the amazing vintage outfits that fashionable girls all over the globe put together so effortlessly. Vintage clutch bags are always gorgeous, as are vintage shoes and jewellery. My latest vintage purchase came via ebay:

I love my new (old) cowboy boots! I have wanted some cowboy boots for ages but I didn't want new ones, I think worn in, soft leather boots look so much better! This pair cost me a bargainous £14.99 (including posting and packaging) and look amazing on. I cannot wait to wear them, although I think I will have to wait until it cools down a bit (It won't be long, I am in England after all!)