Busy December days : )

Hey glitter belles, how is everyone on this chilly Sunday?? I have had the most chilled day ever which I was in dire need of! I have had the busiest week (hence the lack of posts!) so I really needed a relaxing day today!

My week was as busy as ever at work, and my weekend has been nuts too. Thursday night I went to a lovely little salon in Hamstreet for a spray tan and Jessica mani and pedi which was great. Friday night was hubby's work Christmas party which takes place at a Marriott Hotel every year. We had a great night although I did end up a tad tipsy due to the free bar that his company insist on providing for us... still we had great fun and danced the night away, which is the most important thing at a Christmas party! Saturday was my annual school trip to Ypres in Belgium, we spent the day visiting cemetries, war memorials and the afternoon at the Christmas market and chocolate shops of Ypres. A fantastic day all round, the pupils were exceptionally well behaved and made me very proud : ) So that leaves today, I was completely shattered after my busy week so I slept late, then chilled on the sofa with snacks and films! Just fabulous : )

Beautiful Cathedral, twinkly lights and back of the Christmas Market in Ypres, Belgium : )


As promised a couple of blog posts ago, I have recently bought some new goodies that I want to share with you all!

Gorgeous Christmassy Shopping bags!

Silk Ecote dress from Urban Outfitters £25 (was £58). After my successful sale rummage in UO the other day, I decided to have another look when I was at Bluewater the other day. I found this gorgeous silk dress in my size and snapped it up quick! I really like the colours and print, plus the classic style will work for many seasons to come.  Unfortunately, although the dress was available online, it sold out very quickly... you can however buy the same style in a rather nice black and wildflower print and a not-so-nice (in my opinion!) orangey shade with a kinda triangley print... (both these styles still have all sizes available)

Kimchi and Blue Startlet skirt Urban Outfitters £20 (was £40). I liked the cute print on this skirt, and thought it would work well for both work and weekend, with thick tights, boots and a classic piece of knitwear.

Blackberry bath bomb £2.75 Lush. Just because it smelt gorgeous and I do love a bit of Lush pampering!

Cashmilon ruffle scarf from Marks and Spencer £15. This scarf is so warm and cosy and looks great on.

Naughty little treat from Waitrose...

I couldn't resist buying some toffee and banana cupcakes, as well as some festive  Raymond Briggs 'The Snowman' cupcakes! I love the Patisserie at Waitrose, whenever I am shopping I struggle to walk past without giving in... 

Well that's about it lovely followers, I hope everyone is feeling Christmassy now and getting in the Christmas mood! I have pretty much finished my Christmas shopping now, I wrapped all my presents last weekend and I plan to put the tree up next Sunday! Sooo excited for the rest of December, I have so much fun stuff coming up, feeling very lucky and happy right now : ) XOXO

Outfit of the Day

Hello dolls, happy Saturday to all! I am having another manic weekend again, well a bit of a manic week to be honest, finally getting some relaxing in now though, waiting for a nice takeaway and looking forward to X Factor! Thursday hubby and I saw Castor and Pollux at the London Coliseum, completely fabulous, we had an amazing time. Last night I caught up with my best friend over dinner, then we went to see 'My week with Marilyn' at the cinema. Again, very fabulous indeed, I loved the film and thought that Michelle Williams made for a superb Marilyn. Today I did a bit of shopping at Bluewater while hubby was playing hockey, I intended to buy my last few Christmas presents but got distracted with things for myself! Oh well there's always tomorrow! I bought some lovely things, which I will blog about soon : )

Just a quick outfit post today to share with you...

 I wore a long sleeved pointelle top by Free People at Urban Outfitters (love the little details like the neon green thread through the buttons!), a navy blue skirt and tan belt from Forever 21 (bought during my recent trip to Westfield Stratford) and my gorgeous and comfy tan boots with shearling cuff by Red or Dead at Schuh.

Well that's about it for today lovely readers, hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, more soon XOXO

My day at the Country Living Christmas Fair

Hello glittery gum drops, how are you all this Monday?? Monday's are always super busy for me, and I'm always pleased when the day is over, the week just seems so much more bearable on a Tuesday!! As promised yesterday, I am going to blog about my day at the Country Living Christmas Fair in Islington today, that I attended on Saturday with my mum, my best friend and her mum also. 

The day started pretty early, we caught the fast train to St Pancras, which got us there in just over 20 mins, before walking the short distance to the Business Design Centre in Islington. I was soooo excited about this Christmas fair and had so many pre-conceived ideas... I am happy to report it did not let me down! It was literally like Christmas had exploded in there, everywhere you turned there was glitter, sparkle and shine! There were two floors, the ground floor housed the predominantly Christmas items, and the mezzanine level the more 'general' homewares and gifts. There was also a food section snuck in somewhere, although I can't think for the life of me whereabouts it was now (it was pretty big!!) We spent a good few hours wandering round, purchasing some fab items, enjoying lunch and then catching up over a tea towards the end. All in all a perfect day, and if I wasn't feeling festive already (yeah right!) I sure do now!! : )

Me and my mum upon first arrival : )

A view from above of some of the stalls

Me on the mezzanine level

What I wore: My new dress from Urban Outfitters, a brown studded belt from River Island, a grey blazer from River Island, my Mulberry bag and cute cosy boots from Red or Dead at Schuh.

What's in my bags?? I was particularly pleased to receive a goodie bag upon arrival, complete with sample including my favourite, Ecover washing up liquid!

My first purchase: I just had to buy these cute rabbit door stop as it reminded me of my gorgeous little Woody! It even has a fluffy little tail! : )

I bought a gorgeous vintage print apron as I have been wanting one for a while for when I'm baking. This enamel soap dish caught my eye also, it's quite big so I am going to stack our flannels and a couple of soaps in it (and it fits perfectly in our black and white bathroom!)

Bouncing Rabbit cotton tea towel by HAM: I first heard about this brand in one of my home magazines and love the cute prints. I made it my mission to find the stall at the Country Living Fair and had a lovely chat with the creator of the brand who let me know that she named the brand after her own maiden name which I thought was quite nice : )  I plan to iron this tea towel and then frame it as a quirky print for our stair-way.

I really wanted a nice wreath for our door this Christmas time, I thought this one was traditional and gorgeous, I like the cute little cupcake and gingerbread man as an extra touch.

Last but not least, I can never resist pickles and chutney's from food stalls, especially when they offer up free samples so willingly! I picked a sweet garlic pickle, a spiced tomato chutney and a caramelised onion confit, yum yum. 

As you can see dolls, I did not do much in the way of present buying for other people, although I pretty much have Christmas covered now, so I don't feel too bad! I had a truly fantastic day, and thoroughly recommend this fair to anyway looking for an amazing Christmas fair in the future! XOXO

How to fill a Christmas Stocking!

Hello dolly mixtures, how are you on this (not so bright) and breezy Tuesday?? I feel like it should be Friday already, I have worked so hard over the past couple of days!! I've been thinking about Christmas (again) so please excuse my Christmas related post if you are a bit bah humbug about the whole thing! ; )

Christmas. Loved by some, loathed by others, I definitely fall into the former category! December has always been a special time of year for me and my absolute favourite month of the year. My birthday falls on the twelfth and of course, Christmas is just around the corner after that. I adore the month of December, and the month or so leading up to December. One by one, the shops fill with festive goodies, the television adverts assume their Christmas character, local high streets become awash with twinkling Christmas lights and wish lists are written and fulfilled. I have already written my Christmas list, revised it, added to it, and, if I'm honest, am still adding to it now! My wish list has now spiralled out of control somewhat, not because I am greedy and expect to receive everything, but because I like to give hubby a wide choice, so that I have some surprise on Christmas morning when I open my presents. I think hubby has bought the majority of my main presents now, and he is now asking for some stocking ideas for me, so in the spirit of Christmas (long may it reign!) I have put together a little stocking gift-list : )

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a box set! I love Downton Abbey sooo much, I really want season 1 and 2 on DVD to watch over the Christmas holidays!

Chanel levres scintillantes lip gloss in Braise. I love this gorgeous reddy shade and the shimmer. I already own 2 Chanel lip glosses and know how good they are, so I want to add this one to my collection!

Urban Outfitters large peace sign necklace £14.00. I absolutely adore any jewellery with peace signs and would love to add this long chained necklace to my collection.

Lush Gingerbread House Bubble Bar £2.95 - I saw this the other day in Lush and really want to try it! The smell was gorgeous.

La Senza vintage rose pyjamas £30 (pyjamas at LS are currently buy one get one free!) I love La Senza  pyjamas, especially comfy cosy ones like these! I always have to have a new pair of pyjamas in the stocking!

And last but not least, gifts to myself in 2012... ; )

Mulberry Evelina satchel £595. Since purchasing my first Mulberry, I have been infected with the bug, and already started thinking about and planning my next bag! I really like the new Evelina Satchel, the style is gorgeously understated and classic. Evelina is new season Mulberry and also features a larger hobo bag, however I think this is a little bit too much of a 'mum' bag for me (giant, all encompassing, a bit blah...) 

The iconic Alexander McQueen skull scarf £165. I really want a classic McQueen scarf, perhaps with a twist (coloured skulls instead of white on black). Gorgeous for all occasions and seasons, and ever stylish.

Well dolls that's all for today, have you all written your wish lists?? Now it's November, are you starting to get excited?? I really am (in case you hadn't noticed!!) Sooo looking forward to all that is to come!! XOXO

What's in my shopping bags??

Hello cinnamon swirls how are you all this Saturday?? I am super happy today, hubby had a late hockey match so I decided to take a little trip to Bluewater shopping centre. I went quite late so it was nice and quiet, and I spent a blissful few hours browsing and purchasing some gorgeous new things!

Can you see that my hair is lighter?? I spent two nights stripping the very dark almost black colour out with Colour B4, before re-dying a chocolatey brown colour. I really like it : )

 What I wore: I wore some of my new Westfield purchases, I really like this sheer dotty Zara shirt, today I wore it tucked into my new skinny Zara jeans. I paired the outfit with some H & M ballet pumps, my Mulberry bag and some simple diamond stud earrings. I have to say I have been really impressed with the Zara jeans, I am not sure I have ever mentioned how much I struggle with buying jeans that fit properly. For years the only ones that have fitted me have been River Island, size 6 skinny jeans. I have dabbled with Topshop, Next and even Victoria Beckham denim, but have ultimately been disappointed as the jeans have all stretched and ended up poor fitting, which I really hate. In the past I have tried on Zara jeans but not purchased them thinking the same would happen, however, I really liked this pair so decided to take a chance. I wore them all day long for the first time today and they stayed snug as a bug in a rug! Love them : )

What's in my bags??!

I had a little wander round Lush and purchased a Phoenix Rising bath bomb (£2.95) for a bit of pampering tomorrow night before work, as well as Mask of Magnaminty face mask (£4.75). I have used this product in the past and really love it, it is so refreshing.

Jumper from Zara £22.95. I have been really wanting to tap into the snakeskin trend and this jumper is perfect! I love the grey and the snakeskin panel down the front, it looks great with jeans, but will also work tucked into a skirt. 

Bargain #1! Kimchi and Blue paperbag waist trousers from Urban Outfitters in wine... £10!  These trousers were originally £48. I really like the peg leg style, I bought lots of these this summer and think they look really good on. I bought a size small and they were still quite big but I liked the look so in the bag they went!

Bargain #2 Pins and Needles ruffle dress from Urban Outfitters £20 (was £68)  This dress looks huge in the picture but is in fact an XS and is very form fitting... I really liked the classic style and think it will work well for work but also at the weekend with a chunky cardi over the top. The polka dot dress is now sold out online but you can still purchase the claret red colour for the same price. (I tried this on also but wasn't a fan of the colour for a dress).

Can you believe the amazing bargains from UO??! Now as I have said before, I am not a very big fan of sales, I find them too messy and my OCD brain cannot handle the lack of organisation. I have never been one for searching out a bargain, I just don't have the drive or desire to do this. Today however, I wandered into UO as usual, completed my usual route around the shop, then started to look at the jewellery. It was then that I saw the polka dots out of the corner of my eye and turned to have a look. I really liked the dress and was even more pleased to see that the dress had been reduced from £68 to £30! I continued then to have a rifle through the various trousers and decided to try on the wine red colour as I thought they were a bit different to any others that I have. When I got to the till, the dress had been reduced further from £30 to £20 so I managed to get both the trousers and dress for £30! So pretty pleased with my bargainous haul : )

Well that's about it for today, hubby and I are chilling with Woody now, listening to fireworks and drinking copious amounts of tea.... good times : ) XOXO

My day at Westfield

Happy Friday glitter sticks hope you are all fine and well : ) I am just fine, enjoying a nice relaxing Friday with a stack of new magazines, a chinese takeaway and some good TV. My blog post today is about something very exciting that I did yesterday...

Westfield Stratford City. 

As the picture suggests, I finally got around to taking a trip to the new 1.45 bn Westfield shopping centre that opened last month in Stratford, East London! I have been waiting for this day for some time now, I intended to visit when it first opened, but due to my busy job and spate of illnesses, never got around to it. I decided then that the October half term would be the ideal opportunity. So yesterday, I got up ridiculously early and went into work with hubby, before driving to pick my friend Nikita up, and then on to Westfield. I decided to drive because it actually works out cheaper than taking the train and I prefer the luxury and comfort of my own vehicle. We arrived in just over half an hour and parking was a doddle. Coming home was a little longer due to traffic through the Blackwall tunnel, but I kind of blame myself for leaving during rush hour! In future I will definitely leave earlier/later to avoid the rush.

So, back to the shopping centre itself, in a word, wow. Architecturally stunning and stuffed to capacity with shops catering to all tastes including high street favourites and more individual, one-off stores, it really was a shopaholic's dream. The shops were beautifully designed with neat, well-stocked shelves and rails, helpful staff and a buoyant, buzzing atsmosphere all round. Westfield was pretty busy (it is half term after all), full of friends shopping, groups of teenagers enjoying their half term and trendy, affluent mothers' pushing their Bugaboo's, Silver Crosses and Stokke Xplory's (I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned that I have a penchant for high end prams and travel systems?? I have had my own pram picked out for about 3 years now lol). We spent the whole day shopping, and I am happy to report that I was rather successful and bought some lovely new items of clothing - I plan to blog about these soon, watch this space ; )

What I wore: White long sleeved fine knit top from Urban Outfitters, oversized scarf by Malene Birger, blazer from River Island, jeans from River Island, tassell pumps from Topshop and bag by Mulberry.

Afternoon tea and cupcakes in Buttercup... so delish.

I will definitely be returning to Westfield in the future and fully advise anyone in the South to pay it a visit! As well as the shopping centre, there is a cinema, a bowling alley and even a casino, so a bit of something for everyone!

XOXO

Precious Jewels

Pieces of jewellery, like bags, are best served oversized, shiny and in large quantities, all shapes, colours and styles! I love jewellery, and find it a simple yet effective way to update an outfit, providing the vital finishing touches, sense of flair and individuality. I have to admit, when shopping, jewellery is often an afterthought for me, as I tend towards the clothes and shoes in the first instance. I do love buying jewellery though, and the way it can transform a simple outfit into something so eyecatching and unique.

I really like high street shops for jewelley, Freedom at Topshop, H & M and Miss Selfridge do jewellery really well, with an ever changing stock at pocket money prices. I also like higher end jewellery ranges such as Swarovski, Thomas Sabo, Pandora and Links of London. I enjoy treating myself to luxurious pieces of jewellery from time to time, and I love receiving such pieces for birthday and Christmas. I have had my Pandora charm bracelet for 2 years now and it still remains one of my favourites that I wear every day. I also own a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet, bought for me by hubby just before our wedding; the '2 rings' charm was also from hubby as an extra wedding gift (my other being white gold diamond earrings). I like these bracelets so much, and the way you can change the charms depending on your mood, that I treated my 3 bridesmaids to one each on my wedding day. Lastly, vintage and antique shops are brilliant for seeking out unusual pieces of jewellery you will not see on anyone else. One of my favourite necklaces came from the vintage shop Rokit in Covent garden, and it gains me many compliments whenever I wear it.

Today, I thought I would show case a few of the bracelets I have bought recently:



From top:

Snake bracelet - Primark

Studded bangles - Aldo

Turquoise perspex bangles - Freedom at Topshop

Large mirrored bangle - Primark

Stack of thin glittery and metallic bangles - Local asian craft shop, Gravesend

Pink stone bangles- Market in Thailand

Tribal bangle - Dorothy Perkins

Mirrored bangles - Dorothy Perkins

Glittery bangles from a vintage shop in Rochester
Silver heart bracelet from Urban outfitters

How cute is the little trinket box they are in??! One of my dad's charity shop finds, this is really old and I love it : )



My prized Thomas Sabo bracelet...

So ladies what are your thoughts on jewellery? Simple and discreet or stacked high and proud?? xoxoxo