At my office there isn't really any uniform protocol and if I wanted to come into work in some leggings and an oversized jumper/hoodie, I would get away with it. This doesn't stop me wanting to get dressed up for work and make cute smart outfits. I have always loved dressing girlie and smart ever since I was a little girl.
I remember running round my stores when I worked in retail in a checked mini skirt, roll neck and high black boots. Over the years my stamina has reduced but my taste in mini skirts hasn't!
I have a few staples that my work uniform revolves around and they are nothing too bold or daring, just a few neutral (but mainly black) items that work with everything. I do want to branch out every so slightly into more neutral colours that aren't black... but the habit runs deep. It just goes with everything and in winter you can get away with a lot of black items.
1 pair of black jeans (link)
an array of neutral coloured jumpers
a roll neck (link)
a black skirt (link)
a animal print shirt (link)
a cream shirt link)
a black patterned shirt (link)
a pair of black loafers (link)
a pair of black boots (link)
1 midi skirt (link)
1 pair of culottes (link)
1 logo tee (link)
Although I definitely did not need any more basis in my wardrobe, I did pick up a few things from my local Newlook today so make sure to head over to my Instagram to see what pieces i picked up!
Most mornings I post my outfit of the day so make sure you follow me to keep up to date with my favoruites!
Although I definitely did not need any more basis in my wardrobe, I did pick up a few things from my local Newlook today so make sure to head over to my Instagram to see what pieces i picked up!
Most mornings I post my outfit of the day so make sure you follow me to keep up to date with my favoruites!
I think as much as I love the idea of Christmas being right around the corner (yes I've just used the C word...), it has only just struck me that the end of year is also near! I do feel like I have achieved a lot during the year but their are a few more things I want to do before the year is over.
Make a current cake
A bit of a random one to start with but I have been saying that I will attempt my mum's famous current cake for months. What better time then autumn when you want something to fill a long afternoon?
Attend a Halloween party
I love getting dressed up and Halloween is the best excuse to go crazy with your outfit. I like to plan dress up days at work around this time as well so that is two excuses to dress up! Who is inviting me to their party?
Visit more villages
Callum and I love to pick a random village neat us and take a long walk, looking at the cute old fashioned houses and old style roads. We like to try the local pub as well for some weekend lunch and we haven't been disappointed yet. We would like to add more village pubs to our list. You never know when someone will ask you for a recommendation.
Get my batch cooking butt into gear
I love batch cooking and during the winter, my work lunches can get bored very easily. I recently made a big batch of spaghetti Bolognese and cottage pie and I looked forward to my lunch all week. I want to turn Sundays into batch cooking and slow cooking days.
Use my slow cooker on a weekly basis
I love using my slow cooker but during the summer I didn't use it very much at all. Time to get that bad boy out and like I said in my last point, use my slow cooker on most Sundays so I can spend my day batch cooking meals for the week.
Pass my second exam in Bookkeeping
I have only just passed my first exam for unit 1 but I am hoping by the end of autumn, I can say I have done two units. I am giving myself three months till I want to start the next stage.
Get my house sorted for Christmas
This will be the first year I have hosted my family for Christmas day and I am nervous! I only have a few things to do to get the house ready, like get some curtains for the living room, get a new table which will fit all six of us and buy a dishwasher because I do not want to be washing up all that! It is just getting time before one day you look at your phone and its the start of December.
Complete my Christmas shopping by the end of November
I know I have used the C word three times but I don't care. I have already started Christmas shopping and I would say I am 70% of the way so my plan to be ready by end of November should work out well. I am trying not to go crazy with presents this year so maybe I will do a budget gift guide.
Is it acceptable to officially call it autumn now?!
I hope so because I can't wait any longer and the fair lights are finally out of their boxes! Ever since I was a child, autumn has been my favourite time of the year so I thought, since it appears to be a tradition on my blog, to list all the things that make me love autumn.
Your welcome.
The festive films on Netflix
The amazing candle scents
All the jumpers in the world
Fluffy PJs
Roast dinners
Golden eye shadows
Hot chocolates
Log fires
Country walks
Country walks to the country pub
Dark lip colours
Bonfire night
Halloween
Film nights in
Baking sundays
Harry potter themed evenings with friends
All the layers
Your favourite black boots that you wear with everything
Not feeling bad for doing nothing all weekend but snuggle on the sofa
Shopping in home sense and TKMax
The smell of cinnamon in every drink and cake
Collars poking out of jumpers
Tights and boots with everything
Going out for sunday dinner with the family
Re watching Hocus Pocus
A bold red lip
Wearing my long hair down and not worrying about a sweaty neck - I know you know what I mean!
Mince Pies
Gavin and Stacey is kind of acceptable to watch
The dramas shown on ITV
Living with your partner is one of the biggest steps in your life so it can be crazy, scary and over whelming at first. When we first got the green light to move into the home we bought i'm not going to lie, i was nervous. You always hear about couples who are together for years and years and then when they move in together, they can't make it work and break up. Some may call me a pessimistic, i call myself a realist.
Luckily for me and my partner, we are still going strong three years into living together and 5 years into our relationship. Living together has taught me a lot about relationships in general, so i thought i would share my thoughts with you today. Obviously everyone is different so some people will not agree with my five points and that is absolutely fine! This is just a few things which have made living with a smelly man work.
1. give yourself your own jobs
One thing i was really worried about when we moved in together was arguing about stupid house things. Most people argue about chores and people pulling their weight so when we moved in we subconsciously gave each other jobs. I do most of the cleaning and cooking in the house and Cal does all the hoovering and washing up, which is one of the things i hate thank god.
2. don't get stuck in a routine
Some people love routines and find life runs more smoothly when they are in one. Cal and I personally are half and half. We find when we have done the same for a few nights we can get bored, its when we get to this point we plan something spontaneous. Whether it is just a walk down to the local village pub for a drink after work, going out for dinner or even spending the night round a friends house. It breaks up our week and makes it a bit more interesting. I think sometimes we forget that we are only a 25 and 28 year old living a old married couples life.
3. don't forget to have your own space
Both Cal and I are quite introvert people so we can easily spend time by ourselves and some nights we really need that. Some nights when i get home from work and i really want to sit in the bath for a few hours and go straight to bed, Cal just leaves me to it, and vice versa.
4. give each other free rein of the house
Some people don't like to leave the house when the other half have company which is perfectly fine for them. I personally like to have space so if i or Cal have friends coming round, the other person goes out for the night. A lot of people don't feel the need to do this but personally i think its nice to give your partner the space to entertain.
5. having fights about absolutely nothing is all part of the course
You might not be the type of couple who normally argues but that will change when you move in together, and that is totally normal. If you don't argue about the colour of the wall or the Santa on the stairs then tell us all your secrets! Don't worry if you start to bicker about stupid things because that is just life and normally they don't last very long, well so far...
*Items mentioned below have been gifted*
Like I have mentioned before, I am very slowly forming my version of a capsule wardrobe and I felt like I had a few items missing from my autumn capsule. I like to use Pinterest to give me ideas of how to wear items in my wardrobe differently and I have found a lot of the photos I am drawn towards, have items with a very smart and polished feel to them which I used to have a lot of only a few years ago. This was before I started working in an office and I didn't think I would ever wear them again. Fast forward a couple of years and most of my gorgeous patterned shirt are in my parent's neighbour's daughter's wardrobe your welcome.
So when Femmeluxe asked me if I wanted to try a few of their pieces to add to my wardrobe, I was very appreciate as the website is full of gorgeous items. I picked out four items which I thought would work really well in my wardrobe and suit my body shape.
The first item was this Black Polka Dot Fishnet Sleeve Shirt which I picked up in a size 10. I have an array of shirts in my wardrobe now which I wear on a day to day basis. I love to wear them to work with a smart pair of black fitted trousers or at the weekend with a pair of light blue mom jeans. I am lucky that shirts suit me really well so I can basically pair them with any bottom and they look pretty good, if I say so myself. I also don't normally wear shirts untucked because I find them can drown me and my body shape but actually, the length of this shirt makes it great on top of bottoms. I definitely think I would get a lot of wear out of the white version as well as I am trying to add more light staple colours into my wardrobe. Changing up my wardrobe for autumn has shown me how much black I actually own.
Now with sizing I picked up a size 10 which is true to size for me and fits me really well but for someone will bigger boobs pancakes over here I would maybe size up once to make sure the buttons don't pop open on your boobs. I love the way the shirt sits on my shoulders with the top bottoms open. Feel free to head on over to the website to see the shirt on a much better model then me!
The next item I purely pick up because they looked so comfy on the website and I don't have many lounge sets in my casual home wear wardrobe, so I picked up the Dusty Pink With White Stripe Lounge Wear Set. Whenever I am at home just chilling, I normally looking not very cute in some over worn pjs and I want to invest in some lounge sets. Something that is comfy enough to wear lounging around the house but if I needed to pop out to the shop I could just run straight out.
I picked up the dusty pink pair because the colour is so gorgeous and I think they are a great colour to mix and match with other bottoms and tops. I could wear some blue jeans and the top or wear a cropped one top with the bottoms. I picked these up in a size 10 and i could do with a size 10 bottom and a size 12 top just so it is more baggy and comfy. For the photo I have paired the bottoms with my basis Levi's t-shirt.
I ordered this Black Polka Dot Ruched Puff Sleeve Mini Dress along with the other items and which I'm sure you can tell by the picture why I wanted it. I wanted a easy to wear dress to add to my wardrobe for when I had an occasion and I needed to look like I have my sh*t together. This black and white dress was perfect but I totally underestimated the size of my bottom region and couldn't get the dress over my bum. I picked it up in a 8/10 when really I am the bigger end of the size 10 scale so really to make sure it fitted, I should have got the 10/12. Lesson learnt! I definitely want to try the dress again because I think it will be a great additional to my wardrobe.
A few other pieces which I have my eye on from the website are this Black Satin Pleated Midi Skirt. I lived in my rust orange colour pleated skirt from H&M this year and I know I would get so much wear out of the this black style. With a black shirt and a pair of heels or with a cropped jumper and a black of black heeled boots.
Lastly I have my eye also on this Black Fishnet Sleeve Top which like the photo on the website, would look so cute with some light blue mom jeans and black loafers. I really like the look of mixing smart and casual items and this outfit is perfect.
Like I have mentioned before, I am very slowly forming my version of a capsule wardrobe and I felt like I had a few items missing from my autumn capsule. I like to use Pinterest to give me ideas of how to wear items in my wardrobe differently and I have found a lot of the photos I am drawn towards, have items with a very smart and polished feel to them which I used to have a lot of only a few years ago. This was before I started working in an office and I didn't think I would ever wear them again. Fast forward a couple of years and most of my gorgeous patterned shirt are in my parent's neighbour's daughter's wardrobe your welcome.
So when Femmeluxe asked me if I wanted to try a few of their pieces to add to my wardrobe, I was very appreciate as the website is full of gorgeous items. I picked out four items which I thought would work really well in my wardrobe and suit my body shape.
The first item was this Black Polka Dot Fishnet Sleeve Shirt which I picked up in a size 10. I have an array of shirts in my wardrobe now which I wear on a day to day basis. I love to wear them to work with a smart pair of black fitted trousers or at the weekend with a pair of light blue mom jeans. I am lucky that shirts suit me really well so I can basically pair them with any bottom and they look pretty good, if I say so myself. I also don't normally wear shirts untucked because I find them can drown me and my body shape but actually, the length of this shirt makes it great on top of bottoms. I definitely think I would get a lot of wear out of the white version as well as I am trying to add more light staple colours into my wardrobe. Changing up my wardrobe for autumn has shown me how much black I actually own.
Now with sizing I picked up a size 10 which is true to size for me and fits me really well but for someone will bigger boobs pancakes over here I would maybe size up once to make sure the buttons don't pop open on your boobs. I love the way the shirt sits on my shoulders with the top bottoms open. Feel free to head on over to the website to see the shirt on a much better model then me!
My next item which I have been on the look out for since last autumn are a pair of Black High Waisted Faux Leather Look Leggings. I think when planning your autumn winter wardrobe leather look leggings can be a big staple. I have been looking at different styles and deciding whether i want ones with belt loops or the more basis leggings style and i think for the way i want to wear them with big oversized jumpers and cardigans, the leggings are the best option.
These are so comfy to wear and they feel even more comfy with a big fluffy jumper like the white one above. Now I picked them up in a size 10 which fit me perfectly when they are on and i can already tell i will not be pulling these leggings up during the day. I am extremely short at just 5 ft so I have had to roll the bottoms up but I think i prefer the look that way as it balances my short legs.
I love the look of these with my black suedette boots as well as my black loafers so depending on where you are going ,you can make the leggings look more smart or more casual.
The next item I purely pick up because they looked so comfy on the website and I don't have many lounge sets in my casual home wear wardrobe, so I picked up the Dusty Pink With White Stripe Lounge Wear Set. Whenever I am at home just chilling, I normally looking not very cute in some over worn pjs and I want to invest in some lounge sets. Something that is comfy enough to wear lounging around the house but if I needed to pop out to the shop I could just run straight out.
I picked up the dusty pink pair because the colour is so gorgeous and I think they are a great colour to mix and match with other bottoms and tops. I could wear some blue jeans and the top or wear a cropped one top with the bottoms. I picked these up in a size 10 and i could do with a size 10 bottom and a size 12 top just so it is more baggy and comfy. For the photo I have paired the bottoms with my basis Levi's t-shirt.
Now for a few bonus items!
I ordered this Black Polka Dot Ruched Puff Sleeve Mini Dress along with the other items and which I'm sure you can tell by the picture why I wanted it. I wanted a easy to wear dress to add to my wardrobe for when I had an occasion and I needed to look like I have my sh*t together. This black and white dress was perfect but I totally underestimated the size of my bottom region and couldn't get the dress over my bum. I picked it up in a 8/10 when really I am the bigger end of the size 10 scale so really to make sure it fitted, I should have got the 10/12. Lesson learnt! I definitely want to try the dress again because I think it will be a great additional to my wardrobe.
A few other pieces which I have my eye on from the website are this Black Satin Pleated Midi Skirt. I lived in my rust orange colour pleated skirt from H&M this year and I know I would get so much wear out of the this black style. With a black shirt and a pair of heels or with a cropped jumper and a black of black heeled boots.
Lastly I have my eye also on this Black Fishnet Sleeve Top which like the photo on the website, would look so cute with some light blue mom jeans and black loafers. I really like the look of mixing smart and casual items and this outfit is perfect.
O U T F I T S
1.
Jeans - H&M
Loafers - Primark (similar)
2.
Jeans - Primark
Loafers - Primark (similar)
3.
Skirt - Newlook
Boots - Primark (similar)
1.
Jumper - H&M
Loafers - Primark (similar)
2.
Shirt - H&M (similar)
Boots - Primark (similar)
3.
Jumper - H&M
Loafers - Primark (similar)
1.
Top - Levi's
Let me know if you have purchased anything from the website before and what your favourite item from my order was in the comments!
Although I am starting to now see the benefits of investing in clothing items, I am still a bargain shopper at heart. There are some things I splurge on and some things I save on (post to follow very soon!)
Over the years I have found some lovely pieces on eBay which I have ended up wearing for years afterwards. There are pit falls when buying from eBay which I have had my fair share of over the years but I have two items which I have loved since last year and two items which have been in my wardrobe since April time and again, I just love. All the items are great quality and wash really well. All links and sizes will be at the end of the post!
Starting with the items which have been in rotation in the wardrobe all spring summer, some basic jersey t-shirts. At the start of the year I didn't have any logo tops in my wardrobe mainly because I felt they made me look young and boyish while wearing them. Then I really started to like the whole t-shirt and midi skirt vibe and that started a love affair with them. I picked up three t-shirts off eBay, all which I have been wore several time during spring summer.
Call me a basic bitch but I loved these Vogue tops when I first saw them and thought a black and white version would be perfect for my wardrobe. I really love to wear the black and gold version with black skinny jeans and gold jewerelly where as I like to pair the white and black version with light blue denim. Both make a otherwise plan outfit look a bit more put together.
Then to add a carve ball in, I decided to pick up this black makeup design which I love! With an all black outfit, especially some black joggers and a cardigan. I think it would make the outfit look like I made some effort, when really I've just rolled out of bed.
Now we have two jumpers which I wasn't expecting to like so much but the quality of them is above my standard for eBay. First up is this slightly cropped black, cream and brown patchwork jumper which has a high neck which I love and looks great with some black skinny jeans. I really like to throw this jumper on with black jeans and brown boots for work and it just looks like I have my sh*t together. Since condensing my wardrobe I have really become drawn to the neutral palette because the colours are so easy to style together and this jumper is a neutral lovers dream.
My last item is this longer fitting black and cream patchwork jumper. Like the previous one it is not too thick so perfect for the start of autumn when the sun is still shinning but there is a breeze. I do think you can't go wrong with a black and cream jumper, I normally wear this with black skinny's (shock) and some heeled black boots as I find being short, this makes my legs look longer with the length of the jumper. This jumper does have breathable holes throughout so it can make choosing a bra colour tricky as the front of the jumper is black and the back of the jumper is cream. I tend to opt for the black and have it pocking out the black.
I definitely do not need anymore knitwear or jersey but I am following a few things on eBay right now just in case I find a use for them in my wardrobe. Right now I think my wardrobe is pretty much set for autumn bar one plain black roll neck jumper....
I recently watched Emma Hill's YouTube video where she showed you everything she bought on eBay which was second hand. I have had bad experiences buying second hand on eBay but after watching her video, I am intrigued to try again. If I do I will definitely show you what I bought and if it was worth it.
Have you found any gems on eBay recently? Leave a comment below!
Black and white vouge t-shirt - Small 8-10 - Baggy fit
Black and gold t-shirt - Medium - Tight fit
Face t-shirt - Medium - Tight fit
Cropped patchwork jumper - Small - Baggy fit
Long patchwork jumper - Small - Baggy fit
Black and white vouge t-shirt - Small 8-10 - Baggy fit
Black and gold t-shirt - Medium - Tight fit
Face t-shirt - Medium - Tight fit
Cropped patchwork jumper - Small - Baggy fit
Long patchwork jumper - Small - Baggy fit
Since the start of the year, i have really honed in on my packing skills meaning i can go away for a few days with a small bag. I used to throw everything into my bag just in case and end up with some much stuff that i didn't need.
Cal and I have taken several weekend away trips this year so i have had loads of practice at packing and i haven't made a wrong move yet. This weekend we are heading to the seaside with some of our friends so i thought i would let you pack with me, just in case you need some packing inspiration! I am sucker for packing videos, blog posts and photos on Pinterest. I am fascinated in capsule packing.
For content i am going away for 3 nights and 2 days and the weather is quite bright with a high of 22 during the day and 9 during the early morning/evening.
C L O T H I N G
1 green jacket (which i am wearing down)1 grey jumper (wearing down)
2 white tee shirts
1 cream shirt
1 pair of light blue mom jeans (wearing down)
1 black and white maxi skirt
2 bras
4 pairs of underwear (always bright too many in case of emergency but never use them)
2 pairs of socks
1 pj set
1 pair of black boots
1 pair of white brogues
S K I N C A R E
Sukin night moisturiser Simple moisturiser
Pixie glow tonic
Garniner micellar water
Clinique mini face cleanser
Lots and lots of cotton pads because they are life
M A K E U P
Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation Clinique High Impact Mascara
Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette
Mac Eyeliner in Teddy
1 nude and 1 red lipstick (undecided)
To some people this might seem like a lot for a weekend away, while other people might be wondering how i am only bringing these items. I would defineily call this a capsule pack, considering i can fit this all in a small bag or the smaller side of the mini suitcase which Cal and i share for most weekends.
Let me know if there is anything you think i have missed out, or something you can't travel without!
Hello lovelies! How are you all? Sorry it has been sooooo long, I know I apologise I'm missed you too. The last five months I have been in a total blogger brain freeze and didn't know what I wanted to write about and why I wanted to write. This is a little thing I like to do in my spare time to talk about random things that entertain/excite me and I just didn't have anything that excited me for a while.
I guess you could say I was living my life, one lasagne at a time...
But I woke up this morning in my empty bed which I was star fishing in all night, I turned my tv on to start watching YouTube and I suddenly got this feeling to blog. My style, hobbies and personality have changed a lot recently and I felt like my blog didn't reflect how I was feeling. Now I'll got a little mojo back it is time to get back to the blog and change it up a bit.
I feel different, I think different so lets start again.
Enough of my needless ramblings.. just have a little chat up!
A lot of things have happened in the last five months;
- I've changed job roles at my work and am now the finance assistant which I am very happy with. I loved doing all the finance side of my previous role but I didn't get much time to actually get my teeth into anything so to now spend most of my day on those jobs makes me very happy, if not a little bit of a geek. They annoy the hell out of me but I love working with numbers.
- I have also started a AAT course in bookkeeping and I never thought I would go back into education. The course is completely online so I can work at home or at my desk at work which works for me. I am waiting to book in my first exam so wish me luck!
- Another important note is that I am going to become a auntie next year which I am so excited about. hopefully spending time with the little bean which make Callum broody...
- I also recently got a fringe! I feel like I am 16 all over again but I like it... for the moment. I tend to be quite indecisive with my hair so hopefully I make up my mind soon.
- I finally made it to Brighton for my birthday and I loved everything about it. The shops, the pier, the houses and streets. I would love to go again but with a bigger group of people next time.
- We have finally started finishing off some of the rooms in the house, it only took us 2+ years. Our living room and spare room look completely different and our next step is to get the house ready to host Christmas! We still need to get a dishwasher (for obvious reasons) and buy a bigger table to fit my family around.
- Callum and I have also started saving for a wedding- ish. Its a working progress. We went to the most beautiful wedding this year which I have to say was basically my dream wedding. That made me really want to start doing something to work towards it.
- Callum and I haven't been on a proper holiday since last year so we went for a few days down to the English seaside which was lovely, apart from the fact we stayed in a caravan on the hottest week of the year. You don't know heat until you've walk into a caravan which has been empty all day on the hottest day of the year.
- I am now officially as blind as a bat and need glasses 70% of the time. Do I wear them 70% of the time? depends where I am going.
- Lastly in true blogger fashion I have considerably reduced the size of my wardrobe over the last five months. We finally got our fitted wardrobes installed and I really wanted to use that time to make sure everything in my wardrobe was something I loved. More to come about decluttering I promise.
That's basically everything that's happened in the last five months. I feel like this is the perfect time to get my mojo back into blogging with the autumn coming up. I have already transitioned my wardrobe to my autumn/winter clothing, maybe too early but I really needed my jumpers back in my life!
Lastly have some photos from the last five months and try not to laugh at my poses as a teenager!
Lastly have some photos from the last five months and try not to laugh at my poses as a teenager!
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| Callum and I at our first wedding we attending together! |
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| The only time my fringe ever looked good when I was 16, at my prom in 2010. |
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| A random street in Brighton which was too cute to walk past and not take a photo. |
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| Our current living room. Still very bare but I love how it is turning out. We still need a new dining table and artwork for the walls but it is coming together. Yes I was watching the real house wife's of New York City. |
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