Sehr...it's been a while. I am currently listening to Boyzone whilst drinking medicinal tasting ginger wine. My nails have been painted orange and I am ready to go to S's parents for the remainder of the festive period. Woooo.

I went to Paris earlier in the week....here are some pics. I ate like a horse for the duration though, so my face (and the rest of my body) is rather bloated. Eugh. Enough about that...

I could gush all day about how lovelystunningwinefilled Paris is, but I won't. Suffice to say, it was AH-MAZING (I'm good with words, you see). We walked, we visited famous sites (and took the obligatory photos next to them), consumed lots of cheap vin (we even purchased wine for 1 euro 35 from the supermarket! Insane! Haven't yet tasted it, but will let you know) and ate lots of food. One night I had a 'veggie plate' which consisted of mash, pumpkin soup and cabbage! Yes it was yum.

We also visited the Christmas market. I would love to go to the home of the Christmas market, Germany, next year. There's something about them that makes Christmas 'real' for me, if that makes sense. La le la. *The wine's not going to my head or anything*.

I've been planning (head stage only) holidays for the summer and next winter. I would love to go to New York, Florence, Venice and Prague. I like little city breaks.

Ooh, I have new cosy penguin Christmas socks. Tres cool.

Sorry for the random nature of this post; I'm going to go now, before I further reveal just how weird I am!

And on that note HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone. Hmm, I was going to say I'll show you the pressies I got in the new year, but my focus seems to be on the material. Watching the comedy 'Rev' made me think that it should be about more than that (yep, the things that make me think nowadays!) I used to be really religious, but I'm not anymore. Christmas should still be about more than presents...maybe I'll volunteer at a homeless shelter or something (thanks Rev).

OK really this time- BYE for now and have a great Christmas :) xxxxx

Winter Warmth

I went to the Westfield at Stratford today AGAIN. I really like it there, even though Oxford Street is pretty much on my doorstep. There is something about having lots of shops under one roof that I really like!

My main reason for being there was to purchase some Christmas goodies for my family, but, as usual, I saw lots of things that I liked too. I managed to restrict myself to one winter coat, because I really did need one (honest). It's so nice and toasty and fits perfectly. I got it from Topshop petite range (size 6...but I think it's supposed to be oversized as I'm not usually a 6. Nice to know it fitted though!) It was down £30 to £55, which I think is a bargain for something I'll wear again and again.

Here it is:

Er, yeah, sorry about the pjs. And the face.

My computer is taking absolutely ages to upload photos tonight! Not good. I have a few more photos, but I'm an impatient person.

I went into the Hollister store today. To be honest, I wasn't too fond of the whole low lighting thing. I felt like a granny as I wandered around the store thinking 'I wish I could see this product a bit better'. I bumped into a fair few people too (literally) but then I have no spacial awareness so that probably had nothing to do with the lighting.

The clothes themselves are great. It does feel like an American version of Jack Wills though. And I am a JW fan, so I think I'll stick with them.

Right, let's see if the photo uploader is working this time...

Just the coat from another angle. I'm usually not a fan of (faux) fur collars, but I really like this one. As you can see from the bag in the background, I also purchased a few other things from Topshop, but I'll show you those another day.


One thing I can show you (if the uploader manages to work quickly enough!) is my new Topshop nail polish. It's called 'without a clue'. It's very cutsey and understated, which I'm quite liking at the moment. It's a new favourite, along with my nude Nails Inc. polish (which I got free with diet coke-bargain!)

I'm off to a wedding tomorrow. I love a good wedding!

Hope you're all having a good weekend xx

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

I'm currently sitting in bed, as snug as a bug, with my sheep onesie on as it's finally cold enough to wear (!) (see PJ post) and the lappytop lusting after christmas gifts. Well, S (the boyfriend) did ask so why not...

Here is what I came up with:

David and Goliath pjs. Because you can never have too many pjs and I think these are really cute. God I'm sounding shallow today. It's been a long week at work ;)

Miss Selfridge Bodycon dress. 

I would really like a 'going out' dress too. Last week I went to a club for a hen party (I rarely go out these days) and realised I only have one or two dressy uppy dresses. I know that I don't go clubbing that often, but I will be going to hen parties which usually involve clubbing so I will wear it. Plus, this dress can double up as a 'smart' dress for a trip to the theatre or something. Hmm, not sure. Maybe I should be more daring and get a sequin dress....

like this. Also from Miss Selfridge. I'm a bit like a magpie, I do love a bit of sparkle. But this could look a bit cheap and strictly Christmassy...it's certainly not cheap (in my opinion) at £150! Or maybe that is reasonable. I'm used to Primark prices now so anything over £30 seems too much.

I'd also quite like some Soap and Glory goodness. I've heard it's good.

And finally for my poor dry hair...

Again, I've heard that this is really good too (from a reliable source..my cousin!) It's supposed to nourish, soften and create shine. I'll let you know.

I'm also considering a Glossybox subscription, but I'm worried about getting products that won't suit my pale skin  and that I'll never use. I know part of the fun is the element of surprise, but I'm not so sure....

What do you want for Christmas?
xx

American Apperal Haul

How do you pronounce it-App-arel or Ap-ar-el?

Anyway, work avoidance last night led to an online shopping session. I was looking for a faux leather skirt (to go with the holey jumper in the previous post) but I got distracted, as predicted. I kinda feel justified in my purchases though. Let me explain...

I have a long black swooshy skirt that I LOVE wearing. It is to me what jeans are to a lot of people. I feel really comfortable in it and that it goes with most things. Truthfully though, I would probably feel more comfortable in other 'bottoms' if I were thinner. I like this skirt because it covers me up too. Let me see if I have a picture of it somewhere...

Ah yes, this was taken a year ago in Rome. Lovely weather. Not one of my best outfits, but I can't find another one as my computer is being a bit of a doofus and not letting me view everything. But yes, the skirt.

On AA last night I found skirts in a similar style on sale for a mere £10.50. It makes sense for me to invest in these as I would definitely wear them lots, so I did. I bought the same skirt in 3 colours. *sadIknow*

So here is the American Apperal skirt. This is not the most flattering colour (in my opinion). I got it in black (cos I'm so adventurous), cranberry and olive. The only size they had left was XS for the cranberry colour, so I got that, but I might be a bit self-conscious if it's too tight!

Does anyone know what AA sizing is like?

I also purchased a few sheer style tops. I would probably (definitely) wear them with something underneath, but I still think they're pretty cool and love the colours.

I got this colour in size M (I like things to be a bit baggy) and in light blue. They were also on sale at £6 each.

I also got a tank top version of this top in asphalt and black. They were £5 each.

I love AA style, but I usually find that it's a bit too expensive. Yay for sales!

I will show you what these look like on when they arrive.

Now I better start preparing for work next week. Happy Sunday everyone. xx

Saturday Walk

Every Saturday I drag my boyfriend for a walk around a park/heath; last week it was Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, this week it was Hampstead Heath. I absolutely love these walks, especially on a crisp autumnal day like today. We explored nooks that we hadn't been to before and had a nose around the little streets surrounding the heath. I want to live there one day!

This picture was actually taken a few weeks ago when I had long hair (I decided to have it all chopped off...sob sob...for a mere £9 though. A bargainous disaster at least). A tree with a hole that you can fit inside! Coolio.

We also saw a group of girls (bloggers?) doing an ANTM style photoshoot, with big messy be-twigged hair and raggedy clothes.

I just posed awkwardly on a log.

Then in a tree.

After our rather long walk we paid a visit to the bucks of Star and discovered that they were doing a buy one get one free offer on their Christmas drinks! I decided to sample a skinny gingerbread latte, but didn't enjoy it too much. Think I'll stick to my chai tea latte next time.

So excited that the red cups are out though! Not long 'til Christmas :) Feeling a bit like a bid kid this year, especially as I am going to Paris in the Christmas holidays.

I bought this jumper from Forever 21 not too long ago as I thought it would look good tucked into a knee length leather skirt. However, I have yet to find a skirt that fits this description. Where can you get a good, affordable (faux) leather skirt from? I will have a little look online in a moment, though I am a bit reluctant to enter my card details on this laptop since it had a virus last week. It might still be lurking somewhere!


Sorry for the slapdash nature of this post, I just felt like posting!

I'll leave you with two more little images from today.

Outside Hampstead Police Station. Thought this was a very English scene. Due to the old school lamps and telephone box rather than the English frequently getting in trouble with the law.

Our feet amongst the crisp brown leaves. Note my child stlye Clarks shoes. I love these because they are so comfortable, but I have now upgraded to 'adult shoes' for work to avoid looking and feeling like a child.


If you have, thanks for reading my Saturday ramble :)

Cleaning up...

Seems I've needed to do a LOT of tidying up recently (and still have lots to do). Since I've started working my living room has become an ode to paper. The stuff is all over the place, and I feel like I can't move it until I have 'finished' with it, which seems to be not yet.

*ALSO BIG WOE* My computer got a virus and my lovely computery boyfriend (hate that word...sounds so childish!) spent all day trying to 'clean' it for me. Which might have to involve wiping everything off of my computer. All I did was look at house prices in Maidenhead. Yeesh.

I have been using his big beast of a PC to do my work on today. On the floor. Ha. If anyone came into our living room right now they would think we have had a mad dog running around it and knocking things all over the place. Or something like that.

I've also tidied out my wardrobe. Sort of. I haven't actually disposed of anything (though I probably should) but I've been trying things on, seeing what I have.

So this is my humble little wardrobe. It used to be organised (skirts together, shirts, cardigans etc) but life got in the way. Grr, I hate being so messy.

Outfit 1- ha, you can see my mess in the background *fireplaces are not for storing things*. Ok, I'll stop moaning about mess now.

I'm not sure what I think of this cable knit cardigan (er, or my face).  I purchased it last year from topshop petite range (and it wasn't too cheap either) and I have worn it about once since. It is so warm, but a bit too bulky for my liking.

Outfit 2- again with the black dress. This is one of my cheap but reliable Primark cardies that I mentioned I own in (almost) every colour available. I'm loving this 'wine' colour at the moment (and red wine too...a bit too much). And I'm not usually one for belts, what with their tendency to draw attention to the waist, dig into my tummy after lunch etc, but hmm,I think it looks ok here. I will be trying out more belts with outfits in the future. The one in this photo was a mere £1 from Primark.

Outfit 3- a stripy dress from H&M. Pulling a not-too-flattering pose. The dress is quite flimsy so perfect for the hot weather (or my boiling living room) but it can be teamed with tights and a cardi for winter too. My summer and winter wardrobe doesn't really differ much as I think that adding black tights to anything generally makes an outfit winter worthy.

Outfit 4- a red dress from Hobbs. I still haven't worn this dress yet, but I love the colour. Do I manage to pull it off, or am I too pale for such a vibrant colour? Not my usual colour anyway. Most people at work describe me as the blonde girl who always wears black!

Outfit 5- my leather jacket and cosy scarf. Again, I haven't worn this jacket very much. I think I should wear it more often. I feel quite *cool* it in ;)

By the way, I would wear all of these outfits to work. There isn't much of a distinction between my work and play clothes...maybe because I wear lounge clothes when I am at home. Or don't have a life :/


I went to the new Westfield in Stratford the other day and purchased a few bit and pieces. Will write about that tomorrow as I've waffled on a fair bit now.

Thanks to everyone who reads and comments :) xxx

Get Your PJs On!

I love pyjamas. I love how comfy they are, how cosy and snug I feel in them and if I'm honest how much more confident I feel when I'm wearing them. As soon as I peel my day clothes off and put on my 'nightwear' any body insecurities diminish and I feel myself. So if I could wear pjs all day, everyday then I probably would. Well, maybe, I would miss the prettyness of normal clothes and all that.

As it's half term, I've been spending most of my time in my pjs trying to (ish) persuade myself to work. As I wear them all the time, it's only fair that I have a variety of pjs.

Want to take a peek?

This is one of my faves. It's a onesie that I purchased online late one night whilst writing my dissertation at uni. I needed a pick me up and this was it. It's extremely cosy, but a wee bit too big. This wouldn't be an issue if it didn't have little booties at the bottom. This is my go to outfit when we have wear-your-pjs to work day :)

BIG T-SHIRTS

I am also a massive fan of big t-shirts. I wish I could say that I steal by boyfriend's, but alas, I buy my own. His are not big enough to satisfy my love for the oversized (sounds a bit wrong...). I usually wear these as night dresses if it's warm enough in the house. This one is from Italy (Rome to be precise) and it was only about 1 Euro. Bargain!

I got this one from an ice cream shop called G&D's in Oxford. Bit random really, but I liked it. I also love colourful pj bottoms, like these ones from a thrift store in New Orleans (not all of my clothes are from such unusual places!) Cosy cosy cosy.

BIG JUMPERS

A supersize jumper from my uni days, when I was a member of a hill walking society.I can't beat the feeling I get when I slip that on after a day's work (I'm starting to sound old and fuddy-duddy now...ah well, I'm no longer a teen. Sob sob).

I got this when I went skiing last year. It was the last XL left in the shop and the bemused French sales assistant couldn't understand why I wanted one several sizes too big. He thought he wasn't pronouncing XL properly even though I can see the size of the thing! Love it.

So yeah, the general theme is that I like BIG. 

I also tidied my wardrobe today and tried on a few ensembles (such productive days..hmm) but I'll leave that until tomorrow.

For now I'll leave you with a picture of my wonderful new Starbucks tumbler, which is both practical and beautiful. It will come in really handy at work, as there are never any mugs. However, I have spilled tea on the carpet twice, even though it has a lid on it. I never spill tea when it is in cups! Maybe it's because it's tall...or maybe I am subconsciously testing it out.

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far :) Oh, and I also apologise for my bad poses, I do not like looking at the camera.

Bye for now :) xxx

PS Who is looking forward to Christmas? I am.Well, the build up anyway. It will feel closer to the big day when the red cups come out at Starbucks (clearly a child of a capitalist society. Oh yeah).

I've had a little space on the blogosphere for a while now (for viewing purposes only) but the day I decide to actually write something google decides to go and disable my account! Well, my uni email address expired which I think confused it (you can tell I'm great with technology).

Anyway, I decided to create a new account as I've finally decided I want to be a blogger not just look at others and go 'ooooh!' I can still do that though. The main catalyst for this change was watching Zoella and All That Glitters' (don't know how to link yet!) video about getting started with blogging. I've been following them for a while on blogspot (sound stalkerish now) and think they're great :) I guess I want to write about 'fashion' (I use the term loosely...things I see and like or buy rather than high fashion) and general stuff. I like writing, especially when I am aloooooone in the house like today.

I'm also trying to avoid work but ho hum. It's a good distraction.

*photo pause*

Er yeah, a great photo. I took it myself and forgot to set the timer. Not that my facial expressions are any better when the timer is on.

I purchased the dress from H&M. It has little paperclips all over it. I love 'quirkly' little dresses like this. The belt is from good 'ole Primark. I don't tend to wear belts as I seem to have inadvertantly made the 'shapeless black bag' look my signature look, but things can change. I quite like the belt actually....

*Photo of dress take 2*

My photo taking skills can only get better....

As I've already mentioned, the belt is from Primark. I took a little trip to my local Primark (which is actually the Oxford Street branch) yesterday. Once inside I. Could. Not. Breathe. I made the mistake of layering up and stupidly thinking that not many people would be there during a working day. But I was wrong. It was so incredibly hot and busy. If one place is going to induce a panic attack in me then that's the one. I am being a bit dramatic, but it was busy!

Despite this, I did manage to buy a few things. Firstly, I picked up a cute little cable knit jumper, in what I thought was a size 8. Finally moving away from the shapeless black bag look I thought. Not so. I didn't try it on due to the madbusyness and it was only when I got home to examine my goodies that I realised I got a size 18. Too big, even for a lover of oversized clothes. I will be taking that back, when I can brave Primark again.

I also purchased a green cardigan for work. I have these little cardigans in every colour now (bar bright pink, though I'm not ruling it out). They are really comfy and practical, which is all you need sometimes. I don't have a photo of this one as my camera just died.

I do, however, have a photo of my next purchase.

This is a bit out of character for me but I liked the weekend reference. I will probably wear it to lounge around the house in (cos let's face it, when I get home from work I do a lot of lounging).

Because I'm cool, I also picked up a few other items whilst waiting to pay (does anyone else buy things they wouldn't otherwise have because it was near the queue? Damn shopping psychology). I got an assortment of hygiene products.

I was reluctant to buy the face wipes as they are so cheapie (2 for £1? What?!) but I also bought them because of that fact. I'll give them a go.

I also saw some lovely winter boots, but unfortunately they didn't have any in my size :( I am a 2-3- well, 1 foot is a 2 1/2 the other is 3. Wonky and small. My friend said I have hooves, not feet, but I'm quite happy with them.

Anyway, enough about feet, I'm going to comment on other blogs and will hopefully make blogger friends.

Bye for now :)