Getting Festive

JUMPER&SHOES:PRIMARK SKIRT:H&M

I went to Birmingham Christmas Market again this year, just like last year. There's a shit load of pictures from the day on Instagram (check the links to your right!). It's become a tradition for me and my housemate :) I bought a stupid amount of warm winter-y goods including this jumper and then, as we decided it was apt to do so on December 1st, when we got home we put the tree up. We called it Uni X-Mas Eve and the next day we had a pretty epic roast cooked by moi as it was, obviously, Uni X-Mas Day (that's when these pictures were taken).

It's really nice to set aside a bit of time to spend with my Worcester Family for christmas-y things, we played board games and everything, before heading back to Exeter for the actual holidays :)

Dirty Paws

T-SHIRT:DOROTHY PERKINS HOODY&LEGGINGS:PRIMARK SHOES:VANS@OFFICE

Another standard, everyday: "I have places to be but they're not the kinda places I need to be super fancy for" outfit.
This one is looking a bit boring boring though, with just the black and grey. Oh wait, what's that? It's a...

 ...brightly patterned scarf/blanket (srsly, this thing is huge).

SCARF:H&M

So, I don't mean to small talk you guys and gals but, the weather here has been shocking! What was Worcester Racecourse is now a lake and the main road up my side of the river is almost fully submerged. And, yeah, you guessed it, it's still raining! I mean i'm not saying send help but, Noah has wi-fi on the arc right?

I suppose the one good thing to come out of all this rain is that I realised I had no warm shoes apart from my DM's. So I got cosy new boots, which i'll share tomorrow.

Wait, those boots cost money, which I don't really have.

SO THIS WEATHER HAS DONE NOTHING POSITIVE!

Oh well, new boots :)

OMG! SHOES

Right now seems to be one of those rare periods of time where i can actually find shoes i like in my size (that i don't have to sell my organs to afford). Because, y'know, i'm not a fan of kitten heels and comfort fit so wide size 9's that don't make me dry heave are about as easy to come across as a needle in a haystack.

SHOES:NEW LOOK -  £17.99 (-10% student discount)

For some (probably shitty and probably 100% my fault) reason i can't embed the video i wanted to so y'all had better CLICK THIS OBNOXIOUSLY LARGE TEXT TO SEE IT!

New Shirt

 

I think i fell in love with this top the second it went up on ASOS Curve. It's now in the sale which is a bit lame but i got it with 25% off when they did the crazy big student discount for a couple days so maybe not sooo lame. I might have also bought myself a Clarisonic Mia and a new bag... Maybe :)
I'll probably do a post about the Clarisonic once i have used it for a few weeks because, well because i can and also because my two cents on the matter won't do any harm!

I am back at home for Easter now so hopefully between writing an essay and brainstorming ideas for a performance i can whack out a few OOTD's up against my lovely white bedroom walls <3
I went shopping tday just for the hell of it and picked up a couple of sale bargains that i want to share so yeahhh, look out for posts ASAP!!!

Weihnachtsmarkt

Friday is the only weekday that i don't have lectures this semester so this week i decided to go a bit nuts and spend the day in Birmingham. Normally i spend it in pajamas!
The Frankfurt Christmas Market is on sooo, on top of all the usual shopping brum has to offer there was Glühwein and lights and homemade awesome stuff :)

I headed up on the train with a flatmate and we spent the whole day walking around, i introduced her t the wonders of the Selfridges and warm krispy kremes, NOM. We were pretty much frozen solid by the end of the day and my feet were seconds away from falling off but it was worth it. I got so much xmas shopping done!

TOP:TESCO CARDIGAN:EVANS SKIRT:TOPSHOP COAT, TIGHTS, SOCKS&BOOTS:PRIMARK

Where to begin with this outfit. I love it, all of it! And so much is new.

The is the coat i've been meaning to post on forever, it's wool blend and warm and beautiful and it cost the grand total of £10, no one can understand the love i currently have for Primark sales!!! Speaking of Primark, the tights are the super cosy ones they sell, i had to cut the feet open and wear them as leggings because my legs are stupidly long but they didn't disapoint, my legs were toasty all day.

I was wearing a lot of layers and wool so i wanted to soften it up a bit with the chiffon-y Tesco top, i really like how it came out and i know the pictures aren't fantastic but i'm sure y'all can kinda see what i mean, right?!?!

After my day out blowing savings and not doing work it is back to the grind today, hello essays and line learning! On a plus note however i go home to Devon a week today and i will, like last time, be posting tons!!

Retail Therapy

Some purchases from Saturday; the day i burned a phat hole in my wallet (note use of the word "some" this is about half of what i bought)

 SKIRT & SHOES - NEW LOOK

 TOP & BELT - TOPSHOP

HAT - H&M

RING - EVANS

Said i would do a post on what i bought! I'd actually pretty much forgotten that i'd taken these pictures until i read Steph's post on her recent buys so yeah, thanks for reminding me Stephanie!

Everything pictured here (apart from the hat) was bought on sale, so i got plenty for my money! I hadn't had a good long real life shop in ages so that was pretty dang fine but it didn't half make me remember how much i hate town on Saturdays, so busy! I'm usually a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to shopping, i head in on a weekday afternoon for a couple hours, i buzz round really quickly and i leave happy : )

One other thing i bought on Saturday was Directions Hair Dye in Lilac so as of yesterday afternoon my ombre is now purple:

What do you guys think?
Also, if you've scored any amazing bargains, please tell all : )

Evil Twin

I'm not normally one for Labels/Designer Clothing. I like spending as little as possible because so much of my wardrobe is short term (i get bored easily!). I don't have an issue with paying more for better quality but part of me wrestles with the idea of paying for a name. Like, i'd love to own a Mulberry Alexa bag or a custom Vivienne Westwood dress but i also feel like i could employ an amazing leather worker or seamstress to create those things to an amzing standard of quality for me, at a fraction of the cost.
It's an eternal struggle my friends, i'd love to hear your views on it though so go nuts in your comments!

All of the above aside: on one of my lazy afternoons this week i went on a big ol' ASOS browse and stumbled across Evil Twin, here's what the ASOS blurb has to say about the label:

"Sydney-based label, Evil Twin, deliver a grungy, punk-inspired aesthetic throughout their stand-out collections. Fusing hard lines and gothic edges with feminine silhouettes, has become the signature Evil Twin style."

Loving that! Definitely an aesthetic i can relate to and one that i'm determined to werrrrrk this summer. Their size range isn't huge but most of the stuff is oversized so i wouldn't be afraid to try something if you like it.

These are some of my favourite pieces currently on their page and i actually ordered one yesterday so hopefully i can do an Evil Twin OOTD soon!

BLAZE OF GLORY DRESS - £75

LOST PROPHETS SHIRT - £41 (SALE PRICE)

HOT, HOT, HEAT CAPE - £95

TRAIL BLAZER STRIPED SHIRT - £95

NEED

SKIRT - £45 - ASOS CURVE

Oh ASOS, you tease!

I am positively bereft of money right now and you put out this! That's just mean.

I actually saw a grey jersey version of this in Primark the other day, i was tempted by it but decided against due to it not being black and it not being long enough - i like my maxi's to be floor length, i actually don't mind if they drag a bit, just so long as they don't trip me up : )

As much as i love this my only issue is how to style it. This is where not being able to try it on in a shop really bums me out. I'm not 100% sure i'd like the whole wear it high waisted and tuck your top in look on myself so i'd want to check i could comfortably wear it other ways before blowing the dollar on it, y'know?

I'm all for Internet shopping and i have a long and beautiful relationship with Internet shopping, but sometimes i just wish it could do what the high st shops can!

Shopping in Seattle: Vol. 3

These are the things i've picked up on my last couple of trips out to the main shopping area of Downtown Seattle, i'm shocked at how much i've spent but i wanted all these things, will use all of them and i earned the money i came with so no buyers remorse here. All prices are before tax which from what i can work out is just under 10% here. It took me a long time to get used to the whole adding tax gig.

 

 LA VANILA DEODERANT - $18 - SEPHORA

I don't normally spend this much on deo, but i've wanted this for ages and you can't get it at home so i figured why the fuck not? Not used it yet but i'll let you know how good it is. I loved how they wrapped it in tissue, i'm like "that shit is going on my pits, it's not diamonds"

 SHARPIES - $1.49 EACH - BORDERS

I didn't even know they made sharpies this colour! I always carry a black fine line without fail. I guess now my toilet graffiti err i mean drawing, is gonna get interesting.

 TOP & DRESS - $17.80 & $19.80 - FOREVER 21

F21 literally just opened in dowtown Seattle so i went in and decided these'd be perfect additions to my summer wardrobe. The thing i can't get over is that the top on the left is a 3X and the dress on the right is an L, yet they both fit pretty spot on, i mean the L is a little small but not as small as it should be judging by how the 3X fits.

BOOTS - $120 - DR MARTENS

These are my real: holiday splurge/early birthday present to self/i'm not taking dollars back home purchase. They are the Dr. M's Darcie boot in a size 9 and if any of you want a comfortable, long lasting and nice lookin pair of boots i recommend these.

TOP & SKIRT - $9.95 & $5.95 - H&M
Just a basic baggy short tee in navy and white, size L and a striped jersey mini skirt size M. The whole baggy top with tight short skirt is probably gonna be my summer uniform (aside from the usual printed dresses).

SKIRT & TOP - $5.95 & $24.95 - also H&M

Same as before with the skirt except this is plain black, i get these in a Medium because after a couple washes they stretch and the Large doesn't stay as tight as i like for tube skirts. The top is cute, the detailing you see is on the chest and the scalloped edges are on the sleeves which are batwing.

BAG - $20 - H&M

Yeah, i went a bit wild in H&M huh? It was nice, i don't get to go crazy shopping often and didn't even get to do it here at the start of my trip (sensible spending at the start has lead to sprees at the end!) This was on the sale pile and i liked it so i got it, simple. 

NBA JERSEY - $19.99 - FOOT LOCKER

So this, i'm told, is a Washington Wizards jersey. I bought it purely so i can look gangsta while i clean or go to the supermarket or do my hair or chill in my garden. I would have got a Bulls or Lakers jersey because i actually know those teams but they wanted crazy money for those. Poor Wizards, banished to the sale!

Shopping in Seattle: Vol. 2

Sunday just gone i went on a very little spree at Southcenter. Which is a mall about 20 minutes south of Seattle.

At this point i'd like to mention that i do have a budget for this trip out of which i set myself targets on a day to day basis. This sounds silly because i'm on holiday and i should be careless and have fun right? Well, yeah. But girl needs to eat. If i went bat shit crazy with my finances i'd be living off table scraps by now and doing nought but window shopping.

So anyway, i buzzed around the place pretty quickly and left with three shiny new things (four if you count the cheesecake slice, but that didn't last long not even long enough to be papped).

Sunglasses - H&M around $8

Shoes - Torrid - $48

Top - Forever 21 - $17

Sunglasses were the only nice thing i found in H&M, dunno if it was a bad store or if i just wasn't in the right mood but nothing stood out. They kinda make up for it though because as sad as it is, i am in love with them so much!

The shoes were one of the three good things about Torrid. I don't want to be writing it but it's true. I really can't stand they clothes they're selling. The shoes i bought, another pair i wanted and the staff were the shop's three redeeming qualities. I mean i dislike the clothes so much i can't even grasp how the the shop assistants managed to look so good assuming they were wearing Torrid (fair assumption i think). But negativity aside these shoes are lush and the staff were lovely. (i'm terrible with names so this could be wrong) Jessica?!?! was who i spent a long time chatting to and she said she might check out the blog so shout out to her if she's reading!
Oh one other good thing, i got to use the $5 off card i got at Plus London so i basically paid no tax, happy days.

The top is from the F21 main range, not F21 + because there wasn't a cute thing in the small section they had. It's a 3/4 sleeve crop top that i'm gonna wear with high waisted skirts because it's too tight to be worn as a crop on me, in my opinion anyway. I basically couldn't resist the pattern and it was the last one so i was pretty happy when it turned out to be a large and even happier when it fit!


So that's it for Vol. 2. But i'm going to Pike Place for a proper shop later this week so expect a big long post very soon : D

Shopping in Seattle: Vol. 1

Today was beautiful in Seattle. It was a perfect Spring day, warm sun and a cool breeze, clear skies and plenty of cherry blossom.
Which is lucky because i must have walked about five miles, and I'd have still done it even if it was raining.
I'll start with pictures and then bore you with words : D

South Jackson St looking down over Chinatown, Qwest Stadium and The Puget Sound

The Puget Sound, Mountains and A Bird.

My Little Haul (Bus Ticket Included)

My main aim today was to get to Two Big Blondes consignment shop on South Jackson Street. It's about two miles from where my bus stops in Downtown Seattle and I decided the walk would do me good so armed with google maps i set off. (What google maps does not tell you however, is that S Jackson St. is one big hill that makes you sweat and drags you through Chinatown and the smell of tasty tasty food at lunch time without any thought for the fact that damn it you packed a lunch so you aint buying one.)
Any, way.
We don't have consignment shops at home (as far as i know, correct me if i'm wrong UK peepz) so i didn't know what to expect (here's a wiki for people who like me, aint got a clue). But i arrived and straight away got to work looking through the racks for pretty things to take home.
The store is quite large and pretty well laid out and i think if you reserve a good portion of your day to rifle, you can find some good things.
I ended up buying the pair of jeans pictured above and i paid $9.31, which is around £5.70, which is a bargain! There was also a full length black fur cape that i desperately wanted but A: I can't be splashing out $90 on a fur cape and B: I can't be wearing a fur cape home because my suitcase is full.
I'm pretty sold on consignment shopping, but saying that i've been a long time lover of charity shops and it aint all that different price and range wise.

So i finished up there and headed back downtown. I intended to go straight down to Waterfront Park (which is not really a park, more just a very large deck) to take pictures of the sound and mountains beyond but i stopped at the Globe Bookstore which is lovely and quaint and pretty much the perfect book shop in my mind and the owner was friendly and helpful too.
I got the books pictured above because i'm reading a whole lot here. I started reading To Kill A Mockingbird two days ago and i'm nearly done, i have read it before but that's still pretty fast, i'm turning into Matilda.

After sitting and eating my packed lunch i headed home stopping only to buy cinnamon graham crackers because the honey ones were so tasty i had to try these. And then i had a cuppa and sat down to write this post. Which i'm now going to end with a poem by Robert Herrick from The Cavalier Poets, because i like it : )

Writer's Block

I haven't blogged for a little while and i don't have a whole ton of excuses. I just haven't been able to find the inspiration.
That sounds bad but as i've said before i don't post for the sake of posting and as lovely as inspiration and creativity are they have their own agenda, i can't make them happen.


I just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY and confirm that i was still alive.
Also, i just ordered this with free next day delivery

if it can't re-awaken my inspiration, well then I'm fucked : )

Pay Day

I literally just placed my order for this lot. It's all from New Look : )

I'm particularly excited about the one on the far right. It totally reminds me of the Alexander McQueen leggings in this post and as long as it fits i'll be layering it over some brightly coloured tank tops in the summer!
Truth be told this is a bit of a risky splurge. As much as i love these items i don't own many bottoms to pair with tees. I've very much become a dress girl.
Perhaps this will encourage me to do the whole separates thing more often, or perhaps I'll end up returning these.
We shall see : )

OOTD: 60's Snow Fun

It snowed yesterday and i was sure it'd be gone by this morning but i opened my curtains at 8:30AM to a blanket and a blizzard of snow.
Lush!

I popped and did more crimbo shopping, i'd like to say i'm done but alas, i am not!

COAT:DOROTHY PERKINS SHOES:EVANS TIGHTS:TESCO

Pretty standard warm, winter outfit right here. These tights are amazing and cost £3 so i literally love them, tons. I nearly threw this coat in a charity shop bag once, i'm still not 100% sure i like it, but it suits me for the cold days when i want to be Jackie O.

it's all pictures from here on out.