Sunday 30 September 2012

OOTD : Last Day Of Summer

So, apparently I blinked and missed Summer. One minute it was Spring and it was looking like we'd have a glorious heat-filled few months and the next thing I know the leaves are falling from the trees. Now, I shall keep my complaints to a minimum because Autumn happens to be my favourite season but still, some sunshine would have been nice, weather Gods! To celebrate what seems like it'll be the last day of sunshine us UK dwellers get, I put a continental inspired summery outfit together. I haven't had much time of late so forgive me, as this one's a little lazy!

I've never been sure which side of the palazzo trouser debate I fall on. That being said, I bagged these babies from eBay for only 99p so figure I'd give them a whirl. They always gave me a real 70's vibe, which I love, but I'm just not sure I'm the sort of person who can pull off such a bold look. 

Please excuse the constipated expression, I was holding in my breath like you wouldn't believe to attempt to disguise the weight I've piled on lately (Whittards coffee syrups, I am pointing my accusatory gaze squarely in your direction, you tasty fiends) so I look a little strange in the face. Also, the sunglasses are there primarily to accentuate the summeryness (what? It's a word) of the outfit and secondarily to hide my lack of make-up and sleep deprived eyes.


Sunglasses - New Look / Bandeau - H&M / Palazzo Trousers - Atmosphere / Sandals - New Look

My boyfriend will be the first to admit that his skills in the photography department are lacking so sadly there weren't any pictures that really showed off just how big these trousers are. They're quite flattering in that they're high waisted but the fact that they're so baggy makes me look a bit.....squat, and considering I'm 5'8", that's almost impressive.  I think they'd be great as a beach cover up but at the end of the day, I just don't think I am convinced by these baggy buggers. What do you guys think of palazzo trousers? Yay or nay?

xxx

Saturday 15 September 2012

Saturday Bargains!

I woke up feeling pretty ropey this morning; I've been trying to shake a cold for a couple of weeks now and the bugger seemed to have come back with a vengeance today, so I decided some retail therapy might perk me up. Now, I'm not really a fan of shopping. I do whatever I can online, which often leads to ill fitting garments that end up on eBay without having been worn, but if I can avoid busy shops I do. Still, the lure of TK Maxx and Matalan literally around the corner from my house was too much today so I popped in to see what junk they had on offer. 

Matalan had a bunch of stuff that I wanted as soon as I walked through the door. I adore chunky knits and big baggy jumpers and there is a plethora of that in there at the moment, lovely browns, dark reds, mustards and navy blues. In the interests of staying frugal I gritted my teeth and walked on past though.

Then I spotted a galaxy print top and snatched it from the rack before I let myself have a second thought. It's lovely, and fits really nicely. I then found some gorgeous studded pumps and although they're not ideal for the fast approaching winter months, I thought they'd be lovely for sprucing up skinny jeans on a night out.


Galaxy top - £12


Studded pumps - £10

After that I popped my head into TK Maxx to see what that treasure trove had in store for me. I've always found TK Maxx to be hit or miss but I always find that if I dig through enough crap, there's always something in there worth buying, and usually at a decent price. I bought some Le Creuset and some cupcake holders for a friend, a Models Own nail polish set (for the same price the miniature sets cost in Boots!), some sweeties for the boyfriend (hope he'll share) and a crazy cat lady mug because, well, how much more fitting could it possibly be?!


Models Own nail polish set - £7.99


Giant lollipops - £2.40


Crazy cat lady mug - £2.99

So, while it might not have had the desired effect; I am still feeling under the weather, it certainly perked me up emotionally and I'm pretty pleased with my bargains! 

-Sarah.
xxx


Tuesday 11 September 2012

OOTD : Flamingos!

Argh! I'm rubbish. There I am in one post, apologising for not updating in so long and promising I won't do it again, and here I am in my next post, a fortnight later. Gah. 

It's been all go, as you can imagine! I finished and uploaded my new jewellery collection in that time though so it's not all been pencil-pushing and day-to-day humdrum. It's inspired by the wonderful Carmen Miranda who was just the most colourful, lively, inspirational person. No prizes for guessing why I like her so much! Anyway, if you're a fan of fruit, tropical birds or cameo themed jewellery, you can check it out here.

I took that as the basis of my outfit for this post and put something together that incorporates colour but also flamingos, which I adore. They're so iconic, and I do love a bit of pink so when I saw this skirt in River Island I had to have it. 

The bamboo bangles were a natural fit too. I got them online from a company called Bow & Crossbones that do some lovely pin-up jewellery, as well as hair flowers and accessories. You can find them here.





Top - H&M / Wedges - New Look / Skirt - River Island / Bangles - Bow & Crossbones

I also changed my hair a little, mixing some Directions Lilac with conditioner and staining the roots ever so slightly. I think it worked pretty well although I have a feeling it will be quite difficult to maintain. As well as that, I got a new tattoo on my leg last week! It was based on a design that a good friend drew for me and is a Sugar & Vice coat of arms. I was pretty ill when I got it done though so had to bail after only two hours as the pain was unusually intense. I'm getting it finished at the end of next week so will be sure to get a photo when it's done and healed :)

-Sarah.
xxx