Currently loving // River Island homeware

"River Island do homeware?!"

These were the exact words I uttered when looking for homeware online and seeing River Island pop up in the list of results. Liking what I saw, I clicked through to the River Island site and fell in love with item after item. The current collection has a real 'worldly' feel with its geometric prints, Moroccan style lanterns, rugs*, and splashes of colour.

* close-ups of each beautiful design beneath each rug

River Island homeware collection

There is also a luxe collection with lashings of gold (isn't the above candle a beaut?). In my local store I found some Agate coasters which give the Anthropologie ones a run for their money (but at a fraction of the price!) *adds to basket*

And can we talk about River Island's bedding range? A mish-mash of geometric prints, stripes and velvet... I love it all (low key need the textured white duvet set in my life!)

River Island bedding collection

What do you love most from the collection?

River Island 40% off home sale now on! (I have already placed an order for the agate coasters!)

What I picked up in the sales....

I wasn't actually planning to shop the sales this year. I was away travelling at Christmas, so had a bit of a digital detox and refrained from all temptation online activity. I came back to London the following week, fully aware that the best of the sales had probably already all been scooped up, so there'd be no point in even looking. But you know how it is. A curious little peek here, a curious little peek there. And voilà, there were actually plenty of good things left. Or maybe it was just good timing of when the more organised sales hunters start to return their goods. This year I chose quality over quantity. It may seem massively 'spendy', but I'm justifying the means in that I'm moving into my new home this year, I can't take all my clothes with me, so I'm trying to cull the existing and refine my wardrobe to the basics. It was a pricey way of doing it admittedly, but definitely a good start into achieving my capsule wardrobe!

Embellished blouse - £90 £51.95

The classiest and comfiest of white blouses. Annoying this one has been reduced even further since I bought it, but that's life! But I loved it enough, and was relieved to pick one up before it sold out!

Bronze pleat skirt - £130 £50
This was a bit of an impulse purchase as I hadn't tried a midi skirt before, so wasn't sure if the length would suit me. But I love how they look paired with chunky knits and heeled ankle boots on the catwalk or in fashion week street photography. I went for one in this lovely bronze sort of colour. It is the skirt of dreams.

Floral Oxfords -  £138 £54.95
This was another in-store find, and another incredible saving. They are the marmite of the shoe world - kinda pretty, also quite alternative and weird - but I absolutely love them.

White boyfriend shirt [not pictured]
This was another in-store (Anthropologie), which I can't find online anywhere. I love wearing knits with a collar peeking out of them and this textured, and for lack of better words... "embossed dot" collar is a lot more interesting than a standard, stiff white collar. It's the sort of shirt which would also look great worn under a pair of dungarees or a jumpsuit.

Kitten heel boots - £49.99 £39.99 £19.99
I love the playfulness of knee high boots worn with a little skirt. I'd been on the hunt for some for a while, but never found any that were quite delicate or dainty enough. I think I may have found them!

Velvet stud blouse - £49.99 £25.00
I also found the most incredible black little sheer blouse with velvet and stud detailing which makes me feel like a boho cowboy/girl. This one sold out and is no longer online so can't link to this one - sorry!

Twill Tulip Shorts - £68 £19.95
Weirdly enough the XS were more expensive (£26.95) whereas S and upwards were cheaper! These sold out really quickly so I didn't get my size unfortunately and had to size up. But you know what? These are actually better with a more relaxed fit. They are more flattering on the leg, and these shorts look divine peeking out from under an oversized knit. These shorts have definitely been my wardrobe staple lately.

Camel coat - £120 £84
Sadly this coat had sold out in the River Island online sale, but by chance I found one here. I'd noticed and loved this coat back when it was full price, so pretty chuffed to find it in the sale. It did sell out in record time though. So I was stoked when casually I went onto the site one day and saw they had one more left in my size!

Maple trousers - £100 £29.95
I live in jeans and have always wanted some smarter and comfier trousers. These were an absolute bargain and I was amazed by such a generous saving. I love the leaf print, very autumnal

Scallop shirt (also available in petite) - £80.00 £22.95
Be it food or fabric, I do like a scallop. This offering is slouchy, comfortable and so much more interesting than a bog standard shirt. You can never have too many white shirts!

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So as you can see, my wardrobe basics are coming along nicely! Of course a few non sale items worked their way in too ;) but that's always the way!

An Ibiza inspired look with River Island

Everyone has their ultimate summer holiday destination. I don't know what it is, but when I think of summer, I think of festivals and Ibiza. I've never been to Ibiza before, but it's definitely on my bucket list.

No matter whether I am jumping around in a field at a festival with friends, or partying it up on the White Isle, the look I would gravitate towards would be ethereal and boho inspired, with a splash of colour here and there.

Gold cuff - £6  //  Maxi skirt - £45  //  Floral print bikini top - £18 //  
Khaki fringed bag - £50 // Gladiator sandals - £40 //  Floral print bikini bottoms - £14 

Gold body harness - £50 //  Tinted lens aviators - £13

Sandals - nothing ruins a night out more than calling it short because of achy feet. Flats for the win!
Bikini - beautiful colours - plus versatile for if you want to take a dip later!
Floaty skirt - the light weight material makes this the perfect evening cover up, yet the slits add a cheeky flash of skin
Fringed bag - nothing says summer more than fringing. Also good swish factor for dancing.
Body harness - why go for normal jewellery when you can wear... a harness? Take bikinis to the next level!
Arm cuff - wear on your wrists daytime and on your upper arm later to take the look from day to night
Aviators - no holiday is complete without aviator shades. Ibiza screams for bold colours!

I chose these items because they are so easy to mix and match with other items in your wardrobe. No matter where in the world I am, with this kind of outfit I can see myself embracing summer, with a drink in one hand, maxi skirt twirling and swirling with me as I dance the night away to my favourite summer tunes. I'm still loving the Robin Schulz remix of Waves. It never gets old!

Which trends will you be embracing this summer?

* The above is my entry for River Island's latest competition #RIPACHA - as ever, all words and opinions are my own!

Autumn / winter staple: The camel coat

Words cannot express the frustration of loving something so much, and then the futility of not being able to find it ANYWHERE.

Which is exactly what I experienced with a coat from River Island.

It graced the pages of magazines, and distracted me at bus stops nearly making me miss the bus on several occasions... It was constantly taunting me. You want me. You want me so badly. And yet you cannot have me... 

... Because I couldn't find the damn thing any where.

I was ready to give up. Or at least maybe consider contacting River Island to enquire if the coat was in fact real or if it was about as mythical as a unicorn. Then yesterday morning I struck gold. I went onto the website and found it in the New In section.

At £110, it isn't the cheapest of coats on the British high street - but it's well worth the investment as it's a timeless piece that I will get so much wear out of over the years. After work I swiftly went online and snapped one up sooner than you can say "camel".

I had been frantically Googling "camel coat" and stalking eBay for the longest time. But now the search is over. Googling those two little words always filled me with an urgency to find said coat. I dare you to scroll through the next few images and not feel the same way...

And the River Island coat in question...

FINALLY a camel coat that hasn't sold out before I've managed to get my mitts on it! REVELATION.

Have you bought into the sandy coloured coat trend yet?

Christmas wish list - in association with The Watch Hut

ASOS cable knitted knee highs  //  L'Occitane hand cream  //  Whittard's white hot chocolate  //   River Island fur collar

Yankee candles  //   M&S slippers //   Urban Outfitters "L" mug //  Michael Kors watch via Watch Hut  // ASOS party dress 

The Watch Hut have joined forces with e-tail PR and are inviting bloggers to create a Christmas wish list for a chance to win £100-300 worth of vouchers from ASOS [competition now closed]. All you need to do is pick out a watch from their website and feature it in your wish list. I have been longing for a Michael Kors watch for ages now so knew I wanted to center my wish list around this. I used to wear a Baby-G watch when I was younger but it broke and I haven't owned a new watch since :'( I love rose gold jewellery so I was instantly drawn to the rose gold watches Michael Kors has to offer. And what better way to count down the hours until Christmas day than with a Michael Kors watch from The Watch Hut? ;) The rest of my wish list is based around the things I love most about Christmas. Festive scented candles, chunky knits, hot chocolate, moisturising beauty products, the perfect Christmas party dress, and cosy faux fur collars to instantly update last season's coat.

What's on your wish list this year?

River Island sale now on!

The River Island sale started today and once again, I have failed to add any colour to my - very monochrome - wardrobe:

French print sweatshirt - £17 - anything with French on it and I'm SOLD

Lace maxi dress - £20 - toughen up with a leather jacket and biker boots

Mesh ballerina top - £10 - pair with a skater skirt for a ballerina / ladylike glam inspired look

Embellished cream top - £12 - perfect for those with magpie tendencies

Houndstooth belted skirt - £10 - this screams autumn / winter

Textured sweatshirt - £12 - will look amazing with statement jewellery layered on top

It's official. I need to go to some form of black & white clothing rehab.

Your new best friend: ESPADRILLES

Most of you will agree that shoes are beautiful, beautiful things. How wedges give you height and save you the discomfort of spindly stiletto heels. The elegance of a court heel with boyfriend jeans rolled up at the leg. How trainers are having a moment again... the list goes on. However one shoe that has never rated very highly in my eyes is the espadrille. Espadrilles - a French word - have apparently been in production since the fourteenth century so have quite the history. Once upon a time, espadrilles were seen as peasant shoes, but have grown in popularity over the years. Nowadays they are no longer solely - haha! - sold in Basque countries - they have a designer backing too. Chanel espadrilles, I'm looking at you.

Espadrilles were one shoe purchase I thought I'd never make. But with High Street stores like New Look and River Island bringing out pretty floral versions, it was then they caught my eye. On a total whim, I ordered a pink and blue floral pair from New Look a few weeks back. Ridiculously comfy, they've hardly been off my feet since. This weekend I bought my second pair - again from New Look - this time in blue floral print.

So far I find they go brilliantly with denim cut offs or trousers with a rolled up leg. 

But as ever, I turn to LookBook for styling types and inspiration:

Would you wear espadrilles?
Which type of shoes can't you live without?

WORLDWIDE WARDROBE

Approaching the end of the financial year is always a busy time for our office. Early starts and late finishes mean that when I leave work, I rarely switch off. My mind is always buzzing and thinking ahead to tomorrow's tasks. Gawd, I need a vacation. Once July swings around, I'm free to travel. I dream of:

• escaping my desk
• sight-seeing
• actually having the time to sit and read a book from cover-to-cover
• having the chance to take my new DSLR out

But where to go?

Clutch (£15 - now out of stock) // Dress // Earrings // Ring // Shoes // Nail polish / YSL lipstick 

When going out for cocktails, I don't think you can ever go wrong with a LBD. I loved this lace high neck version from Lipsy as this is very "me" and the sort of style I usually go for. With that incredible lace detail, I wanted the high neck to remain the focus of the outfit - so would pull my hair back and instead of a necklace, would accessorise with statement earrings, a red lip, and nails of a similar shade. And obviously when going out for cocktails, a cocktail ring is a necessity! :) I fell in love with these heels as the embellishment reminds me a little of that beautiful Zara necklace that the whole world snapped up before I had the chance to! To inject some colour into the outfit, I chose out a neon lime clutch to compliment the gems in the shoes.

Trench coat // Lace dress // Ballet pumps // Rose gold watch // Bag

The French get the city look so right - effortlessly chic, yet comfortable for spending the whole day on your feet. Paris in particular brings out a romantic side to me where I am attracted to neutral colours. This lace dress from Next fits the bill perfectly. I would wear this Zara trench coat on top as weather wise, I find Paris to be a lot like London - there's sure to be a spot of rain here and there. For a day on your feet, flats are essential. I loved the lady-like quality of this bag and it's a good size for carrying everything around with you all day. Rose gold is a big love of mine and this Michael Kors look-alike from Next would ensure that I get to the Eurostar terminal on time! I would use some of my spare change for a very French accessory - a baguette - which I would sit with in my favourite park, Buttes Chaumont, watching the world go by.

Playsuit // Ring // Clutch // Jacket // Boots // Nail polish // Bag

Although I live in London, I feel so out of touch with the city. There's so many touristy things I'd love to do - like see the Tower of London - and I rarely get the chance to go shopping (I think I've only been to Westfield once!) I love a print, so this paisley playsuit from AX Paris really caught my eye. Also, playsuits are so easy to get out of in the changing rooms! ...pretty much naked in one swoop! ;) My look is usually quite monochrome so I paired the black and white print with... quelle surprise... a black and white jacket. I loved this one from Missguided as it's different to a standard leather jacket. I live in ankle boots because they're just so comfortable for all occasions - whether it be shopping, going to gigs, etc. Urban Outfitters do lots of cute wallets at the moment which double up as phone holders - very handy for clubbing as well as shopping. I chose this design in particular as I love a bit of Aztec print! I always wear rings and the more unusual, the better! I was stunned at how amazingly priced this one from Boohoo was. Lastly, so that this outfit wasn't too monochrome, I added this bag and a glittery nail polish for a splash of colour.

Body harness // Playsuit // Sunglasses // Headband // Wedges // Rose gold cuff // Clutch // Nail Wraps

I wanted to keep this look quite simple, so went for white as the main theme with gold accents from the accessories (gold looks amazing with a tan!). The clutch is perfect for going out but wouldn't look out of place during the day either. I loved the neckline of the playsuit so didn't want a necklace to distract attention away from this. During the day, I would wear this playsuit as it comes, with the sunglasses (how cool are these?!). Later when heading to a club, I would mix up the playsuit a little by adding this body harness - it isn't too "out there" so you can still see the cut out aspects of the playsuit through it. When clubbing, I also like to be wearing some sort of statement accessory which is why I chose out the Grecian style head band. I guess you could even wear the sunglasses in the club too! I chose wedges rather than heels because it's far more feasible partying until the early hours in wedges. Rather than appearing too monochrome, I added a splash of colour with the nail wraps. With £60.82 left over, that's useful extra funds for club entry and drinks!

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The above is my entry for Travel Supermarket's latest competition where a holiday for each of the above cities is up for grabs as well as £200 to purchase your winning outfit! To enter, you need to create a look for as many of the categories as you like, with a budget of £200 per outfit. To find out more, you can read all about the competition on their website: www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/worldwide-wardrobe/ 

Which of my looks is your favourite? 

Another year. Another birthday. Another wish list.

• Game of Thrones - I don't actually own any of the books or previous series. GoT is epic.
• Candles - love scented candles and too-pretty-to-use candles (as above)
• Naughty Alice perfume - anything Alice in Wonderland related is fine by me. You can even get quotes from the book framed. It has taken all my strength not to order these for myself yet.
• Flowers - I love surprise flower deliveries. And how cute are these Interflora roses?! 
• Scrabble "L" ring - one of my favourite rings and then mine broke :'( 
• Teacups and saucers - besides tea, a novel way to drink cocktails and burn tea lights
• Quote jewellery - River Island always do the best bangles with quotes on them. I own two already but not the one above. I've also seen some pretty cute rings and bracelets with quotes elsewhere but I forget which website I found them on... frustrating much?
• Disney Couture Drink Me necklace (below) - I've been after one for ages and every time I think I've finally tracked one down online, it turns out to be an old webpage and VERY sold out. :'(

My birthday's next week and I'm celebrating with different people on different days over the next two weeks. Hopefully heading to Brighton too if the weather continues to behave itself. Does anyone have any suggestions of things to do / see / eat there? I hear there's an Alice in Wonderland shop in Brighton! ;)

Autumn/Winter #PassionForFashion

Autumn / Winter is my favourite time of the year for fashion, so when I was contacted by Money Supermarket inviting me to take part in their Passion For Fashion campaign, it was a no brainer! I was asked to create five different Autumn / Winter looks – party, casual, office, outdoor and first date – with a budget of £200 per look using UK online fashion retailers. The aim being to locate good value products and make savings where possible. 

My outfits took me absolutely ages to create but it was really fun!
Please read on to see my take on all five looks....

Playsuit - Urban Outfitters - £38

Jacket - Republic - £30

Necklace - H&M - £34.99

Wedges - Republic - £20

Bag - Zara - £19.99

Lashes - Matalan - £3

Lipstick - Topshop - £8

Nail polish - Topshop - £6

Lace socks - River Island - £4.50

TOTAL: £164.48

I felt like this playsuit was excellent value for money because of its potential versatility in the autumn / winter months. Not only can it be dressed up, but it could also be used as shorts for a more casual look when teamed with an oversized knit. I have chosen to keep the colour palette fairly simple for this look with a black and white theme. Rather than just wearing the wedges as they are, I would pair them with these lace socks. I really like the socks and heels trend at the moment and feel these lace ones completely change up the look – simple wedges suddenly look like lacy shoe boots. All for a mere £24.50 in total for both the wedges and socks (I found this to be cheaper than most pairs of shoes when scouring the web). The wedges were a bargain sale find from Republic where I also found this lovely jacket for a mere £30. I was really shocked by this price as I feel that it looks a lot more expensive. Every party outfit needs a statement piece of jewellery. I saw this H&M necklace – which is a little pricier than I’d usually pay for H&M jewellery – but it is well worth the investment as it would be perfect for December party season and New Years (it would really transform a simple little black dress). The Zara bag was just £19.99 and is another versatile product for this season – I would have plenty of use for it day time too and it wouldn’t look out of place in the office either. And being a party look, fake lashes, lippy and a splash of nail polish add to the look subtly without outshining the main talking points of the outfit: the playsuit and necklace. 

Dress - H&M - £34.99

Bag - Accessorize - £35

Jacket - Boohoo - £35

Heels - H&M - £29.99

Nail polish - Topshop - £6

Underwear set - Topshop - £26

Necklace - ASOS - now reduced to £16!

Stockings - Tesco - £9

TOTAL: £191.98

For a first date, you want to make an effort (after all, it would be nice to score a second date) but not go too overboard. I feel that this outfit encompasses the smart casual look well. The dress could be worn everywhere – meaning that you will get your money’s worth in no time at all – and it is a great transitional piece as not only does it look wintery, but it also wouldn’t look out of place in the spring / summer months. I feel a bit naked without jewellery and loved the simplicity of this ASOS necklace which has been reduced down in the sale since the first time that I saw it. In this country we can’t really survive autumn / winter with bare legs, so I chose out these lacy stockings to give my make-believe date a nice surprise. I always feel so much more confident when wearing a nice underwear set – plus it’s fun knowing what’s underneath when he doesn’t! ;) For a splash of colour, I added a floral handbag, H&M heels and some nail polish in a closely matching shade. I love the berry red kind of colour – especially around Christmas time. So that the outfit didn’t appear too girly – or too formal for a first date – I toughed up the look with a leather jacket. I couldn’t believe that this jacket was only £30 from Boohoo! It looks so much more expensive and would get so much wear across all months – not just the autumn / winter ones.

Blouse - Zara - £29.99

Mary Janes - Tesco - £15

Skirt - Urban Outfitters - £30

Satchel - Bershka - £25.99

Blazer - Yayer - £50

Tights - Topshop - £4

TOTAL: £154.98

Office wear is a difficult one. You want to dress smartly for work but at the same time, buying suits can only get you so far. A good suit will set you back quite a bit of money plus it’s kind of restricted to work and interviews. When adding to my work wardrobe, I always keep my eye out for pieces that I can wear outside of work too (this way the items get a lot more wear out of them). I chose out this skirt as it’s such a versatile piece. I feel like it can be worn across the year and dressed up or down accordingly. In this instance I would wear with simple black tights and these Mary Jane shoes that are a mere £15 from Tesco (I kid you not!). Normally my outfit of choice involves either a) a very long necklace or b) a shorter but very sparkly necklace. However when I found this Zara blouse with the amazing high neck detail, I knew that jewellery had no place here. To keep the Victorian neckline the focus of outfit, I would tuck the loose tunic fit of the top into the skirt. For those chilly autumn / winter months, bare arms are a big no no. I fell in love with this Yayer jacket which has a military aspect to it with the buttons, as well as a preppy “school” kind of feel. Keeping with the school theme, I added this satchel which is so much cheaper than other satchels out there (Cambridge Satchel Company, I’m looking at you!) and is a lot more unique with the floral detail. 

 Cardigan - Boohoo - £25

Boots - Boohoo - £40

Dress - Republic - £30

Fleece - Boohoo - £25

Backpack - Republic - £20

Umbrella - Matalan - £5

Mittens - Tesco - £5

Socks - Urban Outfitters - £8

TOTAL: £158

The outdoors is quite a tricky one in Britain because our weather is so varied. One minute it’ll be bitterly cold and pouring with rain, the other it will be quite mild. My outdoor look makes use of layering so you are prepared for all possible types of weather! Seeing as we can’t guarantee dry, warm weather I chose out these insanely cute cat mittens and lacy umbrella. At just £5 each, these items don’t break the bank and can be stowed away in the Aztec backpack when not needed. To keep my feet warm, I would wear these toasty looking socks with these long boots which are a mere £40 from Boohoo. I choose out this dress in particular as although it is used in a casual context here, it can also be easily dressed up with some of the items from my other looks. For the layering part of my look, I would wear this very soft and warm looking fleece on top of the dress and then on top of that, use this Aztec cardigan as a coat. Together, the fleece and cardigan come to £50 and are probably much warmer than a standard coat (which will most certainly be more expensive). 

Cape - Asda - £10

Top - Lipsy - £40

Shorts - Miss Selfridge - £39

Knee highs - River Island - £8

Nail wraps - Missguided - £6.65

Slippers - Republic - £10

TOTAL: £113.65

I took “casual” to mean the sort of autumn / winter look I’d wear when chilling indoors watching movies with friends. Normally around the house I’ll wear denim cut offs with long socks and a cape - so I tried to stay true to that within this look. When being casual at home, I always like to experiment with my nails – whether it be trying new colours or nail art. In this instance I’ve chosen out these very cute nail wraps from Missguided. The Asda cape is an absolute bargain for £10 as since it’s reversable, it’s like having two different capes! To play on the cape’s monochrome look, I would wear with black knee highs (perfect for layering under trousers in the colder months) and this loose fitting, comfy looking white Lipsy top. Normally I would wear a necklace with the top and a belt with the shorts, but I feel like the embellishment on both items already give the desired effect. And if you and your mates decide to go out after all, the glitzy top and shorts will see you through as they are a little more dressy. To go the whole hog with the casual look, I would probably wear some ballet pump style slippers. I was sold when I found these owl slippers online. Lots of slippers online at the moment seem to be wintery themed - what with reindeer print and snowflake print - which does limit you a little bit. These cuties won’t break the bank at only £10 and the best thing? They aren’t autumn / winter specific so can be used all year round. RESULT!

So there you have it. Those are my five looks.

Would you wear any of these? 

Which is your favourite look?

Forgive me, for I have sinned

Somebody please take my card away from me. Save me. The sales are too tempting. I am ever the sales sceptic (they’re usually rubbish) but this time around I have actually been really impressed with what the High Street has to offer.

Here, have a nose of my recent naughtiness:

ASOS bag: This bag caught my eye ages ago as it is so me (I get through a disgusting amount of cake). I was never going to pay £50 for it though so the 50% discount is a nice touch!

River Island men’s sweater: It’s way too big on me and I don’t care. It’s warm. It’s fleecy inside. It has galaxy print AND a dip dye effect. SCORE.

River Island shorts: After seeing Giselle’s post on DIY dip dye shorts, I’ve been keen to do some DIY of my own. However I spotted these shorts in the sale and took the easy way out! They will really spice up some of my black items of clothing.

ASOS shoes: I loved all these when they were full price… but £60 for a pair of shoes?! Honestly! Now these prices have been slashed, I am breaking my flatform virginity and braving these scarily high looking wedges.

Illustrated People blue glass tee: The pattern is dreamy and blue being my favourite colour meant that it was a no brainer!

River Island dress: Drop waist dresses don’t really suit me as I already have quite a long torso so they don’t do me any favours! I couldn’t resist this print though. The dress itself is so light – perfect for hot weather (if we ever see any in the UK!!)

River Island lace blazer: Hands up, I have blazer prejudice. I like them short and well cut. Something about this long line one called out to me. I’m guessing it was the lace… *lace fan girl right here!* Words cannot describe how amazing this looks worn. This will also be perfect for weddings and other formal occasions.

So there you have it. I have sinned. A lot. 

But as Jean-Paul Sartre said:

“If I satiate my desires, I sin but I deliver myself from them; if I refuse to satisfy them, they infect the whole soul”.

Good old Sartre!

What are your sins / guilty pleasures?

ASOS | River Island

Sales: a summary

The January sales. What did you make of them? I’ve spotted some pretty sweet buys on all your blogs :) Did anyone else feel that they were a bit a shambles this year? The savings weren’t even that great. £5 off a skirt? Oh why thank you. How very generous of you. And I recognised so much old stock. Last year’s rejects no doubt.

I dedicated one day to get my sales fix. The day was executed with military precision. Up at silly o’clock, there at silly o’clock and done late morning before all the crowds and craziness. Here’s a summary of my January purchases:

Primark:

Still in possession of many Primark vouchers (incentive for doing a Primark survey), I couldn’t resist this bed throw - a total steal at £3!

Plus a couple of pairs of wellie socks – a nudge to book up for a festival this year!

They’re perfect for lining boots in this cold snap we’re having at the moment.

River Island:

I bought this River Island skirt and it’s a few sizes too big. Like on a drastic scale. Why do we do this to ourselves? Crazy low prices can inspire such madness sometimes! 

But it was only £5 and I can easily sew it in.

Topshop:

This Topshop coat and boots had to be returned. LOVED the wedges but they were pointed and far too narrow. Think they would’ve crippled me. The coat had really annoying hook and eye fastenings and was way too much hassle to deal with. I did however keep a black mini skirt which I can’t find *rubbish blogger* It’s a size smaller than I usually take (oh the joys of sale stock…) but it fits like a glove. It’s so refreshing to be able to wear a non-flippy skirt that doesn’t everyone give everyone an eyeful when it’s windy out!

French Connection:

Originally £180, I paid next to nothing for these in the sale thanks to a generous reduction and a French Connection voucher I already had. I do like Chelsea boots but was after something a little bit different to the ones you see on everyone. I love the strap detailing – an added quirk that satisfies the rock chick in me. If you like them, they’re still selling them on ASOS.com - but for £126. Silly.

Yankee:

As much as I love Yankee candles, I can’t justify spending that much on candles. I jumped at the chance to buy their mango and peach scented candles for £3.22 

And I was lusting after this gift set before Christmas - but I was never going to spend £20 for a pack of sampler sizes:

I was ecstatic to find them reduced down to half price in the sale. Christmas cookie, Mountain pine… I’m all set for Christmas next year. WIN.

Boots:

I don’t really go to Boots for jewellery but I couldn’t resist this ring. I love the design so much. I think this is the sort of ring I’d choose out if I ever got married / engaged. Except with nicer stones instead of these cheapo ones that keep falling off!

I also feel the need to share the late Christmas presents I received from friends:

Very cute mug and hot chocolate set

Another mug which sums me up well

Check out my friend’s awesome knitting skills! 

Such a cute and alternative way to decorate a gift!

Last but not least... this cookery book which I 

have been experimenting with this weekend:

Raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes.

They just melt in your mouth. NOM.