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? 

Preview of the Warehouse new Collection

A couple of weeks back I was invited to a preview of Warehouse's new collection and I have to say, I was really impressed. Me being the idiot that I am, forgot my camera so was unable to photograph all the beautiful rails of clothing. But no matter, I still had a lovely time browsing through the collection, meeting other people, and being talked through the new season trends. With beautiful neon coloured maxi dresses and swimwear, sheer white lace, and eye-catching statement jackets, I was literally ohh-ing and ahh-ing every piece I saw. Unluckily for me, lots of things in my size had sold out. But as luck would have it, they had my absolute favourite item from the collection in my size.

As you can see, my look that day was quite school inspired with a mini pleated skirt, a cropped grey knit and an untucked white shirt for good measure. And matching grey nails it appears(!)

Behold the beauty that is this Warehouse dress:

As soon as I laid my eyes on the colour, it was love at first sight. Such an unusual shade, I still can't pinpoint what colour it is... "light blue" just doesn't seem to do it justice. I love the back also:

The cut of the dress is classic and I'll get so much wear out of it. I have a wedding next year in Canada which it will be perfect for. Also suitable for work, date nights, family events, weekends away, and post-work drinks / dinner. The possibilities are endless! 

Disclaimer: Warehouse very kindly offered us 25% off the collection if we wanted to buy anything there and then, but other than that, this dress was paid for myself

Birthday summary

In the days leading up to my birthday I went for a lovely meal with Ali and Sof - two of my best friends who I've known since I was three(!) - and the day before that, an afternoon tea with Nicole:

On the Friday I booked out part of a pub and went for birthday drinks with work. Later in the evening we moved across to a cocktail bar for shots and my favourite cocktail which is essentially a milkshake with alcohol! Feeling quite hungover the day after, I remained sober when friends came round to mine. We had a right laugh and just played cards all night long. They brought out the birthday cake I'd made myself and used a make-shift candle one of my friends happened to find:

Yes, a chunk of the cake was already missing.... *my bad!* I sense people are becoming fully aware of my love of cake. Naf brought over the biggest red velvet cupcakes I've seen in my entire life:

And Sara gifted me this amazing boxful of Hummingbird Bakery goodies:

The morning after was TROPICAL so breakfast was a picnic outside:

I'd hoped to arrange a brunch the next morning but instead opted for a really late lunch. A few of us went for hilariously named cocktails...

... burgers, fries and HUGE onion rings:

Afterwards we enjoyed the balmy weather and went in search of milkshakes:

The week after, the weather continued to impress. I was kindly loaned a DSLR to play around with so decided to have a bit of an experiment in the woods on Bank Holiday Monday. I was really impressed with the capabilities of the Nikon I tried and how easy it was to use:

Val's birthday is mere days after mine so a group of us went for a meal at a restaurant I'd been dying to try for ages. We were sat at the head chef's table and it was all so tasty, I'm already planning my next visit!

My terriyaki salmon burger was amazing! Cocktails were served in tea cups:

I've pretty much had the rest of this week off from work so spent some time in Brighton with the Nikon. We ate Harry Ramsdens on the beach with the sun blaring down on us and the salty taste of beach in the air.

Having fun with the camera... can you see me?

 And because it was my birthday, I treated myself...

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! ;)

Blame it on the sun

With the sun finally gracing us with its presence, I'm already planning and plotting and getting way ahead of myself in the process. Longing for summer, I dream of BBQs, outdoor swimming pools, holidays abroad, and drinks in the park. Perhaps rather prematurely, I ordered myself two bikinis:

 Blue & White Floral Bow - New Look

South Beach White Amy Frill - New Look

Looking outside now at the grim skies and fairly epic rain, I feel somewhat to blame for this sudden reversion back to typical British weather. Please accept my heartfelt apologies.

#1 Currently Coveting: ASOS

Oh ASOS, you had me at “sale”. 

But up to 50% off? Oh you do spoil us.

Here’s what I’m currently coveting:

Toile de Jouy print dress - £28 – non sale

Oasis Cutwork shoulder bag - £40 – non sale

Motel Lucille dress - £40 - £20

River Island cat print skirt – £22 – non sale

Statement necklace - £40 - £32

Seriously tempting. Particularly as I can get an extra 10% off and cashback because of work.

The Motel dress looks better in motion in the weird video thing that ASOS do. It’s my birthday in less than a month’s time and I’m thinking birthday outfit right there. The Toile de Jouy print dress is so versatile. Perfect for the winter-spring transition but also great for festivals, gigs, and balmy summer nights spent in beer gardens. And screw designer handbags, this Oasis bag is THE BAG to have. Decisions, decisions...

Have you picked up any bargains in the sales lately?

I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.

No matter what the holiday, I always use it as the perfect excuse to spend more time in the kitchen and make more of an effort with meals. After work it’s all too easy to reach for a takeaway or grab a pizza because after being confined to a desk for most of the day, who wants to spend hours on end prepping dinner?!

I dug out a recipe I'd been dying to try for ages. A Spanish style stew - chorizo, chickpeas, spinach, red wine and tomatoes – topped with a piece of fish

Waiting for food to cook is a thirsty affair:

Instead of buying a baguette, I made my own bread from scratch. Stuffed with numerous sun-dried tomatoes and black olives, the dough barely held together. There may have been some swearing at this point...

Thankfully it didn’t fall apart in the oven, and the end result was pretty damn tasty:

Bitten by the bread bug, the next day I made bread rolls stuffed with chorizo. 

Think of them as like a pizza stuffed crust... but in miniature form

I gave slutty brownies a go

For those of you who are in the dark about slutty brownies, these are brownies AND cookie dough combined into what I can only call a MIRACLE. Best served warm for a gooey centre. You can use basic brownie and cookie recipes for this. Or you can be lazy like me and buy a mix... thanks Asda!

The chicken stuffed with parsley garlic butter and black olives was a fiddly affair. It was meant to be like a swiss roll but the chicken I bought was bordering on morbidly obese and was too fat to roll out. Even after I beat the hell of it with a rolling pin, it remained stubborn. Instead I improvised and made chicken parcels:

The end result was delicious:

And I like to think some of it looked like a swiss roll (ish)

Stay tuned for more recipes and more food based content!

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