Denim Dilemmas & Ochre | Next haul

 It's officially my favourite time of year!

Baggy jumper season is upon us and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Lets talk denim. Like most ladies, I find shopping for the perfect pair of jeans a nightmare! Previously I have been a lover of New Look and Dorothy Perkins jeans because of their lower end price and decent fit. However I've recently gone off the fit of DPs and I'm finding New Looks to be hit and miss, especially with the lengths in their petite ranges for both brands. I have VERY short legs, and find that in most brands even petite isn't short enough. For instance in Newlook, I get petite ankle grazers - which still fit me past the ankle!

This time I have tried Nexts petite range of jeans - These were just £18 each making them cheaper on average than DPs and NL and they came in 6 different shades. I decided to order 3 pairs in a lighter washed blue, a mid-blue and a ripped style in black. As you can see from the photo above, they fit perfectly and are very comfortable! I'm so surprised that the length is actually perfect for me - No roll ups needed! I'm really pleased with my choice in colours too, I think they're all going to fit my autumn wardrobe perfectly, and I'll definitely be taking them away with me to Edinburgh later this month!

Big this season is the Ochre trend. You'll see lots of yellow toned products being pushed on most retailers websites and Next is no different. The colour itself sums up autumn, rich and suits almost everyone - Except me! I don't know if it's my hair colour, my skin tone or what, but yellow tones wash me out completely, so I have been at a loss as to how I can incorporate this gorgeous colour into my wardrobe. Until I saw these amazing patient loafers on the Next website - Footwear is a great way to add a pop of colour to your outfit and these look great with my new jeans & a chunky knit jumper. 

I actually own these shoes in patient black too, which I have had for a while, but I didn't know they came in other colours until I had a spot of online shopping last week. They also come in navy, berry and patterned dogtooth. 

I've been really impressed with Next recently. It is usually my go-to brand in the summer for cute cotton/linen basic dresses. However their autumn game has been strong this year and I'm looking forward to receiving another package soon featuring some teddy-borg cuteness and more chunky knits!

Stay tuned!

BOOHOO Curve LBD | OOTN

I love a good girls night, but like a lot of ladies hate trying to find that perfect outfit. I'm typically between a size 14/16 and petite, which usually makes finding dresses or jumpsuits a long slog through the high street. 

Dress £22| Shoes £22.99 | Necklace £22

This time round I decided to give BOOHOOs curve range a whirl. The curve and plus size section of the website has some fabulous dresses to choose from, taking my problem from not enough to too much choice! But eventually I went for the Plus Off The Shoulder Wrap Midi Dress loving the look of the tie waist and dropped shoulders. 

I'm pleased to say that the dress fit me like a glove and I felt absolutely fab all night! This is the first time I've worn a body con style dress in over 2 years and although at first I was worried the dress would be unflattering, it was surprisingly well made thick crepe material and didn't show off any lumps and bumps.  

I also had my hair curly blow dryed by the lovely Hair by Chantelle at Chloe Danielle Studios in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. This was an absolute god send, because I'm awful at styling my own hair and she made my hair bigger and bouncier than I ever could have! She specializes in gorgeous hairups and curly blow drys. 

Check her out on;

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My Graduation | Class of 2014

| Dress: Chi Chi Clothing | Shoes: River Island | Watch: Olivia Burton | Bracelet: Swarovski |

So, I'm no longer a student, but a full grown adult with a degree and the frightening prospect of finding a career! - Eeeek! But with all jokes aside, I've had a wonderful (be it slightly stressful) 4 years at Huddersfield University. I've met some fantastic people, made some life long friends in Yorkshire and I'm looking forward to a very bright future back in Liverpool!

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The H&M rose print skater dress | OOTN

| Dress - H&M | Bag - Deichman | Shoes - Office | Necklace - H&M |

I'm so glad I bought this dress when I did, I managed to pick this up the day it was released and actually picked it straight off a rolling rail before they had a chance to get it on the wall display. I think a week later only a handful of sizes were left too? - Crazy

This dress pretty much just screams summer. I'm a big fan of vintage patterns, and on the rare occasion I wear a dress I want to look pretty as a picture which I think is where this frock really excels. I mean you could be the biggest tom-boy in the world but you'd look like a real lady whilst wearing this outfit.

The bag is a big beautiful favourite too. I picked it up about a year ago at Deichman shoes for £7, an absolute bargain. And its so huge! I love a big bag and this one is great for me as I tend to try and take my life out with me on a night out - Small bags just don't make the cut.

Finally the shoes are a little present off Creature, he got them after I passed one of my uni modules with a 1st earlier this year and since have been a favourite for classy meals out. 

I think in hind sight, neutral accessories would have looked better but at the moment I have a severe lack of neutral heels that don't kill my tootsies! 

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Boyfriend t-shirts | Mini haul

 | Hogwarts T-shirt - £6 Primark | Mean girls t-shirt - Ebay |

I wish I could say I'm one of these girls that loves a dress, but I'm not. I'm definitely a jeans & t-shirt kind of girl through and through.  And ever since seeing Jess from Jessica In Your Ears Hogwarts t-shirt at a recent event, I've wanted my own! On a recent trip into Primark to grab the essentials I actually managed to get my hand on the navy blue version of this magical tee, and believe me I was also very tempted by the Slytherin and Griffindor tees too - But now that would be a tad obsessive now wouldn't it?

I've also recently been sent a fabulous t-shirt that commemorates one of my favourite films of all time, Mean Girls. I actually got this shirt for free through a store on Ebay after a very long winded dispute over 2 t-shirts going missing in the post and a completely made up investigation with royal mail by them. I eventually got a refund and a free t-shirt as compensation, but I won't be recommending this store any time soon as it seems from their recent feedback, this isn't the first time this has happened, and several people experienced the same treatment recently.

I am however utterly in love with both these tees. I've worn both simply with skinny jeans, sandals,  and a leather jacket, keeping the whole look very plain. But the inner geek inside me is just over the moon with both looks!

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Boyfriend jeans & summer florals | WIWT

| Jeans - Mango | Shirt - Primark | Bag - Mango | Shoes - Topshop | Necklace - H&M |

Now we're getting into summer I'm banned from my forever favourite skinny jeans & black jumpers. Replaced by summery floral patterns and pastel shades (much to my pale skins annoyance). However I'm not quite ready to give up my jeans.. Being a size 12 and quite big on the thighs, as a rule I probably shouldn't be wearing boyfriend jeans as they use serve to make my ass and thighs look huge, but they're just so darn cute! 

Personally I loved this outfit, the shirt looked really cute tucked in loosely, and paired with the neutral accessories it brought the whole look together. I wore this for a simple shopping trip with Creature, and felt cool enough without flashing too much milk bottle pale flesh!

What's your go-to summer outfit?

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House of Fraser prize haul

 

I posted last week my HoF wish list (see here) after receiving a £100 voucher via Frock me I'm Famous as the winner of her sponsored  giveaway. However once actually in my local House of Fraser, I quickly forgot my wish list and became engrossed in the Ted Baker SS14 collection.

 

I always see girls walking around with the Ted Baker bags, & I've always loved them. Naively I assumed they would be expensive due to the high price tag however I was over the moon when I picked up the small floral tote above for £35. It's perfect for the coming summer months & I can't wait to style it into an outfit.

Shortly after getting my bag, I picked up the small pink IPad case above too, I however had a different purpose in mind.. This little bag is the perfect size for my new Kindle, it's highly padded and features the classic TB bow on the front, making an uber stylish carrier for my tab.

 

I also picked up a pair of black sandals from Steve Madden. If you saw my wish list you will have seen a similar pair from Michael Kors, however they were sold out online in my size & my local store didn't stock them. I think these are a pretty good substitute, they're real leather and comfortable. But the gold plaque adds a subtle detail that can be matched with jewellery and accessories.

 

What would you spend a £100 HoF voucher on?

 

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HoF giveaway winner | Wishlist

 

Coat | MK Sandals | Tote Bag | Candle | Coffee Machine

I've been a very lucky girl! Last week I received a little letter from the lovely Hayley from Frock me I'm famous after winning her House of Fraser £100 voucher giveaway. And as I've not had time to actually spend it yet, I thought I'd have a gander on the website and create a little wish list. Obviously I cant have all of the above items but they're definitely things I'm considering!

Ok so first up is the coat from Glamorous, I had one very similar to this but more of a boyfriend fit (see here) however I accidentally left it in a bar, & forgot which one it was left in! - Doh! And at £25.50 this coat is an absolute steal, probably because it's spring & lets face it, we won't need coats for much longer, but still, I love the tweed and leather contrast.

I'm also completely in love with these Michael Kors sandals, they're exactly what I need for SS14. Simple, classy and fabulous! I'm almost certain that I'll be purchasing these if my local HoF store stocks them.. I also loved the Radley tote bag. I'm one of these crazy bag ladies that completely hoards handbags, recycle bags, any kind of bag! - So I thought, why not have a designer tote? & for £10 it's something too affordable not to buy.

Since moving into my new home with Creature, we've been buying loads of appliances but one thing I've wanted for the longest time is a coffee machine, This Nespresso machine comes in at a reasonable £89.99 and in a rage of colours. Although I'm pretty sure I'd go with a bright red one to brighten up my kitchen. & finally, no HoF wish list would be complete without at least considering splurging on Yankee Candles, I've a serious obsession with the brand and drive Creature crazy buying them all the time, but they make our flat smell delicious.

If you had £100 to spend in House of Fraser, what would you buy?

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Spring is here | Wishlist

 

| Jacket | Top | Jeans | Shoes | Bracelet | Necklace | Bag |

 

I love a good internet shopping spree, although at the moment, I'm banned from spending anything until payday. So instead, I'm bringing you a wish list of a few pieces I want for spring.

 

First up is a statement jacket. I'm desperate for something bold and floral for this season, & I was instantly drawn to the Red floral silhouette print blazer from River Island. I thought I wanted a multi coloured jacket when I first started looking, but I love the blood orange/red in this jacket & the white and black accents would make it unbelievably easy to accessorize.
Something I have in abundance is black tops and jeans, but I loved this spaghetti strap top from H&M & the lovely powder blue jeans from Topshop. The blue is perfect for the coming summer months, especially because the UK weather can be pretty unpredictable, so a good pair of light jeans is an essential.

& onto accessories, no SS14 wardrobe is complete without a neutral or black pair of ballet flats, I liked the Dune Lucille Brogue Tassel Loafer for the simple reason it combined both leather and suede.  The jewellery is from Mango (of course) & the bag Zara - You can't beat a bit of Mango or Zara jewellery! But I felt in particular the red bag paired with the bracelet would pull the whole outfit together.

What do you think of my choices?
 

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Oaks Boutique | Blogger event (*)

 

Not too long ago I was invited to an event at the Oaks Boutique in Leeds, for a night of networking, champagne and cupcakes. & of course the chance to look (and shop) all the gorgeous clothes for sale at Oaks Boutique. I can only apologise for being a few weeks late, Uni work really is taking priority at the moment, so posts may be a little slow - but hey, better late than never.

On arrival myself and a few blogging ladies were handed a glass of champers and invited to take a look around the store. Firstly what stood out most was the care an attention taken to separate all the walls into colour blocks, a gradient of blues on one wall to pink and neutral shades on the other. This I felt made it easy to shop, & being more of a black and white girl, I knew it would be easy to find things to try on from the more monochrome collections.

I was instantly drawn to all the accessories and shoes, of course, because I'm a little bit of a self confessed jewellery hoarder. So seeing the beautiful collection of over sized rings and gorgeous body chains made my bank account weep. Unfortunately I couldn't buy any of the beautiful pieces I so desperately wanted, even with the generous and tempting 20% discount, t'was the day before pay day & I was skint!

Oaks Boutique currently have three shops around the Leeds area,  Chapel Allerton (the clearance store), the main boutique in Roundhay (Street Lane, Leeds) in which the event was held, and finally one in Horsforth. Personally I loved the boutique, the staff were lovely and attentive, the clothes were beautiful & definitely reflected the British seasons. So many lovely thick and close knit sweaters (it's not quite summer yet!)
& if you happen to see anything you like on their facebook page, Oaks Boutique are happy to take payments over the phone & post your wanted items out to you! - Even though I do live in Leeds, I found the shop to be a little bit out of the way for me, so knowing Oaks provide this service is fantastic!

Finally, as the time came to leave, we grabbed another cupcake for the road as the staff handed us our extremely generous goodie bags, containing a beautiful paintent purse, a blue leopard print scarf (that my friend pinched shortly after the event! - Oaks you defs have a new fan!) a dainty silver necklace & some yummy sweeties!

Check out Oaks boutique for yourself here!

Have you ever visited Oaks boutique?
 

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Dresslily.com | Wishlist & Mango dupes

Dress | Brooch | Scarf | Bag | Boots

Dress 1 | Dress 2 | Dress 3 | Dress 4 | Dress 5

 

I recently saw a great little outfit post from one of my favourite blogging gals Sammie from Little Blonde Life, in which she was wearing a cute royal blue dress from Dress Lily (see here). So, intrigued by the apparent low price tag & quality fabric dresses, I decided to have a gander myself.

 

Firstly, I was amazed at how cheap so many of the items are, think Primark prices for items that (in many literal cases) are Mango/Zara quality. And as I flicked through page upon page of lovely items I soon started to recognise some of the frocks, & to my amazement I have actually found 5 dresses that we were formally sold in Mango!

 

But first, lets talk about my wish list. You may notice from Bo Blabs blog banner, I love birds! Any bird print, bright colours & in particular parrots or swallows are just my ultimate favourite print. (I even have 3 bird tattoos) So as you can imagine I instantly fell in love with the bright bird shift dress, much to Creatures disapproval. My only criticism of this dress however would be the neckline. Had it been slightly lower I would have added it to my shopping bag, however I regrettably know that this style of neck doesn't actually suit me #MakesMyNeckLookLikeAThumb.

I also fell in love with the amazing range of accessories. In particular my favourites from the above wish list would be the bicycle brooch and the boots. Oh my lord those boots!  I've been on the hunt for a nice pair of dark brown/ox blood flat boots for ages, & the day I finally find a pair I love - They're sold out in my size! Gutted.

 

So, the MNG dupes. They are identical to the ones we sold last season, in fact all of the above bar dress 2 and 3 were sell outs too. & I think the majority started out in between £34.99 - £44.99.

Dress 1 we actually sold in several different styles, the landscape print was one of our best sellers consistently throughout last year. I can only imagine that these dresses were sold straight out of the factory without the Mango tags.

Now, Dresslily.com are selling these dresses in many cases under £10 which is a fraction of the price of Mango. So if you missed out on any of the above in the sales, I would snap these up asap!

 

Since writing this post, I have actually placed an order with DressLily, buying dress 4 & 5 of the MNG dupes as well as the adorable bicycle brooch & a pair of knee high suede boots. I'll be looking forward to styling some great outfits with my bargains in the future, so stay tuned!

 

Which is your favourite item?

 

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Oaks Boutique Event | My favourite items

 

Above you'll see three absolutely gorgeous pieces that I was admittedly drooling over at the Oaks Boutique blogger event last week. Oaks have given bloggers who attended their lovely event a chance to win one of their three favourite pieces, & here's why I chose mine.

 

My absolute favourite was undoubtedly the waterfall lapel coat, the fabric was gorgeously soft to touch & looked miles more expensive than the very modest £39 price tag. I could imagine pairing this with a pair of shoe boots & leather trousers or even dark denim. Maybe a massive pair of sunglasses to add a touch of glamour.

 

I also fell in love the wide range of accessories Oaks Boutique had on offer, and in fact a lovely pair of ballet flats almost made it into my top three. The snake bracelet above was amazing, such a statement piece of jewellery. & in particular I loved the head of the snake & how unusual it was. Something like this would look amazing with a simple LBD, a neutral toned handbag and shoes.

 

& finally the box clutch. Box clutches are an obsession for me of late. I already have one in black but I would love to own this neutral pleated box to go with my new Mango stiletto pumps. I love how simple but classic the design is but the box style always make an impact to any outfit.

 

________________________________________

 

I had a fabulous time at the event, stay tuned for a full write up and more gorgeous photos of the clothes, accessories and our amazing complimentary goodie bags!

 

What do you think of my choices?

 

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Handmade jewellery haul | Cheap Frills

 

Ahh, I feel like I've been living in the dark ages! I've actually had no internet for 2 weeks whilst we've been moving flats, & now have a camera full of photos ready to be added to new blog posts. But on the bright side, I have a shiny new home with a balcony & a bath - woohoo! - Roll on weekly bath bomb posts!

 

So anyway, last month I went a little crazy & bought a few things from one of my favourite handmade jewellery boutiques, Cheap Frills. You may have seen one of my previous Cheap Frills haul from last year.

 

Once again when my package arrived I was so happy with everything. Georgia, the lady behind Cheap Frills is an absolute genius in my eyes, every little detail is just wonderful, from the way each item is lovingly wrapped, to the unusual wax stamp she uses to seal each bag of goodies. & of course the jewellery is always stunning & beautifully made.  

 

This time around I splurged out on a few items, the first being the Aurora Ring. This style of ring is actually available in many different colours on Cheap Frills at the moment, but I absolutely loved the soft pink and purple tones running through the stone of Aurora. Even the way it twists on each side is just such a lovely and feminine shape, perfect for someone who is into the Celtic sort of vibe.

 

The second items my magpie like eyes spotted were the Druzy stone collection. Cheap Frills have both rings and earrings set with some gorgeous coloured stones & I particularly loved the blue druzy sparkle earrings, not only because they were heart shaped, but because the colour was just so vivid.

The rings also come in the gorgeous blue tone, but unfortunately when I came to order, the blue had sold out! - sad face - However I did still buy a druzy sparkle ring in Champagne berries instead. The colour looks lovely with my Aurora ring when they're worn on opposite hands & compliment each other rather well. - So it turned out for the best!

 

Finally I bought a little moon necklace. Although I am admittedly more of a statement necklace sort of girl, I loved how dainty this pendant looked. Perfect for when I'm wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans or with a low cut top on a night out. The colours are so simple but it just looks too darn pretty!

 

One again I can't find a bad word to say about Cheap Frills, even after one of my earrings unfortunately arriving a little bruised & with the back falling off. But Georgia replied on the same day offering me a refund and tips on how to mend the earring myself. I've now mended my little druzy stud & am unbelievably happy with them & the help she offered.

 

Have you ever bought anything from Cheap Frills?

What's your favourite item on the website at the moment?

 

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