FURNITURE SHOPPING, BOOTS HAUL & NANDOS - MY WEEKEND

I know I go on about it maybe a little too much but I, like most others (unless you're an unfortunate soul who has to work), LOVE weekends. Now I have your typical Monday - Friday hours, I find myself constantly counting down until the weekend - granted, one day I plan to have a job that I don't count down the days quite so much, but for now it's a  regular hobby of mine. If you're a regular reader and you've read about me moaning about my previous job, you'll understandably think that I can't be pleased, which isn't the case, I just know  what job I want and need to work to get to it and go back to that horrid education even after completing my degree, so until then I mostly live for the weekends! 

My weekends are mainly spent with family; seeing my sister and visiting my grand parents. It's so nice to be able to spend lots of time with the ones that are most special to you. The other weekend, My boyfriend, Jamie and I went to my mums house, so that I could spend the day with my sister and he could go and see his family (luckily they live very close). My mum and her boyfriend made us breakfast when we got there, I'm fussy when it comes to eggs and only like the white part and can't stand the yolk, which is why the photo may seem a little odd. I wanted to start writing more lifestyle type posts, as my sister told me she doesn't bother reading my normal posts as she finds lifestyle ones more interesting (thanks sister), so I wanted to branch out.  It's surprising how hard it is to remember to take photos  in your normal day to day life, but I will get better at it! Everyone else was tucking into their breakfast and there I was standing on the chair, trying to get a decent angel and light for my breakfast shot... how do people make that look so easy?! 

I thought it was cute that my sister and I were wearing alternating colours, with our tops and jeans.I had been needing a pair of black jeans for ages as mine had officially come to the end of their life. I finally bought a pair from River Island a few weeks before and I think this was their first outing. Of course the first time I wore them I managed to get lily pollen on them which is notorious for staining. Luckily it all came off, with a helping hand from my mum hoovering my leg - if it worked I didn't care how it came off. Little tip there! 

My sister Hannah, is moving house soon so wanted to go and look at some furniture, which interests me for a little bit and then I easily get bored. Luckily for me there was also a Boots where we went and obviously I couldn't not go in. I had been wanting to get the Garnier Micellar cleansing water, the original pink version was out of stock so I just picked up the green version which is supposed to be good for combination skin. I doubt that there is much difference between the two but so far I'm liking it. Rimmel had a 3 for 2 offer on and I had been lusting after some of their highly raved about lip liners. Hannah and I got the same colours, Spice and Tiramisu. I wanted East End Snob but it wasn't there *cried a little inside* But all is restored as it may have just found its way into my superdrug online order (the only time I'm going to say damn you bank holiday, as it's just going to take even longer to come)! To satisfy the 3 for 2 I also bought one of the Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in the shade 08, which is a natural pinky mauve. 

After forcing Hannah and Jamie to take photos with me and the cats getting in on the action, we deliberated over what to have for dinner. I wanted pizza and Hannah wanted Chinese, some how we ended up going to Nandos and getting take away, which always seems a good idea when it's a Saturday night and hugely busy. I told Hannah and Jamie that I would stay at my mums house while they went to get it, as it was their idea and I didn't want to go to a busy place and just make it even more crowded. They didn't like this plan, so I ended up going. I sat in the back and they left me out of their conversations the whole way, as they both get on very well and have similar taste in tv programmes so often chat a lot about Family Guy and stuff I don't like and take the mick out of me. Luckily for me I had the food in the back so it wasn't all bad! Mwahahaa! 

I hope you're all having a great weekend and make the most of the extra day! 

SUMMER NIGHTS STYLE

I was going out with friends for the evening and decided that since I was all dressed up I might as well do a quick OOTD. I have since realised that only one or two posts down I'm wearing the same top. In the words of Kate Sanders, "Lizzie you are an outfit repeater!" (Lizzie Mcguire - you know)! I don't think it completely counts as It's only the top I'm repeating but still! 

Top : H&M

Skirt: River Island

Shoes: New Look

Watch: Fossil

 I recently bought this pretty flower skirt from River Island. I absolutely love everything in River Island at the moment. The skirt is so pretty and feminine, it is short but not too bad unless you're planning on bending over a lot, then perhaps go for something different. I had to resort to my mum taking these photos and she's probably the worst of the poor innocent souls that I force to take these kind of photos of me. It's hard enough just getting her to take a normal picture, let alone a shoe shot, so I'll just link the photo of the shoes 'here.' I think those are the right ones, but I'm pretty sure mine aren't the 'wide fit.' They're really easy to walk in and comfortable but you've still got a decent size heel when you want to dress up summer outfits a little. 

My watch is from Fossil and my nail varnish is Tanya Burr's Bright and Early, although it's looking a lot more coral in the photos. I love summer clothes but find it's always hard to dress well but still suitable and comfortable with the hot weather, so you don't look like you're just hanging at the beach. This outfit was very cool to wear, yet still looked a little dressed up. 

I kept my make up pretty simple as it was sooo hot - have I said that yet?! I went for a kind of summer appropriate smokey eye and used mostly the Make up Geek shade in Country girl, which is a warm red/brown, so not as harsh as black but still pretty and smokey. Everywhere else I packed on a lot of bronzer for that summer bronzed glow. 

 What are your favourite outfits to wear with this lovely summer weather?

SISTER DAY OUT | OOTD

The other day, we both had the day off work so decided to go on a kind of road trip, I say kind of as it was only an hour or so drive away. After not really knowing if we were heading in the right direction, we finally arrived at our location that can only be described as somewhere where most 18 and 21 year olds would probably avoid. It's a lovely place in the countryside so it has beautiful fields all around, with a few farm shop and antique type shops. My sister is pretty obsessed with home stuff and has bought the majority of our kitchen equipment, which does come in handy but sometime she's a little extreme, like once we've got plates etc we don't really need more and I'm not sure how many other people have 'milk glasses' specifically for milk. Anyway, she enjoys looking around those type of places at the food and home stuff so I just went along for the ride and the good photo scenery! 

After spending way too long waiting, while Hannah pondered over which draw handles to buy - yes, draw handles, the decorated ones that you replace the original perfectly usable and a lot cheaper handles with. Hannah picked up some crazy looking pasta, that had a black coloured band around each pasta bow piece. At first I thought it was pretty funky and monochrome but then I read it was from Squid ink dye, which definitely put me off but she still bought it and we used it for dinner that night and it just tasted like normal pasta luckily! 

My Outfit Details:

Top: H&M

Jeans: H&M

Shoes: New Look (old)

Bag: Jasper Conran (old, but the new style is identical)

Necklace: H&M

Lipstick: MAC Lady Danger

Hannah's Outfit Details:

Top: River Island

Shorts: Hollister

Shoes: New Look

Bag: Matthew Williamson (old)

Glasses: Karen Millen

Necklace: Accessorize (old) 

We then headed to the coast, there isn't too much there, especially for our age range but it's still nice to walk around in the sun. The famous fish and chip shops were closed by the time we got there as they're only open over lunch, which was pretty sad but good as we're both trying to eat better and shift a few pounds. We walked around the few shops that were there; there's a Jack Wills and Fat Face and a few more quaint little shops. We then sat on the beach for a while, which was nice as it was very quiet and lovely and sunny. 

Once we got home, we cooked the Squid ink pasta, with smoked salmon, tomatoes, garlic, white wine, onion and dill, which was pretty darn tasty, as long as you forget the whole squid aspect - unless you're a seafood lover, then just embrace the squid!  

I hope you've all had a good week and have a great weekend!

 where are your favourite places to go out to? 

CELEBRITY STYLE- JESSICA ALBA

 I have always loved Jessica Albas style, even if she did play the bitch in Valentines Day! So on request here's another celebrity style of another well dressed girl crush I have. Jessica has such a cool, relaxed fashion sense, yet still stylish and chic, with a little edge here and there. She always looks great so I love taking inspiration from all of her outfit choices. Here are some similar alternatives to Jessica's outfit that I've managed to find, so that we can steal Jessica's style! *evil laugh.*

 1. Urban Outfitters £26. One day I will be brave enough to wear hats. Simple outfits like this one, where the accessories become the focus point, is where I would most likely be able to conjure up the courage to buy and wear a hat and this one would look great with so many different outfits.

2. Boohoo £15. To counter Topshop's high shoe prices I found these sandals n Boohoo, they are  slightly more plain, but this also means there's no chance of any features falling off! 

3. Topshop £40. Despite recently posting a wish list post including boyfriend jeans, I have now discovered mom jeans which may have stolen the show in my wish list as they are slightly longer and give off a vintage Friends vibe. 

4. Accessorize £6. These really are nothing like the outfit, however, when trying to find some earrings I found these that were too beautiful to leave out!

5. Accessorize £10. More like the photo these Dagger Studs are perfect to  dress up a colourless outfit like this one! 

6.Topshop £55. For £40 more than the Boohoo shoes you can get slightly more detail and I can vouch for Topshop sandals lasting for years as long as they are worn responsibly! 

7.Topshop £18. There are similar tops to these in Primark for around £4 however due to a lack of website choice I was forced to put the more pricey one on here. Although I may have stolen this exact top from my mum and wear it at least once a week because it can really just create any look required easily. 

8. Jasper Conran £39. One very beautiful bag that is the perfect shape for any occasion this isn't quite the patent look of Jessica Alba's however I have recently adopted a craving for snake print and these colours together would mean it will go with any outfit.

9.Fossil £109. Just a smidge out of my price range, but for any of you that can afford to splash the cash it has now become a mission of mine to own a Fossil bag and this one is equally as beautiful as any. 

10. Lola & Grace £24.90. Slowly becoming my new favourite accessory shop, Lola & Grace has simple yet very elegant and very versatile necklaces. 

11. Dorothy Perkins £32. One consistency in my life currently is Dorthy Perkins daily emails with discount and money off online shopping and so, if you are looking for anything this should be the first point of call for everyone as the prices are steals at the moment! 

Do you like Jessica Alba's style? 

CELEB STYLE | BLAKE LIVELY

Now, who didn't love The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants in their youth? A classic chick flick that doesn't just show the fun lives of 4 best friends but also actually opens your eyes to all types of real life issues that unfortunately effect all of us, be that family drama or death, which is rare to see in your typical chick flick. 

Anyway I'm getting distracted! That was the first interaction I had with Black Lively, and ever since she has been on my admiration list! Although she became a household name in Gossip Girl I was more drawn to the books, so wasn't an avid watcher, however she still looked amazing throughout the series. 

Once again I've been stalking looking at photos on Celebrity Style Guide and have found an outfit that I need to buy, but obviously, I have found alternatives that are slightly more in a realistic price range ! 

I can see this being the perfect outfit to take you from summer into Autumn. If it's a warmer day the tights and jacket could be removed. In my opinion Blake always rocks the causal look when not on a red carpet, obviously, and this is part of why I love her style; it's easily transferable to our lifestyle, for example I cant see myself sharing Miley Cyrus' recent wardrobe choices! 

Here are some similar items that I've found, so we can all steal Blake's look!

1. I've always had a crush on River Island shoes however at £40 I'm far too indecisive to be spending so much on each pair of shoes, so I've generally been able to find alternatives in New Look however, for the sake of Blake I've chosen these as an alternative to the high heel. 

2. After looking at numerous websites I had almost given up on a suitable bag, but then this came up as a suggested item on New Look and is £27.99 but equally beautiful. I shouldn't admit this, but I am yet to perfect walking in heels, and generally feel too conspicuous in them, so have always been a little more into bags than shoes the result being more bags than I can go out to use! 

3. For those who prefer more figure hugging clothes, this River Island Jacket is £50 and very versatile for any Autumn look. 

4. This bracelet is from Miss Selfridge and although I wouldn't intentionally look in there for jewellery I think it would look great with the outfit, adding a touch of glamour to the slightly tribal feel of the skirt, the bracelet is £7.50. 

5. This skirt first attracted my eye while on a shopping trip and ever since I've been trying to find an excuse to purchase it, I think one has presented itself! It can definitely be styled for the day time or evening so at £34 and rated 5 stars on the website I can't see how it doesn't pay for itself! It's also available in both tall and petite - no excuse not to buy it!

6. Forever 21 has created these boots at £32.75, and although I am yet to own any ankle boots from here I did buy some Knee high brown flat boots last year and they have been perfect. 

7. This Topshop Cashmere vest is £20 which seems a little expensive however after purchasing similar items I can't fault them,  they're super soft and as boring and bland, as it seems I love grey as it goes with any colours or patterns which I normally prefer to wear in blazers or skirts. 

8. These boots are the closest match that I could find to Blake's. I personally couldn't ever wear them, which is why I've found some lower heel alternatives!

9. From Topshop, no surprise this is £85, however, I did buy a blazer very similar to this from River Island last year and wore it for weeks as it's warm without that 'preparing for a cold winter look'. 

10. This jewellery piece isn't partially close to what Blake was wearing however when I saw it I had to incorporate it somehow, there seems to be a pattern with Topshop items here! It's £15.50 so I would for sure advice being patient and waiting for the sales seeing as most of the jewellery becomes half price, I seem like a bit of a cheapskate but when there's so many beautiful clothes to buy I need to be! 

11. Finally this Topshop bag is £36 and beautiful... It almost brings back a fashionable nostalgia to the days when backpacks were the only bags to my name! 

12. This bracelet is also from Miss Selfridge and costs £8.50. I think it would be a great addition to an otherwise fairly plain outfit. 

I hope you've enjoyed my choices, this has been a very risky post considering now I have so many more clothes that I 'need' to purchase after looking at so many websites. Please tell me there's other people out there who constantly look up celebrity styles just so I don't feel quite as stalkerish! 

OOTD - KARDASHIAN KOLLECTION SKIRT

Hey!

I'm one of those people who like dressing up for no apparent reason. I'd love to tell you that I went out somewhere which required a nice outfit, but I didn't. This outfits only outing was a trip to Sainsbury's! Obviously minus the heels. 

Since escaping my more tom boy years, up until I was about... 10 years old, I've always liked dressing well, wherever I'm going. I go by the saying that if you think you look good, you feel better about yourself and your confidence. I feel a lot more confident if I think I look nice. Don't tell anyone but I sometimes even wear heels while I'm sitting at my desk writing whatever horrible assignment I've been set. It just makes me feel more professional and I guess I must be of the impression that this somehow helps my brain and thinking power... hmmmm each to their own!

Okay, this is getting too chatty and we're not even onto the outfit part! 

The skirt is from the Kardashian Kollection, stocked by Dorothy Perkins and it was on sale!! Yeeeyy!! It's a cream colour and the PU, leather like material. It's high wasted and I think it would flatter most figures. The blouse is from Topshop, but a couple of years old. I wouldn't have normally paired the two together, however, in the Kardashian shoots, Khloe wore this shirt with a white blouse, so I thought I'd give it a go. I think it's a really pretty and feminie outfit. To avoid it looking too much of an overdose of light colours and too insipid, I added the black heels, belt and necklace, to give a tiny bit of edge to the outfit. The necklace is from Forever 21, the shoes from New Look and the belt from Primark. 

You can get the skirt online and lots of the items are now on offer. 

CELEB STYLE - HILARY DUFF

We have always loved Hilary Duff - what young girl didn't watch Lizzie McGuire?! She's so pretty and she seems like one of the good celebrities; you never read anything bad about her, unlike *cough*  *Lindsey Lohan* *cough*... Anyway, lately we have also been loving her style. Although this look isn't your usual summer look, well lets face it, we don't have much of a summer in the UK generally so we thought this was a cool and effortless look that has the bright red jeans for some summer colour, but also has ankle boots and a khaki jacket in case it's not exactly hot outside. This would also be a good transitional outfit as it would be great for autumn/fall too. Hilary seems to have kept the outfit really simple and plain, however accessories with the  studded detail on the boots, lots of gold jewellery and a blue ring. It's a really great outfit if you're feeling like you want to look casual but still with a touch of glamour and edgy feel.  

Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2342140/Hilary-Duff-dresses-son-Luca-letter-print-trousers-head-lunch.html

Where can you steal Hilary's look from, for probably a lot less!?

1. London Rebel Black Studded Suede Cowboy Boots - New Look - £44
2.  Overlay V Section Bracelet - Topshop - £8.50
3.  Chained Spiked Studs - Forever 21 - £3.15
   
4.  Stone Spike Mesh Wristwear - Miss Selfridge - £12.50
5.  Coloured Zippered Skinny Jeans - Forever 21 - £22.75
6.  Multi Stone Ring - Miss Selfridge - £6.80
7.  Over Sized Spike Pendant - Topshop - £8.50
8.  Penny Fitted Jersey Blazer - Boohoo - £15
9.  Single Spike Stretch Bracelet - Topshop - £8.50
10.  Three Tube Stud Earrings - Topshop - £8.50
11.  V-Neck Top - H&M - £2
12.  Cream Stud Panel Holdall Bag - River Island - £35

OOTD & FOTD - SMOKEY PURPLE EYE

 For today's outfit I've ventured a little out of my usual comfort zone; I've got leopards or some other wild cat on my leggings! 

I've been seeing a lot of patterned leggings around lately and thought they would be nice for just chilling around the house, when you want to look better than just slouching around in sweat pants. The leggings are much more flattering and trendy! 

I know many, many people wear leggings like these out, I'm not sure I'm brave enough for that yet, so right now, they're staying in doors for me. 

I paired them with a plain black v neck top as its a casual look and the leggings are the main part of the outfit. For photo's sake I added the purple/maroon heels, which sadly have never been outside either, so this is so far their only opportunity to be seen by anyone but me and my wardrobe.

Top: H&M
Leggings: H&M
Shoes: New look
Necklace: Forever 21 

Forever 21

For my make up, I decided to try a purple smokey eye look, which looks really good with green eyes especially, but also hazel and brown too.

This is quite a heavy eye look, so I tried to keep the rest of the face looking fresh so that the focus immediately goes to the eyes.

Products  used: 

- Sleek Ultra Mattes Pallette 
- Models Own Mascara - Grow fast mascara
-  Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner - Purple  (WARNING THIS STUFF DOES NOT COME OFF DURING THE DAY OR WHEN TRYING TO FIGHT IT WITH EYE MAKE UP REMOVER)!! 
- Lashes by Ardell
- Eyeliner, black MUA 

All make up, apart from the Mascara can be purchased from Superdrug and the mascara can be bought from Boots. Currently all make up is 3 for 2 at Superdrug, which is just an offer I cannot resist!