Tuesday 16 August 2011

After the flowers had attacked she felt free and fresh

Just a quick post of an outfit I wore the other day with a top I love.  It's a Jigsaw summer top in a peach colour with a floral type design.  One of the reasons I love it is the great cleavage it gives my tiny B cup frame, but it's also really versatile.  I'm wearing it with jeans in the photo, but I've also worn it with black trousers or a black skirt for work too.  The older I get, the more I find that I don't have just a 'work wardrobe', a 'casual wardrobe' and a 'going out wardrobe'.  Although I do have some pieces that are clearly only for one situation - the LBD would hardly be appropriate for work or for nipping to Starbucks, and I'd look out of place wandering around a car boot sale in a suit, but for the main, I'm finding I want my pieces to really work for their money, and I want to be able to wear them to many situations.

Take for example, my favourite red blazer you've seen in many photos.  I can wear that anywhere - work, with jeans, over a nice dress for going out.  I wear it to death, and the more I wear it, the more I love it and feel glad I bought it.

I'm going to try to post again later as today is my last day at work for several weeks, for various reasons, and I want to write about my plans! But for now, a quick photo of my summery top.


Friday 12 August 2011

she was a city girl but with a country smile...

Just a quick post to show my new lipgloss I bougth the other day.

I read in a magazine that the gloss is supposed to last for six hours (which it nearly does - about 4 - 5 I'd say) and that it's supposed to have something in it that makes your lips look plumper.  I wouldn't say it had that affect on me - quite the opposite actually and I think it made my lips look less full than other products, but I really do love the colour.  It tastes like refreshers too (if anyone remembers them from the 1980s)!





Thursday 11 August 2011

Feeling scared...

I've been wanting to post for a few days, but have been quite side-tracked with all the rioting and looting going on across the UK.

We were lucky to only have very minor copycat attempts where I live, but even so, I've still spent most of this week feeling quite scared, and actually a bit depressed about the state of the country.  It makes me want to up sticks and head off somewhere where things are simpler.  But problmes are global, and wherever you go I'm sure there is not escape.  Plus it appears as though the world is on the brink of a double dip recession!  Great eh!  So, while I've been taking photos to post up, I didn't really feel that inspired.  It just felt so trivial compared to what was going on in London, Manchester, Birmingham etc...

I think we are over the worst of it by now, and everyone is on a big clean up and trying to get back to normal.

I spent £20 last night in boots on various products to cheer myself up:

I've been finding lately sometimes after I eat I get stomach cramps.  Usually this only happens with red meat, but I've been finding it happening with more foods lately so thought I'd give these a try.  Plus my doctor always recommends I take some multivitamins too so here goes...

L'Oreal Glam SHine 6 hours in Fresh Fushcia - it looks great but even better it tastes like refreshers, those little sweets from when we were kids

To help keep my skin in check.  I've not used anything like this before - you take two a day, I'll do an update soon whether or not it works

for those awful water retaining times - I got this because herbal remedies were 3 for 2 in Boots, and though I'd give it a go.

I usually use Dermalogica but won't be seeing my beautician for a while to get some more.  I found this for the bargain price of £7, and it contains salicylic acid which is the key ingredient in the Dermalogica range I use.  So far, I'm pretty impressed!


Finally, here is an outift I wore on Sunday that I really loved.  The dress is vintage from the 1970s.





Friday 5 August 2011

A T-shirt to put Hares on your chest..

OK OK OK so one day I will get a non-blurry photo, but for today I have to settle with this as I think Roy is getting a bit fed up of taking photos of my outfit!

This is one of my favourite tees, and I’ve had it for ages. I bought it from Zara a few years ago and bought it in a larger size that i needed so that I could wear it as slouchy and off the shoulder.

These jeans too are ancient, they are straight leg and stretcy from Topshop. They must be old because I’ve not bought anything from Topshop for years! I put turn ups in them to give my ankles a bit of air!



Had a nice lunch with Lucy today in the student bar at work, and am hoping the sun stays out for the weekend.  I rather fancy sitting in my garden tomorrow with a cold milkshake and the new Marie Claire that is out now. 

I'm going to try really hard not to spend too much money this weekend.  I've got Monday off of work and have booked in for a pedicure which I'm quite excited about.  I've not had one for years and I'm looking forward to having professional pedicured toes rather than my dodgy home pedicure!!

Thursday 4 August 2011

Oranges and Lemons say the bells of St Clements

I love this dress – it’s really floaty and light and I just love the oranges and lemons pattern on it. It was quite unlike anything I’d seen before, and at £20 in the sale I just had to have it.

It is the famous british summer time here, and while for the past few days I’ve been wearing skirts and flip flops, today is rainy, but still really humid and hot. This meant, that i needed to wear proper shoes to avoid getting wet feet, but still wanted to remain cool in my really hot office.

My choice to wear this stemmed from deciding to wear these little black pumps. My hair was a bit curly becuase I’d just let it rough dry yesterday and I felt a bit flamenco and so picked this dress. I’ve put my hair in a side parting and donned some lovely red lipstick, and I feel really pleased with out outift today.
I feel a bit different as I don’t usually dress this glam for work, but it’s the summer and there is hardly anyone here!

Speaking of the heat - I'm really struggling this afternoon - I need a Starbucks Mango and Passion Fruit blended fruit drink to cool me down - don't know why but they always do the trick?

Lipstick - liner = Barry M, lipstick = MAC Dubonnet

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Young and fresh-faced

I usually try to avoid posting up close up picture of my face, but I really wanted to record a picture of my make up.  I have been wearing pink make up quite a lot lately - nude eyes, pink blush and baby pink lipstick, and I had a lovely comment that I looked very young and fresh faced (as opposed to haggard and tired like I usually look????). 
I'm hoping this picture is sufficiently blurred enough to hide all my blemishes and things I don't want people to see up close, but still gives an idea of the make up.

I have used:
Foundation - Dermalogica treatment foundation shade 1
Powder - Body Shop all in one face base shade 4
Mascara - Clinique lash power mascara in black

Lips - liner - body shop - lipstick - Boots number 7 moisture drench lipstick in ice pink

please excuse the towel - I'd not yet done my hair!

Monday 1 August 2011

What has she been buying??

I love shopping, and though I'm on a budget I just can't fully stop.  Fortunatley though I have an eye for a bargain and have managed to purchase some lovely items lately, not paying full price for anything.
Animal print bikini - £2.49 from Ebay (new with tags of course) for the jacuzzi at my gym

DVF Billie Jean dress I've coveted for ages - £40 from ebay

A cute little ear warmer for the cooler days.  Our work experience girl had one of these and I really wante done.  £1.98 Ebay

FCUK flip flops reduced to £24.  A necessity as my old ones just fell apart.

Not so much a necessity but too good to resists.  French Connectin loafers by Kurt Geiger reduced from £115 to £28

Lovely little Hobbs nautical jumper from Ebay for about £7

Little French Connection top £12 in the sale - falls beautifully off the shouldrers and looks fab with jeans and the loafers above

Little vintage brown leather handbag picked up for about £1 - great for if you're out and about and don't want to carry a big bag.

Whistles top - I wanted this so much and snapped it up for £8.02 from ebay! 

Another Whistles top I snapped up off of ebay for about £3ish - not worn it yet as it's been quite hot since but I'm sure the weather will turn soon
I'd like to post up some pics of me wearing them, so I'll be nice to Roy for a bit and see if he can take some pics x

Friday 29 July 2011

In a land far far away

I've not blogged for ages, and I'm really missing it.  I've just been so busy with work, my course, and helping look after my mum after an operation. 

I've not even managed to take any photos of my outfits to upload Chictopia, and I've really not felt inspired fashion wise for a while.  I have been drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, Pret and the Library Cafe at work hot chocolate.

Then yesterday I was reading the Metro on the tube and I read about Claudia's new range of cashmere she is brining out and I felt really excited.  Apparently she has designed key pieces to reflect her own style that can be worn by anyone, no matter what their shape or style.  It's already on sale at net-a-porter, and I'm now in love with the merino wool dress!  At over £300 though I know this is something I won't be buying as I'm still on my budget economy drive and can't afford to buy such luxuries!!  Besides, I don't exactly have her figure either so I'd probably just look all bumpy :(

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/170780


Wednesday 22 June 2011

Ralph Lauren Dress



It feels like I've not posted for ages.  Truth is I've just been so crazy busy I've barely had time to do anything.  I've even found myself too busy to think about clothes and haven't had a Starbucks in ages!

I have been doing quite a lot of baking though.  Roy got a donut maker for his birthday and I've been making a few donuts - they taste more like pancakes than donuts, but they are still super yummy. 

I've not bought anything for ages - kind of missing it - even just getting my little ebay bargains, but I have been getting a lot more use of the clothes I already have.

Today I'm wearing my Ralph Lauren dress.  It was amongst a pile of handwash only clothes that had been in the basket for ages waiting for me to handwash them.  I recently discovered my mum has a handwash cycle on her machine so I slipped them all in when I was over there the other day, and now have a great pile of clean handwash only clothes yipee!!

Sunday 5 June 2011

Weekend wearing and budget update

I finally got paid!!! Thank goodness - I seem to have been waiting ages for this payday.  Not that I can now go out and shop 'til I drop, as after transferring the bulk into my joint acccount for bills, a chunk into my savings and allocating the rest on things like petrol and food, I've not go much to play with.  There are so many lovely things in town that I could so easily buy, and many that I am truly lusting after (the new Kiki skirt in Whistles being one of them), it's hard not to give in.

I have learned that not trying things on is a good way to prevent me from buying things, and I have been getting my shopping thrills vicariously through my mum who bought a beautiful Monsoon dress the other day.

Still, shopping and fashion do make me happy and I needed a little pick me up after not getting an interview for a job I applied for in a different department at my work.  My self esteem got a little low and I needed picking up.  I allowed myself a little bit of cash £25 to fit in with my budget, to get myself a treat.

I managed to actually get so much, and I love it all.  I bought a pair of shoes in M&S reduced from £49 to £15, a vintage 1970s dress off of ebay for about £6, and a 1980s vintage pleated skirt from ebay for about £3 that reminded me of a dress I'd once seen Claudia Schiffer wear.  I also got a free Reiss dress top with my latest Elle edition.  I don't usually wear the free things I get with magazines, but I particularly liked this item, and I love the Reiss clothing lines.  This looks more in line with the Reiss 71 range rather than their usual line, as it's quite funky and laid back.  I love it though.  I also got a few perfume samples from the House of Fraser to try - I'm quite liking the new Bulgari perfume, but it's £55 a bottle and so at the moment out of my budget.  In a few weeks if I've got any of my spending budget left I may treat myself.  I do love perfume samplers though - they are a great way to try out new scents.

I'm really loking forward to wearing the dress - I always find it hard to dress in the summer, and find it hard to get inspiration from Ms S as most of the photos of her are wearing winter clothes, like my new favourite of her in a simple blue jumper with scarf and jeans - I really want to try this look, but it's too warm at the moment.  Still, I'm sure the Great British summertime will prevail and grant me with a cold spell!

I also had my hair appointment on Saturday - I didn't get highlights this time but got the most gorgeous shade of brown and had a fringe put in - a nice thick full fringe like Claudia had at the end of 2009.  I really liked it, I felt like a movie star, and I think it gave me th econfidence to wear some of my new things, or wear my old things in ways I've not done before.

I've also been posting to Chictopia a lot recently, and the readers and bloggers on there are just the loveliest people and everyone leaves the nicest comments that are real confidence boosters.  It's also great for giving me inspiration on what to wear, and how to mix up my wardrobe in interesting ways.  With that and Claudia to look to, maybe one day I'll be the best dressed person in my street?


 My dress (right) and Claudia in her summer dress.

 My M&S shoes

 The green pleated 1980s skirt.  Roy and I went out to dinner on Saturday night and this is how I wore it.

 My new hair, the new Reiss T-shirt that was free with Elle, and my new shoes - Saturday afternoon having a milkshake with Roy, my sis and her fiance in town.

The perfume samples.

My new favourite photo of Claudia - I so want to try this outfit.  I have a fab blue Gap jumper I can use.

Monday 30 May 2011

Bank holiday browsing

This bank holiday weekend Roy and I have tried to find some fun yet inexpensive things to do.  We spent Saturday wondering around town, sneaky burger for lunch and then just window shopping.  On Sunday, we decided to take a drive to Camden Market.  We've been there loads of times, though not for a while.  It seems to change all of the time there, but it still has loads and loads of fab shops with all kinds of exciting things.  I had to really restrain myself in the vintage shops as I could have spent loads of money, but I was good and didn't buy anything - except some giant donuts, a strawberry slushy (that turned my tongue bright red) and some Chinese food.  Below are a few pics I took that really remind me of a great afternoon.



Thursday 26 May 2011

What would Claudia wear?

You've probably guessed from the title of my blog that I am in love with Claudia Schiffer's style. I love the way she really pulls of comfy casual, turning it into sophisticated effortless chic.

She can make a pair of jeans and a jumper seem like the most elegant ensemble and she really knows how to rock heels.

My favourite pictures of Claudia are the papped photos - the ones where she is out and about (and usually carrying a Starbucks). Of course in the professional magazine shots she looks amazing, but it's her 'street-style' that impresses me the most.

I've picked out a few of my favourite photos of Claudia, and am going to use these as inspiration, trying to create similar outfits from the random items it my wardrobe I've collected over the years.






My favourite right now is the skinny jeans, boots and blue and red stripy jumper.  I'm starting to get an idea for my first attempt at recreating Claudia's style..