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.

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..

Boot-sale bargains and home-made fudge

The budget seems to be going well, though I have to admit through necessity more than anything as I physically don’t have enough cash in my bank account to buy anything.  Buying my prescriptions after my doctor’s appointment the other day pretty much wiped me out and I’m practically down to just pennies until pay day.  I’ve used the money I made by selling some things on ebay to buy Roy’s birthday presents so at least that is one thing.  Trying to sell a few more bits – boots and dresses etc.. to get a bit more cash to get him a few more things.  I’ll post about the fun bargains I’ve got him another time, just incase he reads this – don’t want to spoil the surprise.

To fill the gaps in my life left from browsing the shops, I have taken to going to car boot sales.  They are truly a treasure cove of exciting goodies if you can find your way past the junk and old shop stock.  I went to one last Sunday and managed to bag myself a lovely Christmas plate for 25p, and this ever so cute little owl necklace for the ultimate bargain price of 20p!

Ebay has also been kind to me and I’ve managed to pick up this gorgeous little necklace that doubles up as a watch for just £3.00, packed and shipped from Singapore.  I’ve had lots of compliments on it already I’m thinking I know what to get people for Christmas now!

I’ve also taken to entertaining myself in the home and have started baking and cooking a lot.  My latest yummy snack is home made chocolate fudge.  It’s very rich and creamy and I love it so much, but it is so full of sugar (it’s main ingredients are butter and chocolate) that it’s not kind on the waist-line.

Bad days and pretty things.

What an awful day - woke up feeling exhausted, and so glad it was Friday.  Spent the entire day looking forward to the evening when I could enjoy my usual Friday night curry and put my feet up.  Got home at early, then Roy said, let's go to Curry's and buy that Dyson you've wanted, it's on offer for £200.  YAY!!! so off we head to Curry's, get there, look at the Dyson ball we want.  It turns out to be tiny.  Size isn't everything quoth I (a motto I live by being only 5 foot!), let's try it out.  The lovely guy in the shop lets us test it, and suddenly I find  myself hoovering the floor of the shop.  It was so weak though it would never be powerful enough to get up all of my cat's hair.  Then we see the bigger version, which is on offer in the Dyson pet range on offer at £289.  I love it!  Glides like hot butter in a pan, and revs like an engine.  You could see the difference in the floor immediately.  I want it, I need it.  We buy it on the proviso that when we get home Roy will see if he can get it cheaper somewhere else and if he can, we take it back and get it elsewhere.

Arrive home, get out of my car which I've owned for about a month now, which I got so that I don't have to do the four buses a day journey to and from work.  Press the lock button, the car won't lock.  Repeatedly trying, Haynes manual out, we finally get it to lock.  Now it won't unlock.  So my car is now sat outside of my house locked, but we can't get into it!  Bless my dad who has agreed to come around tomorrow to have a look at it.  But now I'm stressed about that.  Plus we've got a viewing on the house tomorrow and I was going to use my new Dyson to hoover everywhere, but now I've got to use my rubbish old hoover.  So basically, I've got a new dyson in my living room that I can't use, and I have to wait ages for my boyfriend to order the one he's found cheaper onlline, and my car is bust!  Happy Friday night!!

To try and cheer myself up I've looked through all my bits and bobs and decided to post up some photos of things that I think look lovely and make me feel happy.  Hope it works!

Pret gingerbread men - or should I say, Godfrey's



Diet Pepsi

 

My new free sticker photo 

Baking (this book will be on my birthday list)

 

The lovely Miss Maddie, the best cat ever

As I type, things are looking up, and woo hoo, we're keeping the Dyson, and our curry is here.  Maybe it will be a good Friday night.  

Oops...how did that happen?

OK, so I think that the budget has now officially been broken and needs to start again, after a quick trip to town today to buy some insoles for my lew Louboutins.  All I can say is, House of Fraser, Jaeger, and SALE!!!!!!!

I even introduced Roy my lovely other half to the world of Jaeger where all of their suits were reduced to £125.  He is now a true convert and is trying to think of reasons he would need a suit (he teaches special needs so is dress down for work).  I told him he'll have to start taking me out to somewhere more romantic than Burger King.  I have a feeling next Saturday we'll be going back and buying a suit.  While we were there I saw the yellow/grey sort of giraffe print scarf I first spied whilst browsing their website just before Christmas and couldn't bring myself to justify £90 on a scarf.  Today - can you believe it - £10!  I was one happy bunny after that.  Besides.  £10 is nothing really - it fits with my allowanc for the month (though it is only 7 days in).  I can afford a cheap scarf.


A quick look around the House of Fraser we said, then get a Cafe Nero milkshake then head home to study a bit.  Let's just see if they have the shoes you like Roy said.  Big mistake - HELLO SHOE SALE.  The most beautiful pair of Nine West pumps in a lovely blue colour and they fit perfectly.  No price though - I'll just ask I said, expecting them to be about £40.  Oh, they're £9 the woman said.  £9 I repeated, surely I'd misheard.  That's right she said.  WRAP THEM UP!!!!  That is a massive £76 off the original price of £85!!! 

So I've come home from town having spend £19 but got two great pieces that I am so happy with, though am feeling the whole buyers remorse thing you get, especially considering I'm meant to be saving to move house.

Life is full of hard decisions, and when it comes to shoes, I need to be stronger.

On a different note, in town we did see a swan carring the cutest little cygnet on its back - all fluffy and grey.  Tried to get a photo but it hasn't come out too great but you can just about see it.

Also showing a picture of my inspiration while I type this - cup of tea in my Starbucks mug and scented candles filling the air with a gorgeous autumnal smell..... mmmm...mmm...

Budget update

The budget is hard, and it's only been a week!  Although shopping in my own wardrobe is fun and I'm enjoying putting together outfits from what I already have, I still find myself lusting after items like the Whisltes Carrie skirt, some new vintage jewellery.

I have in my quest for saving money while still satisfying my passion for clothes and accessories come upon a few bargains on etsy and ebay, and have decided to sell some of my things I no longer need or want (and all the things I have that don't really fit that well but seemed a good idea at the time).  It's actually working out quite well and I've said that any money I get from selling things can be used to buy new things (providing they are ebay or etsy bargains).  I've aslo started taking part in some clinical trials at work to earn a bit of extra cash.  Last week it was giving my opinion on different cat foods (not tasting just smelling and looking much to my relief) and next week it's toothpaste.  The cash I get from this will be used to pay off my credit card bill which is currently a bit high thanks to my few whimsical weeks of a House of Fraser spree and purchasing a pair of Louboutins (which I'm still waiting to arrive).

This morning I made about £5 on ebay selling a next jumper and have used the money to buy a nice little stag pocket watch necklace for £3.00 (1p plus £2.99) from a Chinese ebay seller.  Will have to wait about a month for it to arrive, but can't wait to see it.

Speaking of waiting for things to arrive - I'm still waiting for a sterling silver chamilla style bracelet I bought of an etsy seller a month ago - why do international delivery times have to be so long.

In the meantime, yesterday I made fantastic use of my whistles black dress, teaming it for work with some Star by Julian MacDonald (yes a Debenhams crime, but they were animal print and reduce to £12 in the sale) shoes.  I put over it my red Precis blazer, which I'm thinking should have been included in my list of key items as I've worn it three times this week and I tend to wear it a lot.

What I wore today

Today I had one of those really good showers.  You know the type where you shave your legs, exfloiate all over, then follow it with moisturiser all over.  My products of today were:

Body shop - Maca root shave cream (men's section)
Johnson's holiday skin tanning moisturiser
Superdrug morroccan body scrub (I picked this up for 49p the other day - didn't expect much but it's actually pretty good.  It wasn't very graining, and I'm usually a big fan of the graininess, but it left my skin feeling the same as any grainy exfloliator did).

I thought it was going to be hotter than it was today so went tightless in the following outfit:

Dress from Laura Ashley
Blazer from Precis Petite
Bag from Mulberry (one of my key pieces from my first post)
Shoes from M&S

This was very much a going to work look.  You can't see very well but I also had red accessories.



And the picture below is one I found on my iphone I quite liked as it reminded me of my last House of Fraser splurge before I had to start the budget.  £400 worth of goodies (though that did include a wedding outfit for my sisters wedding in the winter).

Skirt from River Island
Top from Topshop
Shoes from John Rocha at Debenhams

My favourite Royal Wedding outfits

I started out on Friday by saying, I'd have it on in the background while I did other things.  Within half an hour I was addicted.  Not really through any sense of patriotic occassion, but more because of the amazing outfits that drapped the nobility as they stepped out of limo's, mercedes and carriages.  Of course listening to Boris J being interviewed is always worth the watch anyway, but seeing beautiful woman after beautiful woman entering the Abbey I was practically salivating at the couture on show.  Below are a few of my favourite outfits, of which I'm hoping soon Whistles or Topshop will be delivering their own versions of:

 

Not so much the style of Camilla's dress but I loved the colour

I love how Chelsea pulled off an off the shoulder number, and those accessories are amazing

Sam Cameron in Jade - Is Jade the new summer colour? I hope so.  And those shoes I need them!

Zara looks like a well wrapped Christmas present in silver and how much do I want those shoes?

My absolute favourite - Princess Victoria of Sweden reminds me of my peaches and cream barbie I had as a kid.  The colour, shape, style and fabric of this dress are gorgeous.  I wish it was mine.

Princess Letizia of Spain is so skinny she almost looks like SJP