So, all this decorating has resulted in a huge wardrobe sort out. Find out how it went (and hopefully get some top tips) in this here video. Enjoy and don’t forget to give it a thumbs up!
Search Results for: wardrobe
Fun & Faff: Where have I been?
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Apologies I got rather caught up in that thing they call life there and didn’t find the time to blog for a little while. What the heck have I been doing you ask? Well, over the past couple of weeks I’ve been…
Working really hard at the day job
I’m working on a massive, and very challenging, project at the moment. It’s all good, but hard work and sometimes very tiring. Some evenings the last thing I’ve wanted to do is look at a computer screen when I get home, hence the lack of blogs.
Building wardrobes
Well, Hubby did this in the most part, but I did help by deciding where shelves should be stacked and drawers should be hung. I’m loving how organised our apartment is just by the addition of this one piece of furniture. God bless you Ikea!
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Enjoying afternoon tea at Claridge’s
Oh my! When we first booked this I balked at the cost (£50 per head), but now having been and experienced the magic of Claridge’s, I have to say it’s worth every penny. I’ll do a separate blog post about this soon. But, for now, let’s just say: more cake than even I can eat AND there’s a lady in the toilets who turns the tap on for you and checks the temperature of the water before you wash your hands. Opulent, posh and amazing.
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More London-y stuff
As well as afternoon tea, we also strolled around London. Took in Westiminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Covent Garden, Downing Street, Horseguard’s Parade and Buckingham Palace. We also took a spin on the London Eye.
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And yet more London-y stuff
Not content with a weekend in the big smoke. Hubby and I returned at the weekend to do a bit more of the touristy stuff. We visited the Freud Museum and the Imperial War Museum and walked for miles.
Catching up with friends and family
‘Cause that’s a nice thing to do y’know.
Watching Keeping up With the Kardashian’s and Made in Chelsea NYC
Because after a stressful day at work you can’t beat some trash TV.
Enjoying having a stay at home Hubby
Hubby took last week off work and it was very nice and indulgent having him look after after me when I got home from work.
Booking a holiday
More on this soon, but we’ll be going away again in a few weeks – whoop, and indeed, whoop!
Boring stuff
Because sometimes you’ve gotta cook, clean and sleep. That’s just life.
So, now we’re all caught up and I’ll be back with some more blog posts very soon.
What have you been doing? Let me know in the comments box.
Follower: The ‘I Love Spring’ Tag
I’m writing this blog post a little ahead of schedule. Today has been a balmy 20ºC, practically a summers day by British standards. Yet I turned on the TV this evening to find a Christmas special episode of The Simpson’s. One things for sure, seasons ain’t what they used to be! Regardless, I thought I’d tackle the ‘I love spring’ tag that’s been doing the rounds in Blogsville.
1. Favourite spring nail polish
Although I love my day job, sometimes it’s less glamorous than I’d like. Lugging around dirty cardboard boxes, taking packages through the factory and warehouse to despatch and rolling my sleeves up to participate in stock-take have all meant that having pretty nails hasn’t been a spring priority for me. So, rather boringly, I’m going to have to say au naturel – at least it’s giving my talons a break from all that polish abuse.
2. Must have spring lip colour
With the advent of the warmer weather and lighter nights it seems only fitting to resign my darker plum hues to the bottom of my make-up bag, but neither is it quite time for in-your-face fuchsia brights. For that reason, I’ve been favouring a neutral lip just recently. It goes perfectly with this season’s pastels trend and sets off your make-up with a classic ‘your lips, but better’ look. I’ve actually dusted off the lipstick and gloss I wore on my wedding day and have been slicking those on for a polished pout.
The Body Shop Lipstick, in shade 54 (no longer stocked)
The Body Shop Hi-Shine Lip Treatment, shade 10 – perfectly pink (no longer stocked)
3. Show us your favourite spring dress
My favourite spring dress unfortunately, is not hanging in my wardrobe as yet, as I’ve been unable to track it down in my size. Boo and, indeed, hiss!
4. Favourite flower
Roses are my ultimate favourite, but I think they’re more of a summer bloom. In terms of spring flowers you can’t beat a swathe of bluebells carpeting a forest floor. Just beautiful.
5. Favourite spring scarf/accessory
This fun beaded collar style necklace adds a touch of colour to a simple T-shirt and jeans and is on-trend with this season’s pastel shades. Plus, at just £6 from Primark – it was an absolute bargain.
6. What spring trends are you most looking forward to?
Colour! It’s absolutely brilliant to walk into any high street store at the moment and be hit with a vibrant sea of colour and pattern. Pastels, florals, neons – I love them all.
7. Favourite spring candle
Who needs a scented candle when spring already smells so sweet? Early evening I’m flinging the windows open and allowing the fresh air to perfume my home. Then, later, as night draws in I simply light two plain church pillar candles as I hunker down on the sofa for the evening. Bliss.
8. Favourite perfume/body spray
Alas, a decent spring scent is seriously lacking in my perfume collection at the moment. If money were no object I’d splurge on a bottle of Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede, or purchase another bottle of Daisy Eau so Fresh by Marc Jacobs – my wedding day scent which, with its floral notes, is perfectly matched to spring and, of course, brings back very happy memories.
9. What is spring like where you live?
Expect the unexpected. Wear layers. Don’t put your winter clothes away too readily. Spring can mean snow, or steaming hot days. More often than not it means grey skies and rain, but then, that’s just England in general. Regardless of the weather spring is a season with lots of visual cues – vibrant flowers bloom, birds chirp happily, baby lambs spring around grassy fields and hoards of Brits dig out their summer clothes prematurely to reveal milk bottle hued limbs.
10. What is your favourite thing about spring?
Lighter nights! Rather than getting home and wanting to hibernate the evenings are full of opportunity, shall I go for a run, out for dinner, simply sit outside and sup an iced green tea or just get on with some chores. Whatever I’m doing it’s so much easier when the night’s are brighter.
11. Are you a spring cleaner?
I try to keep our apartment spick and span all year around, with a weekly cleaning schedule – boring, but necessary. I do deep clean various parts our home, but I spread this out throughout the year. I don’t see the point in scheduling it all for spring.
12. Any plans for spring break or upcoming vacations
Spring Break? Hmm. You don’t really get such luxuries at my age! We’ve already had our main holiday this year. I guess we’ll have some days out throughout spring and we are staying the night in Manchester when we go to see Robbie Williams next month. Other than that we’re more likely to go away for our wedding anniversary in October, unless we can fit a weekend away in between now and then.
Well, that’s me. Now I tag YOU! Tackle these questions and leave a link below. I’d love to find out what you love about spring.
Frugality: The Pre Shopping Spree Do you Really Need That Test
via Pinterest
You may recall I had a bit of a spring haul earlier this month, hitting up my local shopping centre and buying a whole host of clothing and make-up items, click here if you need a refresher.
The bank balance could have done without it, the wardrobe was in dire need of it!
That said, I could have spent more. Oh yes, I could have spent so much more if I hadn’t been sensible and talked myself out of some of the things I thought I needed before I hit the stores.
via Pinterest
The Curling Tongs
For some time now, I’ve been wanting to achieve the kind of loose, beachy waves that so many blogger and vloggers effortlessly flaunt. A few days before my planned shopping trip I logged onto YouTube to do some research. This YouTuber used this one, another used a different brand, this versions better, no that one… Before I knew it I’d talked myself into buying two, yes two, curling tongs. One larger one for loose waves and another for a tighter curl, similar to the way I wore my hair on my wedding day. Better to be prepared with the correct tools and all that jazz, right?
Erm, no, I soon realised that I had a perfectly good pair of GHDs which I’d never seriously tested out with curling my hair. Maybe I should give them a shot first, before buying more electrical appliances that would end up taking up space and gathering dust in our bedroom.
Amount saved: Approx. £55
The Coconut Oil
Wow! Doesn’t oil pulling sound amazing? The health benefits, the fresh breath. I gotta give it a try. Or, I could just remember to use my mouthwash every night instead. Oh, yeh, maybe I’ll do that instead. D’oh!
Amount saved: Approx. £10
These are just two examples. I think I’d also talked myself in, and out, of buying some new skin care that I’d seen on a vlog channel and some home furnishing items from Homesense.
I’m not trying to be a killjoy, I love a shopping spree as much as the next person, more so sometimes, but what I am saying is think before you spend. Don’t get caught up in thinking you need things which you really don’t. We’re marketed at from all angles these days and it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that if you buy this product your life will be better. It might be, but it’s unlikely. True contentment comes from within and doesn’t cost a thing!
So, if you’re going shopping this weekend, don’t forget – think before you spend!
Fitness: I Went For a Run!
There was one item I forgot to include in my spring shopping haul and it was these babies…
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Yup, a pair of Adidas running leggings with three, mightily bright, pink stripes down each leg. I decided on pink for both aesthetic and practical reasons. They’re pretty and I thought drivers were less likely to squish me when I’m pounding the pavements – be bright, be seen and all that…
Having complained that my previous running trousers were a little too slouchy, I decided to kick that excuse into touch and get myself some that fitted properly and these, as near as dammit, do. I have a hunch they’re supposed to be a 3/4 length crop, but on a short arse like me they’re a little longer. Ah well.
And so, with new trousers to trial, a new app on my phone to test and a whole new level of bribery (more on that in a future post) I took advantage of the dry weather yesterday evening and took myself for a little jog.
Little being the operative word. I wanted to complete a mile. Something short but sweet to get me back into the swing of things, without me getting jaded at how cr*p I’ve become. Due to me getting slightly confused with the app on my phone I completed just short of a mile (0.98) and because my legs weren’t used to anything more than a gentle amble they were so blooming heavy. But hey at least I did SOMETHING!
How were the trousers? Well they’re streamlined so I found running much easier in them (even with the heavy legs). They’re also pretty comfy and have a good level of stretch. Plus, they don’t keep feeling as though they’re about to fall down like my old ones did. Downsides are: there aren’t any pockets so there’s nowhere to store keys or other running essentials. Also, and this will improve in time – of course – because they’re so tight, and my arse is so lardy at the moment, I did feel every wobble. *Shudders*
I’ll review the app after I’ve used it a few more times and I’ve got my head around it. Yes – I will be going out again soon with the aim of doing 1.5 miles. In the meantime I’ll be googling sports tops and bras – these new trousers have made me realise it’s time to upgrade the rest of my running wardrobe too!
Adidas ClimaLite Three Quarter Workout Tights Ladies, £19.99, Sports Direct
What do you work out in?
Fashion: A Spring Shopping Spree – Last Weekend’s Haul Revealed
Last weekend I splurged. I splurged big time. And I’m not even sorry. My wardrobe needed a boost. Filled with clothes for chilly winter days, packed with outfits for sub-tropical climates, but decidedly lacking in anything suitable for spring in the UK.
So, I headed to Merry Hill with Mumma and this, my fabulous people, is what I purchased…
Sparkly taupe ballet flats, Dorothy Perkins (currently on sale for £13.40)
So beautiful and perfect for jazzing up a casual outfit.
Multi-coloured beaded collar necklace, Primark (£6)
Making plain white tees and jeans look interesting.
Skinny jeans, Limited Collection, M&S (£35)
Skinny jeans that I can get on over my (oddly large) calves and they’re the right length and they fit everywhere else – it’s a blinkin’ miracle!
Grey jewelled collar necklace, Dorothy Perkins, £6 (similar here)
Perfect for evenings out or adding a touch of sparkle to a boring black work outfit.
White pumps, Primark, £3
What’s the point of spending more when they’ll end up dirty before they wear out?
Nude mid-heel court shoes, Dorothy Perkins (£19)
I would have loved to have opted for some with a higher heel, but I knew they’d end up at the unworn at the back of my wardrobe – so a trusty mid-heel it was.
Blue lace pencil skirt, Primark
I love the pastel coloured versions of this style, but felt this was far more practical. I wore it to a wedding party on Saturday night along with a black cardigan that I also purchased that weekend (not shown), the nude courts (shown above) the grey necklace (shown above) and a black vest top. It was one of those outfits that make you feel good.
Two pairs of jeans that fit me perfectly in the same day?! This never happens. I had to get them both. I wore these with the mint sweater, which I also purchased that weekend (not shown, but take a look here) and my white pumps (shown above) when visiting and old friend – the perfect fun, yet comfortable, outfit.
Urban Decay, Eyeshadow Primer Potion (travel size) Urban Decay counter, Debenhams
Been meaning to try this for ages, a travel size is a cost-effective way of seeing if it’s for me!
Urban Decay, de-slick Make up Setting Spray (travel size), Urban Decay counter, Debenhams
Another one which I’ve been desperate to trial.
L’Oreal Super Liner Gel Eye liner, Boots (£9.99)
Because, as you may remember, eye liner is something I want to master!
Bourjois, Color Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian, Boots (£7.99)
I’ve got these in other colours and I bloomin’ love ’em – ideal for days when you want to be a vibrant lips kinda gal.
Eco Tools Retractable Kabuki Brush, Boots (£12.99) – similar here.
Because I totally need an ‘on the move’ powder re-touch solution!
Erm, I also purchased a couple of pairs of patterned trousers from Primark – which I forgot to photograph, oops!
All in all a good shopping trip. Whilst there are still some items I’d like to add to my wardrobe. I’d say this is a darn good start.
Have you been shopping recently? Link your hauls below, I’d love to take a look. 🙂
Stay fabulous xoxo
Furnishings: Wanna Take a Sneak Peek at our Bedroom?
It’s been a while coming, but finally I feel ready to share the transformation of our bedroom with you!
Sure, there’s still some finishing touches we would like to add – a picture here, a new mirror there – but they’re going to be things we pick up as and when we see them. We’re in no rush and to be honest we bloomin’ love it even if we don’t get those things!
As you may know if you’ve read any of my previous furnishings posts, we moved into a new-build, i.e a great blank canvas of magnolia walls. This was our bedroom when we first moved in…
Our original plan was to opt for a gold and cream colour scheme. I had the tear sheets from Ideal Home magazine and everything (remember, we moved in before the days of Pinterest!). But when it came to putting paintbrush to wall we scraped that idea and went for an E L James colour palette instead.
Ta da!
Light grey paint, Soft Steel by Crown; dark grey paint, Slate Grey by Crown; Lampshade, BHS (no longer stocked); curtains, Next.
This is where I lay my sleepy head.
Bedside tables, Next; Bedside lamps, M&S (no longer stocked); Bed, Bensons For Beds (this is similar); Cuddly toys, various; Bedding, BHS and Orla Kiely (from TK Maxx); cushions, John Lewis
Being grown-up and boring is over-rated!
My bedside table.
Lamp, M&S (no longer stocked); Pen, gift; Books: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, How to be Adored by Caroline Cox & Q&A A Five Year Journal; Alarm clock, The Handpicked Collection Now available from John Lewis; Tea Light Holder, gift; Frangipani scented candle, Next (no longer in stock).
Beaut.
See previous photo for stockist info.
My little tray of trinkets.
Tray, won in a tombola when I was a kid!; Area VIP wristband, Real Madrid; Kirby grips, Superdrug: Heart Quartz, gift; Wou Lou, Chinese Quarter, Birmingham; Heart bangle, from a Christmas cracker!
Really impressed with this candle. It smells gorgeous, pumps out a good amount of scent and lasts for ages.
Frangipani scented candle, Next (no longer stocked).
Where I keep my make-up and toiletries, our washing hamper and a mirror I’d like to change.
Shelving unit & baskets, Ikea; Laundry hamper, Argos (no longer stocked); Mirror, Makro (old).
The top shelf of my shelving unit.
Diamonds Eau de Toilette, Next; Dior Addict Eau de Parfum, Debenhams; Moomin keyring, The Moomin Store, Covent Garden (similar here); Trinket box (front), won in a tombola when I was a kid; Bracelet in Union Jack box, Melissa Odabash at John Lewis; Trinket box (back), gift; Brushes (just seen), various; Clear jar, gift; Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons in Peach on the Beach and Fushcia Libre, Superdrug; Jars, Debenhams.
There’s not much you can change with these babies. You can just see hubby’s Ikea storage unit from behind the wardrobes. Find out how I sort my wardrobe here.
On the windowsill along with some photos and other trinkets.
Glass perfume bottles, gift.
So there you have it, that’s our bedroom. We’re really pleased with it. It feels relaxing and has a kind of hotel vibe about it.
If you know any places we should be looking for mirrors or wall art, please let me know!
Festivities: Storing Your Wedding Dress
My original plan was to sell my wedding dress after the ‘big day’. I had this romantic notion that someone high on love, but short on cash would be grateful for being able to wear such a beauty on the day they say ‘I do’.
I didn’t want to make a knee-jerk decision though. What if I regretted it later? And so, for the last couple of years, my wedding dress has lived in our spare room (a.k.a the room where projects go to die) slung over the back of an office chair.
I took it out from its, now decaying, carrier a while ago and decided to pop the dress on to see if I could bear to part with it. Granted it didn’t look so good without the hair, make-up and heels – but even so – it still made me feel like a princess. It didn’t make sense to keep it, but, when it comes to love, things rarely do make sense.
My Sister-in-Law stored hers (straight after the wedding – she is soooo much more organised than me!) in a beautiful box filled with acid free tissue paper and so I set to Google to find something similar.
The Empty Box Company, as the name would suggest, specialise in creating, erm, empty boxes. So what?! My day job is in an industrial setting, cardboard boxes are ten-a-penny on our production line and in our warehouse. What The Empty Box Company specialise in is beautiful boxes. Boxes that make you swoon. Boxes that make your heart flutter. And, most importantly of all, boxes that protect your precious wedding dress from light, dust and dirt as well as preventing it from getting crushed or marked and helping to stop it yellowing (they also make gorgeous boxes for Christening gowns and other storage solutions). Apparently the boxes have been known to prevent from fire and flood damage – hopefully we will never have to put that to the test! The box is manufactured from pH neutral board to help avoid the dress from yellowing and to keep it fresh and clean.
They’re not cheap and I did think I was crazy paying out almost £80 on an empty box, albeit a beautiful one. The boxes are available in varying sizes and although I could have probably fitted my dress into the medium sized box I also wanted to house my veil and other accessories in there, so opted for the extra large option just to be sure. I have to say it’s massive! You can even choose the design of your box and opt to have calligraphy included (at an extra cost).
One of my concerns was that the box would arrive battered and beaten. Not so. It arrived in sturdy cardboard box, stuffed with more cardboard for protection and, my beautiful wedding dress box, was, cleverly, enclosed in a plastic bag with two large knots at the top to make lifting it out of the packaging even easier (I do love it when companies think of little details like that).
Sure, it’s a box, but it’s also a thing of beauty. It’s sturdy. It’s pink (I opted for the Parisienne pink design). It’s got a massive beautiful bow on it and handy details like sturdy rope handles to make accessing the box easier. When I opened it I literally swooned at the lace lining at the top.
Fortunately the beautiful box comes with instructions on how to get your wedding dress packed up and into it. Basically layer of acid free tissue paper (included with the box), add dress, fold dress, another layer of acid free tissue paper, keep going… You need to try to avoid the dress touching itself (hence the layers of tissue paper between) I don’t think there’s an exact science (some wedding dress shops will do this for you) but I managed to get the dress into the box using this technique with a bit of help from the back of our sofa (alternatively you could get your husband or a bridesmaid to give you a hand). Don’t forget to stuff some scrunched up acid free tissue paper into the bodice of the dress to help to retain its shape.
When I reached the top layer I swooned again. Look how pretty it looks!
Then I piled in the accessories, taking a moment to try on the veil again (has to be done) and, again, ensuring they didn’t touch the dress, or each other, by wrapping in lots of acid free tissue paper.
For the time being the beautiful box is residing in our spare room, until we get new wardrobes sorted. The boxes are intended to be placed on top of a wardrobe or under a bed – away from damp, heat and sunlight. Storing in a loft is not recommended.
So, yes, an expensive beautiful box. Not what I’d originally intended for my wedding dress, but right now, I couldn’t be happier.
What have you done with your wedding dress?
On a side note, I do find it funny that wedding dresses are so expensive, yet they come on such cheap hangers… Why is that?!
Far Away Places: How To Beat The Back To Work Blues
http://instagram.com/p/jx-46IsAsn/
Heading back to the office after two weeks on tropical shores can be a shock to the system, but you can make things easier on yourself, here’s how…
- Dress for happiness – it doesn’t need to be expensive, just something that makes you feel good. Bonus points if your outfit accentuates your tan.
- Slick on some lippy – preferably a bright colour to highlight your tan and lift your spirits (I opted for Fuchsia Libra).
- Start every sentence ‘When I was on holiday…’ – there’s no harm in reminiscing. Just remember there’s a one week limit on this phrase, otherwise your colleagues will be mysteriously ‘busy’ every time you approach them for a water cooler gossip.
- Change your screen saver – the weather outside may be frightful, but a quick glance at your computer and you’re transported back to the palm fringed beaches of the Indian Ocean. OK, you’re not there now, but you were. Derek from accounts wasn’t – ha! Feel better now?
- Wear your trinkets – those bracelets that looked so wearable when you were perusing the street markets now don’t look so good next to your Whistles suit? You’ve got a four-week window to wear them without looking a fool. After that you’ll have to resign them to the ‘if we get a decent summer’ section of your wardrobe.
- Sing – Stick on an uplifting soundtrack during your commute (and at work if you can) and (if you drive to work) sing along. Instant pick me up. No prizes for guessing who was on my soundtrack.
- Take it easy – you’re allowed to wallow in some post-holiday self-pity, but just remember you can’t have rainbows if you never have rain. Suck it up sweetie.
- Embrace the jet lag – yep, it’s pesky waking up at 4:30am and then snoozing on your sofa come 6pm, but sometimes you’ve just gotta roll with it. Your body will adjust itself soon enough.
- Keep the good habits going – so you ate more fruit and drank your body weight in coconut water and it made you feel good? Why stop?
- Do your laundry – having a mountain of washing is depressing at the best of times, get it done whilst you’re in the throes of jet lag (you probably won’t have the energy to go out anyway) for a feeling of smug satisfaction
- Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise – that tan is the reminder of your holiday you can take everywhere with you. You don’t want to lose that in a scaly skin peeling scenario do you?
- Book your next break – if all else fails, fire up the laptop and decide where to head to next.
What are your top tips for beating the back to work blues?
Festivities: What’s Your New Year Resolution?
Yep, I’m a self-development kinda gal. No point standing still (or worse still going backwards) when you could be doing bigger and better things, right? So, as a result I always set myself some new year resolutions, or goals I would like to achieve over the next twelve months. As I blogged last year, the way I do this has changed somewhat and rather than setting scary SMART goals I try to make my aims more fun and more fluid.
What are your new year’s resolutions and goals for the new year? Depending on your aspirations for 2014, some of these blog posts might be useful for you…
If your new year’s resolution is…
To learn more about fine wines
Find out about Vinopolis here.
To visit new places, try these…
London
Edinburgh
Madrid
- Madrid – Tour Bernabeu
- Real Madrid VIP tickets – is it worth it?
- The Real Madrid VIP Experience
- Real Madrid Vs Real Betis pre-match experience
To get crafty…
Why not make your own box frame of memories?
To progress your career, try these…
Find out more about working away here.
To sort out your wardrobe…
Take a look here.
To be more daring…
Why not try a zip wire challenge?
To try some new recipes…
Try these…
Fabulous and other f* words 