summer cut out

Dress & shoes; Topshop
I realise that this outfit is rather plain and is entirely Topshop, however I didn't plan either of those when picking the outfit that morning. I haven't really worn this dress that much this year, especially considering that I bought it back in April, because I found it surprisingly hard to style. It didn't look right with any of the heels I had and it didn't look right with converse. But when the sun came out it seemed perfect as a casual summer dress instead of the 'going out' outfit I had in mind when I bought it. I did fear that I was going to get strange tan marks because of the cut out sections but, to my relief, I didn't get any. Oh and I appologise for the odd pose in the photo, it was the only decent image I had.

dressy denim

all from Topshop
If I had a hefty amount of money that I could spend freely, this is how it would be spent. I really love the idea of pairing skinny jeans with heels to create a more 'dressy' outfit, which is mainly due to my favouritism towards jeans over any other leg ware. Usually in the summer I would wear a plain white vest with denim, so I thought why not jazz up the white vest a little, add some heels and perhaps a blazer to make it slightly more suitable for going out in. To some this outfit may seem quite casual and something to wear in the daytime but as someone who practically lives in jeans and converse this is rather formal. I would definitely feel more comfortable in this then in a dress. I wasn't going to include the blazers but I decided to in the end, I wouldn't necessarily pair them like that, I would most likely switch them around as they each go with both of the outfits (I hope that made sense). Anyway, I should really start my psychology essay and then delve into the industrial revolution (not literally, I'm just doing art history).

plain and simple OOTD

cardigan; Primark, top & belt; Topshop, jeans; H&M
I actually wore this outfit just over a week ago but forgot to upload it, so here it is now better late than never. I realise it isn't the most exciting outfit I've ever worn, but I just wanted to wear something super simple without looking too boring. Anyway, I do love wearing black. Today was my first day back after half-term (which in my opinion wasn't long enough)and I must say the amount of work that needs to be done is very overwhelming. In other news my cousin is living in London, even though it is only short term, and I am very excited to see him as I haven't seen him for months and months. So on Sunday we're meeting up, which means I need to fork out money for a train/tube ticket and lunch, which wouldn't normally be a problem but I am desperately trying to save for numerous things. These being my summer holiday, general university life and the ever increasing list of things I need to buy for university, as well as a few other insignificances.I fear a second job may be required.

easily found

This past week has been rather busy! Firstly I have had to do lots of work for art which involved starting a new project and finishing off another (I still haven't finished what I was meant to). I also had to take Bonzo to the vets which was a bit of hassle, but I won't go into that. Then Friday my friends had a joint 18th party, Saturday I had work, then on Sunday I went shopping. So I have got lots of goodies to show you from my trip.

H&M - Blue Jumper £14.99, burnt orange/red shirt £9.99, skirt £3.99
Forever 21 - check shirt £16.75, necklace £3.90
Topshop - Bruce t-shirt £22, black leather brogues £30
I sort of went a bit mad and spent quite a bit of money, but it isn't something I do very often so I will forgive myself for parting with most of my money. I wanted some new pieces just to spruce up my wardrobe as I felt a bit uninspired with the clothes I have at the moment. I think now is a lovely time to go shopping as all the stores have just put out their autumn stock. I partly went shopping just to check the new Forever 21 store on Oxford Street, and I must say that it is amazing! It is super big and is decorated beautifully, I know a few people have said that the clothes aren't that great but I really liked the selection they had there. So, if you haven't been already, go check out the new Forever 21.

this is your town

Over the past few days I have been desperately wanting autumn to arrive, but, of course, it is still August so I have a little while to wait. This desire for the season to change is probably partly due to all the stores bringing out their autumn/winter collections, therefore making me want to buy them, and due to it being the height of summer I have no way to justify buying them right now. That said, England is known for its shabby weather, so it wouldn't be a waste of money as I would be able to wear most of the clothes almost all year round. I keep telling myself this as a way of justifying going on a massive shopping trip; so far no use.

All items are from Topshop apart from the shoes
I found these lovely items on the Topshop website (surprise surprise) and am really wanting to buy them all, but alas Topshop prices are on the higher end of my budget, so all of this would be out of the question. I included a pair of vans and converse both in black because I simply love the idea of black shoes with black skinnies right now. Definitely going to buy the converse. These items sum up my winter look really; jeans and a baggy tee or cosy jumper.

p.s. I started my new job yesterday at the pharmacy in the next town along from where I live. Didn't get off to a great start, but the pay is decent. It feels good to be earning my own money.

holiday haul

First of all, this post wasn't meant to be a haul, insted it was meant to be an outfit/photography post but I couldn't get my desktop to work which has photoshop on it. So I have to do that at school tomorrow. Right, on to the haul. This is a collective haul, all of which is for my holiday next monday. It looked like a lot more in the bags, that might be because I haven't included some items as they were quite boring and also because some were underwear. I did buy a super cute crop top from Topshop in the sale but when I got home I realised it had a whole in it so it has to be taken back. All the things I got were all reasonably cheap because I didn't want to spend a great amount before my holiday, so if you see some items you like you won't feel as bad about buying them.

No. 7 eyeshadow brush from boots was £6.75 but I had a £5 voucher so it was only £1.75 which is a massive bargin. The quality is amazingly good.

All these beauty items are from Superdrug or Wilkinson and are all relatively cheap, I can't remember the prices off of the top of my head. The shirt is from Primark and cost £6, its quite sheer so I'd deffinitely put a cami underneath, but I am also planning to wear it as a cover up by the pool.




These are both from Newlook. The top was £1.99 and the dress was £14.99, both are very good prices. The top is more of a burgundy colour and is super soft, they have them in a range of colours. The dress is quite sheer when you put it on, but it's still wearable.


The top is from River Island and was £7.99 because it had £7 off, not sure if they still sell them because I got this before they started their massive sale. The shorts are from Topshop and were £26 but I got them for £20.80 because it was 20% for students that week. They still sell the shorts and although they are labelled as hotpants they aren't as short as other hotpants I have tried in Topshop.





I have fallen in love with these sunglasses! I didn't think they would suit me at first but when I tried them on they looked perfect. They were £13.99 from River Island, so not too expensive for sunglasses, especially as they are quite good quality ones. The case was also from River Island and was £4 in the sale, which I thought was a bargin. They had loads of them in a box by the tills, so go check it out.


Lastly, I got a bikini from Newlook whic was £7.99 for the bottoms and £12.99 for the top, but I did get a student discount so it was slightly cheaper. They are sold as seperates but they only had the same size for both top and bottom left, but I tried it on and it fitted me perfectly which was pretty lucky.

Sorry for the long post but I didn't want to not do a post if that makes sense? Also sorry for the poor quality of the some of the photos, I took them when it was getting dark so some of the colours didn't show up properly.

give me a second go

As you can see from all the photos, I have been shopping. This was my second attempt at birthday shopping because, as some of you might already know, the first didn't go according to plan. I must say that this was a very successful trip. It was a truly lovely day spent with one of my best friends. We actually arrived early to Topshop and had to wait outside for the doors to open, something that I'm not quite used to as I don't usually go to Oxford Street on a Sunday. It was quite weird wondering around in Topshop with barely anyone there but was much easier to look around, even though it didn't last very long. I finally bought the sandals I'd been eyeing up since easter from Topshop, in case any of you are wondering they are available on the website in a multitude of colours. I love the simplicity of them and how soft the straps are. I do really love all the delicately embroidered sandals on the market right now but I tend to wear my sandals everywhere in the summer so that type of sandal wouldn't be appropriate. They were only £22 which I think is really good for Topshop and quite cheap in comparison to other sandals I have seen.
Next I managed to get my hands on one of the bikinis I have been lusting over from H&M. I was going to order it from their online store but thought I'd wait considering I was going shopping. So glad I did because I tried it on and had to get a bigger size than I would have ordered online. I think black bikinis go wonderfully with a tan and this style is a safe one to go for especially if you're going on holiday and want a dip in the pool. What I love about this black bikini is that it has the little tassels and gold skull beads, it adds to the bikini making it a little bit more edgy. The price was what I expected a bikini to be, the top was £9.99 and the bottoms were £7.99.
Then lastly I bought a shirt from Bershka that I found on one of the discount rails, the sign said they were £15 but the label said it was £9.99 which was a bit of a bonus. When I bought it I thought it was black but when I put it on in daylight at home it was a really dark navy. Its quite a sheer shirt but not overly sheer so you don't have to wear a top underneath it. I got it to replace my mum's silk shirt that she let me borrow as I didn't want to damage it because its really delicate and irreplaceable because it was bought from a boutique 10 years ago. This shirt isn't silk, as you can tell by the price, but it is a really lovely soft material that certainly feels very similar to silk, just less smooth. Sorry about poor quality photo, it's quite difficult to take photos of black things when there's lots of bright light. I have just finished filming a video on how I'm going to wear which should give you a better idea of what it looks like, so look out for that in the next couple of days.

marc me up

1. West end tote VIP 2. The Stevie 3. The Croc Sofia 4. The Britt
After seeing the Sofia bag in Oxford Circus Topshop last weekend I have seriously considered buying it, that was until I went on the Marc B website and fell in love with the majority of other bags that they sell. These are the ones that I am loving most right now and would give anything to have. Unfortunately my money doesn't stretch that far. I think that it has become harder to find bags on the high street that are both affordable and look high quality, but Marc B seems to have found the middle ground. They look quite high end and not high street at all, which to me is important. Even though the price isn't super cheap it isn't over the top either, I believe that if you want a decent quality bag you have to be prepared to pay that little bit extra. For some of you the prices might be fine, personally I find them reasonably expensive but if I know I will get a lot of use out it then I would be willing to hand over my cash for it. After all, aren't they beautiful?

feeling blue

This isn't really an outfit post as such, it's more of me showing you what I bought yesterday in Oxford Street. But I only got to go into Topshop then had to leave because I kept being ill (not very nice at all). It's really annoying because I had planned that trip a month in advance and it cost me and my mum £34 to get there and back. I will hopefully be able to go again in a few weeks time, but my exams are coming up within the next few weeks so it might not be possible.
The aztec print top was £16 which I thought was quite reasonable for Topshop as their prices often exceed my budget. I think it would be perfect for the summer months paired with some simple denim shorts and converse or sandals. The only thing about this top is that it is quite revealing as the arm holes are really low, but I think it will be acceptable to wear it when its super hot and sunny. Otherwise I would just layer it over a cami top.
The blue tie-dye tights were £10 which personally seems quite expensive for tights. I have had my eye on the pink pair for ages but when I saw them in the store they didn't look as nice as the blue ones. They're a very loud piece so I'm going to have to be quite selective on what I pair them with. I still haven't worked out which shoes I'm going to wear them with yet, but I'm sure I will come up with something soon.
p.s. I'd just like to apologise for my grumpy face in the photo, I still don't feel very well at all and didn't want to put on any make up as it wasn't necessary.

snake valley

Topshop have launched their first s/s 2011 collection of this year online recently and i must say I have already fallen in love with some of the pieces, especially the black fringed playsuit. The muted tones look fabulous with splashes of reds and oranges that give the collection that summery feeling. Add in a beautiful tan to tie this easy summer look together perfectly.

I haven't been a very good blogger recently. But part of this is because I have been on holiday, no where exotic, just to Devon to stay at my grandparents house and see the rest of the family. It was very lovely, I enjoy it every time I stay there.

Since I've been back I have seen all the autumn/winter 10 collections and I am lusting over most of them, especially Topshop. But as well as the brand new I'm still in love with some items from previous collections. Here are some of my favourites,