On my way to Geordie Shore

With my holiday still a long way off, I am breaking up a bit of summer with a trip to Newcastle to visit some special girls in my life.

Well, Gateshead to be exact then a trip to Leeds for a big birthday bash!  Today I have made mental notes, sketches and lists of what to wear, what make up will be required and what needs to be done in prep.  This is how I stay organised.

As well as the DIY mani, pedi, hair zshoosh and fake tanning sesh this evening, I need to pack my pre-styled outfits into one measly hand carrier.

Instead of preaching to you on packing light ... (I am still in the process of mastering this but will hopefully have some tips by my next big holiday) I thought I would show you some of the outfits I will be taking for day and evening.

I have been assured by Mr Weatherman that the weather will hold out and we will indeed be in for a sunny weekend so I think it's probably a good time to get the legs out again.

White denim shirt dress: Motel at ASOS
Studded belt: purchased in Philadelphia
Crossover stone bag: Topshop
Multi colour beaded bracelet: Mango.
Trainers: Nike at Urban Outfitters

During the day I expect we will be doing a bit of shopping, lunching and the odd cocktail.  Comfort is always the key when you are up to a bit of shenanigans so I have gone for a simple summer dress that is reminiscent of Wimbledon season.

Fringed Top: ASOS
Denim studded shorts: Miss Selfridge
Fringed sandals: Warehouse
Bag: Topshop
Bangle: Miss Selfridge
Ring: Ydeltuyt
Necklace: H&M

Another daytime outfit tailored for comfort again.  I love wearing this for afternoons in a beer garden and the odd boat rave when they come around.  It is such a comfy combo that it will serve me well for farewell drinks and my train home.  The top was a bargain purchase a few years ago from ASOS and it has to be my most worn item of clothing - it can be worn in many different ways, casual and glam.  I adore fringing reflected on the top and sandals - gah, I am so 80's sometimes!

I love this bag, it was a gift from my friend Stacie. It's so versatile and seems to go with everything.  It has a real festival feel about it and I think the blue stone in the centre is just gorgeous.

Brazilian print dress: Warehouse
Blue platform shoes:  Carvela
Blue clutch bag:  Zara
Bangles and cuff: Mango and Warehouse
Earrings:  Miss Selfridge
Selection of rings from H&M, Primark, Ydeltuyt and Accessories Online

It wouldn't be a big fat Geordie weekend without a party outfit in tow.  This dress is a recent purchase from Warehouse, I love the clashing pattern and colours throughout so I have tried to clash some of the accessories too without becoming too much of a muddle.  There is a slight twist in the front of the dress and so too in the bag which complements it nicely.

So all there is for it now is to get the vino chilled, the falsies at the ready and an endless supply of instant fake tan for these pasty ol' legs of mine!!

Making a spectacle of myself

This outfit post is actually from the weekend.  My husband and I were going for a dander round the shops (which led to some fabulous bargains being purchased) and going to my sisters house for a delicious dinner.

Remember I said that when I like something I wear it to death?  Well, heres the proof, this is the third OOTD post where I have donned my leather Miss Selfridge skirt.  It's just so comfortable, casual and versatile.

I decided to wear my geek glasses too which I have been wearing quite a lot recently.  So much so I think I will invest in a more expensive pair that look a little more chic than these plastic offerings.  Someone told me I look like an annoying T4 presenter when I wear them ... this did make me chuckle as so often we are afraid to wear what we want in case someone takes the mickey or doesn't understand our sense of style.  I took it on the chin and it's actually made me want to wear them more!

We express ourselves in how we dress, the music we listen to, our interests and hobbies and sometimes when it doesn't blend in with the rest of society, others aren't sure how to take it.  Sometimes you just have to be confident even if it's a little intimidating at first and be proud of the choices you make.  You make those choices because they express how you feel and who you are, so enjoy them.  Obviously if I looked absolutely ridiculous I would want someone to tell me but for now I am happy with my £1 plastic glasses :)

I started taking photos before I had finished all my make up and I kept changing accessories (not sure why).  I hadn't decided to wear my glasses until last minute so decided to take the photos all over again once I was done.  Make up wise I used my Michael Kors Estee Lauder eyeshadow palette which hadn't been shown much love in a while and also a new Dior lipgloss that I got for Christmas.  It's such a lovely springtime peachy colour, I will do another post about it soon.

Denim Shirt: ASOS; Faux Leather skirt: Miss Selfridge; Wedge boots: Dune; Geek Glasses: Primark(!); Navy Trenchcoat: Commes des Garcons for H&M: Bag: Vintage Gucci

In other news, I also got my hair did ... it's been re-ombred so not much change at all so nothing to show really except the ends of my hair are slightly blonder than before.  I am also waiting on a new camera arriving in the post this week, it's another digital compact ... but I still have my sights set on something a little more super duper ;)

x

I like a woman who's got some balls ...

Another party look for you - this time for a surprise birthday party.

My favourite colour is navy and i think there is nothing that compliments it as well as black. A long time ago someone told me I should NEVER pair the 2 colours together but I have gone against their (not so good advice) many a time and love it.

Navy dress/top:Primark; Black faux leather skirt; Miss Selfridge; Navy suedette boots: Stradivarius
Accessories as usual for me were statement pieces with a pewter coloured metal ball necklace and bracelet from Mango along with my Vivienne Westwood skull ring and a hand crafted silver ring from a Thai workshop in Chiang Mai. I chose to wear my Mango moc croc bag again, it just seems to go with everything and is such a great size for fitting in my make up, phone, purse, perfume, hankies, anti bacterial spray .... la la la the list is endless!

I have a wardrobe overflowing with bags, shoes, clothes but when it comes to dressing up to go out I always seem to go for the same fail safe items. Maybe doing regular OOTD posts will help me mix it up a bit.

x

She wears a short black leather skirt

Over the festive period, I hardly think there was a night that I didn't have a party to go to or a gathering to attend. Needless to say my liver will need some time to recover as will my muffin top.

A small gathering at my place called for a relaxed glamour that included leather (naturally) and sequins.
Sequin Tee: French Connection (sales purchase); Faux Leather Skirt: Miss Selfridge; Black suedette wedge heels: New Look; French Moustache necklace: Cherry Loco (as seen in a previous post)
Accessories were simple again, once I was a bit of a magpie but I have toned down my costume jewellery in fear of looking a little bit tacky ... of course, a bit of tack can be good in small doses though. I stuck to a couple of bangles and my gorgeous new turquoise ring which was purchased recently in Egypt. It has become my replacement for the YSL ring since I decided not to buy it.
My make up look has been quite samey for the last wee while, as mentioned in my favourites post I have stuck to the Estee Lauder Extravagant Gold palette and this night was no different. I used the bronze shade from the palette all over and the darker brown to add definition and pearlised shade for highlight. I added MAC lashes in no.34 ... wow, are these impact lashes ... pretty full on while remaining demure at the same time.
Illamasqua Erzule was added to Nars Laguna to create another bronzed cheek and MACs Sun & Moon as blush, this time with MACs Belightful to highlight. A simple lipgloss again with Estee Lauders Extravagant Ruby pure colour gloss.
Again, I had my hair in a top bun ... it's the easiest hairstyle to pull off when you are out as many nights on the trot ... no fussing or overstyling although I am looking forward to letting the hair down again.

x

A wee fashion haul

Ok, so this post was supposed to be my first FOTD but I couldn't find the USB cord to upload the pics ... then I found it ... and celebrated with a chocolate muffin!! Then... as i was about to upload the camera ran out of battery and the charger went missing!! So you can imagine my frustration!!

In the meantime, I have taken some pics on my mobile phone of some purchases from yesterday.

First of all I purchased some jewellery ... and i seemed to have stuck to a bit of a theme here! I bought a pair of angel wing earrings from topshop - they are huge and have little diamontes in them. I love this look, it reminds me of the whole art deco era which i love. I also bought an angel wing necklace from Mango .... however, I won't be wearing these items at the same time, that would just be naff!!

I also bought a little spring/summer dress from Mango ... It's navy with an asymmetric frilly shoulder/neckline. Its just a simple little dress and I plan to team with a belt and flats during the day or with wedges for evening. I have a little straw bag that will go perfectly with this too ... should be perfect for my Italian getaway that i have just booked for my 1st anniversary!
I also picked up 2 pairs of shoes. Now, I love shoes .... like, i really really love shoes and usually spend a bit of money on them but more and more recently I have been noticing how amazing the shoes in New Look are. They are just so fashion forward and so reasonably priced. They are not always the best of quality but sometimes if you are looking for a quick solution to a wardrobe dilemna then it really is a godsend. I picked up 2 pairs of shoes which totalled £60 I think ... cheapness!!! I couldn't decide which pair i prefered so thought it best to take them both home and try with different outfits. I would say these shoes definitely look better on and i wore the brown ones last night and they looked great .... however, I am thinking of returning the black ones even though I have a few things they would go great with!

Here are the brown (they are a bit dirty, I wore them to a messy night out last night!!!)
And here are the black (thinking of returning these)


There were a few other things purchased but far too boring to post. Also have a list of make up I need to buy but didn't get the chance too so hopefully I will be able to buy that through the week.

Hope your all having great weekends, will hopefully have my FOTD posted before the weekend ends!