Reiss Alma Bag

The dreaded maternity clothes shopping has started and I have to say it absolutely sucks.

There is so little out there that is actually stylish or fashionable in any way for pregnant ladies.  Topshop give it a good bash but it can be a little overpriced, although their jeans are the best I have found.  H&M is only good for leggings and longer length t-shirts in my opinion but who wants to be stuck in leggings for months on end?  New Look, well everything I have found there just looks so mumsy! I know there is a bit of irony in that statement.  Isabella Oliver has some beautiful things but the prices are just ridiculous unless it's for an occasion.

Anyway, I am trying to counteract frumpy maternity clothing through clever use of accessories and that is where the Reiss Alma bag comes in.  I first saw this gorgeous, feisty looking bag on fellow Scottish make up artist' Kirstin's instagram.  She commented that it was the colour of MAC Lady Danger ... and as one of my favourite lip pies ...  I was sold!

This bag is still quite pricey so I had to make sure it was still practical enough for motherhood.  It has a long strap so can be worn over my shoulder or over my arm for a more sophisticated look.  Being able to change it up is great for juggling all that comes with looking after a baby.

 It is made from a lovely soft leather and the gold detailing is so very chic.  There are also adequate pockets inside for phone storage and some extra lippies.   It will also look fabulous while I am on the tourist trail in Paris!

The Alma bag is on sale at the moment in Reiss so grab it while you can!

Charmed by Ortak

A few weeks ago I was invited along to view the new 'Charming range' from Ortak but unfortunately due to a busy work schedule I had to miss out. Instead I was left to indulge myself on the Ortak website. 

By definition, Ortak's Charming:- A varied selection of dainty wristlets and necklets crafted in sterling silver, with a choice of delicate symbols.

For those of you who obsessed over the sideways cross bracelet or the dainty bow necklets or even the 'love' rings, then this range will be right up your street.  You can view the full range here.

I very kindly received my favourite of the range as a Christmas gift, the LOVE charm necklet.  It's based on the LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana which I just ... LOVE! ;)  It sits perfectly around my neck, not too long and not too short and has received many compliments so far.  

Each piece is priced at £35 but you save £10 when buying 2 pieces together and another £20 when you purchase 3 pieces from the range. 

I am now hoping to add to my own collection of charms with the Unity necklet and the Hope anchor bracelet which is a nod to the industry I work in.  They are just too pretty! 

SoHo Living

I'm still obsessing over amazing interiors and recently came across my ultimate Manhattan apartment.

Renting for a cool $20,000 a night and up to $100,000 a month, this palatial building was once a 19th Century power station.

Styled to urban perfection by it's film maker owner, it boasts a 39 ft long swimming pool and as much exposed brick as you could wish for.  I love exposed brickwork!

I adore the purple velvet couches in the sitting area and the book case is to die for.  Can you imagine the fantastic parties you could have here?

Beyonce's Halo was filmed in the pool and I most recently seen this apartment on an episode of White Collar.  I just think it's a mind blowing space ... if i win the lottery any time soon, you know where to find me! ;)

Interiors Inspiration: Ryan Korban

It quite literally could be love.

There is not one image of Ryan Korban's stunning interiors that I do not love.  I've had my eye on his work for a while, inspiring my own home makeover and being my prime enabler for swapping fashion for furniture.

Known for his love of decadent textures, brass, furs, skins and taxidermy, Ryan's work has all the components of my idea of interior heaven.  Yes, even the creepy stuffed birds.  Despite an old world aesthetic, Korban's designs are definitely not traditional, instead erring on the urban.

Good friends with Alexander Wang, Ryan not only designed his NYC showroom but also his loft apartment.  Mixing fashion, friends and furniture, this guy has true style.

Korban once described his style as a mix of sex, romance and fantasy. "I love that Italian look from the 1970s, when tacky looked expensive."  As vulgar as it may sound to some, I think Ryan and I share a similar taste for design.  While he can execute it to perfection, I simply hope to add a few touches of the  Ryan Korban magic to my own home.

Ryan not only designs a wonderful space but his styling efforts are phenomenal.  Who else do you know who can place a stuffed zebra in a room and have it appear completely normal, just like part of the furniture?!

These spaces are a mixture of the wonderful that I can only dream of but whether it be a zebra print rug, a fur throw or pretty brass candlesticks, I will be sure to take a tip or two from Ryan Korban.

Roman Holiday ... what's in my suitcase?

At last I am on holiday ...!

After the busiest few weeks ever in work, it's now time to unwind.  Of course, my holidays had to start with me getting a stinking cold, oh joy!  However, I still have time to try and recover in time for my trip to Rome tomorrow.

The only downside to this Roman holiday is that we point blank refused to pay the budget airline any extra for checking in luggage.  I mean, come on ... £50 to check in 15kg? You are having a laugh.

My scrooge-like wisdom has left me with the problem of squeezing in all I need for 4 days and nights into a neat and compact 10kg bag.

Rome at this time of year is still fairly warm with the nights a little cooler.  The plan was to pack a few pairs of shorts and tops for daytime but again, me and my silly ideas .... after a ruthless wardrobe detox, I have managed to throw out all my 'city appropriate' shorts! TUT!  Aah I could kick myself.  That's what happens when summer decides to not show up in Scotland!

I have tried to create a capsule wardrobe, sticking with a colour scheme of mainly blue and black that can be mixed and matched as I see fit.  Some grainy pics below will give you an idea of what I am going for ...

L-R: Blue H&M blouse; H&M vest; cream Primark blouse; Black Zara shoulder pad top

L-R: Warehouse floral trousers; H&M graphic trousers; Warehouse Maxi skirt; Reiss pleated dress

L-R: Marc by Marc Jacobs flip flops; Reiss wedge boots;Topshop wedge sneakers

Accessories:  Raybans, pashmina, sunhat, mango clutch, necklace, cuffs, glasses

L-R: Mango blazer; Esprit leather jacket

All this and I am still under 10kg ... JUST.  It is do-able after all!  Even my make up bag is severely pared down with some foundation samples, eyeliner, bronzer, blush and red lippie. 

All that is left now is to do a little reading on what is sure to be a wonderful city and make sure to pack my camera.  

Next time you hear from me, I will have eaten my weight in pizza and will be cultured out of my nut with any luck ;) 

Primary Leopard

Autumn is probably one of my favourite seasons.  I find it hard to dress for other seasons but autumn brings me berry shades, trench coats and fabulous footwear.

The leopard print coat has been doing the rounds forever but I have always kept it at a distance but this year I am buying into it.  It's loud, camp and oh so Pat Butcher.  In my mind it's a pretty versatile item, smart, casual, it's there.

So what am I going to style it with?  Well, I just can't see past teaming it with bold and bright colours.  In my case, red and kelly green.

Leopard Print Jacket: ASOS

Smart Leopard - Trousers:H&M; Clutch bag:ASOS; Top:H&M; Studded boots: Topshop

Casual Leopard - Stripe dress/top: French Connection; Cambridge Satchel: ASOS; Wellington boots: Hunter

What would you style it with?

Kingdom of Jewels

A few weeks ago the Swarovski lookbook landed on my doorstep enticing me with the new season's sparklies aptly named, Kingdon of Jewels.

I have been swamped with work at the moment so this has been my first proper opportunity to have a flick through and see what I fancy for my wish list.

According to Swarovski, 'this season reveals an aristocratic and multicultural muse whose spirited style combines heritage and modernity.  In this collection, we are led into a realm where jewellery and accessories boast a fashionable hint of rock and baroque'.

Well this appeals to the 'rock chick' in me, I love how Swarovski constantly veer away from it's fine crystal background to challenge key trends of the season by setting it's own high standard of stunning, fashionable jewellery, evolving from it's more traditional roots.

The SEXY bracelet.  I love the mix of golds, bronzes, silver and pewter in this bracelet as well as the slightly aztec look about it.  It reminds me of a Pamela Love bracelet I own, I think they would look brilliant stacked on top of one another.

The SWORD ring.  More mixed metals, which I just love. I am all for mixing up silver, golds, coppers, rose golds and pewter, I love the depth and modernity of it and teamed with a mix of textures as we do with this sword ring, it becomes the jewels that legends were made of.

The SKETCH cocktail ring.  Well everyone likes, a l'il bit of bling every now and then.  This is a real statement piece that packs a punch on it's own never mind teamed with some blingy buddies.  Made from one of my favourite stones, black agate encased with a sunburst of crystals.

Those are my top picks so far but the more I delve into this lookbook, the bigger my wish list gets, uh-oh!

Roll on payday! ;)

x

Beatrice Boyle

I only discovered the wonders of Artist/Illustrator, Beatrice Boyle very recently.  A London College of Fashion graduate, Beatrice is known for her deconstructed photographs of models, creating dark and distressed images that are quite frankly, right up my street.

Although it has long past, when I heard she had created a capsule collection for Browns Focus I did a little more digging.  The collection featured t-shirts, vests and dresses with graphic prints inspired by her photographic work.  I luckily ended up stumbling across an eBay listing of a brand new with tags item from the collection and just had to purchase.

I haven't worn it yet and I am actually quite tempted to frame it and hang on my wall in lieu of one of Boyle's fabulously dark, deconstructed photo illustrations.

What do you think? Wear it or hang it?

x

Work Smarter, Not Harder

As a kid I was a wannabe tomboy.  I shunned dolls and barbies and instead I would attempt to muck about with my nephews, playing shoot 'em up games and climbing trees.  In reality, I would always just stand around watching them, egging them on from afar ... I didn't want to get my clothes dirty ... naturally! ;)

Anyway, I was fascinated by basketball which was something my nephews got me into, in particular Michael Jordan who was a huge icon of the 80's.

My big brother went to America when I was about 11 and came back with the ultimate gift for me.  My very own pair of Nike Air Jordan.  Honestly, if this didn't make me the coolest kid in the class, I don't know what would!

My original Jordan ... still think these look amazing! 

Turned out it earned me about 3 minutes of cool points at school and devastatingly for me, on the first day I wore them I fell down some stairs, causing a huge noticeable rip in the leather of one of the shoes.  Waaaa-aah :(

Fast forward to being a grown up.  I enjoy dressing up in heels, dresses, painting my face and making sure never to over exert myself by climbing trees or looking sweaty.  Ugh, what a girl!  The Nike Air Jordan that I treasured so, have been chucked in the bin by my parents when they moved from the family home .... never to be forgiven for that one, I tell you!

So in my grief for my lost but not forgotten Jordan's, my wonderful Mr who jet sets back and forth to the US ... returned from his most recent trip with a 'little surprise'.  Holy Schmoking, I nearly fell off my seat when I unwrapped the box to find the silhouette of Michael Jordan's infamous jump on the front of the box.

He had only gone and bought me a replacement for the pair that to this day I still rave about (I mean come on, this is a whole blogpost dedication to them!!).  They might not be the exact model I once owned but they are colourful, chunky and Jordan! I love them!

And the most ironic thing about this tale?  I still haven't worn them outdoors.  I keep replaying the moment I feel down those stairs as a kid ... I couldn't take it if I ruined another pair!!!  Therapy, please!

Anyway, big props to the Mr for such a cool treat!

x

Matalan Style Project ... (whispers) ... I Won!

Gosh, it's been a looooong time since I have blogged.  So long, I wasn't sure I could start again.  I'm not sure if I lost the love for it or if this blog just didn't really feel like 'me' anymore, or if it was just that life gets a bit busy sometimes and before you know it you are out of the loop.

Whatever the case, here I am.  We will see for how long.

So, quick update, one of my last posts was a not so subtle plea in my bid to win some votes in the Matalan Style Project.  Well, I am hugely chuffed to say I ended up winning it ... which is all thanks to you guys!  I never thought in a million years I would get the most votes but I am so grateful to all of you who voted, thank you so very much! :)

Happy Dance?

There is a new style project on the Matalan website, with 4 great bloggers looking for your votes so take a look at what they have chosen for this months theme 'Holiday Day Trip'.

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Matalan Style Project

Last month I was asked to take part in Matalan's Style Project where I create a look based on their given theme and pitted against 2 other fashion/style bloggers for the public vote.

This made me super nervous, I don't label myself a style/fashion blogger so to join a challenge that included legitimate fashion bloggers filled me with a little bit of dread but still very excited to be asked to take part :)  Matalan is a firm favourite of mine, offering affordable fashion pieces as well as fabulous homeware which I have been purchasing loads of recently.

The theme was 'Girlie' and in Matalan's terms they see this as cute cuts, pastel colours with some 1950's Americana thrown in!  One thing I don't do well is girlie so this was quite the challenge.  I don't wear a lot of frilly or girly colours so it felt a little unusual to try and style myself this way and in the end I went for something very overtly girlie!

I basically channeled Lana Del Ray, Frida Kahlo and Margarita Pracatan for this particular look! I went for a very feminine pastel yellow racer back dress, bow wedges, a floral satchel and I made a floral head dress a la Frida and Lana from a variety of floral accessories.

If you like my outfit, it would be lovely for you to leave a wee comment on the Matalan Style Project page here, where you will see the 2 gorgeous looks from the other style bloggers and a very 'special' looking pic of me in my get up ;)

x

Stella & Dot

Since it was my birthday, of course I had to treat myself.  This came in the form of an impulse buy at last months Girls Day Out at Glasgow's SECC.

US brand Stella & Dot had a stall at the event, showcasing their jewellery of which, I am now a massive fan.  I didn't know of Stella & Dot until the show but they sell well designed, beautiful accessories and jewellery at really reasonable prices.  Obviously a little pricier than the likes of Topshop but pricing is consistent with it's quality in my opinion.

My gift to myself was the gold renegade cluster bracelet as seen on Katy Perry ... so there you go ;)  At £45 it was pricey enough to feel like a treat but not too expensive that I couldn't justify the cost.  I adore this bracelet with it's mix of spikes and diamante and it has certainly fuelled my desire for more Stella & Dot creations.  I literally have a massive 'want' list!

Is anyone else a fan of Stella & Dot?  What do you recommend from their range? I think I am going to go for some chunky statement necklaces next :) 

x

New Things!

It's really hard keeping up with blogging these days despite having lots to blog about so thought I would start off what I hope with be a roll of posts by sharing some new bits and bobs .... kind of like a haul post.  A little bit of old school blogging if you will.

Let's start off with some fabulous buys from H&M and New Look.  I spotted this gorgeous neon coral & tan clutch as soon as I walked through the doors of H&M this week and didn't think twice about picking it up and securing the purchase almost instantly.  It reminds me of all those gorgeous clutches that are snapped in the hands of the most stylish of fashion editors at LFW.  It was a real steal though at just £12.99.  The 2 metal collars are just loooove!  I have seen lots of similar ones on other blogs and had been dying to get my hands on some myself, I think they will look brilliant worn with shirts or to add a collar to t-shirts. I think they were around £6 or £7 each.  Finally the shoes are from New Look and have a gorgeous ikat pattern across the shoe and heel.  With a pretty big platform these should probably come with a healthy warning but I can't wait to wear them :)

 It was my birthday last week and lucky old me (old being the appropriate term these days) was spoiled rotten.  An odd request of mine was a Dymo label maker.  Since moving house and creating new spaces in our home like a utility room, I have been desperate to make sure we stay organised ...  so labelling is the way forward! Seriously, who knew label making could be so much fun ... this dymo is really bringing out the geek in me!

I also received lots of beautiful perfumes with the most popular in terms of compliments being Stella McCartney Lily.  This was a gift from my mother in law ... I didn't even realise Stella had a new scent out as she is usually a firm favourite of mine.  Lily is a lovely scent, stronger than the usually McCartney offerings and it really reminds me of something I used to wear years ago but I can't quite place it.  One thing is for sure everyone else seems to love it, I even got a compliment on it in Morrison's car park! :)

Obviously I couldn't exclude new things for the home since it has been my main focus of attention for so long.  I had been eyeing up this print online for a long time, debating whether to buy or not but when I found it already framed and in the bargain section of TK Maxx, I knew it was a sign ;) I have still to decide where it should live in the house though. 

I have been obsessing over Laura Olivia designs recently and I am dying to make some purchases for my new bedroom which we have now started to decorate.  Laura Olivia is quite pricey though so it might be a while before I can invest in her gorgeous, bright, feminine designs so in the meantime, my husband and I set about creating our own piece of art for the new room.  We picked up these mirrored frames for mucho cheapness at B&M bargains .... we then took a trip to B&Q where we took quite lengthy samples of wallpaper to use in the frames .... and voila, a unique and personal piece of art for the home. 

Safe to say I am now positively skint .... a spending ban may be on the cards! eek!

What have you been spending on lately?
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