Blog Award

I have been awarded an "I love your blog" award by Erica at Fickle Brown Sparrow.
I still find it hard to believe that people actually read my blog. It was started at the beginning of this year to help me get out of the fashion rut that I was in, help me come out of my comfort zone (I had previously always had to wear a uniform to work) and to monitor how often I was wearing outfits.

The rules are as follows:
1.The nominated is allowed to put the picture on their blogs.
2.Link to the person who awarded you.
3.Nominate seven other people and link to them.
4.Leave a message on those people's blog to make them aware that they're nominated.

So, I nominate:

Living The Fabulous Life - I love the way that Elisabeth mixes high end fashion with supermarket finds, while looking after a 3 year old.

Shoegal - I have found someone that owns more shoes than me, and she always wears them so well!

Domestic Sophisticate - These girls really know how to find a bargain and put together great looks.

The Penny Pinching Princess - I love the put together looks that are worn day to day!

Work With What You've Got - I have only just found this blog, but I love Erin's style!

What That Girl Blogs - I love What That Girl Wears too, but What That Girl Blogs makes me laugh out loud!

Rodellee Blogs About Life - I love the Boho/vintage look that she does so, so well.

Not so healthy.

When I was out of the shop yesterday my mum very kindly looked after it for me. She usually meets her friend on a Tuesday, so for a change her friend came out to the shop and they had their coffee and chat here.

I came in this morning and there was a note on the counter from my mum letting me know that the rest of the biscuits from yesterday were in a bag in a drawer. My mum knows that I am trying very had to be healthy and not eat sweets and biscuits in the run up to our holiday, so her leaving these here is just plain mean!

Needless to say so far today I have had 3 of the biscuits and they are beginning to call my name again! The only thing is they are Custard Creams - I don't like Custard Creams, but I am eating them anyway!!!!!!

M.I.A.

I am very, very sorry for the lack of posting so far this week. I did intend to set things right today, but I changed bags yesterday and my camera is at home in the other bag!

Monday, simply there was no time to blog, the shop was busy all day. It is the mid term holidays here, so the kids are off school for a week. I am glad that I am busy as most people tend to head off on holiday, but having kids in the shop makes my job harder. A lot of mums go into the shopping zone and forget that they have their little darlings with them. I then have to give outfit guidance and assistance as well as watching where little fingers are going.
My window and its display attracts children - it is not always easy to ask a child to not do something when mummy is around, well without offending anyone!

Tuesday, I was in Manchester doing some buying from my Vila agent. It was a very long day, the weather was rubbish (I got soaked twice) and it was a fight for a seat on the train home! However, I was a little early for my appointment so I popped to H&M (the one near us is not great) and got 2 great tops. One in my new favorite colour ORANGE!!

I will (I promise) post outfit pictures for this week tomorrow when I have my camera!

Saturday.

I love today's outfit!! I could not decide which picture I liked the best (or which one was clearer) so here are both!

Today's outfit is:

Black dress - Vila
Orange tights - SkunkFunk
Orange scarf - eBay
Black patent shoes - Christian Louboutin

I washed it!

And this is what happened!!!!!!!


Apart from losing this much dye (well a lot more) it is perfect and it smells beautiful! I have to say that I was a bit worried when I was washing it, that the end result may be patchy - what with it losing so much colour. But, I should not have worried.

I have the scarf on today and I just love the colour!!

Friday.

It has been another very wet day today and I am looking forward to getting home. I am going to do an hour of chores, make myself some dinner then I am going to start making my dessert for Saturday evening.

For Elisabeth over at Living The Fabulous Life this is what Banoffe pie is and this is the recipe that I am using!!


Today's outfit is:

Grey checked shorts - H&M
Black puff sleeve t-shirt - American Eagle
Black patterned tights - Tesco
Black wedges - Faith
I have now added my grey cardigan from earlier in the week and my grey leopard print scarf!

New Scarf.....

It arrived (it will be pictured tomorrow) this morning -very good service from the eBay seller. However, it STINKS of cigarette smoke!! Like stale yucky old man cigarette smoke (not that there is an un-yucky kind!!).

The scarf is brand new, has the tags attached and was in a clear plastic storage bag, but still it stinks! I think the plastic bag may just be for the purpose of shipping.

Now tonight I am going to have to hand wash the scarf as I already have my outfit for tomorrow planned and I need the new scarf to be part of it.
Of course the label on the scarf says "Dry Clean Only" but I am going to hand wash it any way! It was £2.98 including shipping so if a wreck it (fingers crossed I don't) it is not the worst thing!

Rant over.....

Thursday.

Yes, I do know that I have almost the same colour combinations on as yesterday. I am just going to point out that I had a very early appointment at the dentist this morning and I did just go with what was clean and ironed!

So, I have decided on my dessert for Saturday night, I am going to make a Banoffee Pie. It was a toss up between Chocolate Brownie Sundaes or the Banoffee Pie, but the Banoffee won. This was because I always think that Brownies are going to be better than they actually are!?
After I finish tonight I have to head to the post office to post some eBay parcels, nip home pick up a card before heading to my mum's for dinner. My cousin is coming to visit with her new baby. After all of this I am going to go and get all of the bits that I need to make the Banoffee Pie. I am also going to make a batch of the yummy Toffee Apple Muffins for my bf coming home - really need to use up the huge amount of apples from our tree.

Today's outfit is:

Plum oversize shirt - Blendshe
Black vest top - Primark
Black leggings - Forever 21
Black riding boots - Bakers

Check These Out!!!

I had totally forgotten about ordering them - what a fabulous surprise this morning when I opened the big box!!!!

I had been easing myself into the coloured tights trend - not any more! One of the reasons that I have not been too adventurous so far is the cost of the coloured tights. Most of them are retailing at over £5.00 per pair (I am aware that this is not a fortune, but for something that you are not too sure if you are going to love it is a bit steep. And we are in a Credit Crunch people!?).

So, to get back to the point, a huge perk of being the boss I just took my 2 favorite colours for myself. Even better than that is I am retailing these beauties at a tiny £3.75!!!!

They are by the brand SkunkFunk, the quality is amazing (much better than my Primark and Matalan ones. Think M&S luxury!!!) the colours are so vibrant and they come in a cute little mesh bag (which I think will make a good handbag make-up bag). Some of them are pictured here!

Oh, and just in case you are wondering - I have taken a pair in purple and a pair in orange. This has lead to the purchase of an orange scarf, that I hope arrives tomorrow so that I can wear my black dress with my orange flashes on Saturday!!

Wednesday.

It is dry today - thank goodness - it did not stop raining at all yesterday. A day full of rain gives me a long and quiet day.
My bf was home for a brief few hours, so he popped in and brought me lunch (a turkey sub from Subway). It was lovely to see him, even though it was truly a flying visit.

I am going out walking with my friend tonight, we have not been for a few weeks as she has just returned to work after being off on maternity leave, it will be great to get caught up with her.
The rest of the night will be spent doing some chores and planning a desert to make and take to a friends house on Saturday evening. She is making the main course, so I said I would bring the desert!

Today's outfit is:

Plum long cardigan (worn as a dress) - Vila
Grey cami - American Eagle
Grey argyle pattern tights - Matalan
Grey boots - Topshop
I now have on my grey scarf also.



Not a very good picture of the pattern on my tights!!

Meme - Tagged.

I have been tagged by Allie at My Wardrobe Today who wants to know 11 things about me! I have never done one of these before, but as I was tagged by the lady who inspired me to blog, here goes!

Eleven Things About Me:

1. Clothes Shop: At the moment it is French Connection. The truly good news is that I will be a stockist of the brand as of January 09!! Loving this dress at the moment!!

2. Furniture Shop: Is lovely little boutique home and interiors shop just along the street from me - it is called The Mix. However, I do also love Habitat.

3. Sweet: This one was a bit of a thinker - I am not a sweet tooth. But, I do love a Drifter (with a cup of hot tea).

4. City: Hands down Paris. It is the most amazing place I have ever been. It was not a place that I ever wanted to go, but my bf took me for a surprise weekend, it was the first place we went together and the most fabulous place I have ever been. I loved sitting in a street cafe with a glass of wine people watching! Us in the Louvre!

5. Drink: I do not have a favorite, I have lots of them!! All time and daily fix is good old Diet Coke. I was introduced to the Mojito in Cuba last year - YUM. I also like a Strawberry Mule cocktail after dinner instead of a desert.

6. Music: At the moment I can not get enough of The Kings Of Leon! But my music taste is the most varied ever. My work playlist contains: Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Def Leopard, Lenny Kravitz, Lost Prophets, Mariah Carey, The Killers, Abba, Justin Timberlake, Kylie, Queen...........

7. TV Series: Anything that has Gordon Ramsay in it (this comes originally from a love of cookery shows). I also religiously watch/Sky+ Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl, Mary Queen of Shops, Sex and the City (yes even though it is over and I have them all on DVD), America & Britain's Next Top Model, CSI Miami and my guilty pleasure is Hollyoaks!!

8. Film: I am not a film lover (hangs head in shame) I find I lose concentration and want to chat, which just annoys whoever I am with. But, I do love The Goonies, Aladdin (he is a hot Disney character) and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

9. Workout: I quit the gym recently as there are far better things that I wanted to do with the little free time that I have. Now my work out is walking. We live 2 streets away from the beach and I love to walk up and down taking in the views etc.

10. Pastries: Again, not a sweet tooth, but I have been known to head to Greggs for a sugar fix when extremely hungover. Then it is always a Custard Slice!!

11. Coffee: I hope that when I am a grown up I will develop a taste for coffee but I can not stand it - I love the smell. I am a tea drinker (probably a bit too much).

Ok, so now I nominating: Shoegal, School Gate Chic, Living the Fabulous Life, Work that Wardrobe and The Penny Pinching Princess.

Tuesday.

It started to rain at around 10pm last night and it has not stopped since, it is truly awful today. It is one of those days that if you did not have to leave the house you would just stay put! And that seems to be what most people have decided to do!!

I wanted to be cosy today, so my outfit is:

Skinny Jeans - Vila
White half sleeved t-shirt - Tesco
Grey long cardigan - Blendshe
Grey boots - Topshop
Scarf - Tesco

Monday.

Monday again, so soon!?!

The (short) weekend was nice and quiet. The bf and I had a night in on Saturday, we had a bottle of wine and watched the X Factor and some other things that we had on Sky+.
Sunday we got up early had a yummy breakfast (Sunday is the only morning that we have a cooked breakfast) we then headed to see my bf's parents and they took us out for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around before we got my bf all packed and he left for his week working away!

Today's outfit is:

Beige knitted tunic - Blendshe
Khaki cami - Topshop
Brown Leggings - Oasis
Scarf - Forever 21
Brown flat knee high boots - Faith

I have had to take a chunky, long grey cardigan off the shelf and put it on - it is so cold today!

Etsy.

I have just discovered (well last night) Etsy!! My bf is away working for a week and he left early yesterday evening. There was not a huge amount worth watching on TV so I started surfing (bad move) I was reading blogs (delving a bit deeper than I do from day to day) and I noticed a blog that had an Etsy shop. Curious I clicked and that was that - I now have a new favorite website!

I adore handmade cards, stationery gift wrap etc, etc, etc - I was in heaven. I placed an order last night, gifts for my sister-in-law's birthday (she loves things like this even more than I do). However, I have been back on today and I have bought all of the birthday cards that I need for the remainder of the year!!! Check out some of the cards that I have ordered here and here.

The site is very easy to use, the prices are very reasonable (even more so with the exchange rate) and so far all the shops that I have entered have been more than happy to ship to the UK!!
I am very excited about my new find for things that are just a bit different - I can not wait until they hit my door mat!

Saturday.

Thank goodness it is Saturday!! I am not sure what the plans are for this evening - my bf is away with work all week next week, so I think it may just be a quiet night in before he goes!

Today's outfit consists of:

Tribal print dress - Vila
Black cropped cardigan - Primark
Black patterned tights - Tesco
Black patent shoes - Christian Louboutin

Friday.

I am really not feeling myself today - not unwell, but worried and stressed. The state of the countries economy has had an effect on my family and there are a few uncertain jobs! Not good news. In our house, for a few months now, we have been trying to cut our outgoings, but this is now a full on project (one which is not easy).

I had another dental appointment this morning (it is my own fault for not going in such a long time that I now need such a lot of work) and my sister very kindly offered to open the shop for me. It was such a lovely treat when the alarm did not go off until 8am, I also managed to get lots of chores done before heading out! That means that the bf and I can have a nice evening after a stressful week!

I could not really think about an outfit for today, I had so much going on in my mind last night.
Today's outfit is:

Wide leg jeans - American Eagle
Brown bib detail t-shirt - Vila
Leopard print cardigan - Forever 21
Brown wedges - Next
Brown wooden bead jewellery - Plume

Thursday.

I got up a bit later than I should have this morning, but thankfully I had my outfit planned already. As I walk to and from work I decided to drive to the shop after I had my breakfast with my "Trick or Treat" cauldron. I could not think of a way that I could have gotten it there otherwise. In the end I am glad that I just took it in the car as it has been windy here all day and all of the tissue and crepe paper bits would have torn or blown off!

I am not too happy with my picture today as I think it looks like I have a tummy (well a large tummy under the dress) but I did not get a chance to take another as the fitting room has been getting used all afternoon!

Today's outfit is:

Green all over print dress - Vila
Black patterned tights - Tesco
Black cami - Primark
Black patent ballet flats - Nine West

Halloween!

OK, I know that it is only the second day of October, but I will be putting the Christmas decorations up (in the shop) this time next month!

What I busy morning I have had, I had set today aside to decorate the shop and the window display for Halloween. As always happens I got all of things out of the window, got myself into the window to give it a good clean when I get a customer (I am not complaining about the customer - just the timing). So, out I get trying to clear away as much as I can. I help the customer, wrap her sale, thank her etc, etc.
I climb back up into the window to start again, this time I get a bit further with the project before a delivery man comes in with boxes that I need to sign for!!
By this point the shop is a huge mess and I really just have to try and stack the boxes out of the way and get on with what I had started.

I did eventually get there with the window and I got all of the new styles unpacked and out for sale. That is the first of the very sparkly Christmas styles in!!

I have taken pictures of my creation - a lot of them are not to great due to the reflection on the glass!

I have put masks on all of the mannequins, there is a skeleton, dracula and frankenstein!

Not a great picture due to the reflection of the glass.


My bf and I made this last night, it was great fun, very messy (there was lots of glitter and glue used) and it took us ages!!
My Pumpkin tea-light holders! I love them! I got them in the Charity shop along the street, they are brand new and were £1.99 each!

Wednesday.

I am having a bad hair day!! It looks like someone has thrown my hair at my head!
Anyway, how cute is my new t-shirt? They got delivered to the shop late yesterday afternoon, I had totally forgotten about them. I am not usually a fan of this type of thing, but I think that this is just tacky enough to be cute! I love that the (untied) bow tie is black sequins!

I have had a morning of planning and moving around. I am going to be changing my window theme tomorrow to "Halloween" I am very excited and I have been collecting lots of nice little bits and bobs. I really love having the window looking nice and unique - it is my main source of advertising and I do get complimented on how fun it is! I have already started planning this years Christmas display!

Today's outfit is:

Black skinny jeans - Primark
Waistcoat & bow tie print t-shirt - Blendshe
Flat ankle boots - Bakers


A closer picture of the sequin bow tie!

Tuesday.

Sorry for not posting on actual Tuesday, it all got a little bit hectic! I got a call to let me know that a friend had, had her baby - however the baby was 9 weeks early and was in the special care unit as she is very small and being drip fed at the moment. So the morning my phone was ringing a lot. It was decided that me and another friend would go up to see the new mummy that evening (these plans changed about a million times before 5pm). We did go (but did not get to see the new baby girl - only mum, dad and grandparents at the moment) and we were filled in on the "drama" of the birth etc. The new mum is looking great and doing very well!

So, on top of my phone ringing all day the shop was nice and busy. I was not expecting a busy day as the weather in the morning was awful, however the afternoon dried up (and stayed that way) and there was lots of people about.
The weather has had a definite turn towards autumn/winter, it is getting much more crisp and cool (not that it was ever tropical) it is great I am loving wearing boots and nice new jackets!

Tuesday's outfit consisted of:

Black and white striped dress - S'nob
Black cami - Primark
Black footless tights - H&M
Black patent t-bar wedges - Barratt