Saturday, August 31, 2013

Scarf Collection


Ah scarves, how I love thee! I think scarves (and accessories in general come to that) are like shoes in that they will always fit you, no matter what. Scarves are better than shoes in a way (hush my mouth, did I just say that?! Stick with me on this...) because they hardly take up any storage space. And they weigh like nothing so are great to stash in your luggage or handbag as an extra layer or an easy way to change the look of an outfit.

As someone who is cold much of the time I am always looking for ways to add warmth to an outfit. And a way to add warmth and style? Sign me up!

My scarf collection is quite extensive because they’re an easy item to pick up anywhere. They often tend to be reduced come sale time too, so many of mine were quite cheap. My favourite kind are infinity scarves (the kind that are sewn into one big loop) as they stay put and you don’t have to faff about tying them.

I have the Ikea Pax wardrobes and use the Komplement ring hanger things to store my scarves. I currently on to three of them so that the scarves aren’t too crowded and I can easily find the one I want and access it easily.

What do you think about scarves? Are they something you wear? How many do you have?


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Friday, August 30, 2013

Fall Fashion Wishlist: Next Tall

Continuing with my picks of the Tall collections for the new season, this week we turn our attention to Next. I really like Next’s Tall range because unlike most of the high street tall collections that are for a height of 5’7” and over, Next design theirs for people 5’10” and over – ie. people who are actually tall! That means the sleeve and leg lengths are always good and the prices are reasonable too. Now if only they would stock the collection in store...

Anyway, my picks for the new season are as follows:




A dress with long sleeves! This is definitely on my wishlist. It comes in navy, red, teal and black, all of which are available in tall.




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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Thursday Latelies

Here’s what I’ve been enjoying this week. What have you been enjoying this week?


  • The Any.Do app – I love lists, especially of the To Do variety: seriously, I wouldn’t get anything done without a list. This app is basically just a To Do list for your phone which lets you add tasks then cross them off (literally, you cross them off by drawing a line through them with your finger) as you complete them. There’s an Android and iPad/Phone version so I can add/delete tasks on either of my devices.
  • Holidays from work – even if you just spend the time chilling at home, it’s great to have a break from work, early mornings and everything else that comes with your usual workday routine.
  • Dark chocolate – I was never really a fan of dark chocolate by recently I have been learning to appreciate a good 70% cocoa content bar. I would even go so far as to say I like it now.



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Review: Ped Egg



The Ped Egg is something that has been around for a while but I’ve only just got around to trying it out. This post discusses feet and I know some people are grossed out by that, so feel free to skip right on by if that’s you.

For everyone else that’s still with me, here are my thoughts on the Ped Egg.

If you don’t know, the Ped Egg is a foot file, distributed in the UK by JML. I got mine in Boots. Basically it’s a foot file that catches the bits inside its little egg-shape tray attachment making it mess-free and really easy to use. There are two buffing pads supplied in addition to the main file so you can buff your skin once you’re done removing the hard bits.

The file itself is gentle but does a good job of removing hard skin from your feet. My heels tend to get really dried out, especially in the summer so I decided it was time to really do something about it, other than applying moisturiser and putting on socks at night. I’m kind of lazy so I’ve been attacking my dry skin over several nights but you could just keep going with the Ped Egg and remove it all in one go (which is probably what you’re supposed to do anyway).

So yeah, it pretty much does what it says it will do but the egg shape makes it really comfortable to hold and the way it catches all the bits means it’s practical too.

Buy the Ped Egg for £9.99 at Boots.


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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Outfit: Pale Distressed Skinnies Smartened Up With a Blazer

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Silver flats


I am thinking I will pack away these jeans for the winter when it comes time to switch over the seasonal items in my wardrobe. I always see pale wash jeans as a summer item and the huge rip in the knee will not be conducive to staying warm once the temperatures dip anyway. So I’ll be trying to get some more wear out of them before they get packed away.

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Did you all enjoy the bank holiday weekend (if you got one)? We went to visit with some friends and came back on Monday via my friend S in Bristol, calling in to see her new house.

This was Tuesday’s outfit, a day spent catching up with the washing and doing the supermarket shop, as well as a bunch of other chores around the house. I shed the blazer once I got back from the shops as it was fairly warm out and the top underneath is a sleeveless tank. The blazer was a great way to smarten up the scruffy jeans though.

Black blazer – Long Tall Sally
Grey tank – Next (charity shop, shortened)
Jeans – Long Tall Sally (with 15% discount)
Silver and black flats – JB Martin (c/o Sarenza)
Silver necklace – Primark
Silver hoops – gifted
Silver cuff – M&S (free on 3 for 2)
Sunglasses - Boots (sale)


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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

VO5 Gel Wax Review


I used to use VO5’s Gel Wax about 10 years ago, to smooth out my hair after blow drying. I don’t really know why I stopped using it, but I did.

A few weeks ago I got my hair cut and pair particular attention to the products my hairdresser used when doing my blow dry. She always applies Tigi Bed Head Control Freak Serum and a good dousing of Queen For A Day spray before drying. I’ve been using a volumising spray for a while but decided to get some gel or wax or something to use too. I was in Boots and went straight for the VO5 Gel Wax because I had good memories of it. Reading the back of the tub I was pleased to see that it said you could use it on wet or dry hair and it was only £3.89 so I bought some.

The formula has changed a bit since I last used it and it goes kind of stringy when you scoop some out of the tub. It smells good though, very professional-hairdresser-y if that’s a thing. I usually apply my volumising spray first and comb it through, then rub some of the gel wax between my hands and apply that with my fingers. I then blow dry my hair with my head upside down, using a round brush to pull it straight when it’s almost dry. I find the gel wax really helps to define my layers, something I was really struggling with achieving until recently. Occasionally I smooth a bit more on after straightening to give further definition. I really recommend VO5’s Gel Wax for style definition and will continue to use it on my hair.

Buy it at Boots.


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Saturday, August 24, 2013

Hot Picks From Silver Tree!

Who knew that Vivienne Westwood did jewellery as well as all the awesome clothes and shoes? Not me, that’s for sure. Until recently anyway, when I was invited to check out Silver Tree. Silver Tree is a jewellery store based in Lancaster which sells jewellery by many designers, including Vivienne Westwood.


I’ve picked out a few of my favourite pieces from the site, the first of which is this stunning blue (my favourite colour) necklace. It is the shape of the orb which adorns many of Westwood’s shoes (especially those in the Melissa collaboration line) on a pretty chain.


Rose gold watches are a favourite of many bloggers, and I think this one is particularly pretty. Again, it’s by Vivienne Westwood and I really like the square shape and the jewel encrusted face. It also comes in a silver colour which would probably fit better with my wardrobe.


Another brand stocked by Silver Tree is Chlobo, one I wasn’t familiar with until now. They specialise in little charm bracelets and I was instantly drawn to this one with music notes on it. When I was at school I had a pair of earrings I wore for all the orchestra and choir concerts (yes, I was a band geek at school and proud!), one of which was a treble clef and the other was a pair of quavers as seen on this bracelet. This really reminds me of those earrings and I think it’s a subtle way to display an interest in music.


At first glance this looks like a bracelet, but it’s actually a ring. Chlobo have several rings and necklaces in their collection, in addition to the bracelets. I very nearly bought a ring similar to this when I was looking for a new silver ring earlier this year. This ring is really pretty and I would wear this as an everyday piece because it’s so simple.

All the jewellery pieces featured are available from Silver Tree which offers free UK shipping and free international shipping on orders over £100.


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Friday, August 23, 2013

Outfit: Red Leopard and Casual Friday

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New Look Red Leopard print


I have red leopard print shoes! Aren’t they cool? I saw Allie with a Nine West pair the other week but they proved impossible to track down in the UK. A quick Google showed that New Look were doing this pair (and for a fraction of the price) so I snapped them up before the size 9s sold out.

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Last night I put my new washing machine’s 15 minute cycle to good use with a couple of loads of washing. I really like the new machine, it has loads of programmes on it and the timer function is really useful.

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So I paired my super high shoes with my LTS Camden skinny jeans and a blazer for a smart-ish casual Friday look. I’ll likely be in flats or trainers most of next week so I thought I’d sneak in a pair of heels whilst I could.

Black blazer – Long Tall Sally
Red tank – Marks and Spencer
Jeans – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Red leopard print shoes – New Look
Red and cream bangles – gifted
Red beads – eBay
Silver hoops – gifted


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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Thursday Latelies

Happy Thursday! Here’s what I’ve been enjoying this week. What have you been enjoying?


  • Nail stickers – instant manicures in a packet!
  • Cadbury’s Brunch Bars – delicious cereal bars with oats and chocolate chips. I totally blame the lass I sit next to at work for getting me into these.
  • I Heart Las Vegas by Lindsey Kelk – I’d somehow managed to miss this book in the I Heart series so I’m catching up with reading it now, and enjoying it just as much as the other books in the series.



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Outfit: Teal and Mint

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Marco Tozzi black flats


Happy Thursday everyone! It’s almost the weekend and it’s a long weekend too if you’re in the UK! I have all of next week off work too and I’m so ready for it. So I’m pretty excited.

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Last night I got a bunch of posts scheduled in case I don’t have chance to post next week when I’m off work. Sometimes it’s just nice to take a complete break from things and that includes blogging too. I also applied gel stickers to my nails (see my instagram for a picture) which I really like. However, they do feel a bit weird: it’s as if I have slightly tacky nail polish on and I keep thinking I have to be careful not to smudge it.

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Today’s outfit is a mixture of greens and teals, with a bit of black and white thrown in for good measure. I love the sleeve and body length of this LTS top but the faux wrap v neck is pretty low and you can’t really wear it without something underneath so it was a bandeau to the rescue. I put on my oversize H&M turquoise scarf when I left the house too (though I didn’t really need it as it was 17°C when I was driving to work. That’s warm for a late summer morning). I debated heels but went for black flats in the end as I knew I’d have a really busy day that would involve a lot of running around to meetings (I have Manic Thursdays rather than Manic Mondays).

Teal top – Long Tall Sally
Black and white stripe bandeau – New Look (sale)
Mint jeans – Primark (eBay)
Black flats – Marco Tozzi (c/o Sarenza)
Whitby Jet cross necklace – gifted
Silver hoops – gifted


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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Outfit: Zebra Print with Red and Black

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George Zebra Flats


I’m getting my groove back with wearing dresses this week, so I put on another one today. This one is a couple of years old and I took it in at the sides when it became too big for me. I didn’t want to get rid of it as I love it over a black polo neck in the winter.

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The dress is a little on the short side for work so I played it safe and teamed it with flats. And I couldn’t resist matching my zebra scarf to the zebra print shoes.

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Last night was step class and I checked and was relieved to find out that the class would not be moving or disappearing with the September timetable reshuffle. Yay!

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In other news, Shoeperwoman’s Shoeper Shoe Challenge 2013/4 is launching on 1st September. I’m in, are you? Click the link to sign up.

Black cardi – New Look Tall
Black and red dress – Next Tall
Zebra print flats – George (eBay)
Zebra print scarf – River Island (sale)
Necklace – Scope
Silver and black bracelets – gifted
Silver hoops – gifted


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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Outfit: Black Dress, Orange Accents

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LK Bennett Maddox coral


I needed a lot of tea to get through today. My alarm went off at the usual time but I managed to fall back to sleep again for 20 minutes, and was then running late. Gah. Due to the ‘all cups must have lids’ policy at the new office my work mug is now much smaller than it used to be. I used to have one of those giant cups like they had on Friends in Central Perk. It came complete with a saucer (no idea what happened to that) and was bought from Ikea when the Bristol store opened when I was at university. I love that cup. I now have one of those tall ceramic travel mugs (the company provided us all with a cheap plastic travel mug but they make your tea taste funny) which holds approximately half what my oversize cup used to. But perhaps that’s a good thing. One time I drank four massive cups of tea before lunch and was a little bit wired.

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Anyway, last night I went to the gym for abs class and it was the last one as they’re changing the timetable (again) in September. I’ve heard a rumour that they’re replacing the class with Body Combat but I don’t know whether that’s definite or not. I just hope they don’t mess with the Tuesday night step class.

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Due to oversleeping I was rushing to get ready today. I was glad I’d picked out a dress as they’re so easy – just one thing and you’re done.

Black wrap dress – Luxuriously Tall (sale)
Orange bandeau – New Look (sale)
Orange wedges – LK Bennett (c/o Sarenza)
Silver hoops – gifted
Necklace – Scope
Black Obi belt – ASOS


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Monday, August 19, 2013

Outfit: Black and Cream Stripes with Red and White Spots

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LK Bennett Shilo


Happy Monday y’all! It’s my last Monday for a couple of weeks – next week it’s a bank holiday and we have the rest of that week off work which I am very much looking forward to. And when I get back to work after that it will be September can you believe it? Where has the summer gone?

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Anyway, I was up at my usual crazy-o-clock time for work this morning. I paired my striped pants with black and added several pops of red to brighten it up. You may recognise the scarf from my Long Tall Sally autumn/winter picks post. A 10% discount code was all it took for me to order it.

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I tried out some nail stickers over the weekend – you know, the ones that are like a strip of nail polish that you just stick on. I loved them! I didn’t buff my nails as directed on the pack as I don’t have a nail buffer, so I don’t think they lasted as long as they should have, but I have some more to try out and I will definitely use them soon.

Black cardi – New Look Tall
Black top – Zara
Grey and cream stripe trousers – Forever 21
Burgundy shoes – LK Bennett (c/o Sarenza)
Red beads – eBay
Silver square hoops – Claire’s
Red and cream bangles – gifted
Red belt – Next
Red and white spot scarf – LTS (10% off)


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Outfit: Navy and Red Stripes with Jeans and Trainers

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Skechers navy trainers


Sunday morning we went to an air show at the other side of the city with the young man’s parents. I knew we would be walking round a field for much of the day so I wore trainers, which is unlike me I know. But sometimes trainers are the best option. I really like this blue pair by Skechers – they’re elasticated so no faffing with laces, and the navy blue doesn’t scream ‘trainer’ like a white pair would do.

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I ended up adding a navy sweater, a navy and white striped jacket and a navy scarf as it was very breezy on the airfield.

Navy and red stripe top – Forever 21
Jeans – Long Tall Sally
Navy trainers – Skechers (c/o Sarenza)
Silver square hoops – Claire’s
Navy heart necklace – Scope
Sunglasses – Boots




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