'Lets get Shopping' - Clothes Show Live 2013 OOTD post...

Hello!
It's been a fantastic weekend so far, with my first Unconditional offer for university! I was over the moon, and to top it all off, I passed my driving theory - one step closer to driving (uh oh)..

With my spirits high, a weekend on shopping, catwalks and male models, was on the top of my list when I was kindly invited to attend the Clothes Show Live on Saturday, along with my friend/photographer Emma-Lee!

Due to my excess of around 200 photos of the whole day, I've divided the whole event into several posts - just so it's a little easier to digest! As I'm still awaiting some of the main catwalk photo's I thought I'd do a little 'Outfit of the Day' post, showing you exactly what myself (and Emma-lee) wore! The event was so popular, we struggled to find a corner where we could take some decent shots, so please excuse the slightly boring background! haha!

...What I'm Wearing...
I brought this lovely tartan dress from New Look, for £22.99 - and I absolutely adore it, but then again who doesn't love a bit of tartan? I completed the outfit with a collar and necklace from Primark and a brown H&M belt, which really set the dress off and helped me make it my own. I also decided to pin up the sleeves, as I felt they were a little too long! I also wisely chose my super comfy Clarks boots - as we litterally walked our socks off! My bag which has appeared on the blog before, is from OASAP (you can find it here) as well as my newly purchased felt hat - I couldn't resist it! OASAP also kindly provided me with the perfect accessories, with a lovely pale blue necklace - which is now in the sale!

...What Emma-Lee Wore...
After my own manic shopping spree to buy the perfect dress, Emma-lee had her outfit sorted, with this lovely dress ordered from Urban Outfitters! I just love the pattern and the colours really go well with her New look Cardigan. I've decided I'm going to steal her Top Shop boots, as there now on the top of my Christmas wishlist, as they looked great with this outfit. Finally she topped her outfit off with a bowler hat, brought off Ebay!

That's all from me for now, watch out for the rest of my posts taken from our day at the Clothes Show Live, and if you haven't visited yet - make sure you do!

Lots of Love,

Living like Royalty, Buckingham Palace...

Hello! So apart from being swallowed up by collage work in the last week, I took the chance to join a coach load of friends on an annual visit to London! 

For the trip, I wore my super comfy new boots from Clarks! It really pays of to have a great quality pair of shoes when your walking all day, and my boots didn't let me down! As we seem to have finally lost the summer sunshine, I opted for a denim jacket with my new tartan skirt to keep me warm and some thick socks too!

 I love London (but then again, who doesn't) and this time we planned a picnic in the park, to visit a few art gallery's for my art coursework and an all important trip to Buckingham palace. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to use my camera in the palace (boo) but it was definitely worth the visit, as the state rooms are truly beautiful! It's hard not to be drawn into the golden magnificence of the palace with the decorative crystal chandeliers hanging overhead and I have to admit the audio guide background music even had me waving like a queen...

The history of the British monarchy is fascinating, and this is clearly a strong influence in the rooms open for public viewing, and the family portraits on show tell the story of generations of royals. 

I'd also recommend checking out the gardens and the all important gift shop - though I wasn't keen on the £10 pens.. When you arrive at the palace, there's lots of air port style security before your handed an audio guide, which you use through most of the rooms, it's also handy to know that if you accidentally loose your place on the audio guide each room has numbers which you can type in to refresh your guide. We were also treated to a fab view of the 'changing of the guards' along with hundreds of others hoping to see the parade. It's fab to see the guards in there swanky red uniforms and made me quite envious of their epic sense of rhythm!

As you already know my love of history is touch obsession, so I also visited the Imperial War Museum which although under construction, was fab! I'd strongly recommend the Holocaust exhibition and the Horrible History Spies area looks great too. One thing I would recommend is bringing your own food as museum cafe's are never cheap and getting the tube rather than warning as it's situated quite a way from the buzz of Westminster.

As for the rest of the day we caught a quick tube ride to Oxford Street, as every London trip requires a small dosage of shopping! We found a gem of a place to eat called 'st. Christopher's place' which was a little area just off Oxford Street which had loads of little eateries and boutique shops. I'd definitely recommend visiting during a intense shopping trip as it's not far from Oxford Street. After a gentle stroke through the designer handbags in Selfridges, we were soon back in the bus wishing we could have stayed a bit longer!

What Were Wearing:

Charlotte (left): Skirt/Boots - Top Shop, Jumper - Miss Selfridge.Myself (left in right photo): Jacket/Satchel - OASAP, Boots - Clarks, Skirt - Primark.
Lydia (right, in second photo down): Jeans - Primark, Military Jacket - H&M.
Sarah (middle in above photo): Playsuit - New Look, Shoes - Dorothy Perkins.
 So that's how I've been spending the weekend. If only every weekend was exciting, as my usually Saturdays consist of piles of homework and plodding around the house in pyjamas! 

Anybody else do anything interesting with their weekend? 

Lots of Love,

Pretty little satchels...

Hello!

So it's start of the week (though it doesn't it feel like it) and a little gift that can through the post over the weekend is what's going to keep me going!

As you may (or may not) know, I have a teeny obsession with satchels, and my latest gift from Oasap has certainly made me very handbag proud!

With a wide variety of beautiful colours I chose a deep green bag with a tan lace around the edges. The bag is not leather, but is made to a high quality which could easily fool the eye. I particularly liked the sewing details around the outside if the bag which add character and make the beg look more rustic. The size of the satchel is perfect for a day out, as you can fit all the necessities in without having to worry about space/bumping into every person you pass/wishing you'd brought your brolly after convincing yourself you wouldn't need it. It's structured frame makes it suitable for work/collage too, and the little pockets on the front make it suitable for storing the 'I'm going to  loose these' items'.

As the first showers of September left me with a cold this weekend - going to a university open day without my coat was not a sensible idea - I'm being a little brave in my outfit choice. I chose a little skater skirt I brought in a river island sale a few years ago, with a new look coral blouse and my shoes which are a new addition to my collection of brogues! As it's London Fashion Week at the moment - though I'm trying to avoid this topic, being gutted I'm not there - I've been getting far too excited about Summer 2014, and forgetting about the long winter I'm sure we've got in store. For that reason, this may be my last 'without tights' post for a while now...so be prepared for woolly tights, thick jumpers and oversized coats!

What I'm Wearing: Bag - OASAP, Top - New Look, Skirt - River Island.

That's all from me, make sure you check out the OASAP winter collection - it looks fab and well I'm a tad obsessed already!

Have a lovely week, wherever you are!

Lots of Love,

Enjoying the Great British Sun Shine..

Hello!

Today's post is a mix of everything I probably should have posted BEFORE I wen't on holiday last week (whoops). But, as I'm finally back, I'll be posting lots of outfit photos, taken while I was away soon, so make sure you check them out too!
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In the last few weeks, I've been spending lots of time enjoying the British sun shine, on some lovely day trips! Since my last post, I've been: trekking around Snowdon National Park for 5 days with a group of great girls - fully kitted in outdoor walking kits (that's right) and spending a few days hunting down every charity shop in my local region and eating plenty of chocolate ice cream!

Before I post a few photos to sum up what's been a lot of fun, I'll warn you, there won't be any photos from my Gold Duke of Edinburgh, as it wasn't necessarily a fashionable experience...

So in temperatures that nearly exceeded my 25 degrees target, me and my two friends Lauren and Sarah, ventured out to a local market town, for a day of rummaging through second hand shops (a very productive way to spend a saturday). I managed to sneak a few purchases, along with several iced drinks, which we enjoyed while sitting by the river.

What were wearing: 

Lauren: Printed Shorts - Miss Selfridge , Top - Next, Bag/Shoes/Hat - Peacocks , Glasses - RayBan.
Me: Top - New Look, Shorts - River Island, Belt & Sun Glasses - Primark, Sandals - Clarks.
Sarah: Top - New Look, Shorts - River Island, Shoes - Dorothy Perkins, Necklace - Boots.

My little purchases inclue this lovely pink skirt which was £2.50 from a charity shop, that I'm hoping to pair with a crochet skirt I hunted down for €10 while I was on holiday.. 

It's great to enjoy local towns and cities when the weathers nice, as it feels like your a million miles from the usual rainy UK! It was a lovely day, and I recommend hunting down some local attractions to fill your holiday of fun while the weather is nice.

I've got to catch up on some all important Zzzzzz's, so I'll speak soon...

Love

What's in your handbag? - Money Supermarket...

I've got something a little bit different, for today's post - courtesy of Money Supermarket! Basically, I was set the challenge to post the contents of my handbag after a typical day in 'Blondie's Shoes' (so, I obviously chose the day I'd been shopping..)

The aim of this challenge was to calculate how much an average handbag is REALLY worth. As a savvy student (who has no money what-so-ever) I was like 'maybe this isn't for me', but I was surprised to find out, after a quick 'market research,' a.k.a referring to Google, that an average woman's handbag is worth around £200 -300!!!! So, I thought it would be interesting to see how my handbag matched up to these figures. 

If you want to take part in this competition too, head over to Money Supermarket and you could win a handbag prize worth £1,000! And 6 runners up prize's of £25 vouchers for Asos, thanks to Fashion Perks- Yes PLEASE! (it's about time I treated myself)...

Here's my little handbag that I'm usually carrying with me wherever I go. It's small, because I end up filling large tote bag's with endless junk, when I'm shopping. So sometimes smaller really is better! However, It doesn't stop me from obsessing over tote bags when I'm shopping! As you can see, I don't really hold my bag at much value, but this could still be interesting..

(p.s. my phone is ollllllllllllllllld. and yes, I wish I had the I Phone...)

 I'm very optimistic when it comes to UK weather, so my Primark £1 sunnies are always packed and ready for wearing.

I this little make up bag my 'first aid kit'. That's because it has everything you could possibly need (and fit) into a bag of this size for a beauty emergency. It's got: nail file (50p), mirror (£2), lip balm (£2*), bare minerals concealer (£16),  plasters, tweezers, and obviously a small packet of sweets for when lunch isn't soon enough! I also carry around £10 worth of additional makeup (whoopsie).

 Then there's even more essentials. I don't know what I'd do without my diary. I take is EVERYWHERE, and although my phone has a calender, I always refer back to my little book of notes! My purse was a vintage charity shop purchase and my phone is well... old, but still in working order. Diary (£2) + phone (£32) + earphones (£7) + purse (£5) = £46

 Some more of my handbag favourites... A bottle of impulse (£1) goes with me everywhere - it's lightweight, well priced and smells lovely! Also my ted backer body souffle (£2), is great for summer days and Jack Wills hand cream (£5) was a little treat - but has lasted me ages!

Finally, my bag, was £8 from a local charity shop!

Getting the Maths right...
An average woman's estimated handbag value = £200-£300
My handbag value (excluding cash etc) = £93.50

This is a great experiment, to see how much your actually carrying around with you! Just because It's not a shinny new I Phone, it's worth considering the value of your other items in your bag, and whether getting insurance is wise. Even if you don't fancy entering the competition I'd advise heading over to Money Supermarket, for more tips on insuring your handbag!

That's all from me, I'm going to spend my evening planning outfits around the Mulberry Bag prize (did I say that..) and wishing I had more money!
You can enter by writing your own "What's in my bag post" (see all the details and Ts&Cs here) and emailing competitions@moneysupermarket.com with "What's in your Handbag" in the subject line. You can also check out other entries and plug your own on twitter with the hashtag #whatsinyourhandbag! GOOD LUCK!
 
Lots of Love,
 

P.S. If you do enter, drop me your link in a comment, as I'd love to see some other entry's too!
P.P.S. I promise not to hate you if you win, hehe ;)

The sun came out to say, hello...

It's my 100th post - hiphiphoray!
I am pleased to say to sun finally made a appearance yesterday!
The UK weather has been a real disappointment so far this year, but fingers crossed, things may be looking brighter! (and now I sound like something off the BBC weather report)... As I couldn't resist the opportunity to finally wear my new sunglasses, I grabbed my camera and a bottle of bubbles for today's outfit post!

Today's outfit, is a purchase from one of my recent high street hauls. I was slightly disappointed with the Top Shop sale! So, in desperation, I followed a few sale signs and drifted in and out of endless shops. I found this paisley dress is Warehouse. I wasn't keen on the shape to begin with, but it looked far better on and I fell in love with the pattern...and the price tag of £12 (whoops). I'm hoping to dress it up for collage and down for sunny days this spring, as it's so pretty!

My sun glasses were also a recent steal from Primark. Every girl needs a few pairs of fun glasses for summer and the cheep and cheerful price tag of £1, has got me hooked on them! Problem is my sister now has her eye's on them... oh no!

The bag was yet another thrifted purchase  I persuaded my sister to buy in a local charity shop. Lydia hates charity shops, so it was my way of showing her that you can find loads of in season accessories for half the price. This pastel blue satchel (a colour I'm obsessed with right now) was initially from TU at Tesco, but was only £3 in the charity shop - Bargain? I think so...

Like I said, this shoot consisted of me mainly blowing bubbles at my camera lens - NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS! Not only did my sister face get covered in bubbles (I may post a photo on twitter later - @blondiegrace), but I soon ran out of breath; so it's time I hit the gym! However, it was lots of fun! As I see it, I have a year and a half before I got to university to cram in lots of childish fun - though I doubt I will stop there..
Follow @blondiegrace

In case you didn't notice, I've also finally got my hair cut.. (drama I know). I've never been a fan of hairdressers, I love styling my own hair and always feel no-one can ever do it, like I want it. However, my local hairdresser knows me well, and knows when I ask for a dramatic hair cut, I'm only asking for a trim! They also provide you with lots of UP-TO-DATE magazines to read; saving my poor piggy bank, and I love the hot chocolate machines - forget coffee shops, just go to the hairdresser and get a hair cut thrown in too! And as Forest Gump says 'that is all I have to say about that'...

What I'm Wearing: Dress £12 - Warehouse, Jacket/Pumps - Primark, Necklace £3 - New Look, Shoes £4- Primark, Belt - H&M, Braclet/Bag/Socks - Charity Shop.

Well that's all from me!
Anyone else spotted the sun yet in the UK? Let's hope it keeps on shinning!

Make sure you keep up with me on: Bloglovin, GFC, Twitter or Facebook...

Lots of Love,

A touch of denim...

Hello! Today's outfit post, is a little dress I dragged out of my exploding wardrobe! 

 I love re-wearing outfits and styling them in new ways - which I always encourage this when blogging (as there's no point buying something if you only where it once!).

Today's dress was a thrifty purchase last year, £3.50 from the sales! I've worn it a few times during the summer, but wanted to layer it up to create a spring friendly outfit! 

 I stole the jacket from my sisters wardrobe - though what she doesn't know won't kill her. Its great to have a sister who has a complete different style to you, so we can always do swaps on clothes when we need to.

 My bag hasn't left my side since I brought it a few weeks ago! It was a charity shop purchase, and is so strong (and surprisingly large inside.). This means I can stuff all my essentials in a bag which isn't oversized!  

 What I'm Wearing: Dress - Matalan, Belt - H&M, Boots/Jacket - Primark, Bag - Vintage.

Lots of Love,

A smooth transition to Bloglovin' and Giveaway winner announced...

Hello! As you've all probably realised Google reader (and most likely GFC) is disappearing off the blogging scene! I was gutted when I found out as I gain a lot of inspiration from my fellow bloggers on Google reader...

But, no worries - Bloglovin' is here to save the day!

I thought I'd do a little post for my readers who follow me on GFC, to make sure you still keep in contact with me, my blog - and so I know how to keep in touch with you too! :)

Just follow the link below to my bloglovin' account and hit follow! Make sure you comment below with your bloglovin' account also, so I can keep in touch with all your lovely blogs too!

Also, I'd like to announce my little giveaway winner!
Congratulations to Erica Price, you've won the Owl Satchel Bag - I hope you enjoy it! 

Well, that's all - I have a little outfit post lined up for tomorrow night - SO STAY TUNED!!!!!!!

Lots of Love,