WHAT I WORE 2013...

 

Hello, I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas holiday!
As new year approaches, I've put together a little 'what I wore' 2013, featuring some of my favourite outfits from this year. At the start of this year, my blog was solely personal style, but as I look back I'm so happy with the way it's developed over the last year and I hope you've been able to see a bit of the real me. As ever I've loved writing my blog this year, and have literally shared my experiences wherever I went - including my visits to Paris, and London.

In January, I brought this lovely paisley dress with my birthday money, from River Island. I've worn it all year, as its so easy to wear for all occasions. Here, I wore the dress for a new year's celebration, with my Clark's heels - those kept me dancing all evening! In February, I received a lovely necklace from Little Birdie jewellery emporium. I wore it in an outfit post with my vibrant coloured flamingo jumper. I loved this outfit as it was super comfy, as I love to find an excuse to wear my Top Shop jeans. In March, I put together a little 'smart' outfit, that I liked wearing to sixth form. The blazer was an old H&M favourite that I've had in my wardrobe for years, and I brought the pencil skirt was from Dorothy Perkins. 

 April brought the first glimpse of spring, and with it my lovely floral Kath Kidston style tea dress. I loved this outfit as it's a lovely denim colour, and was easy to dress down for a day out with friends. I wore it with a cardigan from Next, which is also another wardrobe favourite of mine! In May, the sun was shinning so I wore a festival inspired outfit. I loved the Matalan shorts and wore them with a crop top from New Look and Primark jacket. For June, (which I missed a month due to exams) I've selected a photo from my visit to Paris in the Summer - I loved my double denim combination!

July was a crazy month, but I've chosen my little dress I wore on holiday as one of my favourite outfit posts! The dress was from Primark, and was definitely one of my summer essentials. In August, I attended V Festival for the first time, and with that my complete festival outfit. My New Look top complimented my vibrant orange River Island shorts. I also loved my Joules wellies, which had details of cute doggies on! As I started a new school year, I went for a cheeky day trip to London. I wore an cobalt blue skirt with OASAP denim jacket and Clark's boots. 

 From October, the sun disappeared, but I was still holding on to the summer floral in another 'smart' work wear post. I wore a Dorothy Perkins dress with a H&M green blazer. In November, I attended the Clothes Show Live, with press pass in hand and my lovely friend Emma-lee to keep me company. I wore a tartan dress from New Look, with a satchel from OASAP and my super comfy Clark's boots. Finally December saw my festive Rudolph jumper, which I wore for the majority of the month (whoops) - though can you blame me?

So there's my favourites of 2013, my favourite was probably November, because I loved wearing the felt hat. Keep your eyes peeled for a few posts later this week!

Lots of Love,

Return of the blonde... floral prints X

And blondie has returned - no the aren't exams over - but I was fed up of revision...
So, I told myself I wasn't going to spend any money until AFTER the exams. However, retail therapy is proven to be a great 'anti-stress' remedy, so I thought I'd give it a try. I can say, that it works brilliantly.. but I'm now in debt to my parents (whoops).

As my next exam isn't for 2 weeks, I thought I'd take the opportunity to put down the work books and get blogging. Today's outfit was a little floral number I wore for a meal out with my nan, over the weekend. It was her 88th birthday last weekend - so happy birthday nan!

 I think it's about time you met the number one fella in my life - ISSAC; the big fat cat! Technically he's my neighbours, but he likes to stop by for an occasional visit.
He's also a CAT PHOTO BOMBER! If there was prize for the most photogenic cat - he'd win it. So, as you can see, he was keen to get in the photo and well he made them a bit more interesting as well!

 What Blondie's Wearing: Dress/Top/Belt - Primark, Socks - Dorothy Perkins, Bag - Charity Shop, Cardigan - Next, Bracelet - Fat Face.

The dress was a Primark steal for £10. I have a weakness for floral clothing and this dress reminded me of Cath Kidston! I added a black collar to create a neckline, and added a belt to gather the dress at the waist (it's my little trick for clothes that aren't tightly fitted).

The shoes were an old pair of sandals I dug out from my moms wardrobe (so thanks mom!). As I'm still awaiting a 'half term' shopping spree, where I'm hoping to purchase some new sandals, I thought I'd style up an old pair with a cute pair of frilled socks (well, you know me...).
 My cardigan was also stolen from my sister's wardrobe! The first signs of sun, over the weekend, have got me attached to everything pastel, so this outfit was no exception.

Well that's all from me, I'll be blogging over half term!

From a very 'glad to be back' blonde...



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Guest Shoot #3 - From behind the camera lens...

It was back to school today - and didn't the world know about it! My sister yelling 'WAKE UP GRACE' at 6:30 this morning was not the best way to role out of bed - but I'm glad she did, or I would have been going to school in my Pyjamas! (not that I'd complain).

 

Today's post is a slightly delayed guest post of my darling sister! As she's usually behind the lens, it was great to let me have a go at snapping away (as it's what I love doing). I have to admit, I'm completely obsessed with the use of light in photos, particularly sun set - it always looks so beautiful! These photos were originally a little experiment, so please ignore the fact she has no shoes ;)

 Okay, so sister's aren't supposed to pay each other compliments regularly (and it's certainly a rarity in our house) but I love this Jumper from Republic. There was a huge sale at Republic, due to rumours of it closing down. This meant of course, that my sister was first to snap up a bargain! The wool is thick and amazing quality and I love the knitting work on the front and arms.

This satchel is becoming a favourite of ours this Spring, since we snapped it up at a local charity shop! Pastels are a classic for Spring, and well, this satchel is a classic. She's also sporting her ONE DIRECTION wrist band, from the concert she went to last month. Yes, she's a little obsessed. And yes, I can now sing every lyric, to every song, since she plays the 1D album on full blast, in her bedroom....

The sun glasses (which are MINE) are from Primark, and look effortless for summer! Lydia's style is mainly a relaxed casual look. Not like her sister... But, it's great that we can wear each others clothes in such different ways! 

To complete the 'Saturday shopper' classic look, Lydia styles her hair effortlessly, by simply pulling some of her hair into a pony tail, and leaving a bit half in/half out. Spring is all about an effortless "up-do's" so I'll definitely be trying this look out...

What Lydia Wears: Jumper - Republic, Bag - Charity Shop, Glasses/Jeans - Primark.

So, you've officially met my camera wizard! 

One thing thing that bugs me about blogging is that people may think 'it's all about me'. But it's really not! One of my favourite aspects of blogging, is to take photos of people's style which inspires me (and I hope to do more of this too). So look out! ;)

 

Lots of Love,

 

let's get away, just for one day. Hello Lichfield...

Last week, my mom, sister and nan took a little trip to Lichfield. It's a little town full of tea rooms, charity shops and market stalls (or maybe that was just because it was a market day)! We spent a few hours walking through some beautiful parks - but mainly concentrating on the important task of raiding every charity shop in the 1 mile radius of the town...

Successfully out mission was complete, so the rest of the time was spent eating Victoria sponge in a coffee shop. I have a confession, I will be returning this Friday, as my little choir is going to sing in the Cathedral there - veeeeeeery exciting!

 

Can I first just announce my love for the  SS13 H&M Conscious collection! The collection is just perfection and if your looking for inspiration on how to style it, head over to one of my favourite bloggers, Olivia at What Olivia Did - trust me it's worth it!

Among the many recent purchases from H&M, I brought these gorgeous patterned jeans for a thrifty price of £9.99. I'm loving the tribal feel to spring clothes! But dressed my trousers with an army style jacket from Boohoo, which was only £6 on Ebay (another cheeky bargain purchase) and my sturdy Primak boots. I also layered up, with my coat and scarf as it was freezing outside - don't let the sun fool you!

What I'm Wearing: Trousers - H&M, Jacket - Boohoo, Coat - Bank, Boots/Scarf - Primark.

Part of my art coursework is to pick out pretty fabrics for a final piece (I'll fill you in when it's all finished). So I spent most of the day selecting fabrics - with the help of my mom - and materials to use! I get so excited my pretty materials. weird I know!

I finished the day off with a well deserved hot chocolate... oh and a gigantic slice of Victoria sponge! I think it's about time I thought about a serious diet! 

Well I'm off now to get on with some more revision - yay :(

Lots of Love,

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,

What a Sweetie Pie... Spring Pastel Nails X

Since my last post, I've been locked in my room revising (like most kiddo's my age).
So, I decided to do a 'see how long I can revise while painting my nails' experiment. In an attempt to paint my nails while revising, I managed  to get polish everywhere - including my textbooks...
It was a mission failed.

Still, it finally gave me something to post about! After a little shopping trip over the weekend, I've stocked up in pastel shades of nail paint, ready for the Spring - yay!

It's a huge trend at the moment to mix and match pastel shades! For those of you (like myself) who struggle to last 5 minutes without smudging nails, it's a great way to let your nails dry while your using different polishes!

The nail polishes I've used are:

1. Avon Speed Dry in pastel green.
2. Barry M Nail Paint in baby pink.
3. Avon nailwear pro in light blue.

Barry M is one of my favourite brands for nail polish, followed closely by Avon. The colours in both collections always look lovely, and look the same colour when painted on, as the bottle (which makes a change!).

 Are you feeling the Spring yet? Its difficult considering its around 2°C outside! Still, we can work around that factor...

That's all from me!

Lots of Love,

Spring Wish List.. Well a girl can dream, right?

Thank God It's the weekend - that's all I can say!
 I got my AS results on Thursday, along with most of the UK. When they told me that A-Levels would be hard, back in September, they definitely weren't joking! It's the moto 'bring on re-sits for me'...

Rather than scaring you away with my moaning, I thought I'd do a little post with all the items I'd love to wear this Spring - just a shame I don't have the loose change to purchase just yet! (p.s. all donations accepted - and no A levels required...).

1.  Moto Teal Cord Pini Dress - Top Shop £42. I love pinafore dresses, especially in spring and it's about time I updated my wardrobe denim's. I'd wear this with a white shirt, some ankle trimmed socks and some creepers.
2. 'Whole lotta Rosie Headband -Baby Blue' - Crown and Glory £20. I've wanted one of these headbands from Crown and Glory for ages, so it's about time I took the plunge, as it'll look lovely with a patterned dress  and sandals.

3. Collar Detail Dress by Wal G - Top Shop £33. Pastel colours are great during spring, and as my love of Top Shop dresses broadens, I'd love this in my collection, paired with cardigan and some brogues.

4.Red Textured Turtle Neck Crop Top - River Island £16. Every wardrobe requires something bright this season, whether it's neon (or not in my case), this red crop top is the perfect alternative. I'd love to go crazy and wear them with some patterned trousers, with your favourite canvas shoes.

5. Printed trousers - H&M £12.99. These printed trousers caught my eye when I was flicking through my H&M catalogue, and well these are at the top of my list for when I finally get a chance to go shopping! Printed trousers are a must have - dress them up with a shirt and heels for work and dress down with pumps and a block coloured cardigan.

6. Shelly Black Current Skirt - Vintage Style Me £15. Vintage Style Me, is a little online vintage store, which sells beautifully made designs. I fell in love with this circled skirt, for the spring/summer days. Wear with a pale shirt, frilly socks and brogues.

I'm hoping to get my act together and get an outfit post up later today, so watch out!
Anything you've got on your wish lists for this spring?

Enjoy your weekends!

Lots of Love,

My first GIVEAWAY - 200 Followers, hip hip hooray!

With London Fashion Week over (cries), I've finally got my act together to put together my first GIVEWAWAY on Blondie's Style Fix!
 Blogging is now my life - mainly because It's well and truly taken over my life, but I wouldn't change it for the world! When I started writing my first post, back in summer, I never thought anyone would actually wan't to follow my little ramblings! A year on, and my little blog is farrrrrrrrr from perfect, but for those of you who have been as lovely to follow, and actually read my blog this little giveaway is for you!

Please note everyone can enter this giveaway (even if your not a blogger - yay!)

So, what's up for grabs...

In a recent post, I showed you a brown satchel of this gorgeous Owl Satchel bag - and I was obsessed!
So here's your chance to win your own in pastel green. Pastels are always back for spring, and why not start the season with this gorgeous accessory.

For your entry just fill in the Rafflecopter Giveaway widget bellow!
Please note this giveaway is open for UK entrys only - sorry (shipping can by majorly expensive!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lots of Love,

Some Mid Week London Fashion Week Highlights X

From my kitchen table, eating a spoonful of peas, watching Deal or No Deal, I thought I'd share my week's favourites from the London Fashion Week Highlights! So here you go, sit back (drop that extra homework, or over load from work) and enjoy!

Here's the J.W Anderson Women Spring/Summer collection. I actually love this! The ruffles look great, and it gives me hope through the cold winter months, that a gorgeous collection in spring is coming my way - YAY!