Manchester Bloggers Meet!

I'm back! After giving myself a week free of stresses while I went on Holiday to Tenerife, I have finally - after a slow period of adjustment and sun withdrawals- arrived back into the real world. So the first thing I needed to blog about was what I spent the weekend before I went away doing- which was meeting other lovely fellow Manchester Bloggers at the #MCRBloggersMeet! 

Organised by the absolutely lovely Lucy from  http://prettylittlethingsmcr.blogspot.co.uk/ , the event was held at the Milton Club in Manchester, who were kind enough to let us bloggers descend for our meet up. Upon arrival, we were greeted with cupcakes and sweets, then once people had arrived, then a game of 'Blogger Bingo' begun, which as usual, I didn't win- although that may have been because I got sidetracked by the gorgeous cocktails the Milton Club had to offer...

Lucy had got some amazing Manchester-based brands involved with the meet up, including Didi's boutique who had a GORGEOUS clothes rail up for us Bloggers to browse, and Rock on Ruby who got involved by hosting a Blogger competition, where we divided into teams and designed our own Rock on Ruby style slogan tees! It was super fun, and while our team sadly didn't win, I was still pretty proud of our design! After some mingling, Lucy began the raffle, with some amazing prizes up for grabs! I had my eye on the Mulberry-esque bag but sadly it was won by another lucky blogger, I will definitely have to invest in one myself though!

We got to take some fab goody-bags home from the event, filled with products from the very generous brands! It was an absolutely lovely day, which did get off to a slightly shaky start (fainting on the train there was not on my list of things to do), however that was completely forgotten once I arrived, and I can't thank Lucy enough for organising such a fantastic event- I can't wait till the next one!

Are you a Manchester blogger? Will you be heading to the next #MCRBloggersMeet..?x 

Rock on Ruby Styling Challenge

Hey lovelies :) This weekend I'll be one of the very lucky bloggers heading to The Milton Club in Deansgate to attend the Manchester Blogger meet, organised by the lovely Lucy from Pretty Little Things and the Cotton City! This is my first blogger meet up, and I'm so so excited to meet loads of new blogger ladies from in and around Manchester!

One of the brands that have got involved with the event is Rock on Ruby. They sell AMAZING personalised tops, and have given us super lucky bloggers the chance to win a vest from their Blogger collection, that was designed by the gorgeous Victoria from inthefrow. All we need to do is decide how we'd style the vest, and where/when we'd rock the look! 

Vest//Rock on Ruby     Trousers//Bon Prix     Sunglasses//River Island     Bag//Zara     Sandals//Forever 21

I wanted to give the vest a casual summer feel, and felt the tropical print of these gorgeous slouchy trousers from Bon Prix would do just that! The white theme means that the outfit looks chic and smart, and perfect for wearing whilst drinking summer cocktails out for a catch up the girls!

The Pink tone in the trousers goes so perfectly with this GORGEOUS Zara bag- which by the way is in the sale for just £22.99!! I also wanted to tie the black 'Don't worry Be Yonce' slogan writing in with the accessories, so a pair of smart heeled sandals and oversized Cat eye sunnies are ideal. 

This outfit is something I would wear a lot, it's comfort and style mixed into one, and I think it would be one of those looks that's oh so easy to throw on- and just looks effortlessly stylish. The vest just makes the outfit, and I've got all my fingers crossed that Rock on Ruby like my look the most! 

Have you checked out Rock on Ruby..? How would you style the gorgeous vest...?x 
  

Outfit Post // Spring Shades

So before the smog descended this week we did get a day (even if it was only the one) of fairly nice weather up in Huddersfield, and as that is a rarity, I decided to make a change and take some outfit photos outside in my garden! At the moment the flowers are all blooming for spring, so I thought what better way to compliment my Pastel inspired outfit than with a super pretty background...

Jacket // SheInside     Top // New Look (last season)     Jeans // New Look (similar here)     Bag // Accessorize 

Necklace // Primark

I ordered this gorgeous coat from SheInside quite a while ago, and was so impressed as I managed to pay just over £20 for it! While I did have to wait quite a while for delivery, I couldn't complain because it was free. I felt like this coat was a good investment as it will definitely be perfect for taking me from spring to summer, on those colder days when I need a bit of a cover-up to stay warm. The mint green pastel shade is everywhere right now, and as I haven't been a huge fan of the popular Pink coat that a lot people have been wearing, this felt like the perfect way for me to take on the pastel trend! 

I bought this lace collared shirt from New Look over a year ago now, and I've certainly had my wear out of it. It lasted me all last summer as well as being perfect for this season- the white lace and pleated pattern is perfect for adding a bit of femininity to any outfit, I can wear it with a pretty skirt or my leather jacket, it's just so versatile. 

To toughen the outfit up a little bit and keep it up to date I wore these D.I.Y ripped jeans. I bought the original un-ripped pair from New Look a couple of years ago, and while I have to say I've never been very crafty or good at D.I.Y, after seeing a couple of other bloggers re-vitalise and rip their jeans themselves, I thought to myself, I've got to give that a go, how hard can it actually be?! Well I have to say it was harder than anticipated, and I didn't do a very good job, but oh well there was no harm in trying! Plus I will still get plenty of wear out of them,  because I wear all my jeans to absolute death!

For accessories I chose my trusty Accessorize bag, and a really pretty necklace I bought from Primark recently. For just £3 I couldn't say no, and the pastel coloured roses are lovely for a staple accessory that brings a touch of spring to plenty of outfit combos.

Are you loving pastel pieces for Spring? What items are you wearing to take on the trend...?x 

I've been nominated for a Liebster Award!

I'm still very new to this whole blogging thing, so I was super excited when I saw a comment from the lovely Emily over at http://emiloue.blogspot.co.uk/ telling me that she'd nominated me for a Liebster award. Even though I'd seen it on other blogs before, I wasn't quite sure what it was all about, so I did a bit of reading up on the award and it's rules. Here's a brief overview if you are a bit clueless like me: Answer 11 questions that are given to you by your nominator, then create 11 questions of your own for your own nominees to answer, then nominate up to 11 bloggers who all have under 200 followers

So, here it is!

1) Is there one makeup item you could not live without?
I'm not completely sure whether you'd class it as 'make-up', but my Lush 'Mint Julips' Lip Scrub is something I really couldn't manage without. I get very dry lips, especially if the weather is cold or I'm feeling stressed, and this just buffs away the dry skin and leaves my lips so soft, and perfect for applying lippy!

2) And how about fashion wise- is there an item of clothing you could not imagine being without?
Definitely. My leather jacket goes almost everywhere with me, it goes with virtually everything I own, and is perfect for dressing up or down. I should probably invest in another jacket as I've worn it so much that holes are forming in the lining (oops!), but for the moment, I'll make do with the one I've got.

3) What has been your best bargain?
This is such a hard one as there's so many, my wardrobe is full of bargains as they are all I can afford! But if I was going to choose one, I'd say my Trench coat, which I purchased in the Miss Selfridge sale at £30 down from almost £80. While it still sounds a lot, the material is absolutely amazing and as it's such a classic style, so I can see it lasting me for ages, a definite bargain in my books! 

4) What is your favourite thing about blogging?
Being able to share fashion that I love! Not everyone I know is as clothes-mad as me, so it's so nice to be able to share my shopping addiction with so many others who are just like me.

5) Do you have an idol?
My nan! She's the strongest person I know, and I hope I have the kind of amazing life and experience as what she's had.

6) What is your favourite book, album, film?
My favourite book is one I read when I was a lot younger, and that's Kensukes Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo (sad I know!), my favourite album has to be Ben Howard: Every Kingdom, his music is just so gorgeous, and is my go-to relaxation remedy. My favourite film is a hard choice, but I'm going for Bridesmaids, just because no matter how many times I watch it, it never fails to make me laugh.

7) If you could recommend one product to anybody, what would it be?
Balance Me daily essentials worked absolute wonders on my skin, but unfortunately I just can't afford to keep buying them! I'd recommend them to anyone to try out though!

8) Ever had a wardrobe or make up malfunction?
I used to have a really bad habit of not wearing waterproof mascara to go to the cinema, and as I cry at almost anything in films, my mascara ALWAYS ended up all down my face. So attractive. I make sure to wear it every time now, just in case!

9) Are you a day bird or a night owl?
Definitely a day bird, although I do like a sleep in, I always feel better if I get up early and make the most of my day.

10) If you had to pick one song to describe your mood right now, what would it be?
I have no idea as my mood changes so quickly, even I can't keep up some times!

11) If you could give one tip to a new blogger, what would it be?
Just blog about what you love I think. I'm a new blogger myself so I'm still learning, but I love it so far, and I can't wait to see my blog develop and (hopefully) grow along with me! 

My 11 questions are...
1) What inspired you to start your blog?
2) How would you describe your style in three words?
3) Which is your favourite high street store to shop in?
4) Are you a spendaholic or a serious saver?
5) What item of clothing do you love most in your wardrobe?
6) Are there any bloggers that really inspire you?
7) Do you prefer shoes or bags?
8) Is there an item of clothing you own but never wear?
9) What's the most you've spent on one beauty product?
10) Do you have a celebrity role model/inspiration?
11) Is there any advice you'd give to new bloggers, or people thinking about starting a blog?

I'm nominating Regina over at http://regina-rosecoxen.blogspot.co.uk/ , , Rachael from http://allthelittlethingsx.blogspot.co.uk/ , and Charlotte from http://blondecanvas.blogspot.co.uk/ , apologies if you've already been nominated!x 

SPRING WISHLIST // VERSUS

One of my favourite things to do when I have a free moment to myself (which at the moment is very rare!) is to have a quick 'on-line window browse' on all my favourite websites. I love looking at new styles and trends, and picking out what I thinks going to be popular, as well as creating outfits in my head that I'd love to wear. While the downside to this is that I have a 'one day I'll buy it' wishlist about 10 miles long, it is always nice to dream!

I've picked out two really different outfits, both of which I love! While one has a much more casual 90's urban grunge feel, the other is well and truly polished pastel perfection...

1. Skater Dress // Lavish Alice     2. Statement Necklace // River Island     3. Perspex Clutch // Boohoo   
4. Metallic Sandals // Zara

I spotted this dress a couple of weeks ago on one of my favourite online stores, Lavish Alice. I've been shopping there for a good few years now, and have seen it get better and better with each season. I am in love with all their new SS14 clothes and accessories, but this Mint Green contrast collar dress has to be my favourite piece. Pastel shades are already huge for this season, and although I don't own any clothing in candy-coloured shades yet, when I finally invest this will definitely be my first choice! 

To do this dress justice I felt like it's endless prettiness needed to brought out, and what better way to do that than with a lovely flower cluster necklace? I'm so obsessed with statement necklaces at the moment, that I've fallen in love with almost every style, and this beauty from River Island is definitely no exception. I think the pastel hints mixed with bright colours are perfect to match with the dress.

The minute I laid my eyes on both this perspex clutch and metallic strap sandals, I knew they'd be so perfect for the dress. The bright cobalt blue colour complements the mint green so well, and small block heel on the sandals would be perfect for a summer night out!

Looking at this outfit and thinking of all the places I could wear it is getting me way too excited for the sun to come back, summer, hurry up!

1. Smock Dress // Boohoo     2. Gold Hoops // New Look     3. Barrel Bag // Zatchels     4. Platform Boots // Missguided

My second wishlist, it has to be said, is completely different to the first. Gingham checks are massive at the mo, with my local Topshop store literally being Gingham galore. While I'm not sure the gingham check leggings are quite my thing, this shirt smock dress from Boohoo is definitely something I'd love in my wardrobe, and at only eighteen pounds, it's definitely one of the first things on my list to purchase! Plus, as if I didn't have enough excuses, it's named after me! If that isn't a sign I don't know what is ... :) 

As well as being a statement necklace hoarder, I'm just as bad (if not worse) with my earrings, and these uber-cool gold hoops would be a welcome addition to my collection, as they would go with so many other outfits.

I've never been much of a 'bag girl', but just recently I've taken a bit more interest in arm candy, and this Denim Barrel bag from AMAZING bag brand Zatchels is just so lovely, I would literally take it everywhere with me!

These grungy platform boots from Missguided are definitely another item that I would wear almost anywhere, they just look so comfy, and they are the sort of boots that would be so easy to just slip on when you're having an outfit crisis kind of day. 

This outfit would be perfect for the wet-weather transition between now and spring, and I could easily see myself wearing it over and over again!

What pieces are on your wishlist for Spring/Summer? Are there any websites you're really loving for new styles at the minute...?x