5 Staples for your A/W Wardrobe

Autumn is upon us, and Winter is approaching fast behind it. The weather is so cold right now that my heating is on high, yet i'm wearing two jumpers and desperately regretting all wooden flooring and not having double glazing because boy are these floors cold, and how is the heat escaping so damn quick?

Anyway, i've been thinkng about my favourite staples for an autumn/winter wardrobe after a small (I promise it was tiny) clothes shop a few days ago. Some things I bought this time last year needed replacing, since getting with Josh i've put on a bit (or more) weight, and absolutely ruined the heel on my favourite pair of black winter booties. But we're good! I found some new favourites which i'll feature in this post today!

Be warned.. You will see that I favour burgundy/dark purples/dark reds. I just cannot help myself, they're my favourite colours to wear and I loooooove them. Usually I see this time of year as an excuse to dress gothic without looking gothic! Dark lips, dark hair colours, dark clothes, dark shoes. You get my drift? Then of course closer to Christmas out comes the bright red christmas jumper, and emerald green skater skirt (not at the same time though)!

1. My first favourite would be a knitted jumper, the one I show here is quite light weight yet cosy never the less. I found that its perfect for those warm afternoon (minus coat) but chilly evenings (plus coat). It was from New Look which you can find here.I just paired it with some black jeans, and booties which are another staple of mine.

2. I also think that dresses, with tights and booties look incredibly cute and brightens my dull overcast days with a flick of a skirt and click of a heel. I had a cute black one with white bows on from H&M but this year its a bit... tight. So here's one I only purchased two weeks ago and i've worn it four times, it would've been more but I go to the same place everyday and there's only so many times in a row you can outfit repeat. I love its short sleeves, since I would've just rolled them up anyway and the casual yet cute look of this dress. I can't really pull off the whole straight and not form fitting dress, and if you're the same this one has a tie at the waist which really makes it look cute and effortless to me. 

3. This time of year, is the time of thick socks and warm ankles! That's why I love a good pair of booties. You look cute and put together but your feet aren't sweating! Or freezing! I've had so many compliments since I bought these, and yes they were from New Look, again. I love the dark yet warm colour of them with the cute tassels on the side, they are comfortable enough for a days wear and for £40 that is not bad at all!! 

4. What's more important in the bitter cold of the British weather then a warm coat! This particular one is from H&M last year, but I found a similar one here. It doesn't have a hood which is its only downside, but I make up for that with #5 on this list! It's also not waterproof, and now i'm beginning to question it's practicality... But it's lovely! I love the wool and colours of this coat and it has a black lining on the inside so it's super comfortable and not itchy at all!

5. This one is probably a key staple for all year round in England. Number 5 for me is an umbrella, not necessarily a wardrobe staple (cheating a bit there), but something you need never the less. My coat doesn't have a hood as discussed above so I would be absolutely lost without an umbrella! Nobody likes their hair to get wet on their commute to a long day at college/work. Nobody!

These are my staples for this years colder months, and as always i'd love for you to share yours in the comments below! 

We got the keys to open paradise..

This is my second instalment of spring break ootds (even though spring break was a while ago) check the first out here. I am such a poser, it's unreal. I actually look like one of my friends, dani so much in this photo it's crazy. As you also mights be able to tell from the first ootd compared to the second that I look a lot darker, it might have been sunny this week but that was definitely thanks to my good old friend st tropez.

Denim shirt- Primark   White tank- H&M  Skirt-H&M  
Shoes-Converse  Bag-New Look

Five tips for shopping success!

I am constantly shopping, but I usually only picks up two or three things a new bra or a cute shirt, that kinda shopping. Then once or twice a year I find myself bored with my wardrobe and desperate to go shopping and buy out the whole mall! (This is a bad thing, I just can't control myself.) These are the least successful I think because I'm buying so much I usually buy stuff on a whim and never wear it or buy stuff I will wear and yet never do, and after these trips I usually go back the next day with 75% of it because I just got too over-excited and actually I hate that bright orange top I just paid £12 pound for? I'm going shopping tomorrow because I'm desperate for some new spring/summer pieces and came up with a few tips to help mine and your shopping trips a whole lot more successful!

KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE
I did some spring cleaning today, including my wardrobe (post soon if you're interested). So I know what exactly I have in their, I found a lot of items I had just forgotten about which I can't wait to start wearing again and I also realised I am lacking in the cute shorts and swimwear department. While I was cleaning out I made a vague list to make sure I at least picked up things I needed. I love making lists and following them so that works perfectly for me!

TRY IT ON
When you just pick up one thing it's so easy to skip the dressing rooms which can be stressful and way too hot around now, but it's definitely important to check them out. I find that a lot of the stuff I throw in my basket actually looks terrible on my own body shape, and if your a woman you know how crazy sizing is these days. I could be an 8 in one store and a 12 in another! It's not just that but some items look more flattering in a size bigger or smaller than your regular size sometimes and you end up with better results!

OUTFIT AHEAD
What I mean by this is before you decide to buy something think if you have something in your wardrobe you can wear it with already and if not find something! It's always a bummer getting excited over a new skirt and you can't find a shirt to pair it with.

LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE 'SENSIBLY'
Sensible sounds so old! Like your nan looking at your first pair of heels and going "are those shoes sensible?" When they can't be more than a few inches tall! ;) What I mean is it's great to leave your comfort zone and buy stuff you wouldn't usually wear because there is always room for your style/personality to grow, but it's best to decide if you like the item first. If it's quirky and catches your eye, follow steps 2&3 first!

BUDGET
If you are in a financial position where you don't have to budget then great, but if you can't splash too much cash it's great to make a mental note in your head. It doesn't have to be set in stone but I find when I start shopping and I know I'll be getting a lot, it is so easy to get carried away. If you're like me and have to be careful with finances then check what money you can spare on your fashion addiction first and try and stick to that amount. There has been many times where I have bought too many clothes and had to sacrifice (probably more important) things!

I hope you find these tips useful, I just thought I would share. Shopping is so overwhelming these days with so many different styles, shops and pieces! I would love to know any of your shopping tips as well, so leave a comment if you have any!

Festival Fever?

Have you been sitting at home this weekend, scrolling through instagram and watching multiple vlogs entailing all the deets about Coachella because I know I have! If you've been readng my blog for long you'll know I am a complete summer addict, any excuse to get out in the sun and wear skirts without getting frostbite and I'll take it! This is why I love festivals so much, who wouldn't? Take a couple of your friends, dress up in the cutest outfits you can only possible pull off at such festivals (if you live in the UK like me). Camp out and enjoy spending time with your best friends while you sing along with tons of perfect musicians! Colourful accessories, floral kimonos and flower crowns. Sound like heaven to you? Me too. It's not just Coachella's been and gone, but there's still so many festivals and so much of summer left, the Reading Festival line up is super exciting in particular.Arctic Monkeys, You Me At Six and Vampire Weekend. Uh? Yes please! Plus, even if your a introvert (like me) or suffer from anxiety (like me) I can assure you you'll still have great fun, just stick with people you know and let the music take you to a new level!

So since there's still some hope on the festival front I've come up with a lookbook using pieces from BANK, make sure to check them out! 

1)Beaded Playsuit £18 available here. 2)Ribbon Suede Pouch Bag £38 available here. 3)JuJu Maxi UV Jellies £20 available here. 4)Peace Necklace £5 available here.  

Annddd, if the lookbook isn't enough to get you hyped up for a festival filled summer I've put together a playlist and found my favourite coachella vlogs and snaps to get in you in the mood and assist you with your festival shopping! Be sure to check out BANK they're a sure favourite of mine for shopping this summer.

Festival ready playlist here + my favourite Coachella 2013 vlog.

Festivation 

(festival motivation ;))

Have fun, be happy and be safe! <3 div="">

All I have is summer time, running through my mind.

I'm not kidding, summer needs to hurry up.

No school, fruit salads, parties/barbecues, skirts, dresses, grass, staying out later, fresh air, less rain, walks before dinner, swimming, holidays, friends, family, free houses, selfies, light make-up, no coats, denim jackets, music, my birthday, tennis, time, shopping, sleepovers that last days, ice cream, tip tops, fruit juice, cocktails, fans, sleeping in, tanned skin. I could list so many more features of summer I love but I'm gonna stop here.

The point is and I've already made a blog post about this here, I miss summer. Low and behold it was sunny on Sunday, it's nearing April and the days are getting warmer and longer, hallelujah! In celebration of summers fast approach here's an outfit post!

Jacket- Very   Dress-Tammy   Bracelets- Primark   Shoes-New Look

My denim jacket is cropped with a studded collar, I paired it with a white lace jersey dress that has a peter pan collar and ankle booties from new look. I also added a few gold/copper coloured bracelets to match my shoes. 

Are you excited for summer?