Feeling Festive| Christmas Party FOTD and OOTD

 

So what does a girl wear to her Christmas party? Never mind that! What does a girl wear to her first Christmas party at a company where she is still trying to impress and make a good opinion? This was my dilemma last week. Usually I would be the first to whack on a tight dress, get my tanned legs out and put on my stiletto heels, but when I work in an office in a very rural location, where my nearest cocktail or champagne bar is at least 70 miles away, I had to second think my attire. I still wanted a look that was glam, but maybe not as sexy as I normally aim for.

I decided to based my outfit around my sparkly shoes from Moda In Pelle which I love with all my heart! Look how amazing they are! They were the pair I wore for my mum’s wedding, and I think they are perfect for the festive season. I paired it with a matching glittery clutch bag from TKMaxx.  After I chose my shoes and bag I was stuck; I have a million dresses in my wardrobe, even more so now I have lost a dress size, but couldn’t decided which one was appropriate. So like you probably all have done, I ended up sat amongst all my clothes after having a hissy fit about how “I don’t have anything to wear!” I know a little black dress would of looked great but I wear black dresses to work everyday, so wanted something with a bit more colour. So after trying on all of my dresses I finally settle on the above lilac one from H&M. at first I thought of it as a more summery dress; more fitting for a wedding. But after trying it with the shoes and bag I thought it was perfect; sophisticated, girly and festive!

My works Christmas Party was a great success. We all went to a local hotel to have an all expenses paid for dinner and drinks, plus a little disco. It was a nice change to see my work colleague outside of the office, and we all had a great night; Sunday was evidence of that! Lets just say I had a few too many glasses of wine!

What did you, or are you wearing to your Christmas Party this year? Anything sparkly like my shoes?

A Glimmer of Sunshine| OOTD

Dress- H&M

Shirt- Primark

Bag-Zara

Shoes- Stylist Pick

Well as many of my fellow bloggers are talking and twittering none stop about the wonderful sunny days they are having, I am sat very sourly in the rainy and cloudy Lake District where we have only had one day of sun this week, and that was last Saturday. So firstly, it you would like to send the sun up here, then please do so. Secondly my post is from that one sunny day, when I actually managed to sport my new wedges which were bought six weeks ago and not been worn since!

So last Saturday was spent in Newcastle, and it was my last day in my last ever student house! End of an era! I spent the weekend moving my boyfriends stuff to his new house and cleaning our old flat. So obviously wasn’t sporting anything special during the day, more like sweats and rubber gloves. However in the evening we went to go see Batman at the MetroCentre (best film ever) and went for burgers afterwards, and I wore the above outfit.

The dress you will have seen recently from my holiday pictures from Finland, as I wore it often then as its very versatile, however it creases really easily, which is quite annoying. The shirt I wear as a cardigan, it doesn’t actually provide any warmth but I think it adds something extra to an outfit. I paired it all with my new wedges from Stylist Pick, which are very high, but surprisingly comfortable, and my once trusty Zara bag. I say once trusty as it is now falling apart. I am hugely disappointed as the straps on my Zara bag are now snapping slowly but surely, but I suppose after spending only £20 on a bag I can’t expect it to last. Has anyone else had this problem with theirs? As know at the time there was an abundance of bloggers purchasing this bag. 

I hope you have enjoyed the sunshine where ever you are, and for however little it has stuck around. Did anyone else go see Batman over this past week?

Heavenly Heels| Bridesmaid shoes

Firstly I apologise, I actually bought these shoes last weekend, but have been too busy to post about my weekend shopping. Yet I am still going to share it with you as I am in love with my new shoes! More shoes I hear you say… these ones, like my Graduation ones are essential as they are my bridesmaid shoes.

Last weekend, I visited Manchester with my Mum (the Bride) and the other 3 bridesmaids, of which I am the youngest. My mum has the most random bunch of bridesmaids in the world; her daughter, her mum, and her two friends. Not only do our ages vary, so does our body shape and fashion sense, so buying our outfits has been difficult. We have managed to settle for the same dress, however for shoes we decided that we would each have a different pair of shoes so we could reflect our our style. The only necessary being that they had to be sparkly.

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of everyone else shoes, but of course I have plenty of pictures of mine. I must of looked for a pair in every shop in Manchester, and the only pair I loved were a pair of £400 Jimmy Choos, which my budget did not stretch to! Finally I stumbled into Moda in Pelle and found the pair pictured; despite them not being a silver sparkle, more a grey shade, my mum approved. Although I think she just wanted me to settle upon a pair and not leave Manchester empty handed. They are very high, but I love them, I just prey I can last all day in them at the wedding.

While we were at Manchester we had afternoon tea in Marks and Spencers, which was an absolute bargain and very yummy. While in Marks and Spencer we found this display of DIY bra’s by their staff. They had been asked to decorate a bra for Breast Cancer, and the Bra with the highest votes wins; voting was done by putting money into a collection box. I voted fro the Percy Pug bra, as I think its simply amazing, but the whole idea was a great effort by the store to help raise money.

Overall we had a great girly day, and I am very happy with my purchase. I just can’t wait till September so I can finally wear them!

What do you think of my bridesmaid shoes? Do your prefer more traditional shoes for weddings of something fun?

Sexy sandals from Stylist Pick

Hello ladies, I am back from my travels, and straight back to blogging. I had the most amazing time while I was away, and did so many wonderful things, but I will dedicated a post to my trip later. I firstly want to share with you my sexy new sandals from Stylist Pick. As followers of my blog will know I love Stylist Pick! Not only their products but the service they deliver, it is truly top notch, and I am all about high quality customer service.

Stylist Pick is a monthly subscription service of £39.95 (if I remember correctly), for which you receive a new pair of shoes of your choice each month. No girl can complain about getting new shoes each month! I ordered two pairs this month, as I didn’t buy any last month. I ordered them on the 1st of the month and they came right after the bank holiday… super quick!

I decided on a pair of wedges, as I currently don’t own a pair, and know they are a style staple every summer, so decided on a silver colour so I could wear them with pretty much anything. I haven’t worn them out the house yet, but from wandering around my house they are comfortable so far.

The flats I fell in love with. I love sandals and adore the bright colour jewels on the front of these, I think it makes them really stand out and makes them something special. These I took on my travels, and wore them a lot! They go with many different outfits due to the colour range on the sandal, and are comfortable. I admit you can’t trek for miles in them, but for lazy wanders around cities and the beach they are perfect.

I am going to spend the rest of my day packing up my house ready to move home, and catching up on blogs.

Which pair are your favourite? Have any of you bought anything from Stylist Pick? What do you think of these subscription services?

Shoe Dazzle Haul

Just a quick little post to share some picture of my lovely new shoes. As I mentioned a few weeks ago Shoe Dazzle UK was closing down, so they had a huge sale. Naturally I indulged and ended up buying 3 pairs of shoes, which I finally received today... YEAH!

The shoes themselves are gorgeous! Really well made and comfortable.

Which is your favorite? Mine are the purple ones!

Disappointing Sale Shopping

Left to Right- Nail Varnish  £5 £3, Makeup Brushes £26, Nail Varnish Set £12  £8

La Senza Underwear- Bra’s £30 each £10 each, Pants £9 £3. Dorothy Perkins Dress £32  £15.

Dorothy Perkins Dresses- Red- £30 £15 Purple- £35 £15

Well I  don’t know about you but I haven’t been very successful with my sale shopping this year. I was pretty disappointed with what was on offer by the time I got round to the shops. I had a little nosy on Boxing day at my hometown, but there are very few shops there in the first place. I went to Next, Dorothy Perkins, and Boots. I found something I liked in each of these shops, a ring and baubles in Next, three dresses in Dorothy Perkins, and some half price Christmas beauty collections in Boots.

When I got back to Newcastle it wasn't until the 29th and 30th of December that I managed to get a look at the shops in Town and at the Metro Centre, by that time there was barely anything left and shops were actually bringing out their new stock for next season. I managed to buy some really cheap underwear from La Senza, and a couple of beauty products from Topshop (some of which weren't even in the sales).

Although when writing this it sounds like a lot, in my head I had a few things which I wanted to buy that I couldn't find anywhere, or if I did it was in the wrong size. These things included a faux fur gilet and jacket, smart office wear for job interviews, a few pairs of high heels, a pair of boots, a couple pairs of flat shoes for day to day wear, a new large handbag I could use for lugging my books to university everyday, and many more dresses and cardigans. So I think my expectations were pretty high to find all this stuff in the sale, I just expected to get at least some of it.

In my opinion it seems that unless you are willing to get out of bed really early on Boxing Day, and are willing to queue and fight for the bargains then you are going to end up disappointed, and I refuse to shop in this way as I hate being stressed and rushed when shopping. For me it’s a hobby so I like to browse and take my time.

How does everyone else feel about sale shopping? Love or loathe it? Also let me know your sale shopping bargains, I would love to see what I missed out on.

In my dreams| Christmas Wishlist

So I have made a wishlist for Christmas for my family and friends, obviously within a suitable budget. But if money was no object for myself I would definitely be indulging in some of these beauties. 

Classic Chanel bag

Louis Vuitton luggage

Makeup brushes

Victoria Beckham dress

Hermes Birkin bag

Roberto Cavalli Jumper

Lancome

Glitter Louboutins

Jo Malone

Donna Karan Shearling Gilet

Cartier Watch

What designers would be under your dream Christmas tree?

Holiday style| What to wear at Christmas

With the arrival of the holidays, I'm sure everyone's calendar is rammed full of parties and events, I know mine is. So I'm going to share my ideas of outfits that can see you through the season.

First step pick a simple dress that you would be able to accessories and wear with different colours and fabrics, this will give you more scope for wearing it for multiple occasions.

The dress

Dress- MissSelfridge- £32

Jacket- Topshop- £70

Clutch- French Connection- £50

Shoes- NewLook- £22.99

 Jacket- Topshop- £65

Belt- Miss Selfridge- £25

Tights- River Island- £12

Boots- New Look- £44.99

Gilet- NewLook- £29.99

Tights- DorothyPerkins- £10

Shoes- Office- £48

Bag- FrenchConnection- £60

Belt- Asos- £20

Ring- Asos- £25

Shoes- KurtGeiger- £69

Which look is your favourite? Let me know what you plan on wearing on your big days and nights!

X factor Final- Who wins the fashion war

I am currently writing this post as I watch the X factor final. As always the female judges have been pitted against each other in a style war. This year has been different due to the arrival of the two new judges Kelly and Tulisa as they both have styles that are different to each other, but also to the previous judges (Danni and Cheryl)

So lets see how the judges faired each week, and who wins the style war in my eyes

Week 1- Kelly Wins

Saturdays outfits- I do not like the print on Kelly's dress, but love the cut, and I love Tulisa'a dress, however the whole ensemble is a bit bland, it could of done with a pop of colour from shoes or accessories.

Sundays outfits- I adore Kelly's dress, Tulisa's is a nice design, but it looks a bit cheap.

Week 2- Kelly Wins

Saturdays outfits-  I'm not very keen on either dress, Tulisa looks a bit messy, and Kelly's is a nice dress, but a bit to tame and demure for Saturday night tv.

Sunday's outfits- Wow! Both are very booby! Both a gorgeous dresses in their own right. Tulisa's is fun, and very much suits her, and Kelly's is very glamorous. I'm going to base my decision on what I would wear personally, so Kelly wins.

Week 3- Tulisa Wins

Saturday's outfits- Kelly looks like a dominatrix, and Tulisa does also, but a little less so. Kelly is wearing too many accessories for my liking.

Sunday's outfits- I love both dresses, even is Tulisa's make her look like giant Quality Street chocolate, but it is very on trend with the sequins and jewel colours, and I love the colour blocking with her shoes.

Week 4- Tulisa Wins

Dear oh dear, not a good week. Alexandra Burke stepped in for Kelly for the week, and did not impress.

Saturday's outfits- Tulisa was clearly dressing up for Halloween, a shocking outfit, not X factor worthy. Alexandra's dress is OK, but not flattering for her figure at all, the whole outfit makes her look short and barrel like.

Sunday's outfits- again I'm not keen on either. But I love the cut of Tulisa's very flattering and ladylike for her.

Week 5- Kelly Wins

Saturday's outfits- Tulisa's headband is awful, it looks like the one's I used to wear when I was 6. She looks uncomfortable in her dress, maybe a little too short for her. Kelly's dress is gorgeous, but looks a bit bridesmaidy for Saturday night TV.

Sunday's outfits- Tulisa's dress is very pretty, I dislike the shoes though. Kelly's dress is gorgeous, very similar to the dress from Saturday in terms of cut and fabric, but it is a little sexier.

Week 6- Kelly Wins

Saturdays outfits- I love Tulisa''s dress, she actually looks more high fashion than high street which she looks many nights. Good on Kelly for mixing it up with the suit.

Sundays outfits- Tulisa looks like she is wrapped in tinfoil, oh dear. Kelly's dress is simplistic but yet detailed, I am in love with it.

Week 7- Tulisa Wins

Saturday's- Tulisa's dress is nice, a bit safe I think, but it works for her. Kelly's dress is very summery, and sexy. I love the detail on the top of the dress, and mixing the beading there with the glittery shoes.

Sunday's- Kelly looks like a Quality Dress chocolate. It does not look good in anyway. Tulisa's dress is beautiful, again jewel tones are very in at the moment.

Week 8- Kelly Wins

Saturdays outfit-  Tulisa is obviously in fancy dress as a bumble bee, the dress is also very frumpy. Kelly's dress does not impress me much, it looks a little cheap, but the colour blocking is good.

Sunday's outfit- Tulisa's outfit looks cheap, and it was revealed by a sharp eyed viewer that when she had her back turned to the camera her dress was see-through, not good! Kelly's dress is simple yet stunning and I love the added colour from the shoes.

Week 9- Kelly Wins

Saturdays outfit- I love Tulisa's dress, its very different to others she had worn. Kelly's is cute, but I'm not mad about it, the whole ensemble is a bit bland.

Sunday's outfits- Tulisa's dress is cute, but I'm not loving the bracelets she is wearing. Kelly's dress is everything I love about the glitter trend going on at the moment.

Overall, Kelly wins, but I'm pretty disappointed with the fashion this year. At no moment, did my jaw drop when they entered the stage. My heart has not fallen for a single outfit.

In my honest opinion, these two have nothing on Danni and Cheryl. I much prefer their style to Kelly and Tulisa (and I don''t even particularly like Cheryl)

What do you guys think? Do you have a favourite outfit? Or am I totally wrong in my choices?