I am sorry I have been a little MIA in the blogosphere over the last few weeks, I feel like I am having a slight mid-life crisis.  Probably a little prematurely so in my twenties, but recently I have been lacking the motivation and drive I really need to get things done and have really been questioning the direction my blog is going in.  I don't really discuss my anxiety and depression on here as I feel as though this blog is a part of my escape from these problems but sometimes it really affects my blog and makes me really self critical.  However I've decided to fight back, become more organised and get myself back into regular blogging.  And how better to start than with a little shoe haul post...

Shoes - Primark

I love these little brogue style t-bar shoes, they look a little brown in this picture but they're actually a deep burgundy colour.  I thought they'd make a nice change from my usual black loafers that I normally just slip on and they will look really cute for spring with some little frilly socks.  

Boots - Office

If there's one thing I love to buy it's boots!!  I don't know why but whenever I walk into a shoe shop it's one of the first things I'm drawn to and no matter what time of the year I find myself in a pair of boots.  When I saw these boots in the Office sale they instantly reminded me of the Chloe studded boots, something my bank balance would never allow, they were reduced from £80 to £44 and I knew I had to try them on.  When the shop assistant brought me the other boot to try on I noticed that it was a slightly different colour to the display boot, which had obviously faded in the bright shop lights.  Although it wasn't overly noticeable I mentioned it to the shop assistant and as they were the last pair in my size she said she could knock the price down a bit more for me.  Little did I know she was going to knock another 50% off for me, so I was really pleased when I got to the till and had got this £80 pair of boots for £22!  I'm thinking about making these boots more Spring/Summer friendly with some white denim, if I'm brave enough...

Shoes - New Look

In May I am heading to Santorini to be bridesmaid for one of my best friends and for the last couple of months have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of shoes.  My main criteria was that they had to be nude, make me a few inches taller and comfy.  Thanks to my little legs I had already had to have several inches taken off the bottom of my bridesmaid dress that landed in a puddle around my feet.  Although these are not exactly the bridesmaid shoes I had envisioned, I like how tall they make me feel and the chunky heel and platform make them a lot comfier and easier to walk in.  To be honest, as you can barely see them under my dress, I just wanted to buy a pair that I knew I could wear again and I can see myself getting plenty of wear out of these during the summer.

Today I thought I'd share with you a little winter shopping I did recently whilst on the hunt for a new winter coat.  As you'll be able to tell I'm loving New Look's winter collection at the moment, they have some really nice pieces.

Coat, £54.99 - New Look

There are so many nice checked coats around at the moment and I have browsed many online as well as tried several on in store.  Now if I'm being honest, I remember seeing this coat online and it never really caught my attention, however when I saw it in store I fell in love with it instantly.  It is a lovely soft wool and so cosy, and I love the navy and green tartan for winter.  If you were to get this coat though I'd definitely suggest down-sizing as it is very oversized, even in a smaller size it is quite big on me but I quite like the oversized look.  Must be fairly popular though, as it seems that it is already sold out online.

Skirt, £19.99 - New Look

Sandals, £22.99 - New Look

Sticking with the tartan theme I also bought this lovely black and white brushed wool effect skirt.  I think it'll look great for winter with a turtle neck, thick tights and boots.  Now I know it's a little cold for sandals but if there's one thing that was missing from my wardrobe it's a pair of simple black sandals.  I like that these have a thicker strap and a chunkier heel than your typical pair of strappy black sandals.  I have not had them long and have already worn them several times as they go with everything, so I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of these.

Jumper, £22.99 - New Look

After getting over my fear of pink in this post I thought I'd a little bit of colour to my wardrobe this winter, as pastel pinks and blues are everywhere this season.  I love this little fluffy jumper, with it's embellished neckline it is great for jazzing up a simple pair of jeans or trousers.  I also like that it has short sleeves because I find that I can get a little too hot in long sleeved jumpers sometimes, even though I love how cosy they are when everywhere has heaters on it can be just a little too warm and uncomfortable sometimes.

Dress, £14.99 - H&M

I love this simple black and white checked dress, it is quite thin for winter but add a pair of tights and a nice big cosy cardigan it is just perfect for throwing on with little effort.  

Faux Leather Trousers, £14.99 - H&M

The second item I got from H&M was these faux leather trousers.  The first thing that drew me to them was the colour.  I'm loving this deep burgundy colour for winter and will make a nice change from black leather.  As far as leather trousers go they are pretty comfy and seem pretty good quality for the price.

Boots, £15 - Primark

Finally I bought myself a new pair of boots.  If I had my way, and the budget, I'd have a wardrobe full of boots.  They are one of my favourite things to shop for.  I love this grey suede pair from Primark, not only are they really comfy but an absolute bargain too.

What have you been buying for the winter season?

I've done hardly any shopping for summer over the last couple of months but for some reason over the last week, I have gone a bit shopping crazy.  So I thought I'd share with you just some of the things I have bought, as I'm sure there'll be more to come.  I must learn to have more self control.

Light Pink Block Heel Strappy Shoes, £35 - River Island

Now I'm not normally a huge fan of River Island but they have some lovely stuff this summer and one of the first things that caught my eye was these shoes.  Very surprising as they are way out of my comfort zone being pink, but pastel pink is growing on me this summer (they are a bit lighter than they look in this picture) and I just thought they looked really cute and summery.

Full Organza Midi Skirt, £18 - Matalan

One of the things I've had at the top of my wish list for this summer is a full midi skirt.  I just think they look so pretty and feminine and you can't help but feel super girly swishing around in one.  So when I saw this one for just £18 I had to snap it up.  Such a bargain for the quality compared to most I've seen for £30-£40.

Rucksack, £12 - George

Bra, £8, Pants, £4 - George

I'd been after a nice rucksack for a while but didn't want one too expensive as I mainly want it for when I go out for the day and take the dog with me as it would just make it much easier to carry his water, treats etc. in as well as my things rather than having to take two bags.  I love the little daisy print on this one and think it was a bargain for £12.

As for the underwear I think that's pretty self explanatory... it's mint green (my favourite) and it's pretty.

Crochet Collar Blouse, £12 - George

Yellow Bow Back Vest, £9.99 - Cameo Rose at New Look

I love little chiffon vests like this in the summer, they're so light and easy to wear and I love the little details, like pretty collars and little bows, that make a simple top so much prettier.  I mainly bought these though as I think they'd look really pretty tucked into the white midi skirt I bought from Matalan.

Dark Red V Neck Cami, £9.99 - New Look

Floral Print Drop Hem Cami, £14.99 - New Look

I also really wanted some little cami tops for the summer and these are perfect.  They are so light and loose, which is just what you need in hot weather, and they just hang really nicely.  Although the straps seem to be really long on the floral one but nothing a couple of stitches won't fix.

Mint Green V Neck Box Pleat Dress, £19.99 - New Look

Last but not least is my favourite purchase, a lovely mint green dress.  I'm sure I've mentioned on here several times that mint green is one of my favourite colours, so when I saw this dress there was no question, I had to have it.  It is made from a thick-ish waffle textured material which makes it look more structured and fit really nicely.  The nipped in waist and V neck just make it look really flattering.

What have you been buying this summer?

I've seen a lot of people do posts on what they got for Christmas and I know that is a bit of a hit and miss subject, but I personally don't see the problem.  So I'd like to enter the usual disclaimer here that I am in no way bragging about what I got this Christmas, if I'm being honest my favourite posts to read are haul posts and Birthday and Christmas gift posts.  Maybe I'm just a tad nosey, but I love seeing what other people have been given and it's great for discovering new things that I may not come across during my ritual online browse.  So I thought I would give you a little peek at what I got this year.  I'm not really going to go into too much detail on my gifts, as there are some that I'm looking forward to trying out and doing more detailed posts on.

As you can see, it is a bit of a well known fact amongst my friends and family that I have a bit of a sweet tooth.  I think my sugar cravings are pretty much covered for the next few months at least!

As you can see I got some lovely things and I am so grateful to my friends and family for spoiling me rotten.  I am so happy with all my gifts, but special kudos have to go to my amazing boyfriend for surprising me with my gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff bag and Macbook Air.  I had been eyeing them up all year and it was the last thing I imagined to find under my tree.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and were just as spoilt as I was.  If you've done a post on what you got for Christmas this year be sure to leave a link in the comments below, I would love to have a little nosey.

 



 

 

 

Boots, £24.99 - New Look

 

I posted about these boots in my New Look wishlist post back in June, and was gutted to find out that they had sold out online when I went back to buy them.  Then after checking online several times to see if they were back in stock online I went on a little store hunt and finally found a pair in my size, so I snapped them up straight away.  Only to find out, after all that, they are now back in stock online!  Oh well, at least I managed to get my hands on them and I can't wait to wear them.  I'm loving cut out boots at the moment, I think they're a great alternative to sandals for summer.

 

 

 

 

Sandals, £10 - New Look

 

Why is it that when you are looking for something in particular you can never seem to find it and then as soon as you stop it happens to be right there in front of you?  All summer I've been looking for a simple pair of black sandals and have been unable to find a single pair I like.  I'd just given up, seeing as summer will soon be over, when I happened to stumble across this pair whilst on my hunt for the above boots.  Even better, they were in the sale, reduced from £19.99 to £10!

 

 

 

 

Sandals, £12 - Primark

 

I remember seeing a pair of sandals similar to these in Zara a while back, but for almost three times the price I decided to leave them.  These sandals are slightly more dainty than I am used to, but with this style of sandal popping up everywhere, I've found myself wanting them more and more.  So when I spotted this lovely red suede pair in Primark for a mere £12 there was no way I could leave them sat on the shelf.  I always worry about ankle straps cutting my legs off, as they are short enough as it is, but I think the fact that they are so dainty stops this from happening and are actually rather flattering.  I think these will be great for adding a bit of colour to an LBD.

 

 

Tops - Primark and H&M

 

Skirt - Primark

Trousers - Topshop

 

 

Dress and Jacket - Primark

 

I have been left feeling a little deflated of late when it comes to shopping, which is rather unusual for me.  So this is only a little haul really of a few things that did catch my eye whilst shopping.  I especially can't wait to wear the dress, I love the blue porcelain print on it.  I have also been wanting a fringed leather jacket for a while so I couldn't resist this little bargain when I saw it in the sale for £10!

 

I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that has been leaving me feeling so underwhelmed whilst shopping lately until it hit me this week... the sunshine!  I realised that whilst perusing the rails of little summer dresses, skirts and shorts in my winter woollies (which should be long lost in the back of my wardrobe by now!) the lack of sunshine left me with no motivation to be buying such clothing.  So this week, along with the sunshine, my urge to shop is back with a vengeance and I can't wait to fill my wardrobe with a few summery delights.

 

Where is your favourite place to shop for the summer this year?



It has just occured to me, after recieving a nice little Topshop parcel yesterday, that I haven't actually shared any of my sale shopping with you.  To be honest, I am trying to save money for more "sensible" things so I haven't actually done that much shopping recently apart from this little accessory haul and a couple of naughty Topshop orders.

 

Here is what I picked up out of the Accessorize sale a couple of weeks ago...

 





Just a quick picture of my outfit that I wore to a friend's birthday party (sorry for the bad phone quality photo).

 

Dress - Topshop

Necklace - Dorothy Perkins

Tights - Primark

Shoes - Peacocks

 

Does anybody else struggle on deciding what to wear on nights out and to parties in this weather?  It's not like summer, where you can just pull on a dress, stick on some heels and you're ready to go.  No, you have to take into consideration how long you have to brace the freezing cold air as you go from bar to bar and how you're going to keep youself warm during those moments.  The simple answer to this would be to wear a coat, but then you're spending all night taking it on and off or worrying about putting it down somewhere and forgetting it in a drunken state.  It's just a hassle. 

 

What are your tips for keeping warm on a night out during these winter months?

 

I also seem to have a bit of a shopping problem at the moment.  I got these few things a couple of weeks ago but have only just got around to posting them.  I am afraid to admit that I have been on two more little shopping trips since then and treated myself to a few more bits.  I definitely need more self control when it comes to shopping.  I have decided though, that I will not buy anything else throughout the whole of December unless it is a Christmas gift for somebody else... I just hope that I have enough willpower or my poor friends and family will be getting a lump of coal for christmas.

 



I've been on a little bit of a shopping splurge for the past couple of weeks seeing as the temperature seems to have dropped drastically and I noticed that none of my clothes appeared to have sleeves.  So with the intention of buying myself a nice new winter wardrobe I went on a little shopping spree and was mostly successful.  I did get a little sidetracked by a few things though that were more pretty than practical.