The Cat That Got The Cream
29 January 2016
I bought this top sooooo long ago and I can't believe I've waited until now to show it off to you all (when it appears to be out of stock, bummer), as I've been wearing it so much! I'm not normally a fan of this peter pan collar-style top but when I saw this in the shop – we now have a Sugarhill Boutique in the outlet village near where I live – I completely fell in love. It's a fabulously simple design so works best when you don't team it with anything too fussy, hence why I opted to pair it with just one of my many (you'll see more of these soon, trust me) pinafore denim dresses.
My favourite boots at the moment are these chelsea ones, from ASOS of course and you'll see a lot more of them, if you're not sick of them already, on all the outfit posts coming up on here shortly…
Have a lovely weekend guys, I'm off to London to spend it with my two besties, see you Monday!
Cheerz: a review
27 January 2016
If you've been following me (and/ or my blog) for a long old time, you'll already know I'm a big fan of photography and finding ways to showcase and pretty much show off my photos. So when I saw Cheerz (previously Polabox) on Instagram I instantly wanted to try out some of their products, and try I did! The first thing I picked up is now hanging proudly over my bed, and it's this black frame with nine of my favourite Instagram photos…one of the best things about this site and app is that you can upload your photos from anywhere and everywhere! I really like it's simple design and the way it actually looks a bit like an Instagram feed, the one I picked up is called 'Big Square' but they also have a smaller size too, plus posters that you can frame, and so much more!
The second thing I picked up was a 'Cheerz Box' not realising it was specifically a Christmas design, but you can't really tell (I don't think anyway). This was the box design I really liked so I rolled with it, the prints you get in the box are of great quality (super glossy, woo) and there are so many ways you can show them off. From hanging them on string with teeny tiny pegs to tacking them to your bedroom wall in an OCD formal fashion (which I've now done, of course) – the list is endless, they would also make a great present for a close friend or relative as they add that personal touch.
These products not for you? Never fear, they have so much more on offer on their site, and if you're getting married they're got that covered too…
Psst! Save yourself some wonga using code 'SAMBDQ' when placing your order
Frame & polaroids c/o CHEERZ
Keep It Simple
25 January 2016
When it comes to casual dressing I hope it's not big headed to say… I am the Queen. Not really a 'going out out' gal (only on the odd occasion) but more of an 'everyday' gal I find casual dressing super easy and something you never have to overthink. Simply throw on a pair of your favourite jeans, jumper or top and a scarf and hey presto you're comfortable but you also look stylish with minimum effort – the dream!
Toyshop's January sale this year was only "OK" for me, which I guess is a good thing when you're trying not to spend any money! I did manage to pick up a new pair of jeans (a little bit of a squeeze around post-Christmas time) but they now fit like a dream, the only thing that annoyed me a little is that the 'ripped' part of the jean is now what you would just call a hole. Now, this could be my nobbly knees' fault but still, it's a little annoying. The jumper I've shown on here before and, even though I've now got a weird stain on there that just won't budge, it's my go-to item for just throwing on and running off to work. The scarf is what jazzes this outfit up a bit, throw on a bit of faux fur and I'm Liza Minneli! And lastly, but certainly not least(ly) the trainers, which will pop up again and again on here as they're SO frigging comfy, one of my favourite Christmas presents this year!
Scarf, jumper and jeans all Topshop (January sale finds) | Adidas Stan Smith trainers ASOS
Sixties Florals
22 January 2016
As soon as I spotted this dress on Topshop I bought it, it reminded me of my favourite era – the 1960s (not that I was alive back then) and I absolutely fell for the print. Plus, it's in the tall section which, as you probably all know by now, I love about every single store I buy from. Never fear if you're petite or average height, it comes in those sizes too! Topshop clearly knew it was going to be popular… It's a dress you can have hanging in your wardrobe ready to go year after year season after season, it looks great like this in Autumn/ Winter time and if you're brave enough to embrace the 'no sleeves' look then you can wear it in the Summer or add a simple white t-shirt underneath if you're not quite 'there yet' going sleeveless.
A roll neck, my favourite little black bag and new pointed Chelsea boots were the perfect finishing touches to this look. When you have a print this vibrant, even if it is only in black and white, you don't need to go over the top with adding extra colour or another print into the mix so these little extras were just enough.
Have a lovely weekend guys and I'll see you bright and early 8am Monday for a new look…
Olympus Pen E-PL7: a review
20 January 2016
I recently treated myself to the Olympus PEN E-PL7 after trading in my Canon camera, this is now my sole camera for all my blogging photography and social media. Here's just a few things about why it's such a fantastic little camera and why everything every blogger says about it is completely true…
A M A Z I N G P H O T O Q U A L I T Y
Hopefully since using this camera you guys will have noticed that the quality of my photos has increased a little, I'm still no camera expert so there's definitely some way to go. But, this camera makes it easy to get great images with not a lot of effort involved.
F A N T A S T I C E X T R A S
You can keep adding to the camera model (using lenses etc) to get to the perfect point for you with it, everyone's going to be different so what I use may not work for you…or it might! I recently purchased the 45mm lens to attached to the Olympus PEN and I'm so excited to start using it after reading a lot of good things about it and the amazing depth of field it produces. I am constantly playing around with photography and will often put any images I'm proud of on my Instagram so take a look there for more of an idea of the kind of looks you can get with this.
I T L O O K S G R E A T
Let's face it, we're living in a world where if something looks good, we HAVE to have it – it's not often something that is so aesthetically pleasing follows through at being a nifty little device, too. Olympus also have a lot of things you can add to the camera, from cases to lenses you can personalise it however you like – be warned though, that they'll set you back a little bit. They are well worth it as they're all made with real leather and protect the model really well – especially great if you end up getting the white version like me and don't want it to get any wear and tear.
S U P E R S I M P L E T O U S E
You don't get a lot of instructions with this camera, however you don't really need them to be honest. The model is pretty self explanatory and the best thing to do when you first get the camera is to set some time aside and work it all out for yourself. After all, you're the one that's going to be using it so it's working it out to work for you. I particularly like that you can change the size of your photographs as the settings have various aspects on there, from standard photo size to a super helpful Instagram size. It's also easy for you to upload from the camera, bringing me on to my final point…
W I F I C O N N E C T I O N
I actually wasn't that familiar with this function when I was first looking at getting this camera, but it's an amazing thing that I can no longer be without. There's a wifi option that flicks up on the screen when you tap it and you can connect through your phone via this personal WIFI connection, download the app and you're good to go! With the app you can simply save the photos you want from the camera and save to your camera roll, no wires necessary but another great feature within the app is that you can use your phone as a remote control to take photos. To do this all you need is to connect to the WIFI again, open up the app and go to the remote control feature on there, you won't see anything on the camera's screen, instead it'll be on your phone screen – probably one of my favourite features of the whole camera!
I hope you found this camera review helpful, if you have any questions leave it in the comments below or tweet me for a quicker response – find out more about the Olympus PEN E-PL7 here
Green with envy
18 January 2016
I am so annoyed I wasn't quick enough to get these amazing tailored textured trousers in burgundy after falling for this bottle green pair. I had to size down considerably with these as they were so oversized around the waist – as much as I wish I could easily fit into a size eight, I am aware that I am a size 10/12, so if you were thinking about getting these from ASOS I would bear that in mind. The size eight however, fit amazingly well and as they're from the ASOS Tall section they also fit me in the length, stopping where they should (at the ankle, duh) and making my legs look even longer – always a win and thoroughly appreciated.
For this chilly Winter day I added my new favourite cream jumper from Topshop and tucked it in so it wouldn't cut off at a weird part of my body. I think with an intense colour like this teal green on the trousers, keeping things simple on the other half of your body is best and this jumper is no only super comfy it's a great fit too and flatters the figure amazingly well. I added black accessories like my favourite fluffy bag (I know, I know I use it far too much) from Primark and these croc print shoes also from ASOS to tie this whole look together.
See you Wednesday for my review of my new camera, the Olympus Pen…
Fluffy bag Primark | Shoes ASOS unavailable similar here | Trousers ASOS | Jumper Topshop unavailable (check in stores)
Blue suede dress
15 January 2016
The majority of my wardrobe is starting to be suede, if you caught my ASOS January sale haul (catch up here) then you will have already seen the latest suede item to grace my wardrobe – it is a different colour to every other suede item I already have though, so that's something. This dress was a little (only little) bit of a bargain, originally it was £80 and I'd been mulling it over trying to comprehend spending that much on a dress – I've done it before with no remorse to be fair – but kept adding it to my save for later.
When I saw it in the sale for £40 of course I had to snap it up, and I feel a bit smug to have a beautiful deep blue skater dress in this gorgeous fabric! The fit of this is so so good, the suede is soft and comfortable and the silk lining makes it even more comfortable and easy to move in. The main thing that drew me to this dress was the visible stitching, adding this little details breaks up the blue and adds a bit more of an interest to the piece. I added another new suede addition to my life to this look, is double sueding okay?, this tan handbag I got from my mum for Christmas – it's perfect for me as I don't really live handbags, cross body and long strapped versions are definitely better suited for me day to day. Thick tights were necessary as we near the minus numbers out there and snow is hitting some of us, plus my favourite fluff ball heeled shoes!
Hope you all have a lovely weekend, see you Monday…
How to: create your own cactus terrarium
13 January 2016
A S I M P L E S T E P B Y S T E P G U I D E
One of the biggest trends of the previous year was, believe it or not, the humble cactus…So I decided to create a little home for my own cacti with this (hopefully) Pinterest-worthy frame I received at Christmas from my brother, obviously I can't just do anything without blogging about it, so here it is, my simple step by step guide to creating your own cactus terrarium! Hope you all enjoy…
S T E P O N E
W H A T Y O U ' L L N E E D
Protective gloves Screwfix
Cactus – As many as you like, I got mine from Wilko
Terrarium – Ebay do a great selection
Stones – Grab a bag from B&Q
Cactus special soil – Any garden centre should stock this
S T E P T W O
Some other tutorials I've seen online don't always do this step, but it's important that you do! I grabbed some stones from the garden (shhhh don't tell dad) and filled the bottom of the terrarium up with a couple of centimetres of them. This'll help collect the water drainage, so your little cacti won't drown – kinda vital.
S T E P T H R E E
Time to layer up again, this time with your specialist compost you've bought especially for your cacti, you'll feel that it's different than other compost as it's quite a bit dryer – perfect for your desert-loving plant! Add compost on top of the stones and pat it down flat as you go to get as much in as possible, I'd say about five centimetres would be a good amount, depending how big your terrarium is.
S T E P F O U R
It's time for your cacti to move out of their little pot and into their new home – hence why gloves are needed for this prickly fella! Gently take each cactus out of its container and before you pop it into the terrarium be sure to break a little bit of the soil up at the bottom helping the roots disperse.
S T E P F I V E
As you can see I managed to cram three cacti plants into my terrarium, for each one (I made a mess) a dug a whole in the compost with my finger and gently placed each one into the whole. Then covering them over with the compost and patting it down – basically like tucking a child into bed.
S T E P S I X
Go even more fancy and elegant with your terrarium and add some different stone to the top, covering up the majority of the soil. I only did this at the front so I could still water the back easily without stones and compost going here there and everywhere!
S T E P S E V E N
V O I L A !
Admire your handy work, this (with the help of my lovely mum) took me about half an hour to achieve, that included telling my mum where to point the camera! If you create your own little terrarium, or large if you're feeling adventurous be sure to show me on Instagram or Twitter, or wherever else you follow me!
See you Friday for a new outfit post…
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