Splurge Or Steal: Bows

Good news – I now have a gap year job! I'm going to be working as an intern in the Maths department of an academy in Sheffield, and I am so excited! The plan is to reapply to start a Maths undergrad course at uni in 2011; I think I might try for Oxford, but we'll see how brave I'm feeling when October comes around ....

Anyway, on to today's post, inspired by the lovely Blair Waldorf:

BOWS! As a firm fan of the late Luella label (RIP), I just can't resist the quirky, countryside charm they have. They're definitely an easy way to add a girlish touch to an outfit that might be too dressed up or serious otherwise, and I've been wearing them a lot lately. My measly collection is as follows:

Black hairband: British Heart Foundation; Plaid hairclip: The Clothes Show; Spotted hairclips: H&M

I've had my eye on a couple of bows on the high street though, so if you like me are looking to expand your collection, look no further! I've divided up my discoveries into two categories: splurge and steal.

STEAL (under £10)

Cameo aliceband: £3.75, Dorothy Perkins

Purse: £3.99, New Look

Skinny belt: £4, ASOS

Tights: £4, New Look

Lace kirby grips: £6.50, Topshop

SPLURGE (£10 and over)

Chain ring: £10, Topshop

Tweed brooch: £14, Topshop

Bandeau dress: £18, ASOS

Mesh jumpsuit: £34.99, New Look

Black gloves: £38, Mango

Personally, I'm already in love with the tweed brooch! I picked it up in Topshop Sheffield on Thursday, put it down before I got to the till, and regretted it the moment I got back to Norwich ... I think I'll be making a trip to the high street fairly soon. ;)

xxx

OOTD: Autumn Wine

I suppose this is a daytime take on the slight goth trend everybody seems to be talking about, but not actually wearing.

Vest top, tights: H&M

Necklace: my mother's drawer

Cropped tee, shorts: Topshop

Belt: Uniqlo

When you think of lace, you expect people to try the usual – lace dress, lace tights, maybe a lace top – but you never expect lace shorts, which is why I snapped these up in the Topshop sale for a mere £10. The only problem is that they're a size too small ... I've had them for a year and only managed to fit into them once, after fasting for the whole day on Good Friday! So last night I'd finally had enough and made a little v-cut in the waistband. I may have to make a couple more to wear them comfortably, but it's a small price to pay. Here's a close-up of the textures:

... oh no, I've just read the label: dry-clean only.

WHY, TOPSHOP, WHY?!

xxx

NOTD: Topshop Gold Dust

Hello! You can probably tell from my lack of post since Friday that I've had a bit of a packed weekend – I'll let you in on all the details in my next few posts! ;) But firstly, here's my favourite nail varnish shade for summer:

At £5 for an 8ml bottle, it's not the greatest value for money, but I have to admit that the packaging is gorgeous and the colour is easily worth the payout! Once you see it on your nails in bright sunlight, you will honestly have to tear your gaze away; I love it because it goes with almost everything in my wardrobe, and it really complements my skin tone.

Also, I don't know if you can tell, but I didn't use a top coat in the picture – my usual Rimmel Pro Shine top coat has finally given up the ghost! I'm on the lookout for another, so I will let you know how my investigation goes ...

xxx

OOTD: And All That Jazz!

Trying to decide what to wear for clubbing in London on Saturday night. This is what I wore last weekend in Norwich:

Hairband: Santorini; Dress: H&M; Ring: Topshop

I did try a string of pearls with it, but I looked like I'd stepped straight out of a dressing-up box.

Eventually I decided that gold was the only colour that made it look vintage, not dated.

The only problem with this dress is that it catches on anything that moves ...

xxx

Splashing Out

After last Thursday's results debacle, I thought I'd splash out (well, as much as a student can afford to splash out!) on a new ring to cheer myself up. If you've been following the blog for a while, you'll know I've recently started a bit of a love affair with rings, so I'm over the moon to add this stunner to my collection:

£8.50, Topshop

It's a true statement piece this one: I love the feather detail and the almost-but-not-quite OTT crystal lining. The best thing about it is that it has an adjustable back, so it can be worn on any finger, without any danger of me losing it in one of my many absent minded moments! I've already worn it out once to jazz up a monochrome outfit and got quite a few compliments, so I'm feeling pretty smug at the moment.

Hope you've all had a good week so far; let me know what you're getting up to!

xxx

P.S. So sorry about the lack of post yesterday! I may have a very exciting opportunity in the pipeline, so I'll let you all know how that goes ... In the meantime, if you (like me) are missing the talents of my fellow blogger Millie, you can keep up with her Nepalese adventures here. (I'm dreading the day that she gets back and I have to explain to her how I managed not to gain any followers while she was gone, but lost one instead – eek!)

OOTD: Clash of the Prints

Today I had one of those pick-whatever-is-closest moments when it came to getting dressed, but I quite like how it turned out! I've been trying to be more adventurous with what I wear lately and the two clashing prints here definitely tick that box for me.

Top: H&M; Belt: Uniqlo; Skirt: H&M

Of course, it started bucketing down with rain the moment I stepped outside, so I had to throw on knee socks and a big grey jumper before I left the house.

Bag: H&M; Socks: Topshop; Brogues: Kate Kanzier

Just realised how terrible my hair looks in those photos! I've been rushed off my feet all day today: I'm making lunch for six, and trying to entertain two ten-year-olds ... My friend Jasmine and I both have little sisters who are the same age, so we've tried to get them together for a playdate. They've met each other before, and they seem to get on, but the only problem is that neither of them actually speak when they're together. At all. Yet we know they communicate somehow because as a pair they managed to beat Jasmine and me at a card game called Kemps.

Mysterious.

xxx

Some Sunday Stuff

Heya!


Bit of a random post coming up!


First my OOTD. It's my Dads birthday and we were also belatedly celebrating my 18th and my parents 25th wedding anniversary so we went out for a family lunch! (rescheduled from April!)

Miss Selfridge Dress
Boden Cardigan
Topshop Wedges


I'm sorry that it
 looks like I'm death
staring the camera!!

Next up, I had a massive clearout of my room last week in preparation for going to uni! I also turned my cupboard that was previously full of school folders/school related books/prospectuses into..wait for it...a shoe cupboard (with a little space on the top shelf reserved for my harry potter books &GHDs!) The lovely Rachelle of Behind The Shoes asked me to do a little piece about it so here it is!


So here it is! There are 1 or 2 pairs of shoes in each of the boxes with my favourite pairs displayed on top. I think I counted 28 pairs excluding all my sports trainers/shoes and flip-flops (which are on my shoe rack!)

(L-R, top-bottom) Topshop Deckshoes, Tesco Wedges, Kate Kanzier green flats, Kate Kanzier pink flats, Aldo gladiators, pink Urban Outfitters flats, Topshop wedges, Topshop black brogues, Kate Kanzier brown brogues, Kate Kanzier black heels, Dorothy Perkins patent heels, Dorothy perkins grey peeptoe shoe boots.

What can I say. I love Kate Kanzier. and finally thought I'd share these with you...

I didn't manage to get a picture before half of them had been demolished! How lush do they look? They taste even better. My 16 year old (but 3 inch taller) sister has started a cupcake business to raise money for her trip to Peru next summer! They're really reasonably priced and look how pretty they are! So if anyone in Norfolk/Suffolk is in need of some cheap cupcakes, let us know!


Lots of love, Millie xxx

OOTD: A little more velvet.

Heya!

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my 'black velvet' post (here) it's always lovely to hear what you think about my outfits/posts! I wore the skirt out tonight for a friends dinner at Nandos! (yum!)

I went for a very monochrome look tonight. I paired the skirt with a grey primark tee and some spotty tights! What do you think? I didn't actually end up wearing these shoes in the end as I rememebered that a) I was driving and b) I'd have to walk a fair way from restaurant to car! So I settled for my topshop black patent brogues in the end!

I only bought these tights yesterday (£2 Primark) but they've already laddered which is really annoying. I don't even remember catching them on anything. I might invest in some better quality ones next time. Does anyone know where I can get some?

Tee & tights - Primark
Skirt - Topshop
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins
Nail Varnish - Apricot Punch - Rimmel

How are your weekends going? I've got a family meal sunday lunch time that was meant to be in April but I got stranded in New York due to a certain volcanic eruption so it had to be rescheduled! It's also my Dad's birthday today!

Also, If anyone knows any shops which sell decent trekking trousers I'd be eternally grateful as I'm struggling to find any that actually fit me (I have short legs!) I'm off on my trip next sunday (so excited) but I'll be gone for a whole month! No internet or anything for most of it!

Lots of Love,
Millie xxx

(tweet me @allcamillawrote)

By The Back Door

Y'know that post where I spent hundreds and hundreds of words talking about how much I hated lace?

Today I realised that, not only do I own the world's most beautiful lace ankle boots, I also own a pair of lace socks (which I'm totally in love with):

Lace socks: £5, Topshop; suede shoes: £15, Dorothy Perkins.

... and I almost bought a pair of lace tights in the Topshop sale last week.

I'm not sure how I feel about this!

– Sanchia xxx

Black Velvet ...

One of my going out essentials this year has been my black velvet bodycon skirt. I love how easy it is to style and how it can be dressed up or down! I'm very happy that it looks like velvet is here to stay this winter (seen on the catwalks of Burburry & Ralph Lauren). So here are 2 outfit posts showing ways I've worn this skirt recently!

Topshop pink tee (£14)
Topshop bodycon skirt (£20)
Dorothy Perkins heels (£22)

Vintage St Michael Body
Topshop Bodycon skirt (£20)
Dorothy Perkins heels (£22)

I found this printed body in our dressing up box a few months ago (Yes I still have a dressing up box..!) unfortunately it has an awkward piece of elastic around the middle which means it can only be worn with high waisted shorts/skirts! Still, I'm not complaining!

What do you think of velvet? How would you wear this skirt?

Lots of Love, Millie

P.s. These pictures were edited on picnik which I discovered after the lovely Jazzabelle of Jazzabelles Diary mentioned it on her latest blog post! It's one of my favourite blogs! Have a look!

I Love You, Universe.

If you've been following our blog, you may remember this, from my trend focus on lace:

You may also remember me mentioning how much I coveted those Topshop lace shoe boots (see above, they're black) – but in the end, I decided to stay away for my own good, and save the £28 for something else!

Anyway, today I wandered into the Topshop sale with my friend Naomi to help her find some (quote) "nice but not trashy" leggings, and came across these beauties again ...

 

... reduced to £15! It was a sign. And now, they're mine. Ah, the world is all poetry and roses!

I am very much in love with these: they're the most unique, beautiful boots I think I've ever seen, and my heart does all kinds of funny flips when I look at them. (Should I be worried by this?) I know they're not everybody's cup of tea, judging by Naomi's determined silence while I was trying them on (haha!), but that only makes me happier because I'm less likely to look like other girls walking down the street! I was going to wear them today, but sadly the heavens seemed to have opened on Norfolk. I'll be back with my OOTD in the evening – off to the cinema now.

Love Sanchia xxx

OOTD: Summer Utility

Went out with a couple of friends yesterday to see Step Up 3 (surprisingly deep for a dance movie, I was highly confused, but I'd recommend it) and wore this. Erm, the skirt is not actually as short as it looks:

Top: free, ELLE Magazine
Skirt: £4, Primark
Belt: £10, H&M
Socks: £8, Topshop
Brogues: £20, New Look
Earrings: £3.99, H&M
Ring: £3.99, H&M
Hair slide: £1.50, The Clothes Show
Bag: $37 = about £20, Urban Outfitters

I bought this skirt a couple of years ago to wear to sixth form – we used to have a dress code of smart office-style clothes, and the buttons on the front gave it a lovely smart feel. But yesterday I got so bored of them and took them all off, which means I can belt it and it now feels like a whole new skirt! Plus I have six buttons which I can use to update an old cardigan. Win all round, methinks.

  

The bag was a definite splash-out for me, but it's easily my favourite bag! The design is unbelievably cute and it's exactly the perfect size to fit my phone, purse, iPod and house key inside. I didn't think to take a photo, but the inside is lined with a gorgeous floral pattern and has a tiny pocket too!

Love Sanchia xxx

NOTD: Topshop Cloud

Quick NOTD post! I painted my nails with Cloud which is part of the range of Topshop nail varnishes! I love this colour. it's a kind of dusty grey/blue! Although at £5 and the same price as Models Own varnishes, you only get just under half the amount and The brush isn't quite as nice at the MO brushes! However I do love this colour and I only needed one coat to get the coverage in the pictures below! Very impressive!

Base Coat - Models Own
Cloud by Topshop

Plus the bottle is really cute! Have you tried any topshop nail varnishes? What do you think? I'd definately buy again just because they come in such lovely colours on trend colours!

Lots of Love, Millie xxx

P.s. Just seen the post Sanchia did below! Very similar colours! Which do you prefer? Clearly great minds think alike when it comes to what colour to paint ones nails! xx

Ring The Changes.

I've been paying a lot more attention to my hands lately, as weird as that sounds! But since July, I've stopped playing piano and guitar regularly, which meant two things: firstly, I actually have fingernails now, and secondly, I've started wearing rings a lot more.

I say 'a lot', but actually my collection is pretty pathetic! I'm trying to get mine from sales and low-price shops as much as possible though; I don't want it to become an expensive habit like my earring collection. The first ring I ever bought was a beautiful £8 snake design from Topshop, which wrapped around half my finger, but it broke after I'd worn it about twice and I've learned my lesson!

 

From top to bottom: £1.80, ASOS (see this post for more); £1.50, The Clothes Show; £2, Dorothy Perkins; 

£3, Topshop; £4, Accessorize; £2, The Clothes Show; £2, The Clothes Show.

 

£4, Accessorize. Millie spotted the pendant version at the Liverpool Street Station sale and I fell in love with the ring!

£2, Dorothy Perkins. I picked this up in the sale to wear to my Leavers' Ball. 

My newest addition is this H&M ring:

 

They have a matching pendant too (only £2.99, unbelievably cheap!) but I don't want to fuel another jewellery collection just yet! I got comments from the changing room assistant, the girl at the till, and even the woman behind me in the queue, all saying how cute they thought it was – not that I needed much persuasion at this point since it was a mere £3.99. I've seen a lot of owl jewellery on the high street recently, mostly from Miss Selfridge, Topshop and Urban Outfitters, but nothing as low-priced as this for such a statement piece.

I just can't resist a good bargain!

Love Sanchia xxx

Country Life.

Heya, Just a quick post of a few photos from a country walk and cycle a few weeks ago...

(I'm on the left!) Miss Selfridge Playsuit, Topshop Cardigan, Aldo Gladiators

Hollister green tank, A&F shorts
(Credit to my friend for the photos!)

As much as I enjoy summery country adventures like these, I'm a city girl at heart and can't wait to move into a city when I go to university in September.

On another note, stocked up on a few haircare products today, I'm currently trying out the Aussi haircare volume boost range, I haven't seen a massive difference yet but it's a good shampoo so I decided to try their conditioner as well. Also bought another bottle of batiste dry shampoo. I literally depend on this stuff! It's a lifesaver! Seems I'm not the only fan too, whilst reading the Elle runway edit from the september issue, Luke Hershon (hairstylist at NY Fashion week) mentions in an interview that he can't get through NY fashion week without it!

Lots of Love, Millie xx

@allcamillawrote