Halloween's coming...

...and carving pumpkins at work the other day got me into the Halloween spirit!
What are your favourite Halloween movies?













I guess The Nightmare Before Christmas is more of a Christmas film than a Halloween one but I love it. Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Put on your pearls, girls

Just a few of my favourites from the best ladylike dressers...








Following on from yesterday's inspiration: Kate Middleton, I wanted to look at the different people who's ladylike style inspires me. Obviously Audrey Hepburn's name is synonymous with dressing in a classically chic way and these two outfits, both taken from stills from Paris When It Sizzles, encapsulate that. It's not the greatest of her films but it has a fantastic wardrobe. Lauren Conrad on the other hand isn't probably the most obvious choice but this outfit (worn for Heidi and Spencer Pratt's wedding) was perfect. She looked demure and immaculate, and the Chanel bag is gorgeous. Similarly, the pink Oscar de la Renta dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker is another of my favourites, and I loved the episode that it appeared in. I think out of all of the SATC series, season 6 has the best (and probably most wearable) wardrobe. Final choices: Alexa Chung really goes without saying. She looks adorable in almost anything she throws on, but I particularly love the wicker Chanel bag. And of Olivia Palermo, to show that ladylike dressing isn't all about dresses and pencil skirts, it can have masculine twist.

'a return to more ladylike dressing'

The dress that everyone has spent the day discussing and debating is, it turns out, Amanda Wakeley (from her AW06 collection- although when you see the catwalk photos it's design has been altered a little).
Looking through the various shots from Kate's first solo engagement, there's something about Kate Middleton that is extremely likeable. I can't quite put my finger on what it is but it's there. She always looks effortlessly chic and immaculately turned out. It was WKW who managed to identify the beautiful gown and WKW's editor Susan Kelley has written a brilliant piece for the Telegraph on Kate's style, (read it here).

She might not be our official princess, but the Duchess of Cambridge is certainly dressing the part, with a timeless wardrobe that definitely rivals the one which belonged to Princess Diana (and probably will not date so quickly...)In the wise words of Susan Kelley: 'Kate is symbolic of a bigger movement, a return to more ladylike dressing'.

Follow WKW's twitter page here.

Images from THE MIRROR

black and navy?

As promised, I wanted to share my latest ASOS bargain: navy suede with a little bows and a five inch heel. I think I'm in love! They're so comfortable to walk in and I can't wait to wear them. My only dilemma is that we're approaching tight (and snow) season. I've always been against skin coloured (they remind me of old people) so I either opt for black in various deniers or for bare legs (I'm a northerner - we were designed for the cold). So the question is this- do navy and black go with each other? Or will these be a bare legs only pair of heels?

On a slightly different note, I'm in search of a new camera. As you will probably have already noticed I'm relying on my Iphone since my old camera died a death but it's my birthday soon so I'm thinking it may be time to invest in a SLR. Any advice?

Sunniside

For those of you who know me you know that I live in Sunderland but spend a lot of time in Newcastle. There is no comparison between the cities, and I prefer Newcastle by a long shot. Though there are bits of Sunderland that I do love, like Sunniside.
Just a quick one because I'm meeting a friend this afternoon for coffees and a catch up. I'll probably be posting later though because I want to share my latest bargain with you..which just arrived today in a nice box from ASOS! Yes, yes I know, I am completely addicted to internet shopping...

p.s think I got a little overzealous with my knitting last night - my fingers feel like they're blistering! But it's worth it because it's finally taking shape!

Good morning!

Hope you all had a great weekend. Everyone on twitter seems to be suffering from the Monday blues but I'm too excited for my holiday (it's just over a week now until I'll be off to Copenhagen!!)
Anyway, I've started a new project:



I'll tell you what it is when it's start to take it's shape more..

good food and family

Who doesn't love winter BBQs? Not really a proper outfit post either... Sunday's were made to be lazy days.

(p.s my legs kinda look a weird shape on this since I'm sitting on the bottoms of them...never mind!)

currently lusting after...

coat: River Island, bag: Zara, jumper: River Island, cossack hat: River Island, maroon dress: Topshop, suede boots: ASOS.


I definitely do not need any more new clothes but I can't help lusting over these pieces. Perfect for my little trip to Copenhagen. I have to admit I do already own two of these (as you can probably remember I got the zara bag a little while back, you can see my post on it here. Then I treated myself to the maroon dress from Topshop yesterday, it was only £20 though so it would be rude not to!) Had a lovely catch up yesterday afternoon with A; it was pretty cold in Newcastle giving me the perfect excuse to throw on my new sheepskin coat.


if you don't already....

on a shoestring

Just a little something I spotted while I was on my way to ballet.

I don't know who put them there or why.

fur coat friendly weather

Today is definitely one of those days where a huge coat is mandatory! Having been rediscovering the joys of Sex and the City recently I can't help lusting over some of her wintery outfits. Right now I have major fur coat envy since mine are currently all still in the loft (with the exception of the my new sheepskin). That being said I've barely ventured out of the house unless absolutely necessary (ie for French lessons, work, ballet class or meeting friends...). It's probably just laziness but I'm making the following excuses:

1. ALL of my 'proper' winter clothes are in the loft - big coats, thick jumpers, boots are all still packed away (of course the way the weather is right now I can guarantee that they won't be staying up there for much longer!)

2. I am trying to avoid going anywhere near the shops and spending money which I should be saving for Copenhagen.

The second point is sort of made redundant by the fact that my ASOS addiction is at an all time high; this has quickly lead to the realisation that yes actually I can spend a lot of money without even having to leave the warmth of my house...

city chic

I'm loving ladylike shirts and shorts combinations at the moment; I think this is possibly because I'm currently on the hunt for outfits suitable for cold weather. I'm going away in a few weeks to Copenhagen with some friends and I have already been warned to pack for Arctic conditions by my friend living in Sweden. I've started trying to think of outfits now so I can be organised and have a nice capsule wardrobe (I am notorious for overpacking). Expect more Danish inspired posts as my holiday gets closer and I get more excited! Shorts are a great option because they look good with tights during the daytime but then can be paired with heels on the night. I will definitely be taking my beloved suede shorts that I have told you about in older posts (see here and here). Also currently lusting after a gold Michael Kors watch, among many other things of course..

pussy-bow blouse: Select Fashion, shorts: A Wear, shoes: ASOS, bag: Diane Von Furstenberg, watch: Michael Kors.

puppy love

When one of my friends told me she was getting a puppy last week I thought she was joking. Turns out I was wrong... meet Ted.



Today is all about CV editing, cover letter writing and the desperate search for North East based publications that will let me write for them!! Expect A LOT of procrastination and probably more blog posts when I get distracted...


jumper: Topshop

Lazy days

After being full of cold all week I've been trying to take it easy this weekend. I went for a little visit to Tynemouth today with the rents. It was a gorgeous bright day but it was freezing! Perfect excuse to stop for a hot chocolate. I didn't buy much but I picked up a copy of Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides for £1... sadly it is going to have to be added of my pile of books that I already want to read since I still have 400 pages until I'm finished A Suitable Boy.... guess it will have to wait! Hope you are all having a brilliant weekend.


dress: Asos, scarf: vintage, ballet pumps: Topshop, satchel: vintage.

All the fun of the fair

The couple of days I've been full of cold and feeling a little bit sorry for myself, and it's all because of Hull Fair. I spent the weekend down in Hull catching up with some of my favourite ladies in the whole wide world, and of course fair is in town at the moment so we couldn't resist visiting. Cue junk food, far too many sweets and many many bruises from the rides! It was a miserable night and we got absolutely drenched but it was one of the best nights I've had in ages. Before we got there I had been warned that the fair was a big deal in Hull, yet I still wasn't prepared for the sheer size of it! It's the biggest travelling fair in Europe and one of the oldest (this year was the 718th anniversary!!) I love fun fairs. It was definitely worth being ill for. There's something about fairs that make me feel so festive.








p.s apologies for the very blurred photo..I'm blaming the rain (and the motion of being on a ride while taking it...)

latest obsession: sheepskin

This is my new baby. Found in a brilliant charity come vintage shop in Darlington. I can't wait now for the weather to get cold enough for me to wear it!



I'm a big fan of sheepskin and love the colour of it. It was such a bargain and is in fantastic condition. It looks as though however owned it treated it as a 'just for special occasions' coat. This was a perfectly timed find since I was just in the middle of searching for a replacement for I found a sheepskin coat a few years back in a charity shop. Again another big cosy coat that I was obsessed with but unfortunately when I got it out of the loft I noticed a lot of water (possibly some sort of oil) damage on the back of it. Luckily my family is quite interested in fabrics and know a good deal about looking after them properly so I spoke to my Nana to get her advice on how this could be removed. She tried cleaning it with various different suede brushes but still the mark won't budge! Anyone with any ideas of how I can get rid of it would be greatly appreciated but I have a feeling that this is going to be a bit of a lost cause. Plus I think I prefer new one (better colour and better fit) so maybe I'm best off just cutting my losses?

macaroon manicure

I've been noticing lately that a lot of people are latching onto the trend of mismatching, multi-coloured (or patterned) nails. From one of my favourite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere to Kelly Rowland on the British X Factor, its seems that everyone is experimenting with mixing colours and designs. I decided to give it a try myself with a subtle macaroon colour palette inspired by Ladurée. Any thoughts?

An english gentleman

I haven't posted before about menswear but when I heard about the collaboration between Barbour and Grenson, I couldn't not get excited! When picking out pieces I tend to go for classic, timeless shapes. It is more important to me to have a few staple pieces that are high quality and beautifully made than to have a wardrobe overflowing with cheap, badly cut but 'on trend' items. When I saw collaborative shoes from Barbour and Grenson the first thing that caught my eye was the exquisite craftsmanship. Both of the British companies have histories that are deeply rooted in manufacturing products which are renowned for their high quality and traditional design.

When asked by Dazed Digital about the collaboration, Steve Buck, Managing Director of Barbour said: “Developing our footwear range is a key part of Barbour’s lifestyle strategy. It was important for us to work with a partner who has a shared belief in quality, innovation and attention to detail. Grenson is renowned for being one of the finest UK producers of luxury footwear and their history, heritage and company philosophy is very similar to Barbour. The footwear we have developed together is of the highest quality, incorporating elements of our signature style into beautifully crafted boots and brogues.”

The resulting collaboration blends the aesthetic beauty of Grenson's brogues and boots with the durable, practical classic designs of Barbour. The line is a limited edition for AW 11 and is going to be stocked at selected independent boutiques. Here in the North East, the line will be stocked by the brilliant menswear specialist Aphrodite, who have the Acklam, Egton and Espresso Marske styles (pictured above) available.

compromise

Today is the first day that it has actually started to feel like October. The air is getting colder and it is almost as if you can feel the seasons clicking into place. It's such a nice, bright day today but there is definitely a wintery bite in the wind. Too cold for bare legs but I'm still not ready to move into tights so I am compromising with long socks.

'If you're not going to do something special it isn't worth doing'

Steve Jobs 1955-2011




Like the rest of the world I woke up to the news that Apple's founder and former CEO has passed away. Steve Jobs was a remarkable man and a true visionary who completely revolutionised the way in which we communicate. Thoughts are with his family on this sad day.

Something for a Wednesday afternoon...

Shameless bit of plugging but if you're in Newcastle today make sure you stop by the Fine Art student's jumble sale! There will be all kinds of goodies from clothes to cutlery. One of my good friends Paul is a very talented artist and is trying to raise money for his final degree show. There's going to be plenty of bargains to be picked up so don't miss out!

À bout de souffle

So there's been a little change of circumstance which now means that I am starting French lessons, rather than Spanish. So as a nod to that I'll leave you with stills from one of my favourite films, Breathless, starring one of my favourite actresses, the ever so chic Jean Seberg. Wish me luck!