All you need is love...and lipstick

Jubilee shopping discounts

2012-05-31T10:40:00.001+01:00

Congratulations Your Majesty!

I'm always up for a bit of pomp and pageantry, especially when it means an extra day off work and plentiful discounts from some of our favourite retailers!

Here are the best discounts I have found so far...let me know if you find any more :)

Oasis - be quick for this one! Between 1-2pm today receive £20 off a £60 spend with code "jubileegift" and standard delivery is 60p

Warehouse - This one runs out today - quick! 25% online with code "summersun" and discounted delivery with code "jubilee" until 4pm today - you can use them both together!

ASOS - Free UK next day delivery today and 20% off selected brands

my-wardrobe.com - £50 off if you spend £200 with code MAYSS50 - ends today

Whistles - 20% off dresses until 5th June - online and instore

H&M - £5 off with code "1304" (minimum £11 spend), 25% off one item with code "9690" - you can use both together!

Office - 15% off with code "VCJBLE" until Monday 4th June

House of Fraser - 40% off brand event today and tomorrow - 10% off beauty

Gap - 25% off until Sunday 3rd June with code "GAP25VC"

Lookfantastic - 15% off until Sunday 3rd June with code "LF15VC"

I will keep my eyes out for any other offers...enjoy your shopping...the Queen would want you too :)

Buy it now - feminine fluoro

2012-05-10T14:14:00.000+01:00

Coral lace dress, £46, Topshop

Pink sequin dress, £80, Warehouse

Chartreuse jersey maxi dress, £20, River Island

Pink silk shirt, £38, Topshop

Coral blazer, £29.99, H&M

Coral lace skirt, £42, Oasis

Pink embroidered skirt, £42, Topshop

Yellow sandals, £49.99, Zara

Blue suede sandals, £62, Topshop

What I do.

2012-05-08T13:59:00.001+01:00

From top: Speccy four eyes, Whistles helping it feel like spring (despite the showers), losing myself in Liberty's haberdashery, feeling patriotic, Diptique lust, salt beef in Selfridges, breakfast club with the boyfriend, gardening for the first time ever, sparkling nails to hide the gardening damage :)

River Island press day AW 2012

2012-05-03T13:00:00.000+01:00

Decadent brocade, bold accessories, Clueless inspired separates, nineties grunge, extravagant embellishment, glammed up hi-tops and a hell of a lot of faux fur make up the River Island AW collection.

Anything take your fancy?

I'll see you in the queue for the quilted leather jacket and perspex jewellery.

A little catch up....

2012-05-01T13:41:00.002+01:00

So I may have been a little on the quiet side of late.

Things are going to change.

After a manic few months featuring - redundancy (2 weeks before Christmas), a new job (offered a day after said redundancy), a new commute, a new fitness and diet regime (almost 2 stone down...yes!!) and a new home - I am back in the game and raring to go.

If there's anything you want to see let me know, otherwise I will get cracking - can't wait to start my ramblings once again :)

Much love x

Christmas shopping made easy?

2011-11-23T10:26:00.001+00:00

If like me, you like to get a head start on your Christmas shopping...and try to stick to a budget, this may be of interest to you.

I've been waiting (well hoping and praying...) for the announcement that once again, Selfridges are offering up to 20% off instore and online for one weekend only. It has been my lifeline for the past few years, helping me to get a ton of presents sorted, and saving me a bit of money in the process. So imagine my glee when I found out it was happening again. And that weekend? The one coming right up!

So this weekend, you can get up to 20% off all fashion and accessories and 10% off all beauty. Pretty amazing no? And all you need is this voucher, right here.

Don't say I never give you anything!

This can be used in all Selfridges stores, but if you need to get your fix online these are the codes you need...

SELF20 - 20%* off fashion, accessories and homewares
SELF10 - 10%* beauty, fragrance and wines

Go forth and shop! And if some presents for you accidently drop into your shopping bags, don't worry, I won't tell :)

(T&C here)

Buy It Now - Statement Sequins

2011-11-11T13:58:00.002+00:00

Patterned sequin dress, £175, Topshop

Black sequin wrap dress, £90, Warehouse

Honeycomb sequin dress, £125, Miss Selfridge

Black sequin tee, £45, Oasis

Gold sequin tee, £24.99, H&M

Animal print sequin blazer, £40, River Island

Knitted sequin jacket, £55, Topshop

Erodes sequin skirt, £165, All Saints

Black and gold sequin front skirt, £14.99, H&M

Patterned sequin shorts, £60, Topshop

Gold sequin shorts, £55, Warehouse

20% off Uggs at Selfridges? Go on then....

2011-11-10T15:13:00.000+00:00

Now I know, I know, this may not be the most 'fashion' post but I can't help it. I bloody love UGGs.

I bought my first pair about 7 years ago and they are well and truly my winter staple. In fact as soon as the temperature dips below about 16C I am yanking on that sheepskin and keeping my feet toasty warm!

So I was rather pleased to learn that Selfridges currently have 20% off all UGG boots online - from the classics to the more 'fashion' styles, and considering the price keeps creeping up every year (what's with that eh?) it looks like the perfect time to get your new pair ready for winter.

Click here to see what's on offer...

I've got my eye on the Maylin Cuff boots (how warm!!!) but I also rather fancy a pair of slippers...

Maylin oversized cuff boots, £204

What about you? Are you an UGG fan or are they your fashion nemesis?

Let me know if you take advantage of this offer...and be quick, it ends Sunday!

Gok for Tu...collection 2.

2011-11-08T08:36:00.000+00:00

You may remember I posted about the original Gok for Tu collection at Sainsburys a couple of weeks ago...well now I have the date for the launch of the second collection.

The first collection brought Sainsburys its best ever clothing sales on the first day of release, and from the looks of the first photo released, this may just repeat this success.

The theme of the collection has a real 'day to night' feel with sequins and satin, and the navy and black separates are interspersed with pops of bubblegum pink. Following this theme, the wrap dress, which was the best selling product from collection one, has been reproduced in navy and pink. I love the look of the gold sequin cami and the black satin tuxedo jacket so here's hoping the rest of the collection is just as strong....

The collection is out on 17th November - will you be adding a few pieces to your Sainsburys basket?

Wish List Wednesday

2011-11-02T13:19:00.001+00:00

It may be the time of year (hello fireworks and early Christmas lights!) but there's a lot of sparkle on my mind right now...

'Rainbow Connection', OPI

I am a big fan of OPI polishes, particularly the duo-chromes and glitters...pretty much the best you can get. This crazy multi-coloured glitter polish is from the new Muppets collection and really really must be mine!

Black embellished shoulder dress, £55, Warehouse

Simple yet with enough sequins to make an impact - this dress is the perfect addition to a winter party wardrobe.

Lurex sweater, £44, Topshop

Perfect layer for the daytime, or ideal to dress up with some skinnies and a pair of killer heels - I love this sweater.

Glitter enamel earrings, £10, ASOS

Love these earrings - the statement shape is bold without being girly and the glitter enamel makes them the ideal partner for the LBDs I'll (hopefully) be donning around Christmas. They'd look fab with jeans and a t-shirt too, no?

Paris in the autumn...

2011-11-01T09:56:00.001+00:00

...fabulous place. Good friends, good food, good times.

Creme brulee...for lips?

2011-10-27T12:12:00.003+01:00

If like me you have a bit of a sweet tooth, even when it comes to your beauty products (hello Mac lipstick and your amazing vanilla scent) this may just excite you...

Selfridges have exclusively launched a special edition of the famed Vaseline Lip Therapy in none other than a creme brulee flavour...yum.

To go alongside the launch, Vaseline has set up a pop up stand in the London and Manchester stores where you can try out the new flavour balm and get snapped in a photo booth. Oh and apparently there are some male models too....not a bad deal for something almost everyone sees as an essential eh?

You can buy the new lip therapy here...just try not to lick it all off!

It's a rocky rocky road...

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

Continuing from my last baking post....what I did with the rest (well most) of the chocolate sent to me by Sainsburys.

It's getting to the time of year when I start thinking about my Christmas baking plans - every year I make a hamper of homemade goodies for my in-laws and distribute treats amongst my friends - well, what's Christmas without a little indulgence?

Rocky roads are one of those great treats to pop into a hamper (cellophane bags are a Godsend for foodie gifts) - and are pretty much failsafe...as well as totally healthy *cough*

So here is my recipe for rocky road....take it as you will, add what you like and take out what you don't - except for the basics, of course...

Rocky Road

You will need...

350g dark chocolate (I used a mixture of dark and dark fruit & nut)
125g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
200g rich tea biscuits
100g marshmallows
Handful sultanas
Chopped glace cherries (to your taste)

Place biscuits in a sealed food bag and smash with rolling pin

Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup over a gentle heat. Put aside half of the chocolate mix.

Add the biscuits, marshmallows, sultanas and cherries to the rest of the chocolate, mix well.

Spread the mix out in a deep baking dish (I used a silicone brownie tray) and even out

Pour the rest of the chocolate mix on top, transfer to the fridge and leave to cool for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) - before dusting generously with icing sugar and cutting into generous chunks.

Finally....enjoy. And try not to get chocolate everywhere :)

Wish List Wednesday

2011-10-26T12:48:00.000+01:00

This week I am very much about bold knits and velvet dresses...can you tell?

Mustard cable knit, £46, Warehouse

Star print sequin detail sweater, £46, Topshop

Slouchy spot jumper, £39, Miss Selfridge

Velvet sheer sleeve dress, £50, Oasis

Burgundy velvet halter dress, £95, Topshop

What's on your wishlist this week?

When life gives you chocolate...

2011-10-24T19:59:00.003+01:00

...you bake!

When I was sent a box of chocolate bars by Sainsburys last week, my first thoughts were -

1. Wipe the drool off my mouth
2. What can I bake?

Normally I would instantly turn to my beloved chocolate fudge cake recipe (find it here) but I decided to listen to the boyfriend and see what he wanted. The verdict? Cookies.

So here you go - my favourite chocolate chip (well chunk) cookie recipe - failsafe and delicious!

You will need:

Oh, and...

125g butter
100g golden caster sugar
75g soft brown sugar (mix this with demerara if you like a bit of crunch)
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
100g chocolate (milk, plain or white - or a mixture) - chopped into chunks

Heat your oven to 190C and get a couple of baking sheets ready - I like to make these nice and big, and the recipe produces about 12 cookies.

Melt the butter over a low heat and add to the sugar. Mix until smooth.

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well.

Add the chocolate, mix well and drop onto the baking sheets in large blobs (I tend to do a dessert spoon full). Make sure they are spread fairly far apart.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling tray and enjoy whilst warm....and try not to eat them all at once!

Next up? I'm thinking rocky road...yes yes? Let me know if you have any baking requests :)

Oh, and if you have a failsafe chocolate recipe, please share!!

Wish List Wednesday - Gay Paree

2011-10-19T12:54:00.002+01:00

Next Friday I am off to Paris for a long weekend - excited much?!

I haven't been there for absolute years and I cannot wait to stroll around the Parisian streets, gorge myself on patisserie and swoon over the designer stores. Oh and maybe fit in a sneaky trip to Disneyland too...well it would be rude not to right?

I'm on a strict budget so rather than a pre-trip shop I will be raiding the wardrobe, but this is what I would love to be wearing next weekend...

Sequin poodle sweater, £290, Marcus Lupfer at Glassworks Studios

Black pleated leather skirt, £95, Topshop

Cream jewel neckline dress, £60, Topshop

Black quilted leather jacket, £150, Warehouse

Black strap detail boots, £65, River Island

Croc embossed leather clutch, £60, ASOS

Black studded gloves, £25.99, Zara

Oh that's a lot of black! What's on your wishlist this week? Do you have any Paris tips for me? Let me know!

Buy It Now - Glitter Heels

2011-10-13T16:05:00.000+01:00

Black 'Gorgeous' court shoes, £60, Topshop

Black 'Charlotte' court, £45, Oasis

Turquoise 'Hysteric' platforms, £40, ASOS

Silver 'Amelia' courts, £120, Kurt Geiger

Silver 'Whirl' platforms, £90, Dune

Silver low heel court, £29.99, Zara

Gold 'Sassy' Court, £40, Miss Selfridge

Grey 'Printers' platforms, £65, Aldo

Black 'Astrid' ankle boots, £80, Topshop

Wish List Wednesday

2011-10-12T12:30:00.000+01:00

What's this? A wishlist? On a Wednesday? Say it isn't so!

Yes yes I know I have been more than a little slack recently, life has a funny way of getting in the way of things. But I finally have spare time and I'm getting back into the swing of blogging...hurrah!

So here is what I am lusting after this week....and by lusting, I mean not buying. I bought a car last week which means goodbye savings and hello sensible spending. The agony!

So everything on here this week is decidedly not 'sensible'. I hope you approve :)

Polka dot frill neck dress, £65, Topshop

Everything about this dress screams 'crazy lady' which makes me want it even more.

Sweater dress, £102, Wildfox Couture

How could I not want this sweater dress?! I am a huge Wildfox fan and this screams out to me for obvious reasons *peers at URL*. No wait. Not want. NEED.

Pink suede 'Heath' wedges, £80, ASOS

Ok, so who actually needs pink suede and glitter wedges? Who cares. They are bloody amazing.

Teardrop earrings, £20, River Island

And these earrings are just what I've been looking for recently. Statement drop shape in a vintage rather than girly style. Whether I could go a whole night without wanting to tear them out? Well that's another matter entirely.

What's on your wishlist this week?

How to look good, er, dressed - Gok for TU

2011-10-04T12:31:00.001+01:00

Now I don't know about you but over recent years I have started to find I no longer warm to Gok Wan the way I used to. Sure he knows his stuff, but there are only so many times I can watch him add £30 worth of haberdashery to a 20 quid top....because really, who has the time and inclination to do that?

So when I was contacted by Sainsburys with images of his new collection for Tu (launching on Thursday) I was a little apprehensive to say the least. But you know what? I'm actually rather impressed! No naff corsages or random ribbons - just well cut, simple pieces designed to flatter your figure and that give a nod to recent trends without going overboard.

Here are a few of my favourite looks from the collection, that I could see fitting in perfectly with my work wardrobe....and maybe play as well.

Stretch jodphurs, £20

Swing tux, £35
Perfect fit trousers, £25

Reversible kimono, £30
Palazzo pants, £30

What do you think? Will you be picking anything from the collection?

Gok for TU launches at Sainsburys on Thursday 6th October

Wish List Wednesday

2011-08-31T14:40:00.000+01:00

Wednesday? Already? Thank you bank holiday!

Hope you all had a lovely long weekend - I unfortunately, like many others, am now suffering with the beginnings of a cold...so warm, snuggly clothes have been catching my attention. Thick chunky knits, simple flats and patterned dresses are all I want to wear right now.

Red printed Chelsea Girl dress, £25, River Island

Navy heart print dress, £45, Miss Selfridge

Chunky tweed knit cardigan, £55, Oasis

Yellow aran knit cardigan, £48, Topshop

'Mars' pewter loafers, £30, ASOS

Ahhh...comfortable, cosy and warm. Just what I need.

What's on your wish list this week?

Buy It Now - Slippers

2011-08-26T12:08:00.000+01:00

'Mikey' leopard print slippers, £30, ASOS

'Vava' pom pom slippers, £28, Topshop

'Vectra' studded slippers, £28, Topshop

'Embrace' heart slipper, £28, Miss Selfridge

Leopard chain front slippers, £30, River Island

Buschur glitter slipper, £50, Aldo

Wish List Wednesday - Hello ASOS!

2011-08-24T13:00:00.005+01:00

In case you hadn't guessed...this week's wishlist comes courtesy of ASOS, who have been consistently impressing me over recent weeks. These are a few items that have made their way into my saved items, ready for pay-day consideration -

Geo print pussy bow dress, £55

Love the print and the cute shape of this dress - perfect for work or play. It looks super short, but the model is 5'10" and I, most certainly, am not.

Burgundy spot dress, £40

Another very sweet frock - the gathered waist and quirky button detail - along with the sleeves (who doesn't love sleeves?!) makes it a real winner.

Scallop hem blouse, £30

Scallop hem? Peter pan collar? I'm sold.

Suede lace up shoes, £35

Love these shoes. My big feet mean that traditional brogues can look a little 'manly' - the soft suede and bright colour ensures that these lace ups are nothing of the sort.

Horse detail cross body bag, £20

I am a big fan of anything horse related (as I write this I am sporting my House of Harlow horseshoe necklace) so this is a definite must have for me!

Are you loving ASOS right now? Or have you sworn allegiance to another brand?

Buy It Now - Patterned Knits

2011-08-22T13:18:00.000+01:00

Pink and black sweater, £46, Topshop

Green and black sweater, £35, River Island

Tile print sweater, £45, Warehouse

Aztec cardigan, £45, Miss Selfridge

Navajo cardigan, £65, Topshop

Navajo cardigan, £55, Warehouse

Textured cape, £55, Oasis

Wish List Wednesday

2011-08-17T13:00:00.001+01:00

Geometric print dress, £30, Topshop

So wrong it's right? I love the clashing prints on this Topshop dress - can just see it with a statement necklace and chunky ankle boots.

'Valerie' studded ankle boots, £140, Kurt Geiger

Talking of ankle boots...these are rather good, no? The perfect boots to team with skinny jeans, toughen up florals and keep your feet warm under a maxi skirt. Love.

Navajo print jumper, £38, River Island

Another 'so wrong it's right', I tried this jumper on last week but balked at the price of the maxi skirt I'd teamed it with and walked out of River Island in a huff. However I may just have to go back for it. And the skirt too, once I get paid of course :)

What's on your wish list this week?

Deja Vu

2011-08-16T14:20:00.000+01:00

Are you one of those that has fallen in love with sheer panel polka dot dresses that dominated Stella McCartney's a/w collection, and have been seen on countless celebrities?

image source - style.com

Don't have the designer budget? Never fear, once again ASOS are there to provide a 'touch' of designer inspiration at a palatable price.

Spot mesh dress, £40, ASOS

Get those fingers a'clicking....this is bound to go quickly!