Fashionable Elegance

Third Time Lucky

2012-03-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

Well I can finally deliver some good news about my buying career. After nearly 2 years of working towards it, I've finally been offered a Trainer Buyer position! Officially I'll start work on 16th April and cannot wait to get stuck in. What a week it's been waiting for an answer but finally the right one came. In the mean time, if you have any suggestions for first day outfits, I'm happy to hear them!
Lots of love,
VA xxx

How much of success is actually just luck?

2012-03-10T15:27:00.001-08:00

Today I spent a gruelling afternoon trailing round Manchester doing research for yet another presentation. Some may think that going round shops looking at children's clothes would be easy as pie, but no, not when you're trying to get an idea of what pure competitors are doing and how this compares to a range you've never worked with before. Now we all know this is the third time in a year that I am going through this process, the second time it's for a childrenswear job. This got me thinking how much of my progression is really down to me and my hard work, and how much is down to luck, circumstance and the ever present, who you know. I realise that in my first attempt I wasn't ready and it was completely fair that I didn't get the job. Then in my second attempt, I had worked so hard, done everything I could and yet still it wasn't enough. To be fair to the interviewer, there were others with more experience, but in my defence, how can I get more of this without giving up my current job and paying my mortgage to replace it with a free month or two or work experience?! Whoever says once your foot's in the door of a business you can move around, don't believe it. If anything, the fact that I already work in the company - even though it's in a completely unrelated dept - means that they expect more from me than any other candidate. I realise I don't have as much experience and so they probably need me to strive harder for it, but really, no one has time to give me this experience when they're already so busy and working long days. I can't expect them to give up their free time to help me, but neither should my office.
Anyway, I suppose I'm preparing myself for the worst, again. Whether I'll have a mental breakdown if this happens is another question. But I will ask this, if I've done everything I can to get all the experience I can, what else is there? Luck. And often the helping hand of someone high up. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for me I have principles. I know, I didn't realise it till now either! But I don't want to be given a job based on someone on high saying they want me to have it. I want to be given the job because I'm good enough and I've worked hard to get it. Its bot like I'm under some delusion that I can do this - last time HR and the interviewer said i was more than capable of the job and would do well. So surely that's only fair that I should get it? Right? I guess I'll just do my best and wait for a phone call.
Lots of love,
VA xxxxxxxx

Nutella and Marshmallows

2012-02-22T02:10:00.001-08:00

My favourite pancake filling. Mmmmmmmm it's good. But so so sickly that I only managed one and half last night! Plus one with orange zest and sugar. Yum yum. Hope you all enjoyed your pancakes. Now for something to give up for 40 days... Can't be chocolate, that's just too hard! But maybe crisps?? I've done it before so I know I could do it again. Or maybe what I need is to eat something like this everyday instead of anything with sugar in! Think the weight might drop off a bit easier then! so here's some inspiration, I have to admit these oranges were nearly as yummy as the chocolate and marshmallows! Nearly.
Good luck with your plans for lent!
Lots of love,
VA. xxxxxxxx

Finally!

2012-02-18T14:02:00.001-08:00

Well it's finally finished and I have something to show you that I'm truly proud of. Although its not something I designed and the fabric was chosen for me, I can't believe I've done it!! Big smiles all round : )
What to start next?...
Lots of love,
VA xxxxx

On your marks, get set, bake!

2012-02-13T04:03:00.001-08:00

Today is my Granny's birthday and in honour of that day, I've made her a cake. We're going round for drinks after tea and having some birthday cake too. As I'd run out of white sugar paste to cover the entire cake, I had to go for regular icing and hope that my decorations would be good enough to make it look worthy! First time making roses... Not quite sure they look like roses but they look pretty either way :) Quite proud for a first attempt but I'll have to practice more once I get my new sugar paste! Anyway, here it is. I'll let you know how it tastes!
Lots of love,
VA xxxxxxxxx

P.S. The Cath Kidston bag is nearly finished. Promise!! Xxx

The bubble bursts

2012-02-07T02:50:00.001-08:00

Apologies for my recent absence. I've been fighting for, preparing for, completing and waiting for feedback from my trainee buyer interview and presentation. Unfortunately that ship has sailed and I'm not on it. So I'm back to concentrating on my blog! I'm totally gutted as it was a fantastic job and I felt I'd truly improved from last time. What makes it worse and better all at once is the interviewer thought I was fantastic and has since told me I'm definitely ready for the job. The only reason I didn't get it was because someone else had more experience. But we're getting closer! Could it be third time lucky?? We'll see what HR comes up with next.
In the mean time, I can get back to my day job, my sewing projects and my house jobs. The Cath Kidston bag is very nearly finished-obviously went on hold whilst all this was going on! I'll post some pictures when I'm done.
Hope you all have a fab Friday.
Lots of love,
VA. xxx

Birthday celebrations

2012-01-26T01:22:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday to my good friend Laura. We've decorated her desk at work and bought presents, organised a pub lunch and made a cake. Although its not my best work - still have to show you the Christmas cake I made! - its not bad considering the amount of time I had to complete it last night. As soon as I got home I set to making the cakes. But as we were going out with friends, I only got up to the buttercream before it was time to leave. Bring on a late night icing session! Anyway, it's not quite what I hoped but hopefully she'll love it and it will taste yummy!
Lots of love,
VA xxx

Weekend update

2012-01-22T13:20:00.001-08:00

I have spent the entire day today seeing my new Cath Kidston bag together. It's a Christmas present from my best girl friends - the book called Sew which contains many patterns and instructions for making all sorts of lovely things and also has the fabric and buttons ready for you to make this bag. Many of you will have probably seen it before but when it's finished - hopefully in the next week - I'll post some pictures for you to see the finished article. So far I think it's the best thing I've made because I've really taken my time and not made many mistakes. The book also has really easy to follow instructions so it's great for people like me who still don't know all the ways to sew. Take a look if you're interested.
Have a great Monday if you can :)
Lots of love,
VA xxxxxxx

Hidden treasures

2012-01-20T06:38:00.001-08:00

Don't you just love having a good clean out of your clothes, make up, shoes and accessories?! Last weekend I did just that. And wow I have a lot of stuff! I already knew that but you don't realise quite how much till its right in front of you. As a result, I know have 3 massive piles of items for eBay and some nearly new make up that I had completely forgotten about. For example, this Lancôme Juicy Tubes lipgloss in Strawberry Funk. Absolutely gorgeous! I'd definitely recommend taking a rummage through your cupboards this weekend. Who knows what you might find.
Lots of love,
VA xxx

There's an app for that

2012-01-19T06:15:00.001-08:00

A job application. One of the hardest things you will ever do in your career. That, and your CV. Unfortunately for me, this is the second time I've been through this process in 7 months. I just hope this one will be my last for a year or so. I'm applying for another trainer buyer job at my current place of work. As you will know, if you're an avid reader of my blog, I applied for this job on another dept 7 months ago. Sadly I was unsuccessful, but tbh I expected that due to lack of experience. But I've worked hard over the last few months to get more experience and learn more about the job. Hears hoping it all pays off. I'll keep you posted. No doubt I'll need some advice on what to wear if the big day arrives!
Lots of love,
VA xxx

Hello Mr Yves Saint Laurent

2012-01-18T10:22:00.001-08:00

I've been trawling the internet looking for some bargains in the sales - preferably some amazing designer heels at ridiculous prices. Unfortunately they were no where to be found. Kurt Geiger offered a decent selection but I was looking for something a little more expensive. As I was wandering the likes of Harvey Nichols, mywardrobe.com and matches.com I found my mouse drifting towards the Shoes - New In page. Disaster. Not only did I find a million and one Laura I shoes I love love loved, but I quite possibly found my wedding shoes. Not that I'm getting married any time soon. But when you see these, you'll understand. For a good few years now I've been in love with the YSL Tribute sandal. Particularly, last year I found them in Selfridges in pale tan. They were gorgeous and ever since I've been trying to find them at a more affordable price. Sadly for me, they were not to be mine. But my love for them drew me to take a look at the new range YSL had to offer for SS12. Then I found these... The YSL Tribtoo. And yes they are gorgeous in black, brown, silver and gold, but look at them in white. Perfect wedding shows or what? At least if I fall when walking down the aisle I'll know I'm showing off some fantastic shoes! Apologies to anyone who buys these after seeing this blog. But if you do and you're a size 6, can I borrow them? Enjoy.
Lots of love,
VA xxx

Love the skin you're in

2012-01-16T04:48:00.001-08:00

As part of my new regimes, I want to find the perfect skin care for me. I've been researching a number of makes from Bobbi Brown to This Works to Dermologica to Ren but don't know which way to turn. Atm I use Simple but, even though it does the job, I feel like my skin deserves more. I truly believe that if you look after your skin properly and regularly, you can look like you've been to the spa every day. All it takes is the right product and a bit of effort. Oh and don't forget enough sleep! At the moment I have 2 out of 3. I'll let you know when that changes. For now, take care of your skin. With all this cold weather, it definitely needs some TLC.

Lots of love,
VA. xxxxxx

IPhone Convert

2012-01-14T15:47:00.001-08:00

So this morning I set up my new iPhone. As much as I said I'd never get one, when my old phone started to die and the contract came up, I couldn't resist looking in to it and TA DA! Here it is. If you don't have one, get one. Not only does it look good and do lots of helpful things but it has blogger, so now I have no excuse not to write on here at least 3 times a week. Although I must remember my data allowance!
See you around!
Lots of love
VA x x x

New Year, New Me

2012-01-09T10:02:00.001-08:00

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year. As usual, at this time of year, we all start pondering our new year's resolutions and trying to put them off as long as possible. Seeing as I'm on holiday this week, I thought I'd best get cracking. So far, I've been to the gym twice this week, have spent very little money and am writing my first blog post of the year. Unfortunately, I'm still battling with the eating less sugar portion of the resolutions, but I'll get there. Another resolution was to get myself a better/happier job. Thankfully for me, I didn't have to wait long for the opportunity. Last Thursday a trainee buyer job came up at work, and of course I very quickly checked with my Manager that I was ok to apply. We'll have to wait and see how it goes! Other than that, the main aim of this year is to be more positive and outgoing with my activities. This include continuing my sewing after 2 course over the last 2 years. I have 2 dresses to complete, a jacket to make, and a number of other things including a kaftan and sarong that I need for my summer holiday! Hopefully, if I give myself an hour or 2 every week, I can get some of these projects done. And with my sewing friend, Jenny Stitches, making things left right and centre, I should have all the inspiration I need! Photos to follow! And good luck with your resolutions. Lots of love, VA xxx - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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All my love xxx

2011-08-08T14:16:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to say a quick good luck and love to anyone surrounded by the ridiculous riots taking place in London and Birmingham at the moment. I can't believe what is going on and can't begin to understand how you are feeling. But know that we're behind you, we will support you and we will catch those who are responsible. Stay safe and I hope you find somewhere warm to sleep tonight.

Xxx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Home

The Apprentice

2011-07-07T13:57:00.001-07:00

As I'm sat watching The Apprentice The Final Five, I thought I'd give you an update on my fashion career.

So you may not know but I had an interview for a buying job last week. I have to say I was not confident when I came out and at times felt slightly out of my depth. The whole process was an assessment centre with a group exercise, presentation and interview. I did well for my level of knowledge of the job and industry; relatively small compared to people who have done degrees in fashion. But I tried my best and, though I didn't get the job, I did get some great feedback.

Onwards and upwards. I've organised meetings with HR and the buyers involved in my interview in the hope of gaining some relevant experience for my next application.

Watch this space!

Sweet dreams,

Love VA. xxxxxxxxx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Home

The Palazzo

2011-07-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

Today I purchased my first pair of palazzo trousers and god do I love them! lucky for me it was one of those days when I had jobs to do in town and stumbled on the river island sale. Well I wasn't going to walk past and ignore it was I?! Actually I was hoping that a gorgeous sleeveless bright orange top with delicate purple flowers that I had loved all season would be in the sale. Unfortunately for me it was in the sale, just not in my size. So while I was desperately looking around for that, I found these fantastic trousers. They're a gorgeous mauve colour and made of fabric that hangs perfectly. Definitely worth a trip girls!

Lots of love,

VA xxx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Long time no blog

2011-07-02T12:18:00.001-07:00

Apologies for my major absence, sometimes life jus catches up with you and you don't always have time to document it. So a million and one things have happened in my life since we last spoke, I'll do my best to be brief!

The boyfriend and I were taken on a fantastic 5 day trip to Rome by my very generous parents. All I can say is wow. If you haven't been, you have to go. It is a phenomenal city. There's so much to see and do that we could go for another 5 days or longer and not do any of the things we did this time. Must see and my ultimate favourite was St Peter's Basilica. The building is just magnificent and all the artwork and sculptures inside are beautiful. Don't be scared by the queues, they move faster than you expect. I honestly cannot describe the feeling you get when you go through the archways surrounding the square outside the Basilica and see it in all it's glory for the first time. I was expecting it to be fantastic and thankfully it did not disappoint. Of course there are many other sights in the city that are definitely worth seeing; the Trevi Fountain being one, and for us fashion obsessed, the street opposite the Spanish Steps houses more high end designer stores than I think I have ever seen on one road. But beware, if you think London is busy, that's possibly nothing compared to this street.

Moving on, I finally got myself an interview for a trainee buyer position at work. I put my all in to the presentation work and swotted up on the role of the buying department. Unfortunately I don't quite feel like I did myself justice on the day. Still waiting to hear from HR, hopefully we'll be told if we were successful or not by next week.

Will do my best to keep you posted!

Lots of love,

VA xxx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Home

Something I Love

2011-06-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Just a little message a friend sent me once, and I thought it was lovely...

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken, probably more than once, and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot; who calls you back when you hang up on him; who will stay awake just to watch you sleep. Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead; who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats; who holds your hand in front of his friends. Wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he is to have you. Wait for the one who turns to his friends and says, "…that's her."

Love

Buying - The Insider Knowledge

2011-05-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve been speaking to some industry experts from various retail businesses about the role of buyers. They had some interesting tips so I thought I’d share with you.

1. Direct fashion buying experience isn’t always necessary, whatever the job advert may say. If you have some retail/fashion experience and want to enter this field, go for it.

2. Sometimes, if you can’t get the job straight away, find another in the business that you can apply for and work your way through the departments from the inside.

3. Interviews are brilliant experience. Whether you think you’ll get the job or not, give it a go. It will give you a great insight in to the kinds of questions you will be asked, and what the interviewers are looking for in a candidate.

4. Ask around, if you know anyone in the business, ask for some advice about the best ways to get experience and get a better idea of what you’re getting yourself in to.

5. Trainee buyer roles are mostly admin, e.g. dealing with post, maintaining a tidy sample room, checking sample colours against the company palette and preparing for meetings.

6. In order to develop a range every season, the process begins with designers and buyers, both of whom visit catwalk shows and go on buying trips to review competitors stock. This allows them to find the best trends for the next season and take away ideas for their own lines.

7. Remember that this job can be very demanding, especially if you move up the ladder and have to go on more buying trips. These can last weeks if necessary so you have to be prepared to be away from friends and family for long periods of time. Aside from the buying trips, it is also a job that requires more than 9-5. You may find that you will have to be in work early, or be expected to stay late on a regular basis, especially in the run up to pre-season selections.

8. Finally, if you have the passion and drive to work hard and succeed in this area, you will.

Hope this helps all you budding buyers!

Lots of love,

Quick update from me. X

2011-05-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sat on the floor of our lovely lounge with the boyfriend playing his 6th game of FIFA do thought I'd take the opportunity to write my latest post. I should point out that I am writing this on our new iPad. I've got to admit, it's pretty awesome, although I'm finding the keyboard a little difficult for so much writing. I'll have to proof read before I publish this! Thing is, can you believe that this was actually free?! The boyfriend won the iPad from work so I'm loving it even more! it's great fun and easy to use. Been looking at apps for sketching on the go, but as it hasn't been pay day yet, I can't afford to pay for any. When I get one sorted and actually start creating something, I'll let you know.

In the mean time, we cleared out our wardrobe again today. I seem to be doing this every month for the charity bags that land on our doorstep and amazingly usually have something to give. Today however, I'm recycling something old for myself. It's a Ted Baker black jacket from a few years ago which I used to wear all the time. That is until it was no longer black. Unfortunately it went a little faded but finally I have purchased some black dye and am currently in the process of restoring it to it's former glory! Hopefully by the end of the day, I should have a great jacket once again. I also found a colourful dress I purchased from New Look whilst in my final year at uni. I'm not totally happy with it anymore as it's strapless and very bright and usually makes me look a funny colour. But as I was trying it on earlier, I realised the bottom half would make a gorgeous skirt. So the plan is to unpick the seam along the waist line and hem it to create a lovely high waisted skirt. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm going back to basics with my sewing. I never showed you all the dress I made last year when I took a dressmaking course. It was cute and I was amazed I succeeded so I think I got a little cocky. Unfortunately, I tried to make something much too complicated with a difficult fabric and the result left me fairly sad and unconvinced of my ability. So I'm starting fresh, learning the basic skills and building myself up slowly. I did manage to make some gorgeous cushion covers for our lounge so I'll show you those soon.

For now, best go check on the dye.

Lots of love,

2011 The Year of Home Improvements

2011-04-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know but my boyfriend and I bought a house in August last year. It's a 2 bed end mews property with a garden, garage and drive, and we love it. During the past few months we've been living here, we've made a few little changes to the house but to be honest there wasn't a great need as the woman who owned it before had great style in decorating. So the lounge, kitchen, main and spare bedrooms have stayed decorated as they are.
The only room we really wanted to change was the bathroom. It used to have yellow tiles and a border with fish on it. Not the best, I know. So as this is our first house and we're on a bit of a budget, we decided that instead of re-tiling the entire bathroom, we'd just paint over the tiles that were already there. So in January, we had a week off and spent 3 days solid painting coat after coat of white tile paint over the yellow. I'm glad to say it now looks fantastic and modern. Major improvement! So the next step was to paint the walls as they were just cream and boring. We've only just got round to this now but we've gone for Waterfall blue, it's pale but just brightens the room up. Finally, I really want to change the floor. It's currently carpet which isn't fantastic when it's getting wet all the time, so we're thinking some kind of tiles, probably dark grey. Just to give you a taster of the before and after (so far), I've included a couple of snapshots below.
Before...

After... With my gorgeous new boat, very on trend with the nautical theme for SS11/12.

The next plan is to tackle the garden. We have a fantastic outdoor space considering the size of our house. There's a decent size lawn, some gravel, and a patio behind the garage, which is a brilliant sun trap on these gorgeous summer days we're having. In the past couple of months I've begun planning what I want to do with all this space and thought I'd share some thoughts in the hope that I can either inspire you, or you can tell me some better ideas! I should mention that as I type this, I'm sat out on some new patio furniture with my feet up and a nice cold glass of Lucozade Original. That may seem an odd choice of drink, but as you found out yesterday, I'm still ill. Anyway, back to the garden plans. I purchased some vegetables to grow in pots in the house before transferring them outside so I'm hoping to put these in pots and hanging baskets around the garden, along with normal flowering plants, to give it a bit of colour.

The fence panels all need re-painting, currently we have a wide variety of colours due to the fact that when the horrendous wind came a few months ago, a couple of panels blew out. Then there's the issue of weeds. We have a lot of gravel around the lawn and patio, and this seems to be over run with weeds and moss. I've bought some weed killer which should hopefully help, and then they all need a good hosing down. Same goes for the patio, unless we decide to swap the current beige stone flags for some sleek and modern grey slate flags, courtesy of my parents left over from their gardening adventures. So this morning we ventured to Homebase (if anyone reads this today and hasn't seen the advert there's 15% off everything just today), to buy all the things we needed to complete the jobs above. I thought to myself, I'll just have a bit of a look at patio furniture and see if there's anything nice and cheapish. Little did I know that as soon as we walked through the door, there would be the perfect set for us. Well, to be accurate the set in the door was a 4 chair and round table set, and we opted for the larger rectangular table with parasol and 6 chairs. £170! Cannot believe it, these are the most comfortable outdoor chairs I have ever sat on, except those day beds on holidays. So yes, the credit card came out and we bought in to the offer. I have to say, I love it, and I can finally enjoy sitting outside!

Obviously this picture is from the catalogue as there is no way that the weather pictured is in England, or that I am rich enough to afford a pool!

All I need now is some outdoor dining, some fairy lights and little lanterns and it should be done! Roll on the BBQs : )

Finally, my other venture for the year will be the spare room. Though this doesn't need decorating, it's currently a gorgeous pale turquoise, it does need some better furniture to make it more practical. At the moment we have it as a spare double bedroom/dumping ground/washing room. The bed has been used twice and takes up the most space, so we thought it would be better to get a sofa bed so we can have a TV and the WII up there, use it as a second lounge, but if anyone wants to stay over, there's still somewhere to sleep. Then I'd like to get a desk big enough for my laptop and space for dressmaking, so I can use the room when the boyfriend wants to play FIFA in the lounge downstairs. I also bought a mannequin the other day so this will live there too. Hopefully, this will all help me to get on with my dressmaking more vigorously and actually finish the two dresses I'm currently trying to make.

I'll keep you updated on our progress through the year. But for now, I'll just sit back, relax and enjoy the sun while I can.

Happy sunbathing.

Lots of love,

Love at First Sight

2011-04-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

I promised I'd get to 4 posts in a week...

If you do anything today, go on to the Miu Miu website and just look at some of the fabulous accessories and shoes on sale. Who cares if you can't afford them, the happiness they provide is too much to resist.

For example, this adorable Apple Plexiglass Brooch (£90)

And my favourite find on the whole website, these Patent Leather Loafers (£325)

I know they're expensive beyond imagination for a pair of loafers, but they are absolutely the best pairs of loafers I have ever seen and I would love them in all 3 colours. Unfortunately, this now means I am NEVER going to be able to find a pair of loafers that compare within my price range. Damn Miuccia Prada and her astonishing designs.

Only a quick glimpse, but I'm sure you can find your own favourites to dream about tonight.

Miuccia love,

New Year's Resolutions The Update

2011-04-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

As you may remember, in January I gave you a list of 6 of my New Year's resolutions. So far, there are only really 2 that I am on the way to achieving or have done already.

Numbers 1 and 2 were to set up Workplace Giving so I could donate to 3 charities every month, and to donate money every time I bought or sold on Ebay. I am happy to say that this has been a complete success. As I told you all last time, I'm donating to Bowel Cancer UK, Heart Research UK and the NSPCC, and have donated to many charities via Ebay including Tommy's Baby Charity and Heartbeat, a small charity in Preston who helped my Grandad to get better after a heart attack and major surgery. I may not be the richest person in the world, but if I can afford to feed my shoe habit, I can afford to donate to charity and help people that really need the money and support.
Number 3 was to write on my blog 4 times a week. As you may have noticed, I haven't been too successful with this one. I definitely need to try harder but as usual, life gets in the way. If only I could give up my day job and do this full time, then maybe I might have a chance of succeeding in my third resolution! But I promise to do my best. And this week, I'll be pretty much posting all 4 in a day! One extreme to another : )
For number 4, I decided to follow my passion and become a Trainee Buyer. As some of you will know, my meetings with my Manager have gone well and she's been very supportive of my wish to explore a buying career. Although she doesn't want to lose me, she also doesn't want to stand in my way. So with that in mind, I have been meeting with a current Trainee Buyer at work to discuss her job. She's been a brilliant insight in to a department I have little contact with on a day to day basis. She has managed to provide me with detailed information about her daily tasks, career aspirations, previous experience and all other little details I never would have known! I'm really hoping this will give me that extra knowledge to stand out in any interviews I might attend in the future. All I can say right now is, watch this space.
Number 5 was to lose half a stone and tone up. Now as we speak I am sat eating some Dairy Milk in bed. But I'm ill so I'm allowed. But I have been trying my best. I've started taking Zumba classes and Step classes once a week, and am hoping to add Aerobics to my timetable too. These have really helped motivate me as they're so much more fun than just running for miles (or maybe metres!) on a treadmill. If you struggle for motivation in the gym like me, definitely give classes a go. As losing the weight goes, I was doing fantastic and I could fit in my skinny jeans before I went on holiday. However, Budapest seems to do the best chocolate puddings I have ever tasted in my life, and I had one every night for five nights. So as it stands, I think I put the weight back on.
Finally, I had planned to run the 10k Race for Life as my 6th New Year's Resolution. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% there's going to be an event near where I live for me to take part in. So this year I will have to either repeat last year and just go with the 5k, or take part in another 10k race and choose a charity of my own. But I promise I'll run for something!

So there you have it, my current progress for 2011. I think I've probably added a few more resolutions as the months have gone on, but I won't bore you anymore with my lack of achievements! Hope you're all doing well with any personal goals you have for the year. Good luck.

Love and four leaf clovers,

Indulgence

2011-04-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Every so often I like to have a good work through all my clothes and accessories to see if I can throw out any of my vast collection. Even though the reason I'm doing this on the surface is to try and get rid of any junk I don't wear any more, and in doing so make my boyfriend happier, the thing that gets me excited is the thought of finding something at the back of my wardrobe or the bottom of my hat boxes that I've completely forgotten about but still absolutely love. This usually happens with an old t shirt or a hat I can restyle for the new season. But I love love love it when I find an old handbag or some jewellery mixed up in my many jewellery boxes that is now so on trend I'm glad I never chose to throw it out. Moral of the story... though your boyfriend might like it, don't throw anything out unless it doesn't fit you or you completely hate it. You ever know when fashions will return and you'll be able to dig it out all over again. And even if you do throw things out, give them to charity or recycle them because though your personal tastes may have changed, you just might make someone's day with your donation.

Looking at my shoes. Now this will probably sound totally strange to most people, but every now and then I like to get out all my gorgeous shoes and remind myself of what I have in my wardrobes. I always find that you go through spells with the weather and the seasons of being able to wear certain shoes and in the process, those you can't wear get forgotten temporarily. It's always nice to go through your collection and remind yourself of the little bits of shoe heaven you have hidden away for next summer. On line with shoes, when I'm having a really difficult outfit choosing day, I sometimes like to find my favourite pair of shoes and match an outfit to them. Not that this makes my life any easier! Most of my shoes are so different that I only have one or two outfits that are appropriate to wear with them, and if I'm looking for work, most of these won't do either. But when your stressing over outfits, it's nice to have a gorgeous pair of shoes to wear that instantly make you feel happy.

Leafing through my shelves and shelves of Elle and Vogue magazines. When I left university, I started subscribing to Elle magazine and ever since have not been able to throw any away. I have bookshelves and boxes filled with them because to me, they're pretty important and I always love to go back and look through the old ones. I especially like going through every one I get and bending down the corners of the pages of looks I adore. It's pretty interesting going back a couple of years and seeing what fashions I was in to. Sometimes I don't know what I was thinking!
I've always had the view that books are precious and should be looked after. I always finish every book I read with two exceptions my whole life. One was The Hobbit which my teacher tried to force me to read in year 6 of primary school, and the other was The Dice Man which just got a little bit too creepy for my liking. But overall, I never leave pages unread and for me, this opinion extends to copies of Vogue and Elle too. They're fashion bibles in to which an enormous amount of work is put each month and so should be treated with the respect they deserve. I read other fashion magazines, but to try to keep every issue of them too would just get a bit too much and probably take over the house! From all these other magazines that I read, I always pull out the pages of fashions and garments I love and organise them in to colour palettes to put in to scrap books for each season. Although if I'm honest, I'm a little behind at the moment. It doesn't take long to rip the pages out but it takes a while to cut them and stick them all in the books! So I think I have about 2 seasons worth of images. Next time I ever have some free time on my hands, I might need to catch up on that one.

Just a few things I love to do when I have the time. They keep me in touch with my love for fashion and allow me to indulge that obsession just a little. And if nothing else, they force me to spend some time relaxing and de-stressing, away from my normal daily life.

Go on, indulge your fashion obsessions. It's healthy, I promise...

Lots of love,

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