essbeevee: a blog about many things... but mostly dresses.

Space oddity.

2013-05-18T16:30:00.000+01:00

I was going to start this post with something like 'Nerdy confession alert' - but you guys KNOW I'm a total nerd, right? It's not really a secret. But even with that widely known fact, when I admit I kind of love Doctor Who, people are sometimes a little surprised. I guess it is pretty nerdy, and to be honest it's often pretty awful, yet I have to watch it every week. If only to feel ultimately irritated by it. Also, I miss Tennant.

Amy Pond was a terrible companion but goodness, I wanted her hair. Not being born a redhead will forever remain a huge unfairness of my life. Clara is, so far, a little more likeable, and although her hair is very lovely and bouncy, it's her insistence on wearing short dresses and opaque tights that has me penning this post. Because, gosh darnit, I just want every item of her wardrobe.

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Sidenote - is it HER wardrobe, or does she raid the Tardis wardrobe every time? If so I find it kind of creepy that all these companions are prancing around in these old clothes. Who did they belong to? Most of these people are probably dead! And surely no one, but no one, would want to wear anything from Rose's era. PunkyFish needs to stay in the early 2000s, no?

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ANYWAY. The internet has jumped on Clara and her awesome wardrobe and has done a pretty good job of tracking down exact matches to some of her clothes. But most of them are sold out or incredibly expensive so instead I'm just going to show you how to mimic it, a little. This is basically a thinly disguised wishlist because I WANT ALL THESE THINGS.

Dresses: River Island, Topshop, New Look

Leather Jacket: H&M, ASOS

Satchel: Zatchels (real leather) or eBay (faux leather)

Boots: Bronx Ankle Boots or Topshop
To be honest, I think if Clara raided my wardrobe for tonight's season finale, no one would blink an eye. All the reds! All the black accessories! It's not so much about stealing her style, I think she's stealing MY style...

Turn on the charm for me tonight.

2013-05-17T21:27:00.002+01:00

I have to combine this dress with a modesty panel. MODESTY PANEL. Isn't it kind of a gross expression? It's so utilitarian and middle aged. I feel like Boob Hider is a much better expression, really.

Boob Hiders are a necessity with much of my wardrobe. I have so many clothes that I put on and am like ‘Who is this designed for?!’ Surely displaying one’s whole bra is not a good look for anyone, no matter how large or small their rack? This dress comes to mind - indecent without a top underneath! The worst are those dresses that just don't work with a Boob Hider. Like this one. It's the PRETTIEST, but a vest top kind of ruins the effect. But without it, it's basically just a whole HEY! OBSERVE MY BOOBS! kind of thing and usually, that's not what I'm going for.

Necklace & Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Perlato Court Shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes

Nails - OPI Can't Find My Czechbook

Boob Hider & Tights - Primark

I'm loving these shoes at the moment. They're kind of sensible and dull, but they're the perfect height for work and the pointy toes make me feel secretly badass because if anyone pisses me off, I will kick them and DENT THEIR LEGS. That's how I roll, these days. Leg denter. Boob hider. Those are my trademarks.

I was going slightly overboard with Photoshop in 2011 when I last featured this dress, wasn't I?

You can wear the crown but you’re no princess.

2013-05-10T17:00:00.000+01:00

I really like navy, but it’s actually a colour I hadn’t worn much until recently. When I got this navy dress in the Dorothy Perkins sale over Christmas, I had great fun teaming it with different colours to create different looks. I love it with red accessories, when I fancy going a bit nautical (I can’t believe I haven’t done red tights yet) or my cranberry tights and cardigan, for a pretty jewel-toned ensemble. But I’ve done the slightly nautical look recently on here, and the last time I wore this dress I teamed it with cranberry tights, so here’s another version.

A little while ago, Amy said something that stuck with me about the old adage ‘Don’t wear navy and black together’ – basically, it’s fine, as long as you do it SUPER deliberately. And she's totally right - more than once I’ve grabbed a cardi or a pair of tights out of my clean washing pile and only realised later that it was navy, not black – so uncool. So I was like ‘RIGHT. I need to be ultra deliberate today, otherwise I will look like a FOOL.’ The result is, actually, a pretty sensible, tame ensemble, but it was perfectly suitable for a day pottering around London on two separate birthday things, where I socialised with people I didn’t know all that well (and in those situations sometimes I don’t want to go all crazy and bright coloured, you know?).

Although, as I was leaving, the heavens opened, and I swapped my neat little patent pumps for sensible brown boots, and I’m not sure WHAT the fashion rulebook says about navy and black and brown together. Nothing positive, I’m sure.

Oh yeah, and also, I’ve lost nearly two stone since the last time I posted this dress on this blog which is pretty bloody gratifying to see.

Dress - Closet via Dorothy Perkins

Cardigan - Red Herring via Debenhams

Belt & Tights - New Look

Betty London Flat Shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes

Dressed for success.

2013-05-09T16:30:00.000+01:00

Do you remember this post? Well, I did it - hooray! However, due to polka dot clashing issues I'm not going to be wearing the dress in question at the wedding in question, but that just means an excuse to buy a new dress. OH NO. Lord knows THAT'S my least favourite activity.

Here are a handful of my dream dress 'n' shoe ensembles - how amazing is that dress in the middle?:

Dresses: Topshop, Goddiva, Topshop
Shoes: New Look, Melissa, ASOS
The below ensemble may win out, though, as I tried the dress on yesterday and fell a bit in love. Black and white stripes with red accents may be a teeny bit emo, but as my iPod is basically constantly playing My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco these days, I guess I AM a little bit emo.

Dress - Debenhams, Court Shoes - Blink, Bag - New Look
Oh, I love wedding season! So many good excuses to SHOP. Have you got any occasions for dream dresses coming up?

But there ain't no sunshine in his song.

2013-05-07T20:35:00.000+01:00

I had all these plans for a crazy, social bank holiday weekend but in the end it was rather a quiet one. Nice, though – lots of time spent with my family, an awesome baby shower and lots and LOTS of sleep. I also tidied, which is VERY important. By the time Bank Holiday Monday rolled around I was feeling a little bit edgy though – the nights out that I’d had planned had been scuppered by poorlyness and really? I just wanted a drink.

That’s where having buddies who live within 10 minutes walk comes in handy though, as I met up with Sha and Russ and we went for a boozy picnic in Verulamium park, thanks to our local M&S. The olives and chorizo? OMG.

We’d all originally had plans to do constructive things that day – I was going to catch up on all my blogging and finish watching Broadchurch (don’t spoil me!), whilst Sha had been planning to upgrade her old Samsung for the new Samsung S4 at Carphone Warehouse. But unfortunately neither of us made it, as after the park we wandered to a beer garden for a bit before all watching Game of Thrones at their flat, because we’re cool. And suddenly it was 10pm. Ooops.

I’m wearing: Dress – New Look (original post) | Shoes – Primark (similar: Timeless Flat Shoes) | Sunglasses – H&M | Necklace – Benita Blue

This post contains guest content.

Sweetheart, bitterheart, now I can't tell you apart.

2013-05-03T16:30:00.000+01:00

I hadn’t realised until recently how much I’ve been recycling the same outfits over the past few months. My wardrobe is literally bulging (and I do mean literally – it keeps making worrying creaking noises) and yet I’m fairly sure I wear the same five dresses in different forms of rotation, week in, week out. Partly it’s being in a bit of a rut – when I’m having a sleepy morning, all I want to do is plonk something easy on and attempt to make it to work by 8.59 – but it’s also that whole weight thing I keep trying not to mention. Shrinking back down to roughly where I was means a lot of ‘Oh, I forgot I had that!’ moments, which is the best – it’s like having a whole load of new dresses! And I freaking love new dresses! This is amazing! EXCLAMATION MARKS 4EVA!

I have no idea how I forgot this dress, because I love it so much. As soon as I saw it, I wanted it, and went on about it so much that my lovely friend Ali actually bought it for my birthday the year before last. Look at that happy birthday face (and that bright red hair - I can't believe it was that colour!).

But even though I got the dress in the summer and wore it quite a bit with bare legs, I’ve always thought of it as a wintry dress. It does go well with layers though – my new favourite blazer (second week running, sorry) and my trusty black boots were the perfect accessories to add for my brother’s birthday lunch last week. It’s one of those dresses that I always think would be a very nice work dress, but always refrain from making the transition as I like keeping it for best. Also, it needs ironing, and who can deal with THAT every day? WEIRDOS, that’s who.

Dress – Dorothy Perkins

Blazer & Tights – Primark

Boots – Dorothy Perkins (similar here: Rockport Shoe Boots at Spartoo Shoes)

PS - Congratulations to Elizabeth from Rosalilium who won my ASOS Giveaway! Hard luck, everyone else.

Books are Amazing... April Edition!

2013-04-30T17:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the April edition of what I like to call Book Club. Although it's not really anything like a book club, as we aren't all reading the same book and discussing it over wine. But we ARE talking about books, and I'm pretty drunk right now.

This month's Book Clubber is the lovely Alex from Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks. She has lovely taste in books, dresses and country houses. That's good enough for me! Take it away, Alex...

Thanks for letting me invade your blog, Sarah!

I’m Alex and I am a complete bookaholic – I read fast and I read a lot (over 300 books a year). You might wonder from looking through this list of my favourites if I ever bother with books published after about 1985. I do, I promise! It's just that I read so much that books have to really stand out in order to make it anywhere near my favourites list. I'm sure some newer ones will jostle their way onto it soon but for now, these are my best beloved books:

Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
I LOVE THIS BOOK. I can't even tell you how much. Looking at how many copies of it I own might help illustrate my love for it though. I love it so much that I want to shout to the world about how amazing it is but I have to fight that constant battle of people being judgey about romance novels. Lots of people scorn Georgette Heyer and lump her in with Barbara Cartland and all the modern Regency rubbish romances. These people are idiots. She basically created the genre of Regency romance, although her books are so much more than that. A lot of them are comedies of manners, some are mysteries, some are straightforward historicals; all of them are immaculately, captivatingly written. Devil's Cub is my absolute favourite of all her books and probably my favourite book ever, by any author.

This is a Georgian romance rather than Regency and is a sequel of sorts to These Old Shades which is also rather glorious, although you don’t need to read them in order. Dominic, the Marquis of Vidal, is a very wild young man; a reckless gambler, drinker and dueller (totally swoon-worthy though!). Mary Challoner's younger sister Sophia, a rather ditzy piece, is about to flee to France with him when he's forced into exile but Mary intercepts a note and takes Sophia's place (masked, of course) in order to save her reputation. Well as you might imagine, things don't go exactly to plan. It's a tremendous romp through France with elopements, shootings, duels, fibs and confusions aplenty and a wonderful hero and heroine. Please don't be put off if you don't like girly books or romances - give one a go and judge it on the quality of the writing and storytelling. She puts most authors to shame.

A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones
I've loved this book for years and years. Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favourite authors and this book is the perfect example of her inventiveness, sense of humour and amazing skill. Her books may technically be for children but there's never the slightest hint of pandering to her audience. They're quite often deeply steeped in mythology and folk literature (try Fire & Hemlock or The Homeward Bounders for two of her best). That doesn’t apply quite so much to this book but the concept behind it is just as fascinating. It starts in Britain in 1939 where Vivian Smith is being evacuated from London. Only she never quite makes it to the safety of the countryside because she's promptly kidnapped from the train station by Jonathan and Sam (two boys who are under the impression she's a different Vivian Smith) who then whisk her off to Time City. The city is set in a patch of space and time outside history - the people there observe and maintain history and stop it from going wrong. But now the city itself is now starting to crumble, the Time Ghosts are behaving in unexpected ways and history is going critical.

It's complicated to explain why this is happening and even more complicated to explain why Vivian, Jonathan and Sam start venturing into the Unstable Eras of history in search of missing polarities, so I suggest you read it yourself! DWJ's writing is an absolute treat and Time City is practically a character in its own right, with the most intriguing mixture of technology and traditions. I think perhaps you're meant to feel a bit sorry for Vivian, having been hauled out of her normal life into this exotic and baffling place, but I just want to be her, having lessons with Dr Wilander, wearing one of Elio's favourite outfits, joining in with the mayhem of running around to find Sempitern Walker's ceremonial clothes and trying the thing that I think everyone remembers this book for. BUTTERPIES! If you don't want to eat one of those, there's no hope for you.

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson
Oh, how I wish this book had a different title. It was originally published as The Countess Below Stairs (presumably they thought shoving the word secret in made it sound jazzier?) but that's not great either. I'd like it to be called something a bit less twee because I’m sure it puts people off picking it up in the first place. If they knew how utterly charming and captivating it is, they’d be buying ten copies at a time and throwing it at their friends. It was the first of Eva Ibbotson's books that I ever read and I loved it so much that I now own everything she's ever written, even the books that are solidly aimed at the under 5 market. This one in particular is my go-to comfort read. It's not complicated or issue-ridden, it's just a very good story, wonderfully well written and described. Even after umpteen re-readings, there are still parts of it that make me bite my knuckles and whimper (p237, I'm looking at you. Oh my god. Rupert kills me every time).

The (not-so) Secret Countess is Anna Grazinsky, part of an aristocratic Russian family who have had to flee their homeland during the Bolshevik Revolution and start a new life in England, in much reduced circumstances. She goes to work as a maid at Mersham, a large country house which has been a bit unloved during the war years and is now being spruced up for the return of the new Earl and his new (and extremely rich) fiancée. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would be all cliches - swooning embraces behind the potted plants, cardboard characters and the evil fiancée destroying their happy little world. It's not. It's magical. Well ok, Muriel is a complete horror and she does manage to upset an awful lot of people, but even that is is done beautifully in a very insidious sort of way. The characters, even the minor ones, are so real and vivid that the worlds of Mersham and post-WW1 London sparkle to life.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson
Speaking of charming books, let me introduce you to another one. Miss Pettigrew is an utter delight of a book and I’m pretty sure I’ve recommended it to everyone already. On the off chance that I haven’t, let me inform you that it is brilliant and you need to go out and buy a copy immediately. It fills me with complete joy when I read it and there aren't many books that I can say that about.

It takes places over the course of a single day and starts off with a misunderstanding. Miss Pettigrew goes for a job interview (the wrong job, as it turns out) and is swept up into the fun and chaotic world of Delysia LaFosse and her various friends, acquaintances and lovers. There’s a makeover, several parties, a bit of carousing and some excellent examples of how to tell off alpha males. Oh, it’s magical. I might be making it sound like virtual candyfloss here but it has a definite bittersweet edge. Miss Pettigrew is in really dire straits at the start of the book and she can't entirely shut out her poverty-stricken reality, even when surrounded by a dizzying whirl of champagne, silk frocks and nightclubs. I love the way she blossoms throughout the book and discovers a version of herself that she didn't know existed. It's not entirely a fairy tale but I think it's the twentieth century version of one.

China Court by Rumer Godden
Another book featuring a country house. Yes, I know I’m predictable. But I am a complete sucker for any book where the house is just as much of a character as any of the people that live in it and China Court, a house in Cornwall, is every bit as interesting as the Quin family who live there. I devour Rumer Godden’s descriptions of it each and every time I read the book. Her prose is sumptuous. If I started quoting sections to show you what I mean then I'd be here all day. It's that good.

I hesitate to label this book as a family saga because it’s definitely not one of those awful potboiler novels where everyone mopes around Oop North wearing clogs and having lots of incestuous, illegitimate children. This does cover five generations of the Quin family but it’s beautifully written and very cleverly structured. It swirls around the generations, skipping backwards and forwards in time from the 1860s to the 1950s and telling little parts of the various stories of the Quins that don’t really fit properly together until the very end of the book. The resolution is so neatly tied into the intertwining stories of all residents of the house that I can’t really go into too many details and anyway, I really don’t feel like I can do this book justice in a brief description. You’ll have to read it for yourself. And as luck would have it, it’s just been reprinted as a Virago Modern Classic – hurrah! Treat yourself to a copy.

Ancestral Voices by James Lees-Milne
This is a diary covering the period 1942-1943, a time when the author had been invalided out of the Army and rejoined the National Trust in his pre-war job as Historic Buildings Secretary. It was a very different organisation to the one you may know now, with hardly any staff and only a handful of houses open to the public. Yet this was a time when finances were dwindling, heirs were dying and country houses were fading out of their former glory. His role was to tour the country and talk to owners of these houses to see if any could be handed over to the Trust. His impact was astonishing - he saved an amazing amount of significant houses for the nation - and this diary is an extraordinary record of that long lost world.

It's also a wonderful, vibrant depiction of London during the war years and for those of you who are interested in mid 20th century aristocracy/artists/novelists/society folk, it's a must-read. He was very well connected - the Mitfords, Churchills and Sitwells get frequent mentions, as do most of the intellectual and social figures of the time. He’s not particularly kind about them either but the whole thing is written with a level of candour and wit that makes you forgive his lapses into bitchiness.

And there you have it: six of the best. If you want to know more about my taste in books, hop on over to my blog and have a look through the A Blogging Good Read series. I’m hoping to persuade Sarah to join in with it soon!

Thanks, Alex! These books are really fleshing out my Amazon wishlist. I have bloggers lined up for the next few spots, but if you're interested in being a contributor, let me know!

Beating heart baby.

2013-04-29T20:30:00.000+01:00

When I get obsessed with something, I find it hard to let it go. Like my urge to own a Mulberry - one day I WILL make it happen. You can be sure of that.

On a slightly cheaper scale, were Vivienne Westwood Melissa shoes. I know that everyone and their wife has them, and wedding blogs are utterly saturated with them, and I suppose that means they are frightfully common. But I LOVE them. I just think they're so pretty, and the fact that they're made of rubber just makes them seem like the awesome jelly shoes you wore when you were kids. And did I mention they're pretty?

Well, I made it happen, and I still love them. I actually let out a little squeak when I saw that Spartoo had added Melissa to their brands, and had added these to my basket before I had time to think about it. Sometimes you just have to.

Melissa Court Shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes

Dance alone to the beat of your heart.

2013-04-26T17:00:00.000+01:00

As promised in my last Friday Frock, I spent a little part of last weekend on a mission to make myself feel like ME again. Isn’t it funny how having a bug for a few days can make you feel totally different? In my case, I always just feel hideous – my hair seems extra frizzy, my skin seems dull, the bags under my eyes have their own postcode. You know how it is, right?

Anyway, I redyed my hair and got a long overdue cut on Saturday – it had been about four months and it was becoming impossible to force a brush through it (I don’t know how some girls get their hair cut only once a year!) and I instantly felt better. There’s nothing like having shiny hair to make you feel more positive about things – shallow, yes, but also true. I rarely straighten my hair these days as it just doesn’t STAY straight, but when a professional does it, I can make the blowdry last and last.

Dress – New Look
Blazer & Tights – Primark
Necklace – Topshop
Shoes – Buffalo flat shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes
I picked up the dress in the New Look sale about a month ago for a bargainy £12. It’s by Mela Loves London which I’ve raved about before – their dresses just seem to fit me so well and they’re always well made but inexpensive. I love the print so much, and felt rather nice when I teamed it with my new blazer from... Primark! I KNOW! It’s nice, innit? Honestly, the sun shining always puts me in a good mood, but when I’ve got a new outfit and new hair to boot, I’m pretty much unstoppable.

I then made my way to the George at Asda event on Carnaby Street with Chloe, where I took in their new collection (see our favourites below!) and indulged in candy floss. And as if they KNEW that I hadn’t had much time to beautify myself lately, as there were also lovely ladies on hand to give us manicures and makeovers. Hooray!

Afterwards I took Chloe on a bit of a tour of some of my favourite nearby haunts – a late lunch at Tibits, a cupcake at Hummingbird and then cocktails at Thirst. Not a bad Saturday, all in! What did you get up to?

Busy bee.

2013-04-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

I usually have a little list on the go of blog posts that I need to write about and the ones that always fall to the bottom of the list are events. I don't know why, because they're always one of my favourite things about blogging. I love seeing brands in their natural habitat and experiencing the creative ways they promote themselves - but obviously, the best part is hanging out with other bloggers!

I've been to a few different things lately so thought I'd do a bit of a 3-in-1 dealio right here.

Witch Bowling Event
I mentioned this a few weeks ago in an outfit post but never actually posted about the event, which is a travesty. Witch Skincare arranged for their Flawless Friends to take over the All Star Lanes in Brick Lane for bowling, nibbles and cocktails. So many cocktails.

I also got my makeup done by Lisa Valencia, a professional makeup artist who works with Witch. She's awesome. She did a super glam look on my face and also gave me lots of advice - so much better than when I usually ask pro beauty people like facialists for advice as they're all slightly biased.

It was such a giggle - I had a good old gossip, made sure my 'Biggest Loser' track record in bowling stayed intact and even took part in a Harlem Shake video. No, I don't really understand it either.

See some more pics here!

Fossil Press Day
I used to get invited to quite a lot of press days but gradually the invites have dried up, and quite rightly, because I can never make it to them! I'm always a little envious of London-based bloggers or those who don't work full time, because there are so many events that finish at 6pm or so that I just can't make it to because of work. So I was excited to be in London in time to catch the end of the Fossil press day.

I love Fossil, I've had the same Fossil wallet for nearly two years now and it's just such good quality, I'm confident that I'll have it for even more years. I didn't realise that they actually sell various other watch brands like DKNY and Armani Exchange. How pretty?

Pics taken from Fossil Instagram because mine were rubbish!
AX Paris
There's nothing like a good old Bloggers party and AX Paris delivered this a couple of weeks ago! We watched acrobatics at Circus Bar (I only managed one blurry picture, below, of one of the EXTREMELY attractive performers), drank cocktails, had fun in a photobooth and of course giggled and gossiped away as we watched the new AX Paris TV ad - it looks amazing! You can watch it here.

Chloe and I grabbed a burger at MeatMarket on the way home as we took in the contents of our overly generous goody bags - the Ryan Gosling colouring book was definitely a highlight!

I stole this picture from Sarah of Chloe, Lauren and I - dear god, those are some PINK cheeks! I was unknowingly coming down with a throat infection at the time so I'm pretty pleased I avoided most cameras on the night - I may not have realised but the cameras did!

Outfit Credits: Witch are here | Fossil & AX Paris - Dress - Dorothy Perkins | Rockport Ankle Boots c/o Spartoo Shoes

Let's go to the beach, each, let's go get away.

2013-04-22T16:00:00.001+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I took a cheeky caravan holiday with my mum and sister in Kent. We were all dying to get away for a bit of a break, and it was also a chance for my mum and I to spend some quality time with Becky and her gorgeous family. Romney Sands, where we stayed, is right opposite the beach - perfect for a bit of kite flying!

I love spending time with my family - Becky's babies are growing up so fast (and I count her big girl Ellis-Rose amongst her babies, double digits this year!) and it was so nice to sit reading with Cameron and coaxing a smile out of Noah (it's really not hard, he is the smiliest baby ever).

My sister sure knows how to have some cute kids, huh?

Outfit credits: Coat - Topshop | Dress - Mela Loves London | StylistClick Boots c/o Spartoo Shoes | Hat - H&M

Here comes the sun.

2013-04-21T20:14:00.000+01:00

The sun is out and I'm getting overexcited, aren't you? I am still well and truly in my trusty black opaques - let's not get crazy now - but this weekend I gave my winter coat a rest and went out in a blazer. A BLAZER! With cropped sleeves! And I wasn't even cold. Spring, I salute you.

As soon as the sun comes out, I start planning the summer. Glastonbury may be a good couple of months away yet but I'm already thinking about festival-friendly ensembles. My faithful Office wellies are finally on their last legs and as it's my seventh Glastonbury, I think it might be just about time that I picked up a new rainmac (although I must confess my Millets Peter Storm one is still going strong). Oooh, and maybe a new tent...

I've been eyeing pinafores lately too, and it's now occurred to me that they're perfect festival wear - just change the top underneath and you can rewear and rewear. Considering my propensity for over-packing, I'm loving this idea!

I don't know if it's too early to think about this stuff, but there it is, and this is what I want to buy.

Tent - Cath Kidston | Raincoat - ASOS | Hat - Accessorize | Sunglasses - Urban Outfitters | Backpack - Zatchels | Black Pinafore - New Look | Red Hunter Wellington Boots - Spartoo Shoes

I want to be known for my hits, not just my misses.

2013-04-19T17:30:00.000+01:00

I wasn’t going to feature this dress today, but it’s actually the perfect choice. It’s a dress that doesn’t need to try, smart and structured but low maintenance. No ironing required, minimal accessorising – just lop your unbrushed hair up, chuck a cardi on and go. You see, not having to try appeals to me this week because I’ve just been focusing on getting through the week. I’ve been fighting a nasty ear and throat infection combo for over a week now and have spent the bulk of the time rocking a great PJs & birdnest hair look. Just don’t get ill, kids. It’s RUBBISH.

I’ve only recently started to team red and navy because I am five thousand years behind the rest of the world, and also because I only just got a navy cardigan which makes everything easier. It’s kind of hard to team red and navy together when you don’t have any navy in your wardrobe. But the colours DO complement each other beautifully and although it’s a traditionally nautical combo, I don’t think this outfit screams ‘Hello, Sailor!’ which is totally fine, because that is not what I was aiming for. But if there are any sailors reading this... hello!

Dress – Closet via Dorothy Perkins

Tights – Tesco

Cardigan – Red Herring via Debenhams

Necklace c/o Matalan

Blink Court Shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes

It’s in stark contrast to the last time I featured it where I was all like ‘I have just got my hair cut! I’ve bothered to use my ghds! Here is a snappy jacket! Look how cheerful I am!’ Past Me is so much more on the ball than Current Me, even if she is a bit unbearably happy with annoyingly good hair. See, this is the occasional problem with the Then & Now feature. Maybe I should only start using examples when I look better NOW. Hopefully Future Me will sort it out… as a start, I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow, mostly because I’ve felt so UGH all week that I’ve decided the only way to fix it is to pay someone to make me look better. Also, my fringe has reached the point of no return. Fix me, hair magicians, fix me!

PS - Entered my amazing ASOS giveaway yet? PPS - Oooh, I just found out that Zatchels are having a flash sale tomorrow with 50% off everything to celebrate their 2nd Birthday! I don't normally post about sales but I adore Zatchels bags and half price? I am so there! I want this one, or this!. It's only on tomorrow though so hurry!

GIVEAWAY: £50 ASOS Vouchers with Appliances Online

2013-04-16T18:00:00.000+01:00

I don't know what I'd say if I was asked to name my favourite website. I like a lot of websites. I like Pinterest for ogling, and Twitter for gossiping, and Spartoo for shoes (I'm currently obsessed with these Betty London sandals, but for overall pretty things to wear, it's probably gotta be ASOS. There's just so much pretty on there! Here is an excuse to show you some of it!

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Anyway, the nice people from Appliances Online contacted me recently, and were like 'Isn't ASOS great?' and I was like 'YES! It totally is! Let's be pals!' and they were like 'Er, no, but do you want to trick your followers into loving you by giving away some ASOS vouchers?' and I said 'YES! Trickery is my favourite way to make people love me!'

So! To win £50 of ASOS vouchers, all you need to do is...

Leave a comment on this post with the following details:
1. Your email address, twitter handle, blog name... basically a way that I can contact you easily. Not a postal address, because who can be bothered with stamps? Nobody.
2. Tell me what you would spend your voucher on! Whether it's part of an item or part of your voucher, I wanna see!
3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin and let me know which in your comment
4. To be entered you must do all of the above but for extra entries you can Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter and/or Appliances Online
5. You can also tweet something along the lines of Don't miss out on @essbeevee's giveaway - you could win £50 of ASOS vouchers! http://bit.ly/XEFGEe
6. Do all or some of the above before 7pm 30th April 2013. Any entries after this point won't be counted!

The best part is that Appliances Online are giving ME some vouchers too! I mean, for you that might not be the best part. But for me it totally is. I'm massively selfish that way.

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THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Things I've bought that I love.

2013-04-14T18:00:00.000+01:00

Sparkly flats - New Look

One of my favourite blogs for a long time was TV writer Mindy Kaling's ode to shopping, 'Things I've Bought That I Love'. Sadly it's no more, but the term always sticks with me when I blog about items I've bought and fallen for. Lately, I've had the shopping bug but thanks to a few vouchers leftover from Christmas, I haven't had to resort to using my credit card, which makes my savings a little healthier.

Here are some of the bits I've bought latelyish... that I LOVE.

I adore Converse! The indie kid in me will always be a Converse fan, and my old black pair were so ripped and worn that it was high time I replaced them. Oh, and how cute is this polka dot skirt? Over the last couple of years I have pretty much replaced my love of skirts with a love of dresses, but lately I find myself buying more skirts again. It was only £10 in the River Island sale!

Teal Bow Heels - Office

I'm completely obsessed with these teal shoes from Office and can't wait for an excuse to wear them. They're super pretty but have a practical heel and are really comfy. Also, I have a dress that they match EXACTLY. Woohoo! The sparkly flats above are the prettiest things ever... and just £7 in the New Look sale! Daaamn, my bargain-hunting skills are on FIRE.

And finally, this heart shaped Primark duvet set is my new favourite thing. It's so cute and girlie!

I know there is often this thing about how vouchers as gifts are boring but I love them! What's not to like about guilt-free shopping? Have you bought anything new lately?

Converse Trainers c/o Spartoo Shoes

Sponsored post

Time crawls on when you’re waiting for the song to start

2013-04-12T18:45:00.002+01:00

I wish I was one of those girls who didn’t care a jot about diets, but when I try that, I end up gaining a bunch of weight, because I still care a whole bunch about food. I know it’s a bit alienating to those girls who don’t care about it, but people on diets really love talking about diets, and I find it really hard not to talk about it MORE.

The truth is that I can’t help but think about dieting when I think about this dress. I bought it back in January with a voucher that Tesco had sent me and although I loved it, it was a bit too tight around the middle, so I popped it into the back of my wardrobe with the tags still on and promptly forgot about it. I dug it out a couple of weeks ago and realised that – after losing nearly a stone and a half - it fits beautifully! Tesco cut their dresses really well for my shape – they always hug my waist whilst allowing enough space for my boobs, which makes me happy. My boobs like space.

I’ve always been quite hourglassy with a defined waist and big ol’ hips but I realise now that at the start of this year when I started Weight Watchers, my waist was disappearing. I’m glad it’s back.

It’s quite a… mature dress, I guess? I always thought that when I was in my thirties I would buy my workwear from M&S and Next and wear heels all the time and lots of chunky jewellery. Pretty much the only part of that that’s accurate is the heels part, except for how it’s not all the time because my feet get sore, and spending too much time at the dizzying heights of 5’4 or 5’5 gives me vertigo.

Anyway, so I think that this is a bit of a ‘thirties’ dress in that it looks like the kind of thing your fabulous manager would wear, I think, with a snappy fitted jacket. I chose a cardigan because I am not all that snappy, and it’s still kind of cold. Also, I don’t really GET fitted jackets. Like, do you wear your coat over the top of them? Or do you just freeze? Either way seems silly. Just wear a lovely cardi, hmm?

Dress & Belt c/o Clothing At Tesco (belt from a different Tesco dress)

Cardigan – New Look

Tights - Primark

Necklace - Fallen Saint at Amazon

JB Martin Court Shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes

Salted Caramel Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2013-04-08T16:30:00.000+01:00

I think we all have our go-to recipes that we pull out for every special occasion or bake sale. Mine is chocolate peanut butter bars, the recipe of which I've featured on this blog at least four times... and of which I've made (and eaten) countless times.

When we went on our little blogger minibreak to Norbury Manor a few weeks ago, the girls had a great list of cakes they were planning to make (especially Sarah!) and so I wasn't planning to make anything at all. But the night before, I was looking in the cupboards and realised that I had rather a lot of leftover bits from Christmas to use up... chocolate, peanut butter, butter, condensed milk - it was a no brainer really, apart from how chocolate peanut butter bars do not use condensed milk. SO... I modified them!

Caramel Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:
- 500g Icing Sugar
- 250g Crunchy Peanut Butter
- 250g Butter
- 20 x Digestives
- 500g Milk Chocolate

For the caramel:
- 1 x tin Condensed Milk
- 150g Dark brown sugar
- 150g Butter
- 1 teaspoon of salt

FYI: You can mess with the quantities in this recipe and it won't make a huge difference - I always just use a whole jar of peanut butter which I think is more like 340g.

1 - Break the digestives into crumbs, either by blitzing them in a food processor or by placing in a sealed plastic sandwich bag and bashing with a rolling pin. I do the whole lot in a food processor!
2 - Melt the butter and add to the crumbs, and combine well.
3 - Add the icing sugar and combine, then add the peanut butter and combine (the order in which you do this doesn't really matter).
4 - Line a large tin with foil and then press the mixture into it with your fingers well until the whole of the base is covered and it's evenly spaced
5 - Make the caramel! In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar slowly and stir until combined.
6 - Add the condensed milk and stir well. Allow to simmer until it just come to the boil then remove from the heat. That's it! Add some salt, if you fancy (you should).
7 - Pour the caramel over the digestive mixture until completely covered and then leave aside to set.
8 - When the caramel is almost cool, melt the chocolate in a bain marie or carefully in a microwave, and pour over the top of the caramel. I topped with sprinkles which is totally unnecessary, but fun.
9 - Allow to cool and then pop in the fridge to set overnight. In the morning, get it out and chop it up then eat it all up, share it with your friends and become very popular.

I've always been kind of scared of making caramel but it was super easy! I want to make it all the time now, but I probably shouldn't. Because then I would eat it, and that's not advisable all the time.

I am, I feel.

2013-04-05T17:00:00.000+01:00

I HAVE A NEW BAG.

I am such a bag person, way more than a shoes person, so a new bag is a very very important thing, you see. This little lilac BritStitch number is not just CRAZY pretty, but actually has a lovely little story behind it. The first BritStitch bag was made in 1967 for a local milkman who needed a cash bag. He bought it back in recently to have the strap repaired, and they realised that a beautiful leather bag that could last nearly 50 years of daily use without needing repairs was probably something that other people would like, too. And they’d be totally right – I’ve been coveting one of my own ever since spotting them on other blogs, and so I was over the moon when they offered to send me one of my own. It’s beautifully made, and so sturdy – plus, its petite size forces me not to pile in everything I own, as is my way.

Purple is one of those colours that I don’t wear enough, but SHOULD. I would count it as one of my favourite colours - ever since Alisha’s Attic sang about putting a purple skirt on – but it doesn’t make its way into my wardrobe too often. I can’t really work out why. Perhaps it’s because I’m trying to keep certain items out of my workwear wardrobe, because I feel like it spoils things a bit. Popping a dress into my daily dress rotation takes away its specialness, and I think it’s worth keeping a few ‘for best’. And not JUST the ones that don’t need ironing, although that’s super logical, obviously. I also have this weird idea that this dress doesn’t fit because the first time I wore it, I felt horribly uncomfortable. It was actually because it was a boiling hot day and this really isn’t a bare legs dress, so I was pleasantly surprised when I teamed it with opaques over Christmas and realised how lovely it was.

Doing 'Then & Now' is interesting sometimes. I have been debating going back to brunette lately, which I did for a couple of months last year. However, seeing the two hair colours next to each other... nah. I'm still a ginger at heart.

Easter nails!

Finally, the boots. Thanks to my sponsorship by Spartoo, I have lots of new pairs of shoes to wear, but you know how it is… you always go back to the classics. These are the most comfortable heels I own, and even though the zips are giving way and they’re becoming shabbier and looser, I’ll keep wearing them until they fall apart completely. I wore them in the very first Friday Frocks post, and about a million other occasions since then. They are the best boots ever.

Bag c/o BritStitch

Dress & Belt – New Look

Boots – Dorothy Perkins (similar here: Rockport Shoe Boots at Spartoo Shoes)

Tights - Primark

Necklace – Benita Blue

Books are Amazing... March Edition!

2013-03-31T20:05:00.002+01:00

Happy Easter! Welcome to March's edition of my little book club. Books ARE amazing, you know. Today's contributor is my friend, Sarah. Here's her lovely blog, and here are her recommendations. I just received Tuesdays With Morrie in the post from her, I can't wait to start it - I love receiving books by post!

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
I've read this book twice - it's a quick read so you can feel accomplished ("fuck yeah, I finished a book!") without having to commit too much time to it. The Lover's Dictionary is um, a dictionary defined by the actions of a couple. That doesn't make any sense, does it? Except, it does. Each word is beautiful in it's own right - the story isn't written chronologically but alphabetically from Aberrant to Zenith so you're taken on a meandering path of their relationship. It's very sparsely written and I absolutely adore it.

The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
From a tiny book to a seven novel epic - there's something for everyone here! Ha. The Dark Tower series is a departure from what people think of as usual King - i.e IT and The Shining - and is the tale of the last gunslinger, Roland, in a world that has moved on. I've read this series at least three times and it draws me in again and again, but it seems to be some of his least known work and I think that's a shame. It links all of his stories together, there are moments from Salem's Lot, Hearts in Atlantis and so many others woven in. It's beautiful and tragic and enticing - if you're a fan of King & / or the Wild West then at least pick up book one (The Gunslinger) and give it a go.

The Raw Shark Texts - Stephen Hall
This book is kind of bonkers, I'm not going to lie. It's about a shark made of words that hunts and eats people's memories, and a man who's unwittingly become it's prey. Intriguing, right? Another one I've read twice, The Raw Shark Texts is one of those books that'll leave you wondering what the hell just happened after you finish it, but in a way that makes you want to dive straight in again rather than throw the book against the wall.

Rules of Civility - Amor Towles
I adored this book. It's a grand tale from America in the 20s and reminded me a little of Water for Elephants without the circus (which would be a completely different book, right?). It's full of cocktails and evening gowns and falling from the grace of high society and it felt like an education and a riot. If you like escapism then this might be the one for you.

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
This is the book I recommend to everyone because I think we all have lessons we could learn and this book contains a lot of them packaged in a non preachy way. It's the story of a man reconnected with his dying college professor, but it's so, so much more. Warning: it's a weepie, so have tissues to hand.

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Love books? Then you'll love Jasper Fforde. The Eyre Affair is the first of (so far) seven novels so if you like this one you'll have plenty more to read. It follows the life of Thursday Next, a literary agent in (a fictional version of) Swindon. It's full of funny little asides about books and is just, urgh, awesome. Just bloody read it, okay?

Girlfriend in a Coma - Douglas Coupland
My second favourite Coupland novel (Microserfs is my favourite but it's so old now if you didn't read it 10 years ago you probably won't like it now, sigh) - Girlfriend is a Coma is set in the Canadian 70s and is glorious, if a little wacky. I think the trick to enjoying Coupland is to give yourself to the madness and settle in for the pictures he paints, rather than exclaiming "could that really happen?!" every now and again. If you like this then also read Life After God, which is a series of short stories but feels like a collective novel of thoughtfulness.

Thanks, Sarah! Tune in next month for Alex's recommendations, and, as always, if you want to be a contributor, shoot me an email or a tweet!

If I was a rich girl.

2013-03-29T18:55:00.003Z

As much as I love going on holiday or mini breaks, I tend to use the novelty of pretty new surroundings to take a bunch of blog photographs and then mess everything up on the blog afterwards by posting things massively out of order. Which is what I'm doing right now! Hooray.

So, I've already done TWO posts about my little mini break to Norbury Manor but I haven't actually TALKED about it, or really done a proper post about it. So, basically pretend like you're watching Memento and this is the first post you are reading about my little trip? Okay? GOOD.

The wonderful Alex got together a bunch of her blogger buddies and arranged for us all to spend a long weekend at a freaking manor house! Norbury is stunning - you can hire it through the National Trust, and oh, you SHOULD. It's got gorgeous grounds and a gorgeous inside and like four thousand bathrooms and did you SEE the rolltop bath? It sleeps 12 (although I think you could squeeze more in) and would be amazing for a hen do.

The Where Are My Knees girls!

Sarah's amazing Super Slutty Brownies

I'm ridiculous. But you knew that.

It was an amazing weekend full of gossip, chickflicks, cake, fun and cake. And more cake. There was a lot of cake. I got to meet some new lovely people as well as some familiar faces and I also had a super beautiful setting for outfit posts!

Gem and I ran out into the garden to snap some pics on the Sunday as I wanted to show off this pretty dress! I got this back in December but it didn't really fit - it's quite gratifying to see how different it looks now (look!). It's all silky and pretty and fancypants and oh so very Lady of the Manor, yeah?

It's lovely but I think Gem's dress might win. Doesn't she look beautiful?

Outfit credits: Dress - Dorothy Perkins, Cardigan - Red Herring at Debenhams, Tights - Primark, Shoes - Office

Finally, my favourite moment of the weekend... blogger group shots. Best. GIF. Ever.

Thanks to Alex for organising an amazing weekend, and thanks to Rosie, Char, Maria, Sarah, Lucy, Chloe, Becks, Alice, Gemma and Sophie for being awesome manor-buddies!

The cat's in the cradle.

2013-03-27T12:00:00.000Z

I used to be all about the skirts, and then dresses kind of took over. In truth, dresses are easier - they're an outfit in themselves, they hang nicely and, well, they're just awesome. But lately, I'm getting back into skirts, especially when I'm just pootling about at the weekend. I think the fashion magazines call this kind of look sports luxe on account of how I'm wearing a hoody and trainers but with a SKIRT. It's fashion, people. Not COMFORT, oh no. The fact that it is comfortable is but a COINCIDENCE OF FASHION.

Top c/o Skip 'n' Whistle | Hat - H&M | Hoody - GAP | Skirt - New Look | Converse Trainers c/o Spartoo Shoes
I'm a bit in love with this top that Skip 'n' Whistle sent me though, because I totally AM a crazy cat lady. Cats just seem to like me more than they do other people. As do small children, though, so I can't tell if I'm doomed to become a crazy spinster or have five million kids. Can you be both? Possibly, because I'm pretty sure I'll always be a bit crazy.

I'm just drawn to things that are a bit silly. I've just purchased one of these awesome mobile cases from Mobile Madness. The cuteness! It's a penguin! I'm going to take it into important meetings at work and people there, they will JUDGE ME.

Next I am going to buy this adorable bag and everyone will be like 'Sarah. You know that you are THIRTY, right?' And I'll be like, 'Yes, yes I do. And I will still have stupid accessories when I am SIXTY, and I will wear giant sunglasses and dress a bit like a yeti in womens shearling coats (oh yes) you will be sad that you are not as awesome as me.'

Yeah... being crazy's not so bad, really.

*This post contains sponsored links.

Overcompensate with headlines and flash, flash, flash photography.

2013-03-24T20:38:00.001Z

I’m a bit of a creature of habit so when I’m presented with something new, I often resist it for as long as possible. And so, after wanting a new, more petite camera for the longest time, when I finally got one at the end of last year, I popped it on my shelf and barely touched it for months. This last weekend, whilst gallivanting with various bloggers at Norbury Manor I said to myself; ‘Sarah. This is ridiculous. Use your new camera!’ And I did. And then felt really stupid for not using it sooner.

I’ve been coveting the Nikon 1 for absolutely ages – I love my Nikon D40 to bits and have no plans to get rid of it, but it’s rather large and when I’m out all day, it just seems to get heavier and heavier. I’ve had little point-and-shoots in the past, but the photo quality is never great, and I have a nasty habit of killing them. Never take your camera clubbing, kids.

So when the Nikon 1 popped up on Groupon in December, I couldn’t resist whipping out my credit card. The Hut were selling it for £250 – not cheap, but considering everywhere else was around the £500 mark, I was excited. Plus, I had a Groupon voucher burning a hole in my inbox – no brainer, really! I love that Groupon vouchers can be used for anything – not just for money off an item like this but also for a day out or a meal, even a holiday! I am a mega Groupon addict.

It’s SUCH a good camera. When I did, finally, get to grips with it this weekend, I felt rather silly for not doing so sooner. I’ve been mostly using the smart photo feature, which takes 5 pictures when you hit the button and shows you the best one. It’s excellent in low light, and the depth of field is just as good as a DSLR – for just about half the price! It has interchangeable lenses, but the default lens is pretty great for now (although I said that for ages about my D40, then when I got a 35mm I never looked back!). There are lots of settings and features I haven’t even played with yet though – I really need to!

Although it’s small, it’s pleasantly robust so I don’t feel like it’ll fall apart when I use it. Even better, as it’s another Nikon, it works with my remote too – I actually used it to shoot these outfit pictures last year! I’m so used to shooting without an LCD viewfinder that it makes quite a change, but it does make life easier – especially for photos like this snowdrops one (they were on top of a 6 foot wall!).

The only downside is that this, the V1, does not have an inbuilt flash (unlike the other versions of the Nikon 1), which rather scuppers its planned use for nights out. I do have this camera which I could take out, or I could invest in an external flash. It’s not really been an issue so far though as I’ve been using it in the day, and it’s actually pretty excellent in low light.

Disclaimer: Groupon provided me with a £40 voucher to spend on the item of my choice, the remainder of the camera cost came out of my own pocket. And it really is a pretty awesome camera.

Outfit Credits 1) Hat - H&M, Hoody - GAP, T-Shirt c/o Skip 'n' Whistle | 2) Dress - Dorothy Perkins via Ebay (details here), Cardigan - Red Herring, StylistClick Boots c/o Spartoo Shoes

You'd better shape up (ooh, ooh, ooh).

2013-03-22T16:30:00.000Z

The thing with a challenge post is, I suppose, going out of your comfort zone. And when Gala Casino sent me a 50s kit to create a suitably retro look, I did think about going full on Bad Sandy - you know, disco pants, leather jackets, the whole shebang. But then I was like 'OR... you could wear a pretty dress instead!' And with that oh-so-difficult decision made, I got my camera out and roped in a buddy to help.

I mean, my style is a little bit 50s anyway, so I suppose I could have just rocked up in any old thing. But I just had to make a BIT of effort and create a cheeky photoshoot at Norbury Manor last weekend (you might have noticed that Sarah had the same idea!). There's more on Norbury Manor to come, but I think you'll get a hint from this post of just what a beautiful place it is - and that's just the bathroom! (One of six, I think?) Isn't the rolltop bath just the prettiest thing you've ever seen? YES IT IS.

Gala Casino sent me these jaunty red specs and spotty scarf, along with some other accessories to create a retro look. I nabbed Alex's vintage red suitcase to match my new Vivienne Westwood shoes (SIGH) and donned this adorable Dorothy Perkins dress which I got for just £8 on eBay! Hooray for bargains!

I also managed to do my Best Ever Beehive (TM) this weekend - I genuinely have no clue how I got it so neat at the back! I managed to redo it the next day, but since? No luck. Must have been the magic of the Manor...

Dress - Dorothy Perkins via eBay

Melissa Court Shoes c/o Spartoo Shoes

Lipstick - MAC Ruby Woo

Glasses & Scarf c/o Gala Casino

Thanks to Alex for taking the photos!

Day in, day out.

2013-03-17T16:00:00.000Z

I think one of the nicest parts about blogging is when you are able to use it to spoil other people. I do pass on beauty samples and often use credit or vouchers to buy gifts for other people but it’s rare to be able to give someone else the full experience of being blogger-pampered! After giving my Mum a taste recently, I got to share the love even more with her on Mother’s Day, thanks to Westfield London. They contacted me and asked if I wanted to treat her to a lovely day out doing whatever she fancied with a £100 Westfield voucher, and of course she was up for it.

Neither of us had been to Westfield London before, but the trip to Shepherd’s Bush from St Albans was so easy! The trick is to go via West Hampstead – it took less than 45 minutes. I feel like the Stratford Westfield is a bit more high street than the Shepherd’s Bush one, but there were still lots of shops within our budget. I'd tried to prepare for loads of walking by wearing Converse trainers but I wasn't anywhere near as tired as usual - could have just worn normal shoes!

After taking Mum shopping so recently, she didn’t really need a new outfit (I mean, that’s never stopped ME...) but instead said what she’d really like is some help on applying makeup. She doesn’t really wear it, and as she wears glasses, can’t really see well enough without them to do much experimentation. Originally we headed to the Benefit counter in Boots – there’s a Benefit store in St Albans and they’re great at giving you hints on makeup and have some fab little kits, I thought they’d be perfect. But the girl working the counter didn’t seem very interested in helping us at all, and told us to come back in an hour for an appointment – which we did, to find out the girl was gone (and her colleague, rather than offering to help, just told us to wait for a bit). In the end we gave up – but boo to you, Benefit! Rubbish customer service.

INSTEAD, we went to House of Fraser and to the Clinique counter. I was so impressed with the girl who helped us – super helpful, super patient and also very laid back. I hate when you get your makeup done and then get given the hard sell, coming away with £200 worth of makeup you don’t really need. Instead, the Clinique lady showed a few products and made recommendations for a few products to start with rather than buying the whole counter straight off. Mum came away with the powder, the chubby stick, the concealer and the mascara.

Mum got a massage at Massage Angels and then we did some wandering for a bit, before heading to Wahaca which had always been my fiendish plan. I think you all know by now that I LOVE food, and when I try a lovely restaurant I get obsessed about getting everyone else to try it too – and I knew that both my parents would love Wahaca as much as I do. And I was right. :) It’s just so TASTY.

We both had a really lovely day out, and my favourite part was when Mum turned to me and said ‘Sarah, I’ve had SUCH a lovely day.’ So worthwhile! So thank you, Westfield, for letting me give my Mum a fabulous Mother’s Day (and for giving me a great day out, too!). The gift voucher scheme at Westfield is brilliant - I loved that you can use it to do anything onsite at Westfield from a meal out to a shopping spree to a beauty treatment - what an awesome gift!

And it was all yellow.

2013-03-15T17:00:00.000Z

You caught me, I featured this cardigan last week, too. I'm completely obsessed with it. I love cardigans probably more than is normal, but I wear them every single day and am incredibly fussy about nice ones. Round necks don't suit me, nor do those that are too long or cropped. For the longest time, every cardi out there was practically knee length and it was a nightmare. Thank goodness the classic cuts have returned.

It's no secret that I love this red winey colour (nor is it a secret that I love red wine) but I did wonder when I bought this if it would go with many of my clothes because a lot of them actually ARE this colour. Turns out - yes! So many of my dresses are autumnal or jewel tones and all these muted tones compliment each other perfectly. When I wore this green lace dress for the first time, I considered emulating this New Girl look (I just need to buy some blue shoes and a belt) but instead trialled it with this and loved it! Unfortunately it ended up covered up most of the day as I was at the Witch Skincare Flawless Friends event, wearing a rather fetching bowling shirt, but underneath it, trust me, I looked cute.

Clashing terribly is this yellow Pepe Jeans bag that I picked up from Spartoo with my February vouchers. It's a great size for being out all day, although as it's nice and big means that I can stuff it full of things, meaning it is HEAVY. I have a secret fondness for yellow, but as it doesn't suit me at ALL, I have to let it out in accessories.

I've barely mentioned the dress! I picked it up in the New Look sale back in January, and it just fits beautifully. There's not much else to say really? It's just bloody nice.

Dress & Boots - New Look

Cardigan - Red Herring at Debenhams

Belt - Topshop

Necklace - Dorothy Perkins

Handbag c/o Spartoo Shoes

Tights - Primark