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Sunday, 3 February 2013

Snowbound!










Just when I was beginning to think we weren’t going to get any snow this winter, this happened! It started blizzarding in early January and continued to snow off and on for the next three weeks. Despite the chaos it causes I’ve always loved the snow –any excuse to pull on the willies and go sledging, skiing or have a snowball fight with some of my younger relatives! Although most of it has now thawed, I wanted to share some of very snowy photos I took around the village where I live.




Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Autumn/Winter Trend: Baroque

First post of 2013! I hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far. I actually prepared this post in the run up to Christmas  but due to a severe attack of the flu I never got around to posting it. Even if you don't have much use for a ornate party dress in the middle of January I hope you still enjoying reading about one of my favourite A/W trends: Baroque!

Inspired by the art, architecture and fashion of the 17th century Baroque era this trend is all about drama, opulence and extravagance. Rich hues of black, gold, navy, wine and deep purple in luxury fabrics like jacquard, brocade and velvet with lavish embellishments and embroidery encapsulate the Baroque look. Despite its ornateness Baroque is surprisingly easy to wear, a chic pencil dress with beading detail or a skater dress in a sumptuous embroidered velvet even a pretty stiletto with metal toe cap channel the trend. These are my favourite Baroque-inspired pieces from the highstreet/online:    




 

Monday, 31 December 2012

Snapshots from My Phone: Christmas Edition

For my final post before the new year I wanted to share some of my favourite snapshots taken in the run-up to Christmas, I hope you all had a great day and all the best for 2013!

 

~ The Ferris wheel at Edinburgh Christmas market
~ Starbuck’s peppermint hot chocolate- a seasonal favourite
~ A towering Croc en Bouche at my friend’s Christmas dinner party
~ This year’s Christmas tree
~ An impressive display at a local garden centre
~ Wooden Merry Christmas sign
~ A plush snowman tree decoration
~ Hot chocolate cupcake courtesy of Costa
~ My advent calendar
~ Reindeer, jacquard and Santa wrapping paper 
~ Decorations at the Metro Shopping Centre
~ Giant presents!
~ Reindeer family
~ Blue and silver tree decorations
~ Christmas sweets
~ One of the decorations at Dalton Park outlet
~ White Christmas tree
~ Glitzen the giant reindeer
~ Cute tin snowman 
~ More reindeer


Thursday, 20 December 2012

Countdown to Christmas: Packing for a Weekend Away

December is the peak of the party season which means for many people traveling to parties, dinners and get-togethers and spending weekends away. I’ve always loved going to these events but used to dread packing for them. A chronic over-packer, I would bring far too many clothes “just in case” (in case of what? That I needed to change outfit five times a day?), not only that but each set of clothes had its own specific shoes/accessories I simply had to tote along too. The end result was a lot of creased, unworn clothes and one very heavy bag. 

Recently I’ve taught myself how to streamline my packing by planning outfits in advance and taking only what I need. I’ve also learnt that if I base my outfits around a neutral colour pallet with a few items to add a pop of colour, that pieces can be easily mixed and matched for maximum wear. When a friend invited me to a dinner party in Edinburgh last weekend bookended by dinner and drinks in the Scottish borders and a day of sightseeing in the city I packed just twelve items of clothing and accessories, neutrals in shades of black/grey/cream and some stand out pieces in my favourite jewel tones. This is how I paired them to create outfits for each of the three days:

My first outfit for dinner on the Friday night was my Miss Selfridge tweed grey shorts, a cobalt blue satin cami for an injection of colour and a tailored black blazer generously loaned to me by my mum (thanks mum!) for the occasion. To dress it up a little I wore my black peep toe stilettos, silver leaf necklace and this gorgeous beaded clutch from Dune. The subtle touch of sparkle stops the outfit looking too plain or too dark.
















 
My outfit for dinner on the second night was this emerald green silk dress from Oasis. Part of the reason I chose this specifically is that it’s super lightweight and folds up incredibly small, taking up virtually no space. Yes, it can crease but simply wrapping it in a couple of sheets of tissue paper will ensure it arrives wrinkle free and ready to go! I deliberately kept the accessories minimal and very simple to let the dress shine, wearing my peep toes from Friday night and carrying this Accessorize embroidered/clutch purse which was all I needed to hold my essential items, lipgloss and a comb.

My final outfit for the weekend which I wore for sightseeing/shopping in Edinburgh on Sunday was this River Island purple wool coat paired with my tweed shorts, my favourite cream jumper (I love the cosy cowl neck!), fleece-line opaque tights and my Topshop ‘Adore’ ankle boots from last season. 

So there’s my complete weekend-away-wardrobe, three outfits that fit neatly into a carry-on bag. Do you find it difficult to pack for winter breaks? Do you have any packing tips or tricks?
 


 


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