snug as a bug

Just gonna leave this picture of my new bed and new quilt here so you can all be jealous! I've had the bed up for almost a fortnight but the duvet set has only just been washed! I'm so in love with it, and I think I must look like an IKEA addict as nearly everything you see here comes from there! If anyone wanted to know, I got the flower garland from eBay. I was going to get some fairy lights but these are better for the environment and won't run out! Win win situation, oui?

Was flicking through the Sky Anytime offerings the other night at a ridiculous hour, and watched Moulin Rouge! which means I'm obsessed over it all over again. I go through phases of listening to nothing but the soundtrack, three guesses why I re-downloaded Spotify again! I don't know why, but I totally want a tragic love experience like that of Satine and Christian. Even if it means being the star courtesan and dying of TB. She did get to live in an elephant though. Dreamy!

Naturally I'm at home on a Saturday night. I got the contraceptive implant put in yesterday. I've bruised like a peach and am being a complete girl about it! It feels like there's a screw under my skin even though it just looks like a lollipop stick from what I can tell? I should probably stop touching it anyway. The perks of being a girl! Anyone else got one? What do you think of it?

weekend wishlist #017

1, 2, 3, 4
Everything in this week's wants can be found on ASOS. I seriously need to stop being such a pattern magpie, anything with animals or on with a collar/scalloped detailing is instantly on my must-haves list. I know I'll always love it though, so I guess it's not that much harm? The day I stop buying clothes and start using money for sensible things will be a strange (and sorry) one..

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
..and don't even get me started on shoes! I have so many shoes already that it's ridiculous, so why do I keep eyeing up all of these?! I need some help. You can't deny that they're all cute though right? I bought a pair of gladiators from there a few years ago that are similar to the last pair here, they're a size too big but I love them so much I can't bear to part with them! Maybe these will be a happy medium though. They're on sale too, every little helps!

sailor jerry

  dress: primark
cardigan: primark
rings: asos + disney couture
lips: barry m pillar box red
On my lunch break today I went through Primark as it's the quickest way to get into the centre of the mall, but it's also very bad for my bank balance! I actually spent about £50, everything I'd been looking for was magically there! Obviously I didn't want to post everything in one go, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the rest of it!

I actually bought this nautical cardigan ages ago in a size 14 as it was the only one there and I just really wanted it. I knew I was going to have to return it but because it was so pretty I just had it sitting in my wardrobe! Luckily though, I spotted this one in a 10 all on its own and pretty much pounced on it! Not far away from it was this bird print dress with the cutest cream trim on the neck and pockets, it's similar to a horse print one I got in the summer. The cardigan is navy but hardly looks different to the dress so I figured they would look nice together.

Just in case anyone's interested, I saw (and bought!) the seaside scene dress I wrote about in the Primark SS11 post. They have the same in just skirts but their skirts always completely swamp me! I really wish I'd seen the tobacco dress because dangerous things will happen if I don't get one! Also if anybody wanted to know, I'm wearing Rimmel matte top coat over black polish!

de-clutter

Just wanted to post a few snaps of my organisational skills.. my make-up collection has for too long been jumbled together in a big tub or drawer, so when I bought my new chest I knew it was definitely time for change! I really like the Muji storage compartments, but they aren't cheap, and I have plenty of other boxes I could put to use instead, which is exactly what I did..



I haven't ordered the cake stand for my jewellery yet, I'm still wondering if I should check a few charity shops for a nice one even though I really like the one I posted at the weekend. I also ran out of tealights so a couple of holders are filling in as makeshift ring and bobby pin holders! I probably should have cleaned my brushes before snapping away, ignore the state of them!



Top drawer is for my make-up. Eyeshadow/mascara/eyeliner first, then lipsticks, balms, eyelash glue etc. and lastly my face products, like blush, foundation, powder, concealer and bronzer.

Second drawer is home to my shocking amount of nail colours (considering I only wear about 3 shades), false nails, cotton wool pads and lots and lots of false lashes tucked away in their little boxes! I recently bought those Bioré pore strips, but they are poop, do not recommend at all! I think the next stop for me is a salon to have a good deep cleansing facial to get rid of my blackheads, I don't remember having the problem before my rhinoplasty, can't win 'em all!

You can basically see all my 'what's in my make-up bag' products, but I may do separate posts on every day/favourite products, if people want to see? A few people have asked me to do a daily product kind of post, so I probably should do one! Thoughts?

flutterby

  playsuit: ASOS
ring: Primark
Having a day at home with my friends Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator today. I have a one-to-one with my tutor next week and need to make sure everything is perfect before that! I'm a bit scared and stressed, but sometimes a deadline is what I need to make me actually do something. I'm a total last-minute idiot, I always tell myself 'never again' but it always ends up the same!

Thought I better photograph this playsuit from ASOS and decide whether I want it or not. It really wasn't cheap (£40!) and it's quite thin and also a bit too snug on the arms for my liking. I find it quite weird that I actually got it because I'm terrified of moths yet butterflies are pretty much the same thing! Another thing with it is that it falls off my shoulders and shows my bra straps, but I blame my stupid narrow shoulders! Moaning aside though, I do actually quite like it and think it flatters my figure somewhat. What do you think?

I paired the playsuit with a belt I've had for ages, my mum was going to throw it away many years ago but I wouldn't let her! It's got a cute little stud on the loop, you probably can't see though. I did take a close-up but it came out really blurry and I didn't see it till it was uploaded!

Currently taking a break (obviously) and sitting on my sofa with a sleeping Beigel, watching the new ANTM, I just Googled for a link and found out who won by accident! At least nobody else can ruin the surprise for me now! I find it really funny when people ask me if I've considered modelling, not even considering the fact that my BMI is about 5 times too much for a regular model, the ones who get the furthest are so strange looking! Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I look weird? At least not 'model' weird. Never mind, just ignore me..

OH and one more thing, I watched Black Swan (at home online, because nobody wanted to go with me!) and it was amazing. I got a lot more emotional than I imagined I would (and believe me when I say I cry over pretty much anything) and found myself relating to her a lot more than I really wanted to. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that you should all go and see it if you haven't already! I still kind of want to experience it on the big screen anyway!

weekend wishlist #016

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1. I mentioned in a post a while ago that I was thinking of getting a cake stand to display/hold all my jewellery on and send back as the birdcage I ordered was a LOT smaller than expected (not sure what I was expecting to be honest, should have read the description!). Urban Outfitters and a few other sites have this too but the prices are all pretty different! The cheapest ones are on eBay, just a heads up!

2. A simple black blazer has been something I have been on the hunt for since what feels like the beginning of time. I have a jersey one from Primark, but the sleeves when you turn them up are light grey so it doesn't go with everything! This one looks good but at £55 it isn't cheap! Do you have a holy grail blazer you can recommend? Which sort of shape would look best with my body shape? Just looking for some ideas..

3. I was actually going to order these in a minute after seeing these on Robyn's blog yesterday, but now they're sold out (in my size anyway)! A bit of a bummer, but it's probably for the best. I'd get the grey but I really liked the gold detailing on the black ones! Boo hiss. I do seriously have way too many shoes though, maybe I could try and photograph them all for a post one day?

4. Since I've been getting new stuff for my room my visits to the Cath Kidston online store have been at an all-time high! I really want some underbed storage (is it pointless though as you won't really see it?) and I have wanted a floral radio forever but they are just so expensive! A nice new make-up bag would look so nice on my dresser though, so I probably won't be able to resist!

5&6. Just thought I'd let everyone know.. Clinique at Debenhams are currently running a mascara swap till the end of January - just take your old mascara (or buy a cheap one if you must!) and you can choose from either High Impact or High Lengths. I used to use HI I think, but I'm going to try and see if I can do it on different days or something! Have fun!

ellipsis

  dress: Topshop
ring: Topshop
Photos a bit rubbish today, really need to get used to this wall instead of the one behind my bed! I got this dress a couple of weeks ago, I really love it, or should I say the idea of it. The collar is the cutest thing ever and I love the colour and length, but I can't tell if it's really horrible on me or if that's just my own doubts. I think it would have been lovely with some sleeves? I dunno if I like the way it makes my boobs look either. Gosh I'm a moaner!

I have two more spotty dresses to show, I did take photos of them all on today and something else too, but the pink walls are so harsh as a backdrop in the day and make me look so pale! I guess I am, but I don't need to be reminded! Then again it probably is time to bring out the fake tan again, glad I don't have a holiday booked yet as I can't imagine bearing all in a bikini, gross!

My hair has been slept on so it's sort of fell out and looks poo. I'm scared to take it out though because it's going to be a huge mess! Do you usually just wash your hair after you take out a fishtail plait? I'm too lazy and only do it about twice a week so it's either leaving it like this or doing some kind of beehiving business..

I should probably get an award for being the biggest waffler in the universe. I feel sorry for anyone that reads all this drivel! Let me know if you wanna take all the chocolate/sweets/noodles in my house as an apology from me, you'd be helping me out, believe me. I actually bought a Shake Weight (don't laugh!) the other week and have used it a few times now, the first time it absolutely killed! I've been slacking since I've been doing all the DIY and moving my room around, so shall restart operation 'slim arms' tonight! Hello biggest body hangup!

PS. Thanks for all the comments so far, someone said I might like it better in a bigger size and I agree, it seems like it would be better with a baggier fit! Gonna see if I can find one in store!

melusine

 
top: ASOS
skirt: Topshop
rings: both Topshop
Nice early post tonight since these photos only took about 3 hours to get semi-right just noticed the collar is sitting funny though so not happy. Sorry I haven't posted in a while and if you missed me, I've been moving my room about and haven't been able to find a suitable wall space for outfit photos until now! Finally got my lights to shine in the right direction, got so frustrated trying to do it. I have one of those weird lights with four bulbs that you can point wherever you want. Useless information I'm sure, but never mind.

I tried my hands at a fishtail plait for what seems like the millionth time last night and finally succeeded. My hair is such an awkward length and it's so ridiculously thick that I found it nearly impossible till I saw this tutorial. I really recommend it if you can't get the hang of it like me, not sure why I failed at copying every other video and that's the only one that really helped me! I really want to get some extensions to make it super long and pretty, but I probably won't..

In case you're wondering what the title means, it's the name of a mythical creature similar to a mermaid, but with two tails. I discovered the term when I researched Starbucks' logo history a couple of years ago for a branding project! Lots of fun (I'm not even being sarcastic).

Day off tomorrow, hopefully I can get some uni work done, I'm so stressed out it hurts.

do it yourself

(ignore my hair, I'd just taken my headband off! Plus Beigel got his hair cut if you haven't noticed!)
Actually finding putting a chest of drawers together so off-putting right now that I'm procrastinating and posting a blog about doing it rather than actually doing it. I went to IKEA with my mum today, I have no idea why we she chose to go on a Saturday as it was pretty packed and there were loads of children around our feet, but I finally got the bed I have wanted for ages and two of these chests (yes two!). I was going to get a higher one with a mirror in the top drawer but now I can have a dressing-table height space for all my bits and bobs! I got a few other things recently if you're nosy and would like to see..



The loafers are from where I work, the brand is Tamaris, I don't know if you've heard of them before but they're a German company. These came in last summer I think, I've thought about getting them for a while but was never sure, and then I looked at them again the other day in the sale section. I checked the stock room and there were only two sizes left, and one happened to fit me perfectly, so I snapped them up!

On our way through to the self-service bit in IKEA I spotted these duvet covers, I actually won some on eBay ages ago but they never came, and I was pretty annoyed about it, so I nearly ran over to these! They have a gingham print on the reverse too, so cute and perfect!

I cannot recommend this blush enough. I posted it in a wishlist last week, and bought it on Monday. The only thing is you have to be very light-handed with it as it is so pigmented and you can end up looking like a clown! I love it though. It's the same colour as Topshop neon rose blush, just in powder form! I have both, and use both. So it depends on what texture you like I guess!

Strange coincidence, was catching up on some blog reading while the photos were uploading, and saw Lily's post on Topshop rip-offs. I actually wanted to post these ages ago but forgot, I bought the Mazy pumps in the summer but they were really expensive and uncomfortable so I returned them. Low and behold, a few months later, these turn up at work for £15 (nearly half the price)! Moral of the story - don't always rush into Topshop, wait a bit and check around!

I'm definitely going to crack on with the DIY business now as I've lost the feeling in my foot from being cross-legged for so long (ouch). Au revoir!

weekend wishlist #015

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1. Question: the turban, a goodie or a big no-no? This one looks really big, but it's not one of those really tight hair accessories, at least it doesn't look like it, so I think I'm going to take the plunge and order this! I've had my eye on it for a little while, then it sold out. It came back in stock this morning and then I saw it on Lauren's blog, so what the heck! Worth a try right?

2. Does this remind anyone else of the YSL rings? I really like the colour, it's probably going to be one of the brightest coloured things I've purchased in ages! I saw it in Lakeside the other day with my mum and nearly bought it, and then only remembered that I didn't when I got home.. *cry*

3. I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people that finds it nearly impossible to find the perfect pair of jeans! I have short, thick legs, normal/big hips and quite a small waist, so it's always hard to get some that I really like. I think ALL of my jeans need to be turned up at the bottom! I've been looking at these petite high waist 'Betsy' ones from Topshop, but because of my waist/hips ratio I don't think they're gonna fit properly! I'm ordering them anyway since my local store never has my size in petite, I wanted to try the super soft Leigh jeans too but they didn't have black petite ones online so I'm gonna have to look in store for those! Fingers crossed I find (and like) them!

4. It's got to that point where I'm a bit bored of my perfumes (I wear Marc Jacobs Daisy and Lola mostly) and I tested this out on my wrist the other day. I really like it, I think it totally suits me. I do like the 'eau fraiche' version as well (green bottle) so I just have to make my mind up! If anyone knows of any fresh but girly scents, that have staying power, please let me know!

5. I know, I know, you've probably seen these on a few blogs lately too, but they are just so cute and a lot more attainable than a Mulberry Alexa! I just can't decide if I want black, tan, or black and tan mixed? I need to make my mind up, or better still, stop wanting things I don't actually need.. if you haven't seen these before, they are by a brand called Chiltern, I can't even find a website or page on the history of the brand though! Apparently they are quite easy to find in charity shops, but the ones near me are pretty rubbish, and I hardly know what I'm doing when I go in one, so I'll most likely be looking to get one on eBay. Not really sure which kinda price I should be paying though?

6. These are the shoes I was talking about the other day! They were a second-best to the Zara pair I wanted that turned out to be discoloured, they both did but at least I can still get these! I think they will be easier to keep clean too, so it's all good!

dolly mixture

  dress: primark
brogues: ASOS
ring: VIPXO
There are a million things I don't like about these photos - they're too bright, my eyeliner is way too thick and my stupid bra strap is showing but they took so long to get semi-okay tonight, and I can't be bothered to take anymore as my back hurts and I have a mega food baby going on right now! Beigel had his long overdue trip to the groomer today so after we went to a pub that lets dogs in (yes you read right, how cute!) and had some dinner. I had a huge burger and an even bigger dessert, I feel like it's all going to come back up every time I open my mouth!

I actually got this dress months ago, in the summer, and it's not really what I usually go for at all (I'm so on/off with polka dots but now I pretty much love them!) but I remember it being something ridiculous like £5 so I couldn't leave it there. It's been hidden in my wardrobe and I recently rediscovered it so thought it was owed its debut! I did have a black cardigan on too but the pictures just weren't going quite right. The dress also has a Luella-esque heart cut-out detail on the back which you can see here, and notice that my 'beehive' is actually a bit of a total fail!

I hope you're not sick of seeing me wearing polka dots already as I have a few more dresses with the same print that I am yet to post! Also, if anyone's interested in possibly buying this tunic from me, I'm looking at £25 including postage, it's a size 10 (worn once and washed), then let me know. I've gone a bit overboard with spots AND Peter Pan collars lately if you hadn't noticed!

Seriously not looking forward to getting up early for work tomorrow, I don't even know how I'm going to get back into my routine for uni. So totally looking forward to the higher fees for travel too, is it just me or does TFL's service also get worse as it gets more expensive? I need a big kick up the bum so I start learning to drive! Even if it's more expensive, at least I won't have to wait around for a smelly bus four (yes, four) times a day anymore! My dream car is a Volkswagen New Beetle in 'Gecko Green'! What's yours?