S.B.

Hey big spender

2012-01-27T11:20:00.013Z

Yes, it's true. I have been a little naughty, but it's all for a very good cause; my personal charity. Over the last few weeks I've drawn up a 'strategic list' of pieces I would like to add to my capsule wardrobe. Let the unwrapping begin..

Why buy premium denim, when you can buy highstreet denim? Er, well you obviously haven't tried J Brand. I'm a complete and utter convert, they fit like an absolute glove and are so soft yet durable.

Here's a little sneak of what the emerald skinnies look like on. Girl in the green scarf? NON. Girl in the green jeans....I wish. Failing that, they'll do for St. Patrick's day.

Next comes something truly beautiful..

These are my new babies from Tory Burch, as shown in the previous above photo. I bought the booties from the fabulous My Theresa store. Now, I understand a lot of ladies have yet to shop here, so I urge to you get browsing and clicking especially if you love European fashion. Oui oui, si si.

Have a look at the adorable extras; your order details are displayed in the CUTEST of folders. Yes, I said cute again. Slap me. An incredibly chic trend booklet is also enclosed highlighting the top trends of the season and how to put them together. Perfect for any practical princess. I'm in love.

Every lady deserves a pair of J Brand's, so here are a few ways to work the look..

My Theresa stock enough beautiful pieces to send even the richest of women into bankruptcy. Bottom line? I'm buggered. My clothes are my assets. Therein lies the reason why I do NOT work in finance. Ciao, for now..

S.B.

Sharpen up with McQueen

2012-01-25T23:02:00.010Z

Out with skulls, in with blades. This my friends is the beautiful McQueen Razorblade Scarf and I absolutely LOVE it. I'm a huge fan of scarves, and why wouldn't I be? They're the anecdote to any dull outfit. If you're a fan of the iconic skull scarf, then consider jumping ships to this bad boy.

Here are three of my favourite skull scarf looks.

It's time to get my mitts on one before they fly off the shelves. I predict big things for this scarf but surely that's obviously; hello, it's MCQUEEN. All the more reason to stock up. Non? Well in that case I'll have one in every colour. Merci!

S.B.

Mulberry madam

2012-01-24T01:07:00.010Z

Oh hello irony. Look at me posting about Mulberry. So I placed an order (prior to my rambling rant) and the beauty is here in all its glory.

I am a sucker for beautiful packaging. Look at the bow, ooh-aaah.

Et voila, bonjour mon amie! I feel very professional carrying a laptop case, but it is quite the practical purchase. See what I did there? Justification. That sweet little word that lets your conscience get away with just about anything. Thank you justification, thank you.

My collection, so far..

Am I a Mulberry fanatic? Guilty as charged. I shall wave farewell to the end of my Mulberry affair, but as one thing ends; surely another must begin? Celine, Prada, 3.1. Phillip Lim..le swoon.

S.B.

The rise of the clutch

2012-01-23T02:08:00.010Z

The clutch is synonymous with evening attire. Yawn, boring. Why eradicate a bag purely because we think it's appropriate for a certain time of the day? I say ditch the rules and dish out your clutches! Need some inspiration? Well, luckily for you I have rounded up four fabulous inspiratory ways to work the look.

Weekend Cool

I LOVE this look. It's so simple, yet so glamorous. One pair of jeans, one white shirt and one incredibly cute woofer (dog). Sorry, I mean clutch. Replace your tote with a clutch, et voila. The perfect cool ensemble for the weekend.

Classic Femininity

Again, this look is so simple and attainable. The clutch adds that extra touch of femininity, it feels very Parisian to me; now what's more classic than le francais?

Summer Brights

The pop of pink adds such a fun element to what is essentially a plain summer dress. Again, with the woofer. Even the bracelet and doggy leash match, this is just too cute. Did I just say cute? Slap me. Again, it's all very minimalist proving less truly is more.

City Slick

All image credits: Alexandra Per

Groomed is an understatement, this outfit is the epitome of urban luxe. The simple mini clutch adds to the outfit, whereas an oversized tote would only detract; perfetto.

Here are a few of my favourite S/S '12 clutches..

Moral of the story? Ditch your oversized Italian leather sacks (totes) for at least one day a week. Why? Because you know you want to. Go on, live a little. Now switch, switch, switch!

S.B.

Man meets heel

2012-01-22T17:24:00.008Z

I think it is safe to say this is one of the most bizarre trends I have ever heard of. Men in ladies HEELS? Well, okay not just heels; Louboutins. Good taste, I say. Sexual orientation? Questionable. I'm considering conducting a social experiment, whereby I shove my brother in a pair of heels and say TROT, TROT. Somehow, I cannot see this happening.

Now, I would love to interview a man that frequently dons CLs. In fact, I'd probably end up raiding his collection (prior to ambushing his wardrobe). Oh hello criminal record. The point is, heels on men are wrong. Can't some things in life be reserved for women? If you know of any male heel lovers, send them my way. I am intrigued and full of questions..

S.B.

It's not me Mulberry, it's you

2012-01-20T20:59:00.007Z

Everyone in fashion knows Mulberry. FACT. Well, unless you've been comatose or drunk for the last five years. If so, you're forgiven. Now, I'm preparing myself to say this (gasp), but .. I'm falling out of love with Mulberry. YES, I said it!

The ostrich bayswater, the beautiful suede lily. It pains me, PAINS ME. Like an alcoholic in a cocktail bar. Slightly dramatic, but very fitting and I hate to say it, but Mulberry has become common. Why should I spend £800 on a bag, then venture to the shops only to see countless other ladies carrying MY bag?

Possessive, moi? Non.

You say 'I BOUGHT THE NEW MULBERRY HARRIET!!' only to be told by a passel of friends that their mum, cousin and aunt all bought the same bag. BRILLIANT, you think. We should start a sodding Mulberry convention! Well, that's how I feel. There is no better feeling than a handbag fix (boyfriend, qu'est-ce que?) but what's the point if everyone's carrying a Mulberry?

So on that note, I'm moving on. I can hear the feint call of Prada & Celine..I'm coming, I am coming..

S.B.

Meet Carrie before sex & NYC

2012-01-19T17:22:00.006Z

This is possibly the most exciting news I've had all day, well other than checking my bank balance and not seeing red. Hallelujah!

Guess who's back? SEX AND THE CITY. Well, not quite. Josh Schwartz, the genius behind The O.C. will be turning the book of Carrie's pre SATC years into a TV show. Think braces, frizzy hair and teenage hormones; this promises to be amazing. I wonder if Carrie will have a younger version of Big in her teenage years? More to the point, WHO will play a young Carrie? I'm trying my best not to clap with excitement..

S.B.

Back with a bang

2012-01-17T22:54:00.007Z

Well, hello blogging debut. It feels like years since I've blogged and mon dieu I refuse to read my old posts. Thankfully the grammar police have yet to arrest me for my crimes against the apostrophe. Anyway, a lot has changed; I have a job. Responsibilities. URGH. Boring. However, one thing has remained; my love of Olivia Palermo. Er, sorry I mean fashion.

I however must return to my work. Le snooze. I bid you adieu, for now..

S.B.

P.s. Have I just signed my life away to Twitter AND blogging? Probably.

Dearest Topshop..

2010-04-14T11:04:00.004+01:00

If you've read the latest Elle (UK), you'll have noticed Topshop are releasing a makeup range courtesy of Lizzie Dawson. I've peeped around online and a lot of other bloggers and magazines seem to welcome the idea with open arms; what do you as a Topshop customer think?

‘We wanted to offer fun, adventurous products on the high street at an affordable price' says Lizzie Dawson. This seems reasonable enough, the packing is fun and I'm sure the colours will adhere to the seasons key trends. Perhaps Topshop will break the mould by creating a fun and adventurous brand that changes each season catering for the trend followers that can't afford to buy new colour palettes from the likes of Chanel, Dior etc every season.

I myself however am a self confessed makeup addict. My makeup bag is ridiculous, I'm not a massive risk taker with makeup, as it enhances my looks. I (try to) use makeup to make myself look and feel better, as opposed to using it to create a character, as such. So, because of this I find myself sticking to brands that I know work and suit me i.e. Dior, for my mascara, Chanel for my eyeshadow, YSL for my lipstick and thus the list goes on. I guess it entirely depends on you and your personality; me? I'm not a trend follower, I am to a degree, I use the trends to suit my classic taste but other than that, no thank you. I'm not a girl that suits pale lips and slicked back hair, others do however and for those out that there suit experimenting then let me know how it goes as I'd be lying to say I'm not intrigued..

S.B. x

New York, New Yorrrrkkk

2010-04-14T02:27:00.004+01:00

Olivia Palermo, we all know who she is and we all hate her for who she is. If you don't know who she is, then stop reading, please. I've sieved through my posts and have come to the conclusion that I'm a miserable jealous so and so; I vow to change this, after a quick little rant about our dearest Olivia.

Firstly, she is BEAUTIFUL. Secondly, she has a godlike boyfriend. Third, but not least, she has the most sensational wardrobe known to mankind. So, in essence she is virtually perfect which is enough to make any British lady mutter; BITCH.

That's where my ranting and raving ends (no promises, okay?). On a pleasant note, she is utterly divine. Growing up I've jumped from one fashion forum to another, catering to my different tastes and the same question has popped up in every forum; 'who's your style icon?' Well, to be honest, until now I've never answered this question as I have no style icon. Or should I say, had no style icon. Olivia surprises and excites me, her style is classic with a twist. This twist embodies the catwalk trends, whilst remaining classy and polished, which explains why she's popping up everywhere across the globe. I can safely say that Olivia is my style icon, what she wears doesn't entirely influence my wardrobe decisions, but her styling makes me look at my outfits differently which has freshened up my look. The picture I have used in this post is one of my favourites of her, so effortless and chic; she is the epitome of New York style.

S.B. x

That's it over for another year.

2009-12-30T01:05:00.003Z

Date: 30th of December
Occasion: The Post-Christmas weigh in. UH OH.

Christmas to me is a holiday of relaxation, fun and family gatherings along with a splash of transatlantic travelling. Food is always thrown at me at Christmas, some years more literally than others, and this year was no different (you can't beat a food fight on a cruise ship). For the last few months I've been struggling with my weight, I've come to the conclusion that food should never be your prime comforter (honey, set yourself down to an episode of SATC and that should do the job). My New Years resolutions, like the majority of women, consist of weight and clothes issues. I WILL lose those 14lbs (says the girl that has just devoured 3 champagne truffles) and I WILL learn to budget (some live by the moto; 'clothes optional' for me it's 'clothes essential').

So, here I am locked in an intense staring match with my scales. I'm blessed to live in a house at University that doesn't boast communal scales (why would you do this to yourself, WHY?). I take a deep breath, and go for it. One foot and I think 'wahay, that's not bad'. Oh wait, that's half of my body weight. SHIT. Two feet on, one quick glance at the reader and I'm off those scales as fast as my fat ass will move, or jiggle, as the case may be.

On a depressing note, it's obvious that my Post-Christmas weigh in was anything but successful. I dread the thought of turning into a handbag and shoe only lady on the basis that I'm too fat to wear the clothes I want to wear. Boo, hiss, boo. How did everyone else find their post-Christmas weigh in? Any miraculous success stories? If so, keep them to yourselves. All you podgy ladies, you're very welcome to wallow in a state of self pity with myself.

S.B. x

I'M ALIVE.

2009-11-09T23:00:00.005Z

Hi all! Well, this is just a short post to let everyone know that I'm well and truly alive. My liver on the other hand is just about functioning and would most definitely need to continue doing so; value vodka is not, and will NEVER be your friend.

On a lighter and less worrying note, winter has arrived. Oh, and how FABULOUS are the Winter '09/10 collections? Drool worthy is most definitely an understatement, which is oh so ironic now that I'm a poor student with no job. Oh, what's that you say, an overdraft? Hm, yes I think so. My wishlist seems to keep growing and growing and nothing is being crossed off, then again one could argue that the purchase of a Matthew Williamson fur coat isn't entirely justifiable. However, one could also argue that one must keep warm in these chilly months; I'm not partial to frostbite, then again I am living in Wales and not Norway. Gah, logic strikes again.

So, two recent and very justifiable (and cute) purchases include:

An excellent purchase given it practically rains non-stop in Wales, jumping in puddles has never been so much fun.

I love my Barbour jacket, it's so country chic and best of all; it's practical. Rain, wind or shine and I'm dry. Don your riding jodhpurs and riding boots and you'll have the country chic look mastered.

Much love to everyone, I'm looking forward to getting back to my blogging ways. I look forward to hearing from all you lovelies again. Much love..

S.B. x

I'm a calorie slut.

2009-08-03T09:24:00.002+01:00

There, I said it. I'm a calorie slut. Seriously, I always eat things these days and never bat an at lid when I think about the calorie content. I was doing so well on my diet. Well, okay I sort of cracked half way through week two, but come on, it was banoffee!

I was out shopping yesterday and bought a few lovely goods (hoorray). Pictures to follow in due course, naturally! So, I ate in pizza express, yum. Which of course is fine, the Italians are skinny, so I figure if I eat Italian food I'll be alright, you know. That's the plan anyway. I however hate how I always seem to stop for a Starbucks, even if it's just a little too warm. I'll get a nice Caramel Macchiato, and if it's hot I'll get a frappuccino. Crap. Do you know how many calories there are in those things? Answer; far too many for a girl trying to fit into her trousers! Blegh.

Check out the Starbucks nutritional guide, although it should come with some sort of health warning as it could scare the hell out of you when you read what you're actually consuming! A grande Hazelnut Mocha works out at 334 calories (BOO!) and my favourite Caramel Macchiato (grande, of course, there's never enough in a tall) works out at 269 calories. I mean, I know I'm a calorie slut, but there's being a slut, and then there's being a fully certified whore!

So, you're probably wondering why I care so much. Well, this is why. The Net-a-Porter sale (for us non-US residents) ended yesterday, so the suspense was building and I felt as if I had to buy something. So, I remembered the Alexander Wang trousers that I've been eyeing up for quite some time now. Lo and behold, they had them in my size. I was in straight in there and out like a hitman, and now they're mine..

Now, I probably won't be able to breathe or function in them, but hey if they look good! I'm excited, oh, and I've been after J Brand skinny jeans for SO long now but they either don't stock them in my size, or the right colour, OR fit that I'm after. Boo. Browns recently sold out of my size, please re-stock, please!

Anyway, pictures of my other recent purchases shall be uploaded later. Now, off to work to earn myself some money. You know what? I fancy myself a little Starbucks. I know I know, but come on, it's cold outside..

Spot the difference

2009-08-02T20:01:00.002+01:00

So here I am, browsing the internet after a well deserved shopping trip. Now that I come to think of it, every shopping trip is well deserved, anyway, I digress. So, I'm on ASOS, having a little peak at this and that, when I see THIS sequin shirt..

Honestly, how similar is it to the shirt I posted the other day? (the sequin black shirt that was too large for me). Well, it's practically the same, bar the fact that the Armani shirt is pink and retails at £475, with a sale price of £238! Whereas the shirt I found is a fraction of the price (around £100, see below).

If you like the above black shirt, and are interested in it, then send me a comment or email and we could arrange some sort of deal. If you're into your 80's clothing, then definitely send me an email (or again, a comment) as I've a box of 80's clothing. I mean, we're talking full on 80's i.e. NEON colours, huge shoulder pads etc. An individualistic take on the Topshop trends, so if you're interested, the clothes are there.

It's amazing what you find when you're not looking! Got mothers/friends that hoard their clothes from years ago? Have a rummage around their wardrobes (with permission obvs, don't get done for trespassing/burglary ha), you never know, you could find something that's bang on trend.

S.B. x

Books glorious books!

2009-08-01T11:46:00.003+01:00

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I'm a self confessed book addict. Much like clothes, only perhaps worse, shock horror; WORSE. I must be kept away from all stores that stock books, honestly, or I will splurge (no word of a lie, ha). I'll have a quick glance over the blurb, check the style of writing and if it's readable (and is in English, pft) then I'll more than likely snap it up.

I mean, honestly Tescos' did you really have to go and put a book isle in my local store? No, no, you really didn't. So, I pop in the other night with the intent of buying rabbit food aka lettuce (so blah), and some pimento olives (dangerously good), but end up leaving with an array of books (five to be exact). I lost one of them, it may be in my car, or failing that I saw my cat lying on a book of some description the other day. So, scrap that, make it four books. Oh, and I spent £45 in Waterstones the other day, 'my goodness, on what' I hear you say..um lets see, BOOKS.

I'm a real sucker for those books with the cute packaging, you know, sort of coffee table books. 'Things I wish my mother told me'. I feel as if I'm actually learning something, so those are often the ones that I overbuy on (as I say whilst browsing Amazon as I type..).

I LOVE India Knight, the Times columnist that has launched several insightful books (with ridiculously enticing packaging...). Yeah you geddit', I love the packaging of books! No one wants an ugly book on their coffee table, right?

It's so cute, and more to the point, Knight dispenses excellent advice i.e. 'how to look expensive', a list of websites with fashion deals and even a section on money. Although I did have a quick glance over this section, I'm sure it's great, and by a quick glance I mean I skipped it. All that talk about credit cards etc is tempting more so than off putting, and the last thing I need right now is debt, trust me..

Next up, we have 'The Goddess Guide' by the much loved Gisele Scanlon. This book is a favourite of mine, I always look to it when I've spilt something over a certain fabric and want to know how to remove the stain. Or what the certain cut of that dress is, or how to flatter your figure, etc. It's so informative, yet so chic. An absolute winner, oh, and did I mention the packaging is cute?!

I've learnt so many wonderful little facts from this book, the layout is easy and it's perfect for those on the go. The book is set out in an article per day style, making it easy to read, and very enjoyable. The book covers lots of areas, from the art of truffle making to where the symbols on the Westminster lamp-posts REALLY came from. Again, an absolute winner.

Then there's chick lit, check out some of my favourites;

- I heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

- One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

- Who's That Girl by Alexandra Potter

- Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

- Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

- Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Wesberger

- Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

- Rumour Has it by Jill Mansell

S.B. x

Back to basics.

2009-08-01T01:34:00.005+01:00

When it comes to fashion, why do so many people skip the basics and jump headfirst into the trends? It's like buying a pair of glasses, and forgetting about the most important part; the lenses.

I'm a firm believer that the basics of ANY outfit should be conquered first. I believe each and every lady should own a good quality vest in a variety of colours.

C&C California is definitely one of my favourite brands that offers chic basics at reasonable prices. Their collection is practical, washes well and honestly is a real winner. Classic cut vest tops should be the first stop for any aspiring fashionista, they're amazing. Check 'em out!

I love this top, it's so chic and well, basic. Wear it with your favourite jeans, a blazer and heels. Or, with highwaisted trousers. Buy a long vest top, and wear it as a dress with your favourite oversized sunglasses. OR, you can never go wrong with a white vest top, a show stopper necklace, super skinny jeans, heels, an oversized bag and of course equally as oversized sunglasses.

Ps. How ridiculously drunk does the girl in the photo not look? Sorry C&C, but that's one dodgy looking model you have there. She looks like she's doing the classic facebook pose on one VERY eventful night out, ha.

If you don't fancy C&C California, try Zara. I've bought vest tops from there in the past for £6 a pop, they're fab, wash well and come in lovely pastel colours. What's not to love? Throw a silk scarf around your neck, and you're good to go. Hermès twilly anyone? Silk scarves are SO underrated. They can take something so plain and basic to another level, try a cashmere scarf in winter to add an instant pop of colour to an outfit.

Talk about the bare necessities ladies!

S.B. x

Hé, cheveux intéressants

2009-07-31T09:33:00.003+01:00

Love J'adore? Ha, get it, 'do you love I love'. Okay, no, never mind. Anyway, for all the other Dior fanatics out there, Dior have released a J'adore hair mist. Which is a pretty good idea, you know, one of those impulse purchases. I stood with a 'wooow' face last night when the makeup artist at my Dior counter told me, I guess she knows I'm a sucker for anything that's Dior and smells good/looks nice.

It costs roughly £24, comes in the cute J'adore packaging and is made to smell the same as J'adore (obvss), minus the alcohol factor.

OH, and Dior have released a higher concentrated version of J'adore. I spritzed a few squirts of it last night, aka, covered myself in it and boy is it strong. It smells lovely, comes in the same J'adore bottle and the liquid itself looks darker than the original perfume. So, if you're like me and enjoy a perfume that's strong, so much so that it smells as if you've been bathing in it, then yeah you'll love this one!

P.s. Check out your Dior counter, there may very well be a sale on as Dior have changed the packaging of certain items i.e. nail polishes, lipsticks, lipglosses so you could grab a nice bargain!

Mm, this well and truly is my new favourite scent. Prices start at £24 (good price, eh?), and it honestly smells fab. Thank god for the SA that gave me about 6 testers of it, that should keep me going until I buy it tonight, ha.

S.B. x

My goodies? Not ma' goodies..

2009-07-30T23:51:00.007+01:00

Well, today at work I was up in the attic having a clear out. I was actually looking for props for a window display and came across this box. Naturally, I had a nosy, and ended up finding some goodies! This was one of the boxes in which I found some of the stuff (which dates back to the 80's, ha. oldschool or what?)..

I found the above lil number in the box, it was nice on but was huge. Very retro. I saw a blazer-come-shirt very similar to this in Topshop a few weeks ago..

The above blazer-come-shirt was lovely on. I know it's retro, in fact, vintage ha. It unfortunately was too large to pull off even as oversized, it's cool though. Sequins are everywhere, so it would've been nice to have nabbed it as a vintage piece..oh well.

The above two nail varnishes are my favourite colours are the moment. Chanel nail varnishes are by far the best I've ever used, better than OPI and Nails Inc etc..give Chanel a go if you haven't already!

I LOVE the shirt in the above picture, I found it in the clearance outlet at work. It's fab, feels gorgeous and honestly is so versatile. I was told this shirt was very popular with the 70 year old ladies, ha, I lovveee it. Kinda cool, huh? Oh, and oversized shirts are SO in (see Donna Karen). Love it!

This blazer was SUCH a find. I was having a maul around, saw this blazer hanging on a rail, had a peak and saw it was my size. So, I tried it on and fell in love. The blazer honestly is in pristine condition, and the stitching detailing is fab, even the lining. It nips me in at the back and makes me look like I've a great waist; excellentteee.

I'm wearing my Louis Vuitton clutch with the outfit, it's practically vintage (at least 20-30 years old), it however has been heavily loved so it's falling apart a little. Boooo.

I bought this dress from Topshop and it arrived this morning, so no, it's far from vintage haha. It fits amazingly, I was worried it would cling in all the wrong places, but it does the exact opposite which is surprising as it's quite a clingy material. I loovvve the Balmain inspired shoulders, they aren't overly exaggerated here, but it's obvious in real life. The dress will look fab with my astraqueen CL booties. All hail Christophe Decarnin!

Ohh, I offered to organise the selling of a lot of hats. Basically, in work, we have around 80 hats boxed (at least). As an upmarket store we used to sell hats to ladies for events. The clientele however no longer exists where we're situated, so we've a lot of overstock. So, I offered to sort the hats out from the attic, to take pictures and to email companies that would possibly be interested in buying them in bulk. I've somehow ended up having to do the same with sample wedding dresses i.e. Stewart Parvin, etc. I'm excited, it'll be fun organising them, AND I get a percentage of the sales price for which they'll all go for. HOOORRAAAYY!

Chanel 2.55 anyone? Oh, and a bottle of Moet too s'il vous plait!

S.B. x

Ain't fittin' baby

2009-07-30T09:43:00.003+01:00

Well, that was the Alice McCall dress that I purchased. It arrived this morning, so I quickly whipped it out of the bag only to be disappointed by how poor a quality the dress was, and the fact it was covered in fluff. Boo! I didn't bother trying it on, I'm just sending it back, I know it won't fit. The picture is deceiving, the pockets at the waist sit out and I know they'll make my hips look B-I-G, I mean child bearing style. Not good!

Oh, and I've also noticed that Bunny Hug's policies are very similar to N-A-P..I wonder if they're somehow linked. Or, if Bunny Hug admires N-A-P and has adopted some of their ideas i.e. bow around the tissue wrapped purchase, the returns tag, the same refund method. Maybe it's just me pondering, which is very likely.

Speaking of which, my browser (Safari, gr) is hating me right now. It won't let me access N-A-P from the UK, it instead says I'm on the US version of the site, and whenever I change it, it readjusts back to the US version. Blah, now I can't spend hours on the sale section. Maybe it's a good thing? ha.

On a lighter note, I can put the money spent towards this lil beauty..

Isn't it GORGEOUS? Woo, I love it. (image courtesy of Luxury Exchange). Luxury Exchange are a recommended 'My Poupette' seller, so their goods are all authentic; I'm loving the bag. I've also a few favourite eBay sellers that sell lovely authentic Chanel bags. Some are TPF'ers, others just recommended MP sellers. Have a peak..

mimiaction

babypink*kitten

I want I want...

THIS

Honestly, how nice is it? It's a good price right? Say yes, just say yes. Although I have negative money to fund such a purchase, I'll come up with some sort of plan. If it's still there at the end of the day, then it's meant to be...

Come back later, I've got lots of goodies to add as I came across a lot of old clothes i.e. 6 years old in pristine condition, including this divine blazer. Fab! Off for a day of work now..

S.B. x

Really Karl? REALLY?

2009-07-29T23:48:00.002+01:00

Karl Lagerfeld pictured with two of the biggest morons in the fashion industry. The new Chanel bags ad campaign honestly is one hundred percent ridiculous. I mean, it's laughable. Lily Allen? What exactly does she represent? I'm sure you've already seen the pictures, so have another laugh, or have a peak if you've yet to see them..

I hate the whole attempt at Breakfast at Tiffany's, it's tacktastic. Oh, and the bags are awful. I know, I LOVE Chanel bags, I really do (spotted a little vintage number I'm in love with), but come on, these bags are horrid. They probably retail for £1000 upwards, yet look like bin bags, and the fact they're on Lily Allen's arm completely puts me off them from the first glance.

Oh, and the picture with Baptiste? I just don't know, there's no hope!

I've always had a soft spot for Karl Lagerfeld ever since I had that dream that involved us riding on a train to Milan (ha, don't ask!), he seemed like such a fun chap, but honestly, I bet Audrey Hepburn and dear old Coco are turning in their graves..

S.B. x

Wool and the Gang

2009-07-29T20:33:00.003+01:00

The reformation of a 70's disco group? Ha, no. As weird as the name is, I kind of like it. The product? Not so much...

Okay, N-A-P I really (like REALLY) do love you, as far as that goes in terms of loving a website, but I really do. I er, however, am not loving this wool waistcoat. Okay, fair enough, it looks ALRIGHT, but I mean £110..and you're not even receiving the waistcoat, you have to knit the damn thing. Do I have enough time to sit at home and knit? No, and even if I did I'd end up with one dodgy looking waistcoat.

Oh, and er, currently WTF'ing at the below product, or 'kit'..

I mean leg and armwarmers, really, WHY? Who really wears these? Bar Madonna and the cast of Dirty Dancing, and lets face it, Madonna really is anything but a style inspiration. It'll be interesting to see if the brand does well, perhaps I'm just a traditionalist, or a cynic. I was praying the ridiculous fads had past, then again, the kit would make a nice present for your Grandmother, i.e. you buy her the kit, she knits it, and returns it to you. OR, you could simply buy an already knit waistcoat? Get that! No? Okay..

Oh, and on a brighter note, I'm loving the 70's discos beats that the lovely 'Wool and the Gang' have inspired me to listen to.

KC & the Sunshine Band anyone? Shake shake shake...

S.B. x

Recent Purchases..

2009-07-29T00:28:00.005+01:00

Today I wore the outfit in the below three pictures:

I love this outfit, it's so sophisticated and comfortable. Oh, and how Stella McCartney esque is the blazer? I love it.

Blazer - Zara

T-shirt - Zara

Jeans - Topshop

Bag - Gucci Jackie 09

Shoes - Christian Louboutin 'Very Prive'

Jewelry - Necklace by Monet, ring by Dyrberg/Kern & earrings by Monet

N.B. Everything minus the bag and blazer are shown in the rest of the pictures.

Above is my newly purchased rabbit fur coat, it's from the 80's and cost a mere £30..bargain!

I got this cute red scarf today; 'the girl in the red scarf', ha. It's 50% cashmere & 50% silk so it's soft to touch, is versatile and adds an instant pop of colour to an outfit.

Ah, my Louis Vuitton Alma. A love affair has begun..

The last three pictures are of my vintage Ralph Lauren blazer. The pictures honestly do not do this blazer justice. It's from the 1980's and is in pristine condition, I love the shoulder pads, and it fits perfectly. It honestly is so chic, a real investment that will last for years.

S.B. x

Coco avant Chanel

2009-07-28T09:23:00.002+01:00

For us UK cinema goers, Coco avant Chanel will be released on the 31st of July, just days away ladies and gents! I've always thought of Audrey Tautou as a great actress, one with an exciting and alluring aura. When I hear someone is beautiful and smart, I think Audrey Tautou.

Before I see the film, I'd quite like to read the biography of Cocos' life, she was beautiful, talented and headstrong; three exceptionally admirable qualities in a lady. With the release of the film approaching it'll be interesting to see if any other films, or documentaries of a similar nature start popping up i.e. Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent etc. Which of course works for myself, I'd love to see a documentary, or film on Yves Saint Laurent. If Paris Hilton is allowed her own film (for some godforsaken reason), then YSL and other legends most definitely should be. I mean, honestly, who really came up with the idea for 'The Hottie and the Nottie'?

Paris: "Oh my God guys, how about I do this film in which I'm this BEAUTIFUL girl, with this super ugly bff, and like all the guys love me but I just won't date them until my super ugly bff gets a date. Sound cool, huh?"

Heidi Ferrer: "Great idea Paris!"

Paris: "Uh huh. That's hot."

Idiot. Speaking of which, what exactly was she wearing to that premiere? A hideous prom dress of some assortment? It'd probably look semi-respectable on anyone but her. I could draw up comparisons between her and Audrey Tautou all day.

Are we seeing any differences people? ha.

If anyone has seen the film (Coco avant Chanel, not that other vomit inducing work of 'art'), then let me know what it's like, I'm talking reviews people!

S.B. x

Summer Lovin' Hillbilly style..

2009-07-28T00:56:00.002+01:00

First and foremost, what on EARTH were the designers thinking when they came up with this interesting little number? Why would anyone want to wear a denim swimsuit? In terms of looks and practicality it's doing absolutely nothing for me. Secondly, not only does it look grotesque, but you'd have to take your bikini off, squeeze it dry and then put it back on or else you would face wearing your bikini, and a tonne of water; nice.

Thank God the summer has come to an end as I've yet to see anyone I know wearing this, and if I do, I'll be sure to keep a watchful eye as to how on earth they manage sunbathing wearing such an absorbent bikini. It's sort of like a bikini come tea towel, in terms of absorbency ha. Okay ,we'll end this right here, and right now.

Denim & swimwear = HUGE no no.

Thanks to my fellow TPFer Macsarah for leading me to the think, and subsequently inspiring me to write this. Yet to join The Purse Forum? Go for it, do it; now.

S.B. x

Sale Sensation!

2009-07-27T10:17:00.012+01:00

Sale season, oh how I love it! Well for us peasants, the sale season has been underway for a while now, but final reductions have started; hooooraaay. Check out;

Had your eye on the Net-a-Porter sale, only to find that it has ended? Keep tabs on the Outnet as the stock will gradually filter through..

My favourite sales websites include;

Some of the above websites are invite only, if you require an invite then feel free to comment, or email me with your email address and I'll send one your way!

I've recently compiled a list of my favourite eBay sellers, a lot of whom are TPF members so you'll be guaranteed a pleasant trading experience. I'll continue searching eBay, so I'll upload the list in due course. Now, go and spend like there's no tomorrow..

My favourite sales picks? aka the 'to buy list'..

Alice McCall Vanessa the Undresser Double Act Dress/ Skirt in Rosy Cheeks

RRP: £283.50

Sale Price: £85.05

YSL Grain Pattern Rive Gauche Bag

RRP: £1220

Sale Price: £610

Gucci Patent Piping Shoe Boot

RRP: £450

Sale Price: £220

I LOVE these shoes, purchased Louboutin's the other day and have a Chanel on my wishlist. Sob, I must buy these..

D&G Classic Shirt

RRP: £110

Sale Price: £85

I think this shirt is timeless, it's classic and chic and would look cute with a silk bow. Think Olivia Palermo;

Boo Olivia, with your perfect hair, skin, wardrobe, boyfriend..etc etc..you get my drift!

Paul & Joe Purple Essiam Strapless Bikini

RRP: £157

Sale Price: £109

Isn't that bikini cute? Answer; yes. Should I buy it? Well, no, I've nada funds but yes, yes I should!

Any other favourite websites or sellers? Then send them my way via a comment.

S.B. x

An ounce of homage to the Gods

2009-07-26T12:27:00.013+01:00

Three Gods, one word; shoes.

Christian Louboutin, the red soled designer, unheard of four years ago; Jimmy Choo, the designer synonymous with luxury and Manolo Blahnik the genius of creativity.

From the moment I could say the word 'shoes', I've been in love. Women from Milan, to New York to London all share this love; an appreciation of the Gods, and a love of their creations that lead to the spending of far too much money. As headstrong women of style, we all have unique tastes, favourite designers and varied icons in whom we look to for inspiration. So, the question is; who will you choose this fall?

Christian Louboutin

I love the lookbook by Peter Lippmann, a tad eccentric but wiaow. An excellent fusion of creativity and fashion; it's shoe porn at its finest! The concealed platforms, the red sole and the sheer sexiness of the shoe is enough to make me jump and throw £400; 'just give me my shoes'. CL's are stylish, but beyond all, comfortable. Yes, that's right. I can wear my Hyper Prive 120's for eight hours, I can dance the night away and I can totter into my local supermarket without exiting in excruciating pain. They're beautiful, AND practical. Now, that's an ultimate win win if I ever heard one.

Yet to invest in a pair? You must, they're fabulous and they attract more attention than a newborn baby! wahhay.

These CL 'Charme 100' booties are my it pair of the season; I want I want.

Jimmy Choo

The Jimmy Choo ad campaigns always catch my eye, and this particular fall campaign is exactly the same. The fall/winter 2009 ad campaign was shot by Terry Richardson and features the stunning Angela Lindvall. The JC fall/winter collection epitomizes our inner rock chic with studs, striking prints and a general glam punk feel.

I'm loving the 'Jinx suede ankle boot', it's off the sex appeal radar. It's classic, practical and stunning. Well, suede has never been the easiest of materials to clean, but hell..it's beautiful!

Manolo Blahnik

The man himself admitted he wanted to 'go back to basics', and he did in true Blahnik fashion; with a myriad of colours, of course. I love how Manolo Blahnik can sway from colourful shoes that are bang on trend to classic flats that will last a lifetime, regardless of whether we're wearing leggings or capes; the classic Blahniks are here to stay.

Another favourite shoe of mine from the fall/winter 09 collection is the 'Mesh bootie'.

It's oh so sexy, and oh so on trend. Love your JC bags? These boots would add the finishing touch to your JC Lohla. They're a must buy, well, if you have a spare $1095.

It all boils down to this. Three Gods, one winner. Who will you be vouching for this fall? Leave a comment, and let the squabbling begin!

You skinny bitch!

2008-08-01T16:30:00.002+01:00

No this is not another insult to be followed by "you stupid whore", it's a rather controversial title of the 'hottest' book in town; Skinny Bitch.

Given the majority of diet books look the same this one most certainly stands out from 'the atkins diet' or the 'GI diet', and of course this has rocketed the book to success. Celebrities including Victoria Beckham (who will drop off the face of this earth if she diets) have been seen carrying the book, a new craze? Perhaps, but more to the point; does it actually work?

As a female I've tried the dieting caper, and although I am single I'm not on the food front, I'm in a long term relationship with food (and as is any other woman). Everyone harps on about fat people, skinny people and bulky people, we all pretend to love curves but we all know deep down we want to look perfect; if you had Aladdin's lamp would you not wish for the body of Gisele Bundchen?

The Skinny Bitch book has been acclaimed as a 'no-nonsense tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!'. Now being a self confessed easy target for any form of marketing I decided to buy the book to see if it actually would make me look 'fabulous'.

Upon the books arrival I immediately started reading, and I can safely say the 'no-nonsense' claim was spot on with swear words popping up in every other paragraph. The first chapter is titled 'Give it up', here they offer encouraging advice for us fatties, such as 'you cannot keep eating the same shit and expect to get skinny' along with the nurturing 'you need to exercise, you lazy shit'. Okay, truth is it's far from nurturing, some may retreat back to their ice cream tubs having took offence whilst others will laugh it off, the fact the tone of the writing is so brutally honest made me think there was hope for this book.

Several chapters in and I had learnt the 'devil is sugar' and that I'm allegedly 'a pussy', although very military esque the book reinforces every statement, there are no simple warnings like 'do not eat sugar it is bad'. Sure there are multiple swear words but the authors have backed up every statement with compelling scientific evidence which has most certainly made me think again touching a class of coke, or 'soda' as they refer to it as.

Having reached the end of the book I was now reading over the diet plan, I admit I enjoyed the read (that was short for the £7.99 I paid), but whether the diet would work or not was an entirely different story.

I began scrutinising the diet plan, a smoothie for breakfast? Sure, I'm not one for a fry every morning but that's ridiculous. If someone were to offer me a glass of juice for breakfast I'd probably slap them in my awful morning state whilst walking around in a zombie like fashion. Apart from the lack of food allowed for breakfast the rest of the diet plan wasn't too bad, however it's most certainly not a diet for any UK citizen. I will admit the book was impressive, more of an enjoyable read, but the ingredients required for the diet aren't of easy access and nor are they cheap. A lot of the meals use alternatives to cheese and meat so these need to be bought from specialist vegan stores and the fact they recommend American brands of food makes the diet even harder to decipher; what on earth is Amy's texas burger?

Sure the book was entertaining, a light hearted read with informative notes on how we all should steer clear of certain foods for the benefit of our health but on a diet level it just wasn't working. The convenience factor wasn't there, it's hard picking up the variety of fruits needed throughout the year (with winter in particular) and it wouldn't come cheap either, and I can't see any of my family wanting to eat 'fake chinese chicken'.

Having saw my mother go through as many diets as I have men, I wouldn't recommend this one. If you want to lose weight, opt for the south beach diet, or perhaps tailor make your own diet with a specialist but this one gets a disappointing thumbs down from me.

Net-a-porter I salute you!

2008-07-31T21:01:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited, you may ask what for - well of course it's for WINTER! Ah, yes my favourite time of year. I've already harped on about my hatred of summer fashion and my undying love for winter wools but I honestly can't contain my excitement. I had a peak around net-a-porter earlier after watching sex and the city and every time I watch SATC I can't help but feel an overwhelming urge to shop.

Earlier this year net-a-porter launched an online magazine, which I wasn't overly fond of to begin with however I'm warming to it. I'm absolutely loving the '3 tone up' colour schemes shown on the magazine, and no unfortunately the price tags do not make me want to run a mile, which to be honest really worries me - how on earth can one justify splurging £1,250 on a handbag that could easily be found in Primark for an absolute fraction of the price? Well, it's fashion and regardless of the price tag I'd rather have quality over price any day, so yes hold off, one day I will be able to own every designer handbag on earth; I'll hold you to it!

The 'Very berry' collection looks rather enticing, the Burberry trench stands out amongst the purple hues as does the Azzaro mini. The caramels in the 'Neutral Territory' collection are different, I am one for neutrals but my heart will always lie with anything black and gold; I can safely say I'd spend every penny of mine on the 'Back to Black' collection.

Gold and black ensembles have always been my idea of heaven, maybe I just find black alluring but a black cocktail number, gold jewellery and a tan just seems to ooze class, sophistication and sexiness. I won't even begin to count the endless amount of LBD's I own, several months ago when I was designing my fitted wardrobe I kept this in mind and as a result I even have a section of my wardrobe dedicated to dresses aka the LBD closet.

So, this winter is set to be a trendy one and I for one cannot wait to hit the shops in late August. Only one month left until I can finally go on a spree that'll leave me wondering around the streets with multiple bags and a gleeful smile plastered across my face; oh how I cannot wait!

Writers block.

2008-07-18T01:32:00.001+01:00

I'm having quite the case of 'writers block' at the moment. I want to write, but I honestly have nothing to write about. This summer has been woeful so far, I honestly think living as a castaway would be more amusing, heck at least there'd be sunshine unlike here.

Surprisingly I've avoided the shops, I hate the summer trends, far too many flowers for my liking and if I see another floral ra-ra skirt I swear to God I will throw myself off a bridge. Guys? Yeah, I'd have more luck hitching a date with James Bond, it's just not happening. I live in an area full of idiots (well no offence to any guys reading this that live near me, I'm sure you're lovely..) and that seems explanatory enough. As for everything else, I just don't know. I'm not ranting (it may appear as if I am, but I honestly am not bothered). I feel as if I'm stuck in a rut at the minute, I'm dreading the thought of results so I'm pretending there are no results to be collected, which seems like a good enough plan. I'm spending a ridiculous amount of time online these days, I wasn't even excited by Wimbledon this year, and that is rather worrying - how can Federer not excite me with his dashing cardigan? Worrying I tell you, worrying.

So now I ponder as to whether my summer will actually get any better, another night in the cinema or at the same pathetic night club will kill me. I need change, good change that is; any takers? If so, you know where to find me!

A diet, in a pill.

2008-06-17T16:12:00.000+01:00

Zalestrim, Trimspa, Xenadrine and Adipex. They all sound rather dodgy if you ask me, 'Xenadrine the new paint stripper' or, 'Zalestrim great for cleaning toilets', haha well they aren't used for that but I'm convinced they could easily be marketed as detergents. Although diet pills cause even the most open minded of us to be cynical the weight loss industry still manages to rack in millions and millions regardless of how much their products names sounds like paint stripper, or toilet detergent for that matter.

We're all busy, and when the majority of us diet we tend to start off on a high with the usual 'this is it, I'm burning this 10lb of fat right off', but four weeks down the line one tiny little biscuit cracks us and we're back to the late night chineses and wine. So in a way, we only have our lack of self determination to blame, I mean if we were convinced the easy option would work, we would all do it, right?

Now I'm going to put my hands up and say, I've succumb to the ways of the diet pill industry. I've tried a few variations of diet pills, however much to my surprise I found one to actually work and within several weeks I lost 9lbs. Since then I've attempted the old 'exercise and healthy eating' routine, needless to say the little biscuit with a topping of chocolate was my downfall.

As I sat reading a magazine, I came across a revolutionary weight loss pill (or so they claim), called 'lipobind'. The pills claim to help decrease food cravings whilst attaching onto the fat you've consumed in your food and removing a percentage of it. It sounds better than the other pills that speed up your heart rate, cause insomnia and dizziness, yet the idea of removing the fat strikes me as worrying. There is only one way to get rid of fat, and that's through excretion, now think, constant excretion throughout the day at a rapid rate? Yeah, not so glamorous.

Although with many off putting factors, I've decided to suck it up and to go for it. I'm not fat and nowhere near it, standing tall at 5ft 9 and weighing 9 stone 11 I look fine, but still, everyone wants to achieve perfection some more than others and unfortunately I'm a self confessed perfectionist.

I shall report back, let's hope my blogging shan't be written around toilet runs, maybe it'll be successful, then again it maybe won't be (most probable) but hey, I might as well take on the role of the optimist!

Alcohol - Friend or Fiend?

2008-06-16T00:48:00.000+01:00

Some say a few margaritas, some shots, a couple of beers and a glass or two of wine is the recipe for a perfect night out, but is it really? From my experiences, alcohol is generally associated with nights out and relaxing, and some of the experiences I've had have proved that alcohol really is an option that should be avoided at all costs.

Do we know how much we actually consume when drinking? I know the majority of my friends lose count of how much they've drank but continue to do so anyway, if someone were to ask me to tell them how many units of alcohol a pint of beer equated to I honestly couldn't tell them.

Of course alcohol is great for chatting up the hot guy entertaining everyone, I wouldn't feel at ease approaching a guy and making random conversation with him when I'm entirely sober. I always thought alcohol was the recipe to success,, impending disaster with alcohol as the cause never crossed my mind, well until recently.

One night out, too much alcohol and well you guessed it, my body wasn't overly enjoying the experience to say the least. As a result, I spent the night by the toilet and the next day I recovered in bed feeling as if I had been struck by some sort of plague, ohh nasty. They always say 'everyone who drinks will experience the sick times incurred by alcohol, it happens sooner or later', of course I was banking on being one of those people who narrowly missed that time, but unfortunately it hit me.

I reckon after being ill I watch how much I drink and how often I do, I can tell you that I never want to experience the liver pains I had ever again. Having endured hell already, I thought avoiding alcohol would be the best idea on my most recent trip out. I'm quite proud, I took one shot of tequila (whom some random stranger bought me..) and that was it! In general the banter was flowing, and the night wasn't bad, I'm not ruling out drunken antics, I'm young, it must be done! However, I plan on adhering to my limits, if I were a guy I would not find it attractive seeing any girl slouched over a toilet bringing up every drop of alcohol in her body. Errgghh the lack of class. Disgusted at my own actions, I have taken it upon myself to be a little bit more sensible, well for the meantime anyway..

ASOS go red

2008-06-16T00:30:00.000+01:00

ASOS have well and truly established their place in the market, five years ago the site was practically unheard of, more so known as 'as seen on screen'. Now ASOS boasts a huge collection of designers with varying prices, including lines of independent designers and premium brands that include Balenciaga and Sass and Bide. Impressive given no one knew who they where a mere five years ago!

So, with all this credit crunch lark, everyone seems to be rushing to Primark. Everything considered mildly expensive is simply a 'no go', fortunately this seems to be a god send for stores like Primark, so now major etailers seem to be jumping on the band wagon too.

ASOS have announced they're opening a major online discount store called 'ASOS Red', which will sell previous seasons of clothes at cheap prices as well as Donna Karen and Ralph Lauren (which better be at discounted prices!). The website will be up and running in September, hurrah!

Other etailers following ASOS's lead include 'TheOutnet', which effectively will be net-a-porters clearance website, it's due to launch later in the year.

Ventee-Privee a french etailer has expanded into the UK market having opened last week. The site sells a mixture of high street and premium brands.

Although I'm not the biggest of bargain hunters, I won't decline a good offer, so maybe something good will come out the credit crunch after all. Whether it's Gordon Browns departure from no.10 or an increase in cheaper clothes, either works for me.

Fall/Winter Trends 08-09

2008-06-12T22:04:00.000+01:00

The time has come again, summer isn't even in full swing and the fashionistas out there are wondering what on earth they'll stock up on to get them through winter in style. Where I'm at it only feels like spring, rather depressing, I wouldn't mind some sunny rays but then again I don't mind thinking about winter, let's be honest, winter fashion beats summer fashion by a mile, in terms of looks and practicality.

This winter looks to be rather interesting, in Drapers I read a little about what the high street stores are bringing in and unfortunately very few of them deserve any kudos whatsoever in my opinion, the oh so hideous boho look is showing it's ugly face again, as is light denim - it's everywhere. I really like H&M and New Looks clothes, well what I've seen of it so far anyway, they really have developed a collection of classy pieces that will make anyone look and feel older and sophisticated, at a low price too! New Look is also planning on remodelling some of their stores into a more sophisticated department store style as opposed to their young, bright and messy look at the minute. In my opinion New Look could totally change it's brand image like Topshop, if it were to it really could be successful, as at the minute I am in no way enticed to shop in there.

On the other hand, the designer runways are boasting great outfits, with creative patterns and lace used to inspire wonderful pieces, I can safely say a lot of the clothes displayed on the catwalks look as if they could actually be worn, instead of the hideous head pieces and lavish feather coats shown all too frequently. I'm a woman (well, ok girl) of style, I will spend the money but not on ridiculous items that may be considered as 'art' in others eyes. I don't care, I want to look good, feathers or no feathers I plan on looking good this winter.

So, what should you really be stocking up on for this winter?! Well, here's some tips..

Straight from the runways:

Checks

DKNY has shown quite a nice runway look here, it looks rather casual, yet comfortable and stylish. Perfect for one of those mornings where you look into your wardrobe, try on a few outfits and come to the ever familiar conclusion that is, 'I definitely had too much wine last night and now am suffering the dreaded effects of bloating'.

Checks are already creeping their way into our wardrobes, with Topshop and Urban Outfitters boasting a huge collection of checked shirts. Checked shirts look great with jeans, I love the combination of a red checked shirt, white jeans and a grey or black cardigan, with a beanie to top it off. Tres francais, yet very chic and sophisticated!

Floral Prints

With floral prints already a strong spring/summer trend it's no surprise that they're back again for another season. Thankfully it's less of the light floral patterns, think Topshop tea dresses and Chloe's smock dresses, less of that works for me as I was never a fan of the floral 'air fairy' idea, so bring on the winter flowers I say! Many of the catwalk brands are using bold strong colours with bold floral prints, however Chloe seem to be sticking to what they do best and have avoided this, opting for more lighter floral prints, it's hard telling the Chloe summer floral dresses from the winter ones.

I'm also in favour of Matthew Williamsons take on the trend. The outfit is structured and looks great, the bold use of colours are also sure to get you noticed.

Ruffles and Pleats

A firm favourite of mine, I just can't get enough of the ruffles and pleats! A lot of the ruffles and pleats featuring in the spring/summer collections of designers and high street stores were too feminine and romantic for my liking. I prefer classic 'high fashion' cuts, I love this BCBG dress shown above as it's cut rather classically yet remains slightly romantic, but isn't overly feminine in the sense that you think 'shakespeare tunics' when the word ruffle is mentioned, not quite the look I'm aiming for I'm afraid!

I love Requiems take on the trend, oh so elegant and classy, yet sexy. Of course a LBD is an essential regardless of whether it's the height of summer or winter. The only off putting factor is the length, too long!

Chanel as per usual produce a classic sophisticated dress, I really like this dress, black my favourite colour, and it has incorporated one of my favourite trends into the design..just a pity about the price tag!

Prominent Colours

Every season there are a palette of colours that seem to dominate the runways, this year bolder shades seem to be flooding every runway, which is great for making a statement!

Orange:

Paul and Joe opt for a borderline red shade of orange, I quite like the coat though as it incorporates the popular cape trend into the structure of the coat, however it's a bit rigid and wouldn't suit those that are small!

Ralph Lauren seem to be conforming with their usual casual cut styles that ooze elegance, although this jacket would look just as nice in black, the bold orange colour emphasises style, the fact it's still practical and stylish really draws me to it.

Purple

Purple was rather popular a couple of seasons back, so it's nice to see some bold colour being injected into styles! I'm especially loving the DKNY outerwear, teamed up with the grey it looks fabulous - I shall be recreating that look!

Other runway trends include:

Cocoons

Basso & Brooke.

Black and Blue

Luella.

Sombre Tones

Ralph Lauren.

Contrast Panelling

Bottega Veneta.

Lace Detail

Fur

Although this trend will probably prove controversial, I really like it. I just hope it doesn't inspire high street shops to whip out dodgy 'faux fur coats', as in reality they look like mangled fluff collected off various stuffed animals, it's not attractive on hanger, or off hanger for that matter. It'll be time to whip out my minx, oh yes!

Preppy Girl

The preppy girl look is a favourite, especially when mixed with tartan, plaid and checks. A lovely preppy skirt always looks great with thick woolen ribbed black tights and laced ankle boots, ohh it's nicccee.

Anyway, enjoy. I shall report back whenever I hunt down more trends and pictures to accompany, it's only June and I'm thinking of winter already. That's how you know the summer collections are useless, unless you're willing to fork out hundreds per item of designer wear, which unfortunately my bank balance doesn't permit. I aspire to own a collection of clothes that will rival Carrie Bradshaws and Charlottes combined, oh yes, I tell you, one distant day..

A Mini Adventure..

2008-06-12T21:52:00.000+01:00

Well, my birthday has come and gone unfortunately. But, I've been left with this little bundle of joy - no it is not a child, thank god for that, but it measures up to the greatness a child would bring, my own little mini!

The mini in the picture isn't mine, it's some other random persons picture that I've kindly obliged to thief, that's what you get for not copy righting these days..Anyway, mine is better, let's be honest, haha I joke. It's a beauty, a black beauty! It's a 1.6 and oh does it purr. Even starting the car is fun, I slide in the disk key, hold in the clutch and press the start button - excellence!

I thought I'd dedicate this post to my car. Unfortunately it's nameless as of yet, so if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to share. My only input from friends so far as been useless, ie. "OH, call your car ALBERT BOB", yes, I'd love to name my car after a 98 year old man with arthritis. My mothers input hasn't been overly original, with ideas varying from 'mini' to 'micky mini', again not so great. The search for a name is on..

Un nuovo cuoco unico!

2008-06-12T21:39:00.001+01:00

Un nuovo cuoco unico, well, that's means a new chef in italian. I've been living on junk for the last few years, and given I'm so picky with food I decided to take matters into my own hands. I've the art of procrastination to thank, avoiding revision drives me to all lengths, and as a result, I've turned into somewhat of a chef/baker, ohh it is great!

Italian food quite simply is the best. Although fish dishes and soups also make a play for the win, although I must say italian food wins easily. Think delicious fettuccine pasta with succulent chicken drizzled in a creamy sauce, ohh delicious. Sounds good eh? Well it is!

Baking is pretty fun too, my almond flan was a success and everyone has ate my batch of 30 muffins, which is a good thing, but it means I can't really have any to myself, then again maybe that's a good thing for the hips haha.

My next task? Some sort of cream brule, ohh yum, or maybe a strawberry tart. I think I'm cooking a pizza next week, I'm loving this whole cooking fiasco. It's a good thing, I need to learn to cook for university anyway, although I can't see my bank account funding this love of cooking/baking, which is bad times for me, good times for the hips though! I shall go indulge in a lemon square now..mmhhhmm..

Boob job, in a tube.

2008-06-02T21:26:00.000+01:00

Cleavage a bit too small for your liking, but you don't overly fancy going under the knife? Yeah, tell me about it. Well, being a 34A is ok, I reckon I'd look ridiculously out of proportion if I was a 34C or larger, but I guess I wouldn't mind a bit of 'natural enhancing' as such. Tickle your fancy?

This miracle cream claims to naturally enhance your bust, the product description says: "As the fat cells move around the body after eating, boob job 'blocks' the fat into the area where the product has been applied"
meaning you'll notice a larger bust size within 56 days. Sounds nice doesn't it? Pity about the £125 price tag for a mere 100ml of cream, I could always start counting my pennies in the hope that I come across £125 in pennies, yeah not going to happen!

Birthday - Wishlist.

2008-06-02T20:20:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year again, yes, one year older and the usual lark. This year I've managed to be sensible with my money ie. to not spend it all on a mad Topshop spree. I've currently got about £300 - hip hip hurrah, this is an achievement for me, as a compulsive shopper I'm rather proud of myself, having fought the urge to shop for the last month or so, I'm hoping I'll finally get to splurge sometime soon, or I fear I'll go crazy!

Ok, well roughly £300, that's a good starting point right? Heh, well it is in my books. I hope to get another £200 from friends and family, so that's £500..then I plan on working for mon parentals (otherwise known as parents), which should bring that up to about £600. I'm torn, shoes and some expensive clothes? OR one expensive beautiful handbag that will be envied by all?! Yeah, handbag is rather enticing isn't it? I've already quite a few in my collection, a collection I'm aiming to expand..So here's some contenders for the bag spot, what one I'll pick I don't know, if I pick any that is given my budget might not follow suit and I might fall short money wise as most handbags start a £700 upwards..great, just great!

Well, this is the only handbag I found that I really liked to be fair, and unfortunately it costs £930. Yeah, £930 I do not have, nor will I have in the near future either. Ack, oh to be rich, oh to be very very rich, one day..one day..

Oh well, one thing I do plan on doing is following through my plan of buying the most beautiful Diane Von Furstenberg dress, hot pink, ah it's beautiful, very SATC, I'm thinking Carrie Bradshaw? Hmm. Well, I like it!

Well, the picture isn't all that great, but I guess I'd stand out rather prominently in that dress, not intentionally of course ;)

SATC - the girls are back!

2008-06-02T19:25:00.000+01:00

Ah, sex and the city!

It seems appropriate that I dedicate my first post to Sex and the City, being a SATC fan from day one, the thought of the film made my body tingle with excitement. So several nights ago I went to see the film promising myself I'd try and not cry if Carrie and Big didn't marry..I won't go into details, I can't ruin the film for those who haven't saw it, but my oh my, it was absolutely fabulous!

I warn you all though, for those women who are fascinated with fashion and feel the need to shout 'LOOK IT'S CHANEL PRE WINTER' in every scene, you will come out of the film with a hungry desire to shop. No, I'm not talking Topshop or ASOS shopping, I mean 'let's hit Gucci darls' sort of shopping, I can safely say I felt like crying everytime Carrie slipped on a new pair of heels. Some things in life just aren't fair.

For those of you who oppose SATC, don't refrain from watching the film, it's hilarious, fashionable and pro-feminism (well, to an extent) but it's all about triumphing friendships and love prevailing, if you don't cry at that then I don't know what will make you cry..

I'm in LOVE. Well, there's something I never thought I'd be saying for a while, well meant in an entirely different context of course. This Zac Posen number is gorgeous and it definitely set Charlotte out from Miranda and Samantha, with Miranda wearing a striking blue gown and Samantha in a provocative red gown, ah, stunning.

Carrie opts for her usual 'OTT' stance and wears a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress, however Carrie was in fact supposed to wear Charlottes Zac Posen dress in white, however stylists overruled the main stylist saying her Vivienne Westwood gown promotes a chic fairytale look as her gown is so lavish, just like Cinderellas eyh? Well, not quite..