PERSONALISED GIFT GUIDE

How's the Christmas shopping going? After an enthusiastic (and pretty smug) start, I have obviously lost momentum and am feeling a little panicked as all of a sudden it's December (!) and international shipping dates are fast approaching.

In my never-ending hunt for interesting presents, I find I keep being drawn to custom and personalised gifts. Not only are they ace presents in their own right, but you know you're going to get extra brownie points for finding something that's one-of-a-kind!

I've rounded up a few of my favourite things. If you're still stuck for ideas, check out my other Christmas gift guide that's full of nice things for all budgets.

1. You cannot go wrong with a beautiful satchel, and the Leather Satchel Company have been crafting British-made leather satchels since 1966. All of their bags can be made bespoke to your liking and customised with a name or initials stamped into the leather.

2. How cute is this embroidered heart patch? It would be perfect for giving to someone with an anniversary or special date to remember (although you might want to also get them a shirt or jacket to sew it onto!). If you're feeling extra creative, make your own slogan tee, by ordering a customised t-shirt - this site has express t-shirt printing and does all the design for you, so you don't have to be a graphic design wizard.

3. I think this is definitely something you wouldn't buy yourself, but what a sweet gift to get! Ella Masters makes these mini personalised pen portraits for only £10 and they are adorable!

4. Dreamy stationery is ALWAYS a good idea, and these colourblocked monogram journals are beautiful.

5. I've wanted a necklace like Carrie's since I was a teenager and I was glued to Sex in the City. This gold name necklace is perfect (and very affordable).

6. Tatty Devine make loads of personalised jewellery, and I think my favourite is this speech bubble necklace (my best pal & I have a matching Ernest Hemingway quote). This necklace gives you 40 characters to say whatever you want - whether it's a line from pop culture, your favourite quote or a daft in-joke!

7. If there's a booklover in your life, take a look at these absolutely gorgeous bespoke Bloomfield and Rolfe bookplates. These are all hand-illustrated, completely original, and would be such a special gift.

8. I included Karen Mabon in my last gift guide, but I just love her illustrated designs, and this silk scarf is no exception. Perfect to tie up in your hair!

9. Finally, if you're looking for something that's definitely different, boomf  will print marshmallows with your photos - meaning you can give your pal a weird, but tasty gift of their own mallowy face.

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link.

WHAT TO WATCH THIS AUTUMN

'Tis the season to be cosy! It's finally starting to get cold and frosty and I am here for it! I love winter jackets (especially after the horror of dealing with mild not-quite-jacket days), I love when it gets properly dark in the evening, I love cosy autumnal cooking (roasts! pies! soups!), I love frosty rooftops, and I love love love the total joy of being curled up on the sofa when it's grim outside.

It's been two years since I moved into my little flat and I still love it. My living room is colourful and full of plants, which helps distract from the fact that 99% of it is from IKEA or hand-me-down stuff, although I keep telling myself that some point soon I'll save for some of the things on my proper grownup wishlist... aka new balcony doors, a fiddle leaf fig, and a shiny 4K tv (if anyone's asking I'll take a Panasonic HDR 4K TV, thanks very much!).

As it's officially peak tv-watching time, I thought I'd put together a little round-up of the best things I've been watching, most of which can be found on Netflix or Amazon. Let me know if there's anything amazing I've missed!

Crime

I am a big fan of a crime drama, so it didn't take me long to get through Mindhunter, a show set in the early days of criminal psychology and profiling at the FBI. It's quite a slow burner, but once you're on board with that it's an engrossing and creepy look at serial killers.

Alias Grace is the newest Margaret Atwood adaptation, and it tells the tale of Grace Marks, a housemaid and immigrant from Ireland who was imprisoned (possibly wrongly) for the murder of her employer. It's based on a true story, Sarah Gadon is brilliant as Grace, and it keeps you guessing the whole way through as she recounts the events leading up to the murder.

I'm also excited that the newest season of Broadchurch is coming to Netflix at the end of the month! If you haven't seen the first two series they are both on Amazon, and Olivia Coleman is wonderful.

Comedy

Ever since I finished Parks & Rec (the greatest tv show of all time), I've been looking for a comedy with short episodes (under 30 minutes) and recently discovered Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a comedy with Andy Samberg set in a Brooklyn police station. W1A is also good for a quick comedy fix (although, working in media, sometimes it feels a bit close to home!).

I absolutely adore Jane the Virgin, which is a lovely funny satirical romantic comedy telenovela, and the perfect show to lift your spirits. Equally funny is the musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a super smart show that is full of excellent and accurate songs (hi Let's Generalise About Men & Heavy Boobs), and is also handling mental health in a thoughtful, honest and funny way this season.

Documentaries

I'm going to assume you've all watched Making a Murderer already (if you haven't, get on it!), so if you are into crime documentaries, The Jinx is incredible. It is a fascinating look at the story of mega-rich real estate heir Robert Durst, who has long been suspected in the disappearance of his wife and the murder of a family friend. He's interviewed in the documentary and it is SO creepy.

Blackfish is a heart-breaking documentary about the orca Tillikum who has caused the deaths of several people while in captivity at SeaWorld. It's pretty intense and hard-watching, but had lead to really positive change - since it came out SeaWorld has announced it'll end its orca breeding programme and phase out all live performances using orcas.

On a lighter note, The Pixar Story is great (and makes you desperate to work at Pixar).

Guilty pleasures

I've always hated soaps, but there's a special place in my heart for tv that you can just totally switch off with. I started watching Outlander purely because they filmed bits of the first season in my hometown (honest!), but obviously got hooked and now here I am, glued to the show and having read all the books. Scotland does look beautiful in it though!

Skin Wars is my newest nonsense watch. Artists are challenged to take part in body painting competitions, and their work is really elaborate and impressive. My favourite total guilty pleasure is Keeping up with the Kardashians - it's such fluff, but I got hooked last summer (this is a PERFECT thing to watch post-break up) and now I can't stop watching. Help!

Sci-fi

Everyone's up to date with Stranger Things, yeah? Even if you aren't a big Star Trek fan, Star Trek Discovery is great and well worth a watch. It's got a brilliant, interesting and diverse cast, and it feels like it's really starting to find its feet - I had been worried it would be too dark and intense and non-Trek, but every episode gets better and better. If you like this and fancy delving into more Star Trek, Deep Space Nine is the GREATEST and you should definitely give it a go.

The OA ain't for everyone, but I LOVED it. It tells the story of a blind young woman who returns after having been missing for seven years, with her eyesight restored. It's mysterious and creepy and thoughtful and poetic and weird and was right up my street. I also had a really good time watching 3%, a  Brazilian dystopian thriller that I powered through in a weekend.

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link.

HOW TO: SUMMER COCKTAIL

It's a bit of a blogger cliché to fawn over pretty pink cocktails in repurposed glassware, but a few recent cocktail-bar catchups with my Scottish blogger pals has tipped me right back into the sugary sweet world of martini's and margaritas!

Inspired by travel company Hayes and Jarvis' recent survey of the UK's favourite cocktails (the piña colada was, surprisingly, number one!), I thought I'd share a recipe for one of my favourite cocktails. This is a summery, fruity treat (and it also looks super cute served in a mini milk bottle).

This is a really easy recipe (mainly because I don't have any fancy measuring equipment!). All you need is:

2 shots of vodka

Handful of fresh strawberries

Handful of fresh raspberries

Two mint leaves

Couple of frozen pineapple pieces

A big splash of pineapple juice

Put everything in a blender (I used my nutribullet) and mix until the frozen fruit is all broken up.

Garnish with a strawberry and a sprig of mint. Stripy straws and cute mini flowers are not necessary, but they do make for a good instagram! Enjoy!

Gold wishlist

Every time I start a blog post by commenting (mainly moaning) about the weather, I'm reminded of what a massive British cliché I am. But in Scotland it really is quite ridiculous - you can get every possible combination of weather in a day (I'm only slightly exaggerating... but sunshine, hail, sunshine, rain, snow, light shower isn't that uncommon in winter!).

Now September has struck, the days are getting much darker, the winds are freeeezing, and skies are pretty much permanently grey (except for one stupidly sunny day last weekend, which will feature in a blog post soon! I told you the weather was indecisive). Anyway, one of the nice things about darker days (alongside cosy duffel coats and hats with pom poms!) is that it feels acceptable to start dressing like a glitter ball - maybe to combat dull freezing days!

I'm pretending to be more of a grown up these days, but I'm still a bit of a magpie at heart... although now I keep finding myself obsessing over gold things - the more obnoxious, the better! I'm still on a spending ban (WOE, when am I not) because of the house & whatnot, so as always, here's a wishlist to help curb my shopping...

Top row

Converse high tops | Amazing headphones | Umbrella necklace

Bottom row

 Zatchels satchel |  Sequin tee | Gold Rush polish

IMAGINE wearing all of this at once. Too much, maybe? I'm lucky enough to already own that satchel - it was a leaving present from my very lovely pals at The List and fits absolutely loads in it - I only ever use satchels these days, I can't imagine going back to normal handbags.

& if dressing like Midas sounds like your idea of hell, but you still want to be a wee bit bling - gold nail polish is lovely, and works really well in nail art designs!

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link.

Hendrick's Carnival of Knowledge

Do you like gin? Curiosities? Peculiar events?

Well, if so, Hendrick's Carnival of Knowledge is for you. Pop-up venues are two a penny in Edinburgh over August, but this is one with a difference. Hendrick's have taken over a very fancy boutique hotel, One Royal Circus, which sits just off the lovely streets of Stockbridge, creating a place to celebrate the unusual and curious.

When you walk in it first feels like you've somehow been given an invitation to a very quirky and exclusive supper party - you are greeted by dapper gents (most with moustaches of course) and invited to "Open your mind and step inside".

Downstairs there's the Parlour Bar, a small space that feels like the very best type of library (one with a bar and very intelligent conversation, obviously). It's free to get into, although I imagine it'll get busy very quickly once the secret gets out!

Upstairs there's a variety of events - many of which have already sold out, but there's still tickets left for A Genteel Tipple Through Gin in Literature, Grim Tales from the Brothers Grimm, and the Menagerie of Creepy Crawlies and Vegetable Animals, which all sound fantastic.

I have to admit that I am a sucker for anything that's a bit quirky and delightful, and makes me feel like I've somehow stumbled into the staff room at Hogwarts. On arrival you are handed a copy of a paper called the "Unusual Times" which is full of stories of magic and science and curiosities, alongside an events guide and cocktail menu. The attention to detail is just SO spot on - it's just so easy to get lost in their wondrous world (and spend a small fortune on cocktails).

I would very much like to live here, and it was pretty easy to get carried away & imagine what my new gin-centric life would be like. Personally I would insist on swanning around like an heiress in a country manor - dressing only in ballgowns and diamonds, or tea dresses layered with vintage-looking knitwear (like perhaps this one from Fat Face), and absolutely no jeans in sight.

Alas, I did eventually have to return to the real world, but I plan to be back. The Hendrick's Carnival of Knowledge is only open until August 11th, so you have THREE DAYS Edinburgh people to get along and get delightfully lost too.

If you can't get to Edinburgh in time, never fear... the wonderful gin celebration of curiosities will be in London in October for London Cocktail Week (watch this space...).

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored Fat Face link. I really, really, really fell in love with the venue and would definitely like to live there (um, when can I move in?).

Jitterball

Ooh fun things are happening this month! As well as the ongoing Festival (sorry if you are already bored of me banging on about it), I've got a ticket to a toe-tapping, tea-sipping, cocktail supping, afternoon vintage tea party, run by the wonders from Jelly & Gin (who are the brains behind Burgher Burger too).

Jitterball promises an afternoon of vintage delights. There will be cake, scones, tarts, craft beer and cocktails (for you to dantily sip, whilst making eyes at boys with moustaches). There will be tremendous tunes from the grandmaster of the gramophone, DJ Henry Swank (I don't know who he is, but that's quite a title); swing dancers; chap-hop superstar, Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer (I've seen him, he is very, very good); vintage styling from Miss Dixiebelle's Vintage Hair and Beauty Parlour; AND a photobooth (perhaps the most important part of all).

Oh, and it's also going to be held in one of Edinburgh's most beautiful buildings, Mansfield Traquair. Say hello to my future house...

It's a beautiful old church, and it's covered in old murals. It's pretty much the perfect place for a fancy party.

I'm normally quite wimpy in heels, but if there's ever a time to dress up & brave the highest shoes (like these from New Look - special hello to the leopard platforms!) then this is it. There's a prize of magnum champagne for the most "swellegant" gal, so I am going to have to spend my next week watching vintage hair tutorials on youtube to see if I can master victory rolls.

I'm so excited! There's still a few tickets left (but be quick!) for Saturday 17th August (which can be bought here). They cost £35 which includes afternoon tea, a welcome cocktail, AND the chance to swan around town in your finest vintage outfit, pretending that's the way you ALWAYS dress, thank-you-very-much.

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link.

Music Magpie

Here are some things that are fun:

• sitting in the sunshine with pals & no cares in the world
• partying until the very early hours
• going on impromptu road trips
• planning epic adventures

Here are some things that are not fun:

• realising how skint you are, after having all that fun

Oh.

It's rubbish being skint, but it can be a good excuse for a clear out! Music Magpie UK (who you've probably heard of as a place to sell old CDs) have started a site called Cash for Clothes, where you can clear out your wardrobe, declutter your life, and make your wallet a little happier (I guess the clue's in the name, really).

All you've got to do is tell them what brand of clothing it is, what type (dress, jumper, etc) and then a few details about the size, colour and material. They'll give you a price, and that's it! You can keep adding items you want to sell - they buy about a billion things (from hoodies to hair straighteners), and you can scan barcodes of CDs, DVDs and other techy items if you are feeling a wee bit lazy.

Once you've added everything you want to sell, you can either leave the items at one of their nominated Send Shops (there's 5,000 across the country, so there should be one pretty near you), or get them to come to you by using their free fully insured courier service. I would choose the latter, but I am lazy and hate carrying parcels across town. Other people are more proactive than me, I know.

Then they pay you (hooray). You can pick bank transfer, cheque, Marks & Spencer vouchers (think of all the sandwiches you could buy!), or you can be a very nice person and donate the money to one of Music Magpie's chosen charities. You'll have a tidier house, less stuff kicking about, and you get to avoid the faff of waiting on ebay buyers who take ages to pay. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. It is a good idea though!

Leopard wishlist

I've had the most horrible cold this weekend - it hit me completely out of the blue & has reduced me to a sniffly, moany mope (even when the sun was out, how unfair!). So to cheer myself up, here's some window shopping, blog-style.

I like leopard print, and am on a mission to have enough in my wardrobe so I can go out, head-to-toe in leopard one day (aka hairscarf-to-shoes - be warned pals, this will happen). I also like all of these things. That's about as much effort as you'll get from a sniffly, ill girl today!

Top row

Converse hi top trainers | Tote bag | Denim jacket

Bottom row

Belt | Dolly blouse | Heart socks

Super cute! Now cross your fingers for me please & hope my summer cold goes away quickly!

Outfit: London town

I'm just back from a very fun-filled long weekend in London. One of my very best friends lives down there so I'm always looking for an excuse to go down & see her, but I also had tickets to see BEYONCE - my first trip to a big pop gig at the O2!

I had really good intentions to do touristy things and take nice photos, but instead my days were spent having  loads of fun with my pals - we listened to punk pop from 10 years ago, laughed until we cried, drank gin in the sunshine & generally just had a lovely time. So much fun!

On my last day I did manage to remember I had the camera with me, so took some outfit photos on a lovely leafy street in London. This is a super slouchy outfit that was perfect for mooching round Camden, drinking massive milkshakes at the Diner & then flying home to my bonny city.

Dress - Primark
Cardigan - Matalan
Shoes - Clarks flat shoes*
Bag - Leather Satchel Co

I'm always so jealous of the lovely sunny days that Londoners get - this was my first time out WITHOUT A JACKET this year, due to the never-ending winter that Scotland seemed to have. The world is so much nicer when it's warm - fingers crossed Edinburgh actually gets a summer this year!

Necklace - Accessorize
Nail Varnish - Models Own Balearic Cool

I bought this cute elephant pendant from Covent Garden, while I was in a post-food haze from a super-indulgent lunch at Wahaca - seriously good Mexican eating! On reflection, most of my London trips seem to revolve around dining out... must try and be a little more cultured & book theatre tickets next time I'm there!

Ah, it was a really good weekend (even if I have no more photos other than blurry instagrams!). Til next time London!

Floral wishlist

After months of rain & gloom, my garden is finally looking pretty again as things start to grow & colourful flowers pop up. I've been a rubbish gardener so far this year (despite all good intentions, I've planted no spring seeds so far), but last autumn I went a bit crazy with winter bulbs... which means I have bursts of purple, red, yellow, pink and blues all over the place!

SO because flowers are lovely & make people smile, here's a wishlist of floral-esque nice things (because you can't be in a garden all the time, can you?).

Top row

Clutch | Favourite things pencils | Tulip bubble bars

Bottom row

Skull & floral scarf  | Liberty Converse trainers | Washi tape

I have been on the lookout for a nice new scarf for ages, and I think the skulls are enough to keep my inner grunge kid happy. I never ever wear white shoes (I'm too scruffy!) but I think these ones could be an exception... look at that Liberty print! 

Outfit: Purple flowers

I spend most of my week living in dresses & tights, so am pretty much always on the lookout for nice dresses that suit both work & fun. I stumbled across this dress a little while ago, didn't really think it was my sort of thing, but tried it on & was surprised by just how much I loved it!

Dress - Matalan

It's a lovely jersey fabric, so will be light enough for summer, has sleeves (hooray for sleeves) and is a super flattering fit. Even just a year ago I don't think I would have been brave enough to wear a mega flowery dress, but one of the benefits of blogging is that you really start to embrace bright fabrics!

It sits just below my knee, so is again a wee bit out of my comfort zone (I'm a shorty, so longer dresses can drown me) but I think it works quite well!

Flat shoes - Melissa*

I'm pairing it with dark navy tights and my beautiful new Vivienne Westwood shoes - how lovely are these?! They are from the Melissa range, which means they are made out of rubber that smells like bubblegum (kind of weird, I know).

I was worried that they wouldn't be comfortable (rubber shoes sounded a bit painful to me) but they are actually brilliant!

Spring accessory wishlist

After moaning about how cold it's been for ages, it feels like Spring has finally sprung! Hooray! This weekend the sun actually came out & I spent all of yesterday pottering about in my garden & tidying things up, which was really lovely.

Fingers crossed that it'll keep getting nicer and lighter (with no freak March snow) and I can finally escape my winter uniform of chunky boots & a heavy coat (which I do like, but I am ready for a change!). So here's a list of spring-inspired pastel colour goodness that I have my eye on...

 Top row

Accessorize wallet | Chie Mihara derby shoes | Pastel satchel

Bottom row

Crown & Glory headband | Bird kirby grips | Maple wood sunglasses

I've actually got the wallet already - I absolutely love it! I'm also in love with the shoes - at just under £260 they are a little more than I would usually spend (I'm joking - I mean a lot, a lot!), but a girl can dream right?

How to: cook a simple vegetable stew

I've got a pretty good recipe for you all today - it's warm and filling (perfect for the rainy dark nights we're still having), and is super cheap, healthy, and quick to cook.

To make it even cheaper I've also teamed up with mySupermarket - a site that recommends the cheapest place to shop online for groceries by comparing prices from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Ocado and Waitrose.

I'm in the pretty lucky position that I live near six pretty massive supermarkets (the benefits of living on the edge of town!), which is a huge step up from my student days relying on the tiny co-op by my flat... so in theory I should be in a great position to pick & choose my local shop based on who gives me the best deal! The reality is that I am super lazy - especially when it comes to the weekly shop, so I was intrigued to see how mySupermarket would shape up.

First, get your list of ingredients. Here's what you'll need for the stew.

• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 parsnips
• 1 big leek
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 smallish swede
• mushrooms 
• 1 pint of vegetable stock
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• small tin (200g-ish tin) of red kidney beans
• small tin (200g-ish tin) of chickpeas

On mySupermarket it asks you to select a supermarket (I went with Tesco, as that's where we normally end up shopping), and as you add items into your basket it makes suggestions when multi-buys & cheaper items pop up - letting you compare prices for all supermarkets at once.

As I'm lazy I just copied and pasted my list into the Shopping List bit at the top & tweaked it a bit (apparently "1 smallish swede" isn't compatible with computer search engines, ha) until each item was in my basket. It turned out that Asda was £1.24 cheaper than Tesco... which yeah, is a fairly small amount, but this is just one recipe - I imagine if you used this site for each big shop you'd save quite a bit within a year for the same food!

Once you've picked the best shop for you, you can either checkout online (it directs you onto your chosen retailer's website, with the basket all filled up & ready to go), or if you'd rather buy instore, you can print off a shopping list with your chosen items (some deals are online-only though, so keep that in mind!). It's pretty cool & definitely one to bookmark if you are thrifty minded!

Once you have your ingredients in hand (which have only cost you £6.21, hooray), here's how you make the stew.

First, put some olive oil in a large pan & fry the onions slowly for five minutes. While they are cooking, chop up all of your vegetables into smallish chunks. Add them to the pan, cover with a lid and fry it all over a medium heat for five minutes.

The vegetables will have started to soften up at this point. Add in the tomatoes and vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then pop the lid back on and simmer for ten minutes.

Add in the beans, give it a good stir & simmer for another five minutes. Then sprinkle with a handful of parsley and enjoy. The vegetables are really nice and tender, and it's such an easy way of filling yourself up with good food. Yum!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  

Matalan Click & Collect

Matalan have recently launched a new service - Matalan Click & Collect - which aims to take the hassle out of waiting on on deliveries, by letting you collect your parcel from your local store (and not have to waste hours sitting about waiting on the postie!).

They asked me to try out the service & report back, so here's how I got on...

I've been eyeing up a few bits & pieces from their homeware section for a wee while now (seriously, look at these jars! & these ones! Love!), but was won over by clothes (and justified it by saying - it's spring! I need a new wardrobe!).

I ordered a navy cardigan*, cream lace dress* & denim shirt* and opted to pick them up from one of the Edinburgh stores. It was super easy to navigate around their site & check out (I've actually never bought anything online from them before, just in store), and it told that I'd get an email letting me know when I could pick up my items... which would be within three days. So far, so good!

Ahh - is it really obnoxious to have myself as my phone wallpaper? I promise I don't normally!

The very next day I got a text telling me that my order was ready to collect, so on my next free day I nipped into the store, showed the confirmation email on my phone (no need to worry about printing things out) & collected my parcel. Super easy, and no ridiculous drive to a delivery office that only opens during working hours!

The only danger with Click & Collect is that as soon I was in store I thought - oh, I might as well have a wee wander round the shop & try things on... wouldn't hurt (etc) - and ended up buying two new dresses! (This jersey dress in two different fabrics). I would have actually bought a third one in the same cut (which is super flattering on me!), but they didn't have my size in store... perhaps that's one for my next online order!

Overall, this was a super easy (& fun!) experience. I hate hate hate missing parcels... and it's great to have another option for ordering online (especially when it's so speedy). Thanks Matalan!

Disclaimer: I was gifted credit to use on items of my choice from Matalan. All opinions my own! (It really was super quick). 

French bulldog inspired wishlist

Craig & I are looking at getting a dog sometime soon (fingers crossed this year!), and I have the awesome job of researching breeds to see what type will fit best into our lifestyle & live happily alongside Riley. We'd wanted to get a rescue dog (Riley was a rescue cat), but most advice recommends getting a young dog so they can grow up alongside the cat without terrorising it... which opens up the wonderful world of puppies!

I never used to be a fan of small dogs, but keep finding myself coming back to french bulldogs - I can't resist their squishy little faces! I also didn't realise the whole world of french bulldog inspired items out there... look at this lot!

Top row

Marc by Marc Jacobs flat shoes | Wooden necklace | Letterpress Card

Bottom row

Gold charm necklace | Léon jumper | Chevron iPhone case

I don't know how work-appropriate the shoes are, but they are super cute! I want it all please.

Anyway, it would be criminal to publish this post without any photos of the dogs themselves, so here we go....

Photos from Love Maegan's french bulldog pinterest board

AWWWWWHHH. Hiya pups!

Outfit: One dress - three styles

I've been meaning to do an outfit post like this for a little while. Partly because I love reading them on other blogs, but mainly because despite all the MILLIONS of dresses in my wardrobe, I tend to wear the same ones over and over and over and over again (I really need to do a clear out!). So here's how I wear my very favourite dress - a black skater-style number from H&M.

Look 1: Night out

Dress - H&M
Shrug - From New Zealand (can't remember the shop name, sorry!)
Necklace - Hannah Zakari
Shoes - Buffalo glitter flats*

My idea of a night out is a bit more grown up than when I was a daft student - so it's normally dinner, the theatre, work parties or the pub with pals. I've never been a glitzy dress & heels gal, I'm pretty scruffy in most walks on life, so this is my take on dressing up. I think the shoes add a welcome bit of sparkle though!

Look 2: Work wear

Dress - H&M
Cardigan - New Look
Belt - New Look 
Necklace - Hannah Zakari
Boots - Dr Martens*

I work at an events magazine, so there's no strict dress code in my office (thankfully! I couldn't imagine working in proper business dress...). This is a pretty typical outfit for me - a dress, cardigan & stompy boots (my favourite boots ever!).

If I don't have time in the morning to style my hair properly, I normally stick it up in a big bun (you can use a hair doughnut to make a top knot if your hair isn't quite thick enough).

Look 3: Lunch with mum

Dress - H&M
Shirt - H&M
Belt - New Look
Shoes - Primark

This is my take on smart/casual - I'm not very good at being smart! I'm wearing a super cute sheer polka dot shirt, which I've tucked into a leopard print belt. It's really comfy, but makes me feel like I'm making at least a little bit of an effort - so perfect for going out for lunch with my mum.

I've just tied my hair in a very loose plait, which is another super speedy style to do. I also like that it shows off the blonde stripe in my hair!

For fun, I thought I'd also share this sketch I made when planning the post! I couldn't get my hands on a Frankie diary, but I reckon I've got the next best thing - the Little Otsu annual planner by the very talented Lizzy Stewart. It's full of Lizzy's illustrations (which I feel a bit guilty for doodling all over), but is proving perfect as a work AND blog planner!

This has been my first time taking outfit photos with a remote & tripod - hence the slightly awkward poses (I am still learning!), so thanks for bearing with me!

p.s. If you liked this sort of post then head over to Bee Waits - Claire is taking part in "One Month One Dress" to raise money for charity - awesome!

Cosy boots wishlist

I feel like I've been tricked by winter. It's the same every January - as soon as Christmas and New Year are over, I assume that spring is just around the corner & then am surprised (and depressed) by the long, long, LONG cold dark weeks that follow.

I'm typing this with a hot water bottle on my knees, so getting cosy is definitely on my mind! Even though I'm counting down the days until Spring starts (or the temperature at least rises above freezing, I'm not picky), I couldn't resist putting together a wishlist of the cosiest looking boots I could see.

Shoes - Spartoo

1. Buffalo - Mac Queen I am in love with these boots! They are cosy, they have buckles & they are studded. Love love love.

2. Blink - Foutra Sorry for only ever blogging about shoes with buckles, but I like them! I love how fuzzy these boots are - totally unappropriate for wintery countryside walks (or anything with danger of muddly puddles), but perfect for city days.

3. Blink - Blouk Ignoring the ridiculous name of these boots (sorry, but Blink Blouk? Hm!) I really like them. I think they would be really lovely with thick grey tights and a floral dress OR with jeans tucked in. And they have buckles. Obviously.

4. UGG - Brooks I have never been an UGG fan. I can't understand why people spend £££ on what just looks like big expensive slippers. But they seem to be branching out from just the classic style & are making boots that look a bit more sturdy. For over £250 you would hope they would last you FOREVER though!

Moving to the suburbs

This month marks a whole year since we bought our house. It's funny to think how fast time has flown by - I remember the utter stress of trying to find a mortgage, credit checks, traipsing around building sites, researching everything, trying not to get our hopes up.. and then, spending the most money we ever have on something that wasn't even built yet.

Dwellings cross stitch collection by not so modern millie (etsy)

It's been eight months since we moved to the suburbs, and life has changed in so many ways. Before, we were in a tiny little flat in the centre of town, surrounded by neighbours and noise and cars and shops. Now we live on the edge of a country park. Our neighbours are spaced out and super quiet - at night I can stand in my back garden and look to the sky and hear only the wind in the trees.

I used to be able to walk to the shop in two minutes, now I have to actually make shopping lists (!) and plan in advance (like a real, proper grown up). It's forced me to learn to cook, as I can't just nip out for tea. I have to be sensible now and think about money and where it goes. I can't just spend it all on dresses these days, I budget, have home insurance, and swoon over homeware catalogues. I've changed. (I still buy a ridiculous number of dresses though).

So here's to being a grown up, I guess. It's actually a lot of fun.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.

How to: make a sugar scrub

As much as I love shopping, I am a big fan of homemade gifts - I think it's really nice to put a little bit of effort in AND it also tends to be cheaper, which is always good! 

Here's a really easy DIY - how to make a lovely coconut & vanilla sugar scrub. Mmm! (Mum & sisters, please look away now - ha!). 

I used American cups to measure everything out as it seemed easier - if you don't have a set there's loads of conversion calculators online!

For one jar, you'll need the following:

• 2 cups of sugar (I mixed granulated and caster sugar)
• 4 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 cup of grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• Food colouring
• A jar! I got mine from Ikea. 

Measure out your sugar and put in a large bowl. Melt the coconut oil (I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds), then mix in the grapeseed oil and vanilla extract. Stir it all together, and add in a couple of drops of food colouring. Stir again, check that the scent is as strong as you'd like & spoon into a jar!

It's SO easy!

As I was making these as gifts, I cut out some washi tape into triangles & stuck it round the jars to look like bunting. I made some gift tags & tied them on with tiny bits of tinsel. Lovely stuff!

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with NOW Pensions (thanks guys!). They're keen to put money saving at the forefront of people's minds this Christmas, and to think about saving money more generally - particularly when it comes to saving money for the future. 

Christmas spending

It's December, which means Christmas is ON! Festive lights are up everywhere, the markets are open, mulled wine is brewing & I've got my beautiful (real!) Christmas tree up and decorated (more on this soon!).

This year I've tried to be as organised as possible! I started shopping in November to try & spread the costs of presents out a little more & have been armed with spreadsheets, lists and highlighters to keep me right (and avoid any potential "ohgodohgodohgodIforgotaboutsoandso" panic). I realise that sounds very boring, but I promise it's fun & not quite as military-esque as it sounds!

Anyway, as fun as being Captain Organised is, I still always look forward to a "proper" day of Christmas shopping with my mum - bustling round shops, feeling like santa with millions of bags & going for "reward" cups of coffee. Ace!

So, this leads me (sort of) nicely onto a new ad that was flagged up to me last week. It's promoting Barclaycard's contactless payment (which, really, is some sort of wonderful witchcraft!), where you either tap your card or your phone over a contactless reader & instantly pay for items up to £15. No faffing with your wallet, or struggling to juggle bags, or anything!

 

The ad is very Toy Story esque... toys come to life to show how easy shopping can be. The future is here... 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Spreaditfast.