Outfit: What I really wore

I've got a bit of a confession for you... I don't know how fashion bloggers do it. Yes I do have nice dresses, and yes I do try and look nice when I'm going out, or going to work, but weekends? They are normally spent looking a lot more like this....

Jeans - New Look
Hoody - Primark
Tshirt - Primark
Daft face - Model's own

It's a different story if I'm going out somewhere nice, but if I'm just getting a coffee or going to the cinema I can't be bothered with much make-up (or to brush my hair). The only reason I have a kind of normal face of make up on here is because I dressed up all fancy to take these outfit photos then changed back into normal clothes to go to watch a movie! Is that cheating?

I had a Primark voucher to spend and couldn't resist this ridiculous RAD tshirt! I know slogan tees are a bit cheesy, but who really cares on a lazy afternoon.

It does feel like - particularly if you are a blogger, or read stylish blogs - that there's a pressure to look lovely & picturesque all the time. But that's just unrealistic! I know this is a really boring outfit post, but I wanted to acknowledge the scruffier, lazier side of my life on here too. I'm scruffy and proud!

JOY dresses

I have a dangerous weak spot for JOY. We all know JOY right? A quirky fashion & homeware shop that sells the most BEAUTIFUL dresses. And skirts. And jumpers with cats on them.

It's lucky that the two Edinburgh stores are a little bit out of my way, otherwise I would be seriously out of pocket (albeit with a very lovely wardrobe). Most JOY dresses sit around the £35 - £60 mark which is very reasonable when you think about the quality & loveliness of what you are getting... but makes it harder to justify when you are a bit skint & just in a "I like new things!" state of mind.

Still, I treated myself this week to the first dress on this wishlist & VERY almost bought the second one, but put it back because it was £49 & I am trying to be good. If you EVER ever see it go on sale you MUST tell me though - it was so perfectly Mad Men I am kicking myself for not getting it!

Top row

Lindy Bird jersey dress | Luvelle print dress | Rajaa button front dress

Bottom row

Boston belted dress | Cherise embellished collar dress | Zaza bird print dress

Love them! (& obviously love blue at the moment too). 

Book love

Each month I chat about what books I've been reading in my monthly Book Love feature.

Atlantis - David Gibbins
I am a sucker for archaeology-mystery books, so thought this was probably a good shout when I spotted it in a charity shop. It was alright in a sort-of-trying-to-be-Dan Brown way, but the characters were quite wooden, and the villains (scary Russians who ALSO want to find Atlantis, how dare they? etc etc) were a bit boring. The author is an underwater archaeologist so clearly knows what he's talking about, even if it's not the most thrilling of tales.

Gentlemen of the Road - Michael Chabon
I've tried to read a couple of Michael Chabon books but always struggle to get into them... which frustrates me when I know so many people that rave about him! Anyway, the same thing happened with Gentlemen of the Road - I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't engage with it. It's a swashbuckling adventure novel about two travellers who make their way around the Caspian Sea (& get into all sorts of peril!). Sounds awesome, but I wasn't that fussed.

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? - Jeanette Winterson
After battling through a few difficult books, I picked up a book by my very favourite author as I knew I would be in safe hands. I'm not usually into autobiographies or memoirs, but this is something else. I LOVE HER. It's the story of her life, and it's powerful and disturbing and lovely and just brilliant. She is a writer who loves language, and almost every line could be a poem.

Written on the Body - Jeanette Winterson
After reading her memoir, I then had to re-read Written on the Body - it's my very favourite book of all time. It's a beautiful book about falling in love (and I promise it's not as sappy as that sounds). Jeanette Winterson doesn't write in a typical narrative structure, it's more like a stream of consciousness (but not in a terrible James Joyce way!). Nothing I can say will do it justice - it's a beautiful, gritty, honest (sometimes heartbreaking) book that just makes so much sense. Read it!

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
I have slightly mixed feelings about this book. On the whole I really enjoyed it - it's about a man who grows up on Mars & is brought to earth... and despite being quite old-school I found that I really cared about the characters & the peril (there's obviously peril) that they were in. But when reading it you have to remember that it was written in the 60's... some of the characters come out with terrible statements, things can be unintentionally hilarious & things get quite weird towards the end. If you like sci fi then you should definitely read it! If not, the next book is more for you...

The Passage - Justin Cronin
Ahhh, it's so scary! This is an epic apocalyptic thriller, where experiments go horribly wrong & vampires are actually scary (and definitely don't glitter in sunshine). I absolutely flew through this book, it's the type that once you start reading you definitely don't want to stop! It's also being made into a film so you should read it now before the movie comes out.

April sponsors!

Here's a little round up of the lovely folk who have been sponsoring Ever So Juliet this month! If you are looking for a new read or a nice place to shop, then this should hopefully provide some inspiration....

Children with Cancer UK Bake Club 

This month Children with Cancer UK are launching Bake Club - a fun and simple way to raise money and save young lives. Help the fight against childhood cancer by making some tasty treats and fundraise at home, at work, or in your community. On the Bake Club website you can download a fundraising pack full of tasty tips, recipes from Jane Asher & James Martin, as well as posters and decorations. Cakes and a good cause - what's better than that? 

www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk/bakeclub

Sylvia Gets Hungry

Sylvia is a new food blogger that has started her site to document her eating experiences, recipes & more! If you are a fan of food (er, who isn't?) and amazing photos that will make you drool then take a look at her blog! 

www.sylviagetshungry.com

Win a festival trip in Scotland 

Want to win tickets to a festival of your choice in Scotland? Plus accommodation? AND train tickets? Well here's your chance - The List & Visit Scotland are running a competition... and if you win you can choose which festival you go to. Brilliant! 

www.list.co.uk

If you would like to sponsor Ever So Juliet then you can do so here! This site reaches just over 11,000 unique users per month, so it's an ace & very affordable way to show off what you do. Adverts start at only $5 (which is £3!) for a month on site & a spot in my monthly sponsor feature.

Alternatively, if you would like to swap buttons, or if you are a charity looking for some free advertising then please get in touch! My email is thisisjuliet @ gmail.com, or comment below. Thanks!

April instagram

It's May! Hooray! I really like this time of year - it's almost summer so the days are long and bright, and the world is full of bbqs, sunshine and fun things. If I can have as much fun in the next four weeks as I did in the last lot, then I'll be a very happy person. 

Here's what I got up to in April...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. Yet again the lovely cafes nearby my work are tempting me daily with amazing looking treats like this. I have managed to resist so far.. but one day I will crack & give in (aargh!).

2. One Friday afternoon at work we had a break to decorate sugar skulls from the Mini Maker Faire (as most of us were working & didn't get a chance to play). Here's my one - it looks a bit like a dinosaur, but I like it! 

3. I painted a new illustrated header from my blog & am pretty pleased with it. I think I'm finally getting the hang of painting hair... it's faaar from perfect, but I can see a big improvement from when I first started painting in January.

4. My pal Joshua & I have started a nail art club, and it is ACE getting to paint daft things on someone else for a change! We went for kawaii-esque animals and it took forever, but was fuelled by lots of cake, tea & sitting in sunshine in Lovecrumbs (who were quite bemused by the whole thing). 

5. The sun came out (hip hip hooray) so Craig & I headed to the beach... to shiver in the wind as it was so breezy! Still looked pretty though.

6. Riley was adorable as usual. 

7. I spring-cleaned the house (finally!) and got a bit obsessed with putting flowers everywhere. Here are some in jars on my mantlepiece...

8. ... and some beautiful daffodils! 

9. I was at my parents' house & found this mega cheery photo of me when I was wee. I used to have natural ringlets (if only I still did!), as well as a hipster-approved outfit. Dungarees with matching suspenders, oh yeah.

10. Waiting on a plane to Laaaandaaan! I thought it was a genius plan to fly down on Friday night with enough time to get the tube over to my pal's house, but the plane was delayed & sat on the runway for over an hour, meaning by the time we arrived the underground was shut & we had to taxi it across town (costing £s!). SO annoying!

11. With my very wonderful girl Steph in the Camden Barfly. I saw on twitter that Zoe (aka the London Lipgloss) was djing at a bubblegum pop night, so we went over & had SO MUCH FUN. Well done Zoe! It was exactly the type of terrible-but-awesome 90s pop night we were after, and I was knackered the next day from dancing so much!

12. Monday margaritas in Wahaca before going to see Beyonce at the O2. Such a fun day - Queen B was on FORM, and her backing dancers were just incredible!