Easter Holidays: Week One

My Easter Holidays Week One:

Friday:
Made lunch for my Mum then went shopping. Bought new boots from Topshop and had a mini Primark splurge (including the above black and white sandals).

Saturday:
Went to Glasgow with my fellow Claire's on Saturday. Managed a quick look in the new Forever 21 but it's so big it will require a whole day visit!

Sunday:
It was a bank holiday Monday so we went to see a local tribute band. I wore a new dress from River Island and taupe spiked Litas (finally treated myself to the real deal).

Monday:
Had Easter lunch with my parents and grandparents. My evening was spent on the couch having an American TV marathon eating chocolate. Plus the sun finally came out (so of course I took a picture of my door - as you do!).

Tuesday:
Went to a restaurant in Culross called the Red Lion with my sister Lauren. The steak was to die for and you had to wear an apron as it was brought out on a sizzling plate. Lauren stayed over and we had a Girls marathon.

Wednesday:
DIY!! I began the mammoth task of painting the hall.

Thursday:
Attended the Zen Lifestyle blogger event with Cat. See previous post.

Friday:
Finally finished painting the hall and bathroom. My parents came round for tea and mum stayed as we had an early start in the morning because...

Saturday:
We went to the infamous Scout Sale in Morningside, Edinburgh. I spent a grand total of £3.50 and got a set of coasters, two cushion covers, a shirt from West Germany(?), some new books and a letter holder (not pictured). It was absolute granny shoving chaos! We then went to Ikea for lunch and I bought the obligatory scented candles, some lovely new teal towels and the main reason for the trip a massive rug for my living room. We drove past my granny's childhood home and got lost in the countryside. I had a banging Saturday night and finished painting my kitchen roof.

Sunday:
Today I finished painting the kitchen and bought colours for the kitchen and bedroom feature walls. At night I had a meal with the girls at our favourite restaurant to hear about my friend Leigh's trip to Thailand.

Being a teacher I get 12 weeks off a year (don't hate me!) Sometimes it feels like I have done nothing with my holidays so it helps to write it all down. I hope you've enjoyed a wee sneak peak at my life.

Lover You Should Come Over

Scarf - Charity // Skirt - Topshop / Socks - Primark // Converse - Spartoo

It's officially half term - hurrah! Although for me that only means a long weekend off. However, it has been spent wonderfully so far. A trip to Ikea with the mother followed by lunch and then a very romantic evening with the boyfriend. He truly excelled himself by turning up at the door with flowers, steak and a bag full of surprises... including Valentines coupons, a stunning thrifted photo album (he's learning), a handmade bracelet and a mix-tape of significant songs. Never has anyone put so much thought or effort into presents for me. (My good karma last Valentines paid off obviously!)

The above outfit is a mish-mash of very old and very new. I bought the jacket aged fifteen with my first wage from the chippy. It's from Bay Trading! The t-shirt is topshop circa 2008 and I still love it. The socks and the shoes are new. I managed to get Converse in a size 5.5 and they are the perfect fit! Even better, they only cost £33 from spartoo.co.uk, however, that deal seems to have vamoosed! On another note I'm really enjoying seeing the southern bloggers coverage of London Fashion Week on Instagram and am hoping the rest of my long weekend is as lovely as it has been and affords me a little more blogging time.

One Shirt, Two Ways

Shirt - George // Cardigan - Vintage £15 // Culottes - Charity £4 // Earrings - Charity £1.50 // Gold Necklace - Gift //
Lips - Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Honey

Excuse the "Instagramed" photos but the quality of my pictures isn't that great today. (A rushed shoot in between work and a dentist appointment and very poor light). If I'm quite honest I like the vintage haze it gives the photos due to the slight blur! I wanted to show this shirt in a contrasting outfit to yesterdays post Chain of Fools. Today I teamed it with culottes I got from my local charity shop and my favourite cardigan which I have worn to work every week without fail since I bought it over a year ago. I like the clash of prints here and the granny chic look of the mismatched colours and textures. 

P.s. Excuse the "baby-hair" fringe. It appeared a year ago and is the bane of my life ha!

Chain of Fools

Coat - Charity Shop £10 // Shirt - George // Shorts - Market £5 // Belt - Primark //
Loafers - River Island // Gold Necklace - Gift

It's been a lovely Sunday. My sister, my mother and I went to a local vintage fair called Gin in Teacups (I got some lovely items but will post about them separately) and took a trip to Matalan. It started off a miserable and "driech" day but turned out rather nice by the afternoon resulting in lots of squinty-eye pics being taken. Despite the sun, it's still very cold in Scotland which means I can crack out my winter jackets including my old Barnardo's favourite.

Where the Wild Things Are

Shirt - Charity Shop // Skirt - River Island // Boots - ASOS // Necklace - Primark // Lipstick - MAC Russian Red  

I was lucky enough for the rain to stay off on Friday and for the temperature to creep up to a positively balmy 15 degrees so it was a no tights evening and a chance to wear my relatively new suede boots! These are the tan version of the purple ASOS Aggie boots that feature in the post "Purple Rain". The ASOS Aggie boots are currently in the sale for £31 but have unfortunately sold out in this colour - I am tempted to get them in grey or black leather too but three pairs of the same style boot is a bit excessive... no?!

The skirt is from River Island and cost £16 - bargain! The necklace is actually a purchase from last year but it was the first time I've worn it as it was really itchy but it felt fine under a shirt collar. I was a bit apprehensive about matching a silk tiger print shirt with a cream floral skirt but all in all I think the clash of textures and patterns works really well.

Jungle Is Massive... American Apparel Disco Pants

Disco Pants - American Apparel // M&S Shirt - Charity // Faux Litas - eBay // Jewellery - Primark

I have swithered over the buy button for a while. Would I pay more for, in all honesty, a pair of leggings than I have for any single item of clothing I have bought in quite a while? Then I looked at my wardrobe full of shirts and thought "I need these in my life". I got them from ASOS with 10% off and free delivery which worked out at £63 in total. I ordered on the Monday and they arrived on the Friday. I'd been panicking all week over whether they would fit. I opted for a M which equates to a size 10-12. (I am generally a size 12 jeans in Topshop if this helps with sizing.) They are much stretchier than I expected. You will have to do the "wriggle" dance to get into them but once you are, believe me, the benefits are bountiful. Belly flattened. Bum lifted... Hello new pulling pants! They look as equally good with a a crop top and heels and they do with a vest and hi-tops. And yes, I couldn't resist a Sandy impression when I put them on.

(Update: I would say since buying that they have lost a little of their initial tightness and would be interested in seeing how a S would fit.)

Black and white images edited using http://www.picmonkey.com/

Pearls Before Swine

Shirt - Charity Shop // Jacket - Topshop // Leggings - Topshop // Belt - Primark // Earrings - Charity Shop // Shoes - Faith

I have had a lot of success in charity shops this Easter. This little beauty was £2! I was on a family day out to Falkland last Thursday and we stopped in the Leslie Christian Charity Shop on the way back which is a treasure trove of clothes, shoes and curios. I got a few other pieces but I want to save them for a "charity-shop-only" post. I am suffering from last day of the holiday blues. Ah well... back to work and reality tomorrow.

Mint Choc Chip

Jumper - Warehouse // Earrings - Warehouse // Necklace - Charity Shop // Bracelet - Topshop (old) //
Nail Varnish - Rimmel Peppermint

I fell in love with this jumper the minute I walked into Warehouse. I was on a shopping trip to Livingstone to return a dress and hit Wagamama's with my mother when I caved in and bought this. It just happened to match my nail varnish which I deemed to be fate. Although it's not obvious in the pictures there is a floral pattern across the chest and down the sleeves. (I threw in a picture of my cat for good measure. She's a babe. She is actually a he... This was discovered recently at the vets. So Bonnie Blue is now Ollie Blue. And one of my good friend Leigh and I sharing a cocktail in TGI's. She is also a babe.)

Polka Pan

Shirt  - Charity Shop // Leather Jacket - Topshop // Shorts - Warehouse // Earrings - Urban Outfitters // 
Lipstick - MAC Russian Red

I am sticking to my pledge to blog everyday during the holidays My bank balance is not thanking me this week but Easter holidays are for shopping, eating, drinking and being merry - all of which I am most definitely indulging in! I had a rare Wednesday night out last night. I always feel so rebellious being out on a school night. Much fun was had and I wore my converse which was a liberating experience and made it much easier to shuffle! I decided to have a quick look in the charity shops of Dunfermline today before heading home and managed to bag myself two items - both with Peter Pan collars. Jackpot. The above shirt was £.295 and is originally from Marks and Spencers. It is massive but I have a crush on over-sized shirts at the moment and I love the collar. I also bought a sundress but it's ankle length and not very flattering as a maxi. DIY project number 2 - convert to a playsuit or short(er) dress!

Preloved: Shirts with a Story

I love nothing more than a charity shop rummage. Whether it's picking up old fashion bowls to store jewellery in or quirky kitchenware, there is always a bargain to be had. One of my best friends from Uni came through to Fife recently and being a fellow fashionista we decided to hit the charity shops of Dunfermline with extremely great success! I'm currently a little bit obsessed with shirts and purchased the above pair for under £5. The waist coated shirt takes me back to the 90s when I loved nothing more than a t-shirt/ waistcoat combo. However, I think the colour, pattern and the detailing on the buttons is very current and it will look great with either leggings or cropped denim shorts. I am not so certain of the second shirt but it was 99p and is quite versace-esque with its baroque print. It has splits at the side which you can't really see from the picture and sits quite high on the waist. Again, I'm feeling a leggings or shorts pairing with my platform boots.

In my continuing quest to emulate the style of Lana Del Rey, I also bought a piece of "ghetto-chav" gold in the form of a t-bar chain for £1.99, a lovely vintage snowdrop necklace for 75p(!) and another scarf to add to my expanding collection for £1.75. My friend's find of the day definitely had to be a pair of vintage Rayban tortoiseshell wayfarers for £10.

I recently joined in the debate on Twitter through @DomesticSluts which asked Twitter users to discuss Vintage Fashion. I have bought vintage items before which I love but I do prefer to look through charity/ second hand shops. Part of the enjoyment for me is finding that needle in the haystack item rather than being told something is fashionable purely because it has been labelled vintage even if it is simply vintage-style Primark circa 2009.

What are your thoughts re vintage/ second hand fashion? What are your bargain hunting tips? What was your best ever purchase? C'mon ladies share the love!

Christmas Stocking

Just a little post about gifts, brownies and denim Christmas shirts!

My sister and I were in charge of Christmas dinner this year. The preparation began on Christmas eve. We made mushroom soup and Nigella's brownies while crying over It's a Wonderful Life! I finally got to crack out my Christmas shirt. A bargain find in Barnardos! My mum and sister customised their own charity shop cardies in homage this year. Pictured is my haul of Christmas goodies... Liz Earle skin care set. Givenchy Hot Couture perfume. Massive Velcro rollers. H&M hoodie. A vintage soda syphon. Plus pjs, underwear, books and a stocking full of loveliness... A fabulous perk of being back home!