its christmas time...

 I absolutely love christmas pictures of snowy scenes, christmas trees and lights! Hope this lifts your spirits!

Fashion Repeating?

Really nowadays thanks to the media and magazines we should be buying clothes and only daring to wear them once! To me this is utterly barmy! I buy clothes and not only do I wear them once, I wear them until they break and fall to pieces! How can we go shopping and find a dress that is beautifully perfect and fits our figure so well and wear it only once, if you feel amazing in that dress wear it again and again! And don't be afraid of what your friends or some may call 'critics' will say about you outfit repeating, you really should only care about the new found confidence the dress has given you. Now, I must say buying the perfect dress or pair of jeans that makes your bum look like the lady's off the Special K advert can make your wage slip disappear into thin air! Simply for that reason when I'm forking out £60 for my new pair of jeans, I'm going to wear them until they disintegrate! These days we like to invest in pieces and have them last a life time, we should be able to buy statement pieces and wear them over and over again! So, don't be afraid to outfit repeat! Only thing I ask is that you wait a few weeks before you do!

Strolling down the Marbella front!

 Quick jet set break to Marbella for a few days! I must say my preconceptions of the Marbella luxury were quite wrong I expected orange women with plastic looks walking down the beach with glitter high heeled platforms on! But to be honest it really is a lovely coastal resort in Spain with a mixture of all cultures enjoying the glimmering weather! The weather in Spain wasn't the best I could of wished for, as the day I took the photos was the only afternoon of sun we got, which left us doing a lot of shopping to hide from the rain! Marbella has some luxury shopping centres just minutes from the resort and  the fashion showcased inside is a mixture of catwalk trends with European twist! Walking into stores like Pull & Bear, Blanco and Cortefiel I see the 'of the moment' trend camouflage but seen in summery dresses and shorts! Ideal for the weather in Spain! Browsing in those shopping centres is essential with a trip to Spain but only on the days your not soaking up the sun, it is a holiday afterall! 

Trend Aware for A/W 12'

So here is my take on the trends for A/W 12', I've focused mainly on the pale pinks, beige and nude colours that tend to run throughout many of the high streets collection, they are also very easy to wear and style. Hopefully I'll do some more collections focusing on other colours and themes as I have seen the up and coming purples and deep reds creeping into shops like H&M and Warehouse, that I love!

Starting with the colour block satchel from Warehouse, priced at £38, the colours that have been matched together on the front of this bag compliment so well, the mustard and lilac leathers are a combination I haven't yet seen. This cute satchel comes with a long strap and buckles nicely at the front, perfect for days out shopping so you can have your hands free for roaming the rails!

For me I prefer to wear arm jewellery as oppose to necklaces as I find you can buy staple bangles and cuffs that match with almost every outfit you own, grab some silver and gold, and your pretty much sorted for the season! This particular stack of bracelets is from River Island and comes in at a hefty £30 which can be a little dear but if you think of how many outfits this piece of jewellery will go with its definitely a statement buy worth investing in! 

Now the boots. These boots are to die for! From Zara, costing £69.99, a definite investment as they look almost designer covering the nude and stud trend a small ankle boot that can be dressed up with a leather skirt or down with some slouch jeans!

The skirt and top in the right hand corner are from Topshop (Skirt £40) and Miss Selfridge (Top £32), this outfit screams individuality as the skirt and top are embroidered beautifully and create a look that would make you stand out at work or on a night out!

The main focus of my collection is the jacket, from Warehouse coming in at £95 and this will set you through to next January! I love how I've never seen anything quite like this coat, I knew I wanted to include some tweed in my little collection but this silver metal looking tweed contrasts perfectly with the pale pink three quarter sleeves. This has to be in your wardrobe!

Finally the little outfit I created at the bottom, is a contrast to the above as it is an edgier look with the grey studded knit from H&M costing only £14.99 and the black piped cream trousers from Warehouse costing £45, they create an dynamic tailored office look that still fits in with the collection but gives you a different way of looking at the soft colours with the black piping detail and the studs! Low scale fashionable biker chic!

The City of Dreams

Old antique houses in neat rows all distinguished by the flowers on the balconies. The colours stand out a mile and shine in the sunny weather. Narrow side streets complete the maze, full of heat and brick roads. Heavily detailed cathedrals and parks loom around the city, filling it with bustling travellers looking for the secrets within the beauty of this capital. The architectural heritage and rich art gives a depth and meaning to the location behind the bustle of tourism. Palm trees swaying in the warm, inviting wind setting out a road unlike no other, overflowing with wooden stalls where people look for that perfectly unique memento to remind them of this captivating city. Smells unlike home linger round the small restaurants and cafes, luring in the flowery dressed tourists to sample the European cuisine. The colourful plates of rice, soft peppers, sea food and tangy lemon lie waiting for a stranger to come and taste the tradition. Hearing the quick rolls of the ‘r’ and seeing the sparkling personalities mesh together with stunning smiles you get a genuine feel for the culture. The essence of the country lies in the capital, the ultimate showcase of how beautifully crafted a city can be whilst keeping in touch with the old. At the heart of the place, we see a busy roundabout crammed with lonely greenery surrounded with small cars, bikes and mopeds, creating a pin point from which the city is then split into a maze of long roads and side streets and from here we can explore what is known as Barcelona.

Las Ramblas

Forgetting the idea of a crowded street full of shoppers rushing about, the Ramblas is a key monument of Barcelona. Starting at the north is the Placa Catalunya and 1.2 kilometres down, is the Port Vell. Standing at the top and looking down you can see an endless street lined with antique buildings and high palm trees. Filling in the gaps are market stalls filled with different things on each, whether it be magnificent flower bouquets, nifty crafted souvenirs, intricate paintings you can discover something that represents Spanish culture. Entertainment lies between the stalls and the palm trees in the name of street performers, these people show their amazing talents off for us to watch as we stroll down the street. During the humid nights the Ramblas come alive, the restaurants and bars that hide in those architecture buildings wake up with flowery flamenco dancing and traditional authentic music. Bright lights light up the walkway in the evening for anyone to see Barcelona’s finest culture at its best.

Sagrada Familia

Beautifully designed, intricately detailed and incredibly structured, the Sagrada Familia sits with pride to the whole of Barcelona. Looking carefully you can see the history embedded in the walls of the cathedral, walking round the inside you see the stained glass windows, when the sun shines through a show of colours develops on the wall of the cathedral. Although, incomplete, in 1883 Gaudi took over the design of the Sagrada Familia; to this day in an astonishing way we see a brilliant example of Gaudi’s work. Again, at night all things Spanish have a different side. The Sagrada Familia is lit up by many vivid lights so you can see it from miles around. This breath taking building is one of the main key sights in the maze of Barcelona. When visiting you can indulge yourself with the history of the cathedral inside and out and bask in the glory of this wonderful building.

Port of Barcelona

South of Las Ramblas is Barcelona’s port: home to the Christopher Columbus monument, here we see a more modern side of Barcelona with the newly created shopping centre, cinema and aquarium. Before the harbour was run down, full of industrial buildings putting the enchanting city to shame, but now it has opened the city up to the sea, whilst keeping in touch with Barcelona’s imaginative architecture shown on the bridge to Port Vell. The famous monument of Columbus marks the site where he returned after his voyage to America and also marks the point where old meets new. Looking left from the monument you see the Marina Port Vell, which is at the heart of Barcelona, its crammed full of shiny rich yachts ready to explore Barcelona. Boat rides are available from the docks for travellers to admire Barcelona’s coast line from the clear blue sea.

My trip to Barcelona was a birthday treat for my long awaited eighteenth birthday! And it was the best present a girl could wish for! I loved everything about this beautifully cultural city and knowing all this lies on just a two hour flight away from home was fabulous! I knew I had to write a piece on this experience, so I hope my opening paragraphs do the city justice and makes you all eager to book your own trip!

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin, need I say more?

This week I took a trip down to what at the moment looks like a very muggy London with my old textiles class to see the heavily anticipated Louboutin exhibition. The actual exhibition itself was flawlessly brilliant and I loved it all! As soon as you walk in you see a hologram of a giant diamanté shoe that spins around and later changes into a burlesque dancer, I'm thinking Dita Von Teese? The exhibition is cleverly set in a dark red and black room which reflects his ever so famous red sole that we see celebs prancing down the red carpet in! Oh if I could afford!

I don't want to explain everything about the exhibition but I must say you can see a lot of thought has gone into the creation of his displays. Each shoe has a little story behind it, like his take on the ballet shoe with the vertical heel so when a woman wears the shoe they are instantly a ballerina on point! Maybe not so practical but clearly a magnificent idea. Also the shoe he created for YSL for their final couture house runway, the shoe was created with a simple black sandal heel with no straps but a badge of the YSL logo in black diamanté that was placed on the foot! I loved the exhibition so much and as someone who dreams of owning a wardrobe full of his breathtaking shoes I marvelled at the whole exhibition, a must see!

Prom Night

Just thought I'd share a picture from my Prom night! It really was such a great night to be with all my friends and enjoy our last college celebration! My outfit worked a treat.. well to be frankly honest I had a typical 1-hour-before-I-need-to-leave drama! I love the shear fabric I really do but trying this dress on in a dark badly lit fitting room was a bad idea. So I had to borrow my 92 year old next door neighbours slip to go underneath so you couldn't see straight through! Bless her! She was so happy to help a stressed out girl get ready for her prom. So remember... neighbours are helpful and not always nosy! Also when trying on walk about the fitting room and find some good lighting, so you don't have the same traumatic experience as me! Ha!

Delantal Precioso, Precious Detail.

The reaction you get from someone when you give them a gift is so precious, you can receive and even better emotion when its hand made. I decided to make a gift for my Spanish teacher who to me has been the most caring and understanding teacher I have even had the pleasure of teaching me. I had made an apron once before for my mum, and she wears it every night when she makes dinner. It took me only a few hours to create and it was so worth it. So I thought I'd make my teacher one, knowing she was a mum of three I was sure it would come in useful! I designed it simplistically with a strawberry covered fabric, white lace to hem the top and bottom of the apron and then I decorated the bottom with embroidery saying 'Muchas Gracias Mrs Champagnon' it took me several attempts to get it readable! But I loved it so much, I just wanted to share with you all that making a present whether its something daft or something detailed can be worth just as much as something you paid hundreds for! We do live in a recession you know!

One word... Inspiring

For years and years I have had acne, I have tried hundreds of products and grown tired of seeing the flawless faces of fashion and media everywhere putting girls like me down. Today I found this woman on youtube, and she has inspired me so much I decided to blog about her. Cassandra Bankson is a sufferer of Cystic Acne, I do not suffer from this type of acne however I can relate so well to her. The bravery and self confidence she has, has made me feel so much more positive about myself. She explains in this video how nervous she is to show her natural face to the world but to me I find this so uplifting. I know myself how self concious I feel when I wear no make up, and because of this I barely go natural. In this video and many of her others she explains how she has begun to accept her skin problem. Now today I was merely looking for different tutorials on how to apply foundation to acne prone skin, and this tutorial is by far the best! Whether you use the products she does or not, she supplies helpful tips on applying and setting your make up to get rid off the acne skin. I would just like to say a big thankyou to her! And for her to hopefully realise that by putting herself and her problems in the spotlight she has helped so many other people around the globe. 

Inspiring.

Beautiful Tranquillity in a Prom Dress

Choosing the ideal prom dress for me was so annoyingly hard I have to admit this was not my first choice but after thinking and over-thinking I chose to do something different to what people would expect. The end of college prom is so different to your year 11 prom, where over the top was key! I went for a simple red short puffball dress. I wore silver jewellery with matching shoes and clutch! Again not wanting to follow the crowd of gem encrusted ball gowns that stuck out a mile and couldn't walk in, I went with my own preference. My end of college prom is where we can all show our transformations into adults, with my dreams of becoming the next Louise Roe or Whitney Port subtly standing out in my head I knew I had to leave a taste of my individual fashion taste in the mouths of my fellow sixth formers! My taste is fashion that doesn't stand out a mile, like this dress the beautifully vintage feeling print hovering over the white chiffon is beautiful. What makes this dress key to spring/summer trends is the pleating and the cuts up the side of the dress. I have teamed this dress with my absolutely beautiful and lets not forget comfortable! White H&M flowered wedges and a white and aqua blue structured clutch by Dorothy Perkins to bring out the aqua greens of the leaves in the dress. I love this outfit and feel confident that its fashion foward with a style twist of my own, here simplicity is the key to the fashion statement. Also I must add that all together this outfit cost me £45 for the dress (Oasis) £24.99 for my wedges (H&M) and my clutch £15 (Dorothy Perkins) a few gold jewellery pieces that I already had comes to a show stopping £84.99! And I plan to have a wonderful time at my prom to celebrate the two years of college life coming to an end and the beginning of my career in fashion! Wish me luck!

A few photo's I took when I went away in the Easter break, although the weather wasn't too cracking the photo's came out quite nice so ignore the clouds!

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Something Inspirational

This is what happens when we have beautiful weather! I love taking photographs of my garden when its sunny and warm, makes the photos look warmer! 

Its prom dress time, again!

I swear my taste for fashion is getting more particular every day. Little things can sway me from lets buy to lets not. So you can probably understand my dilemma because its time for me to buy my perfect dress... for my final prom! I have so many styles whizzing around in my head, it could be midi, short, maxi, pale, bright, bold, embellished, block coloured or patterned! The list for me is endless, I blame the spring summer trends! There's too many to pickkkkkk! Obviously, I've seen my perfect dress on the catwalks of Louis Vuitton modelled by Kate Moss, god knows how much that piece of fashionable artwork costs! But not in my fifty pound budget, I'm sure!
Anyway, I've seen a few dresses, here and there.. but my budget is low and I want something that suits my style to the T!
I have around three months to go til the day, so I'll keep plodding on...!
When I've picked the 'one' I'll let you know, but from now on... wish me luck!

Predicting our summer!

Looking through my copy of Januaries Elle skipping quickly over the numerous full page adverts for the likes of Chanel, Armani and Calvin Klein. I searched for the up and coming Spring/Summer 12' trends that I have hungered for throughout the Crimbo holidays! However, I soon realised that actually the full page adverts could of been meaningful.. and maybe they had the answers I was looking for. So I trudged back to the beginning of the glossy back and studied the very first advert for Chanel. The model wore a dress, a dress made from thin, crispy, meshed, white material. It created a beautiful shape, including an open turtle neck, sleeveless arms. Honestly, it looked like a fashionable witch from Narnia! I loved the shapes and how 'never seen before' the dress was! After being inspired from the first ad campaign, I continued to inspect every page for upcoming trends and heres what I'm expecting to see in those hot and summery seasons...


The Victorian age seems to be flying back in, with pleating and high necklines and turtle necks to make a successful return.
Last year we had the French Riviera collections.. this year we have Frances neighbour Spain! Flamenco and salsa styles hit the catwalk with thin skinny straps, bodiced midi dresses and ruffled skirts, prepare to get your cha cha on!
And finally, get ready to see lace in a whole new light! The designs and shapes created in the intricate details of the material will blossom and get creative. Also the delicacy will become structured and shaped in a whole new way.


So, see you in a few months time to see if I was right! 
P.s - adverts aren't all they seem... they could be telling you something interesting!