Cotton-tails

Have you ever encountered such adorable fairy lights? These lovely 'Marshmallow' coloured string lights were sent to me by the nice people at Cable & Cotton and they are currently warming up a little corner of my living room on this grey drizzly evening! 

Cable & Cotton make a whole load of different coloured baubles that are made of a kind of, wrapped and set string, which can be put together in custom combinations, plain or set selections (which all have rather nice names like 'Sea Salt' and 'Caramel Swirl'). They come separate from the string white fairy lights in the box, so you can pop them on yourself in any way you like, and they are actually really easy to put together. Even unlit they're super cute, but when you plug in they come alive. They're soft and comforting as they diffuse the light, like tiny setting suns or the hazy heads of seeding dandelions and they honestly would pretty-up just about anything you put them on!

I decided to give them a go along my mantlepiece at first, which did look great, but then I remembered we bought a giant glass vase for the corner of the room, which was filled with white silk rose petals. After tipping these all over the floor and some careful stuffing of the lights into the vase, I came up with their new home, and they look AMAZING. They'll be getting an outing at our wedding next year too, but for now I'm just going to gaze at them and dream of warm summer sunsets and festival nights, whilst the rain continues to pour...




Head over to www.cableandcotton.co.uk to check them out for yourself! Huge thanks to C&C for bringing a little light into my life :)

This sample product was gifted from Cable & Cotton. Opinions expressed here are my own.

HYPER JAPAN 2013!

Ok so this is going to be a bit of a disappointing post because like the berks we are... we didn't actually take any bloody photos! DOH! We were basically having too much fun, had our hands full, and there was a lot to look at.

Hyper Japan at Earl's Court is a big J-culture event with everything from Cosplay to Sushi Awards, anime to J-pop and the queue to get in was ENORMOUS. Once inside, we headed straight for the Nintendo area to play in the Animal Crossing garden and pick-a-pikmin (didn't win, boooo) as well as getting in the photobooth and playing some of the new wiiU and 3DS games. We moved on to the kawaii and anime stalls which were overflowing with CUTENESS (I pretty much wanted everything) but Alex placated me with a little Totoro keyring :)

After winning some free chicken skewers on a tombola thing, we headed over to the food area to do some sampling, and managed to catch a quick Maki-Sushi demo before chowing down on some exceptionally tasty stuff. The chicken skewers were crispy and smothered in 'Japanese sauce' whatever that is, but we also ate Chicken Katsu Curry, panko prawns and sushi - all fantastic. After a look at some fancy cars, a J-Goth (?!) performance and being sorely tempted into honeymoon plans by all the travel agents, we tried our hand at retro arcade machines (I'm not very good at the aircraft-shooting one, zombies are more my style) and drooled over cosplay cat-mittens and ears before heading home. HJ was actually smaller than I imagined, hope it continues to grow though as it was a fun day out!

My outfit wasn't a stunner (but does have some fun bits!), but cosplay wasn't on the cards with bringing all our stuff around London/the heat. Maybe next time!

Shirt dress: Primark

Leggings: Heart print from Jack Wills (same setup as my other ones, but have tiny pink and cream hearts all over, how adorable?)

Trainers: FRIES PRINT VANS! This is the other fash thing Alex got for my Birthday, they are absolutely AWESOME! Keith Lemon has them too, that's how you know they're good ;)

Accessories:

Cherry necklace - ebay
Totoro handbag - ebay
Green handbag - Fiorelli
Cat ears headband - ebay
Frilly white socks - ebay
Jammy dodger ring - present
Pocketwatch necklace - ASOS

Urban Outfitters Camden Launch Party

Woosh! That's the sound of July going by... this year is spinning out of control! I've a few cracking posts lined up with a couple of awesome products, but today is the round up from the Urban Outfitters Camden store launch party to which we were very generously guest-listed (thanks UO!).

So we decided to spend the day hanging out in Camden, mooching around the shops and wishing we could buy everything (especially the Studio Ghibli tshirts from the lady near the stables) and eating amazing catfish stew at The Blues Kitchen. My favourite shop in Camden is the daytime-club, Cyberdog - it was as ever, like walking right into a warehouse rave. Neon everwhere, podium dancers in tiny booths on the wall, mirrored surfaces, lasers and eardrum-bursting music. I just bloody love it. Alex bought a 3D/UV alien tshirt to wear at Bestival in the dance tents and I got an amazing long vest top with a mesh 'spine' detail, which I'm planning to wear at Roller Derby to keep cool. Oh yeah, I joined a Roller Derby newbie trial... Aaaanyway, I'll try and get those up in another post soon. We almost bought UV nail polish, until the chick behind the counter backlit it and we realised what a shoddy job I'd done :/

So here's my day outfit, it was so hot we both decided to take a change of top with us for the evening - sly.

Shirt: Birdcages with black piping - ASOS. This shirt is kinda sheer but you know what? I just damn well didn't care, it was too hot to wear a vest! I had a nude bra on and high waisted jeans so it's not all bad. The sleeves are a little large on this, but it is easy to throw on.

Jeans: High waisted, super skinny jeans in black acid wash - ASOS. I know I've blogged these before but I must just say again, I LOVE THESE JEANS. They are just ever so comfy.

Trainers: Burgundy Vans (actually, the insole is kinda dead so they ripped my feet to shreds after a day of running around, time to seek a replacement inner methinks)

Bag: Green mini - Fiorelli, see previous posts! Bought by Al :)

Scarf: Camera print, bought in Whitby

Accessories: 

Key necklaces - Pieces from ASOS and crafty one from my Mum
Sunglasses - Pieces from ASOS
Rings - H&M, Superdry, Alchemy Gothic
Bracelets - Primark, ASOS
Watch - ASOS
Nail Polish - Minty green from Stargazer (included because I'm obsessed with this colour and Stargazer products are just amazing) 

So, onto my second outfit of the evening - not vastly different, but at least I wasn't an 'orrible sweaty mess going into the UO launch party...

Shirt: Rolled sleeve chiffony cream button up - Primark. Loving these at the moment, very comfortable and cover the shoulder enough to be summer-evening as well as summer-day wear. I wore it top buttoned with a navy bow I got from an ebay seller.

Cover-up: Tree photographic print sheer top with tie detail - George at ASDA

Jeans: As before

Trainers: As before

Accessories: As before

The party was a lot of fun, there was a photobooth, piñatas with prizes inside, art installations, temporary tattoos, a free bar (with the most enormous bottles of beer ever) and DJ Bradley Zero mixing away providing the entertainment. All this alongside a first-look at the brand new store and all the exciting STUFF! 

Oh I forgot the very best thing: we picked up stripy bags and weaved in and out of the stands full of jeans and tshirts, hunting down the giant glass jars full of sweeties hidden around the shop, amongst the merchandise! We gorged ourselves on bonbons, jelly-eggs and giant beers whilst umming and ahhing over what we liked most, but eventually decided on the following:

Unicorn items (there were a lot)
Casio retro watches
Acid wash denim dresses
Random baseball jerseys

Top launch UO, thanks for the invite!

Style up, Style down

Wowzers, my Birthday has been going on a bit hasn't it?! Went out for dinner last night with some fabulous friends, scallops, cake, pimms, presents, champagne sorbet and most importantly, laughs! Had a great night, really relaxed and got some fashion inspiration from the ladies - such a beautiful collection of summery dresses and outfits, I now have to make a trip to town... haha

So I know I've blogged this dress before, but that was styled up for a wedding - it's so versatile, this is it gone casual for sunny days!

Dress - ASOS. It's lightweight, has capped sleeves and a tucked waist with tiny belt loops, and a flowery white on blue pattern. I really do love this dress, it's so comfy. ASOS dresses always seem to fit well and true to size for the most part, it's not in stock any more as I got it last year, but I bet there is something similar around on the site (plus it's sale time, they have THE BEST sales ever).

Leggings - Cropped navy blue. I haven't a clue where these are from, I was looking through my drawers and they were just there, hurrah!

Sandals - Primark (see previous post for a close-up)

Bag - French Connection, wicker/straw and leather mini bag. This was featured in a previous post too, it's really tiny but does actually hold a decent amount of stuff in it!

Belt - ASOS, it's a super-long boyfriend style belt which is designed for jeans I think, but I like to use it as a looped waist belt to cinch casual dresses instead. It's pretty heavy duty leather, but not too wide so doesn't look it.

Scarf - Deer! Cute little deer! This navy scarf was bought by my Sister & Bro-in-Law for my Birthday, I have been coveting it for ever so long... isn't it adorable? It reminds me of the Babycham logo, and was bought in Whitby I believe.

Purse - Also from Sis and B-Law, this is from one of my favourite companies Disaster Designs. They make the most exciting array of bags/wallets/purses etc. and this one is a kind of Victorian lock and key design, it is just so so coooool!

Accessories:

Sunglasses - Pieces at ASOS

Necklace - White daisy flowers from Claire's Accessories

Rings - Silver knuckle rings, a variety of sizes from ASOS

Watch - ASOS

Bracelets - can't remember, maybe Primark?

 

Summer Lovin'

  

Hot damn, is this Britain?! We've spent today basking like seals on the balcony and paddling in the sea, and gorging ourselves on salad, fruit and copious amounts of cold drinks. Fairly busy in the Bay today, lots of families and dogs out swimming/sailing/canoeing/having a jolly good time - so nice to see everyone having a proper British seaside holiday! This is what I wore when I wasn't sunning myself...

Vest - Cry Baby (Johnny Depp) from H&M. I found this last week for a stunning £3 when I needed to kill five minutes waiting for Al, absolutely joyous about it as I've been wanting a Cry Baby tshirt for yonks and everywhere I've seen them they've been selling at over twenty quid (ouch). If you haven't seen this movie, you're missing out! Anyway the vest is soft jersey with oversized arm-holes and a cut-out neckline (as if you'd chopped a men's tee basically), and it's still in stock in the sale section if you want one!

Skirt - Tie-dye layer maxi skirt from Primark. Got this a few months ago when it was unexpectedly hot and we'd gone away for the weekend, and all I'd taken with me was jeans and hoodies! It has a soft lycra type mini-skirt on the inside to protect one's dignity... haha... and a sheer tie-dye style long overlay. It's floaty and cool without being revealing. I feel a bit hippy-ish in it, kinda reminds me of my Mum!

Sandals - I'll stick a collage close-up of these and the brown sandals from one of my previous posts in. They're from Primark! (See previous posts for more details)

Accessories:

Spike chain necklace, Stud and chain bracelets, Tortoiseshell Clubmaster style sunglasses - all Primark

Beach Birthday

So, it's my Birthday and I've been whisked away (sort of... the car did break down once... we forgot the keys and had to go back... forgot to get dinner... oh and I stubbed my toe on the steps, it's a comedy of errors really) to the beautiful seaside for the weekend! Hooray! The weather is absolutely STUNNING and HOT - I think the Earth is celebrating the joyous occasion of my Birth too. We've been out to Whitby today to eat fish and chips at The Magpie (delicious) and now we're back at the cottage drinking champagne and eating cherries. Al bought me a handbag and a pair of trainers - one of which is featured today and the other is coming soon. He knows me so well! Here's my outfit...

Dress - Sleeveless ditsy floral dress from ASOS. It's jersey material but quite lightweight, and it buttons all the way down, with a thin elasticated waist. It has the cutest crochet collar on it too, which is a nice touch, and it's definitely long enough to go without leggings - no bum-baring!

Grey leggings - Jack Wills. Jersey too, but again lightweight so not too hot.

Grey cardigan - Cable knit from Ralph Lauren. I wear this an awful lot, check my other posts! Needed a cover up in the shade and it matches my leggings, haha

Sandals - Black with studs and spikes from Primark. So pleased with these, £6 is a marvellous price for a pair of gladiators that are modelled on all the current styles, which is even better for me as I wasn't sure whether I liked/suited the style at all. Well I definitely like them! Again, bought a size 5 as the 6 was redonk huge.

Bag - Present from Al! It's a Fiorelli grab bag with a long strap in dark forest green. It's a mini version of my tan handbag, and is utterly adorable! It also fits a surprising amount of stuff inside it because it's a structured dome shape. It even has the same little inside pockets as the big one, so cuuute! Amazing Birthday present!

Sunglasses - Purple and green wayfarer style, rubberised plastic from Primark. Cheapo £2 sunnies, I love Primark for these cause I'm rubbish and lose/break glasses easily. The kind of rubber-feel means they're really comfortable to wear and I find they fit really well (often glasses are too wide for my face and fall off when I do quite important things like... looking down or, turning my head quickly...)

So anyway, I've had a splendid Birthday and we get to stay two more days! Paddling in the sea tomorrow and poking about in the rock pools for crabs. Doubt I'll be wearing anything noteworthy but I might dress up in the evening, you never know ;)

Vendula-la-la

I have no idea how it can be this cold in JULY, but it is! So I've been laughing in the face of it, and wearing what I like regardless. So yesterday we went out after Al got back from work to finalise our Wedding invitation prints (yes we decided to get them printed, it would have cost the same in ink and paper to do it at home - we worked it out...) and decided to go out to eat and see a movie after. We saw World War Z which was actually pretty decent, considering how critical we are of zombpocalypse films ;) and this is what I wore...

Last week I received a smashing parcel from Vendula London, who make an exciting array of unusual bags - including this beautiful Funky Birds backpack! I am truly in love with it, it's just so sweet - take a look at the close-ups. It is kind of a minty blue green (but also comes in rosy-pink and moss-green) which I am loving right now - check out my matching toes, and it's about netbook sized too which is super-handy.

It has a clip on the inside so that the edges draw in once all your stuff is in it and the lining is the most adorable 'London' print. The polka dot fabric strip round the bottom is a nice touch but it's the super-cute birdies and buttons design on the front that I really enjoy. I've got the straps at full length and it's really comfortable to wear, you can get hold of your own here, but do have a scout round the rest of the range because I had real trouble choosing a favourite (I particularly like the brand new Deep Sea Story collection). I'll be using this a LOT!

Jacket - Denim biker style with 3/4 sleeves from New Look a few years ago

Dress - Cream with lace inserts, from the River Island sale (bargain and very versatile) it has a tie up round the back, so that you can fit it well. It's a nice length too, would be fine without leggings for a day out.

Leggings - Grey from Jack Wills

Hat - I don't know where this was from, my Nanna gave it to me!

Belt - Mint with a white bow, from Primark. It tapers to skinny at the back, which means it's pretty comfy to wear.

Sandals - brown/dark tan gladiator style with gold clips and buckles from Primark. Primark have some really nice sandals in at the moment, I was impressed! I bought a size down though as the 6's were crazy massive.

Accessories:
Blue and silver bracelet - Primark
Pastel Hot Air Balloon necklace - a present!

 This sample product was gifted from Vendula London. Opinions expressed here are my own.