My Latest Art – Stood In Heels

I’ve Got A Love For Shopping

Ok, in all honesty Valentines day hasn’t been that dreamy! I’ve spent it washing, tidying and painting. Where’s my Valentine you ask? His snoring on the sofa! Looks like a date with Eastenders for me!

Well, at least I have my dreams and a Groupon competition I’ve discovered on the net has given me the perfect excuse to showcase them.

So… What was the challenge? All I had to do was pull together a blog post that describes my perfect Valentines day, with particular attention on the gifts I’d like to receive.

Now I know that this wish list of mine is likely to seem a tad far fetched, especially given its already gone 8pm and the one I call my valentine is snoring like Daddy pig from Peppa pig on the sofa! But hay… whats a girl without her hopes and dreams?

First check out the little trailer I created below then I’ll give a little more detail on just how well I’ve dreamt this all up!

So as you can see, being woken to a gift of stunning earrings & breakfast in bed would be much appreciated, as would the delivery of 12 beautiful red roses.

There would be no time to sit around. starring longingly into one another’s eyes! First I’d be whisked off up town to London for a no limits shopping spree. I’d be able to engage my love for shoe shopping without protesting form the ‘other half’!

We’d eat lunch at a smart little restaurant then I’d be taken to have a tattoo of any wild thing I wanted, before settling down and relaxing with a full body message.

Suddenly, just when I think my already blissful day has reached its climax, I discover we are not heading home but instead to the airport.

Totally speechless (and that’s a first for me) I discover my loved one, has packed my bags and arranged for them to be delivered to the airport. I then find myself boarding a plane that takes me to a magical place of peace and tranquillity.

The hotel is devine and the beach has wonderful fine white sand.

The king size bed is a wash with gifts including that of beautiful delicious belgium chocolates. Having filled my tummy, I slip into a little black number and as it approaches the early hours of the following day I find myself partying to the sounds of old Skool garage and a little drum&base just like I used too.

Filling a tad tired but extremely happy, myself and my valentine stroll along the peaceful beach as the sun begins to rise. Here I’m lavished in diamonds by way of a big fat diamond sparkler! For me? Oh, yes… it so is?

And then…..

I wake up!

Yer… Ok, Maybe next year!

This is my entry into the Groupon ‘A love for shopping competition’

How to organise A slumber Party On A Budget (Part 1)

My daughter turned 10 yesterday and because her birthday fell on a Tuesday we decided she could do something special last weekend.

I guess I thought she’d just want to have a party… Ok its a load of tidying up and a little preparation but I didn’t mind… Honest!

She did opt for a party but one of a different kind… Sleepover AKA… slumber party. I had a little think about it and decided that yes she could, but she was only having a maximum of 5 friends stay over the night.

In the end she opted for just 4 of her friends and as one couldn’t make it just 3 came! Nonetheless, 4 girls in total was actually more than enough… Girls can be bitchy to one another, even sweet little ten year olds ( or so I discovered).

So, they received an invite that stated “Please bring Your Sleeping Bags” and Alice excitedly awaited the weekend.

Me, I wanted my “Not” so little girl to enjoy herself but I still wanted to stay sane during the process, especially given I’d be parenting a demanding 3 year old toddler and a melt down prone almost teenage boy with Aspergers Syndrome on the side. With this I sat down with Alice and we brainstormed on things they could do to make the sleep over exciting and fun but also in a cost efficient way (its January not one of my best months for money).

Here’s a few ideas we came up with…

Home made girly bunting & other decorations for the bedroom
Tattoo bar (temporary of cause)
Nail bar (again temporary)
Hair Bar
Face Painting
Girly chick flicks accompanied by a hot chocolate bar and popcorn cups
Monster High Cupcakes
Few little gifts on the night
Personalised girly gift bags (for when they leave)
Board Games
Karaoke
And more besides… She made a reasonable size list!

We came up with an agreement that was …

Alice could have the sleep over, mum (that’s me) would make the decorations and cakes and bags with Alice’s help. On the night Alice would be provided with all the supplies to have an awesome time but she would then need to use them as she wished… example being that she would not once tell me she was bored! She would organise her hair and nail bar and create her own schedule for the nights event. The only rule being was that all these things were done by 10 pm and then it was time to settle down with hot chocolate and watch the movies provided. I would also be making dinner at a set time so she would need to organise her fun around this time too.

The party Shop…

I decided a trip to PoundLand was in order. It was the perfect place to grab some materials for the nights events.
It was here that I stocked up on treats like crisps, marshmallows, sweets etc. I also grabbed a 20 flag bunting in all different colours as well as balloons, pretty cupcake cases and cake toppers, cupcake stand and decorative tags. Plus I found some pretty little wire butterflies and flowers that I felt would be perfect decorations for the bags. I think I spent around £15, so not to bad at all.

Next stop was Primark… Yes seriously! I was there buying myself some PJs when I noticed the big discount basket that was full off stick on nails. They had these great sparkly metallic gold leopard print design and were reduced to a fab-Tastic 50p each. That was another £2 spent.

Next up was eBay… No queues or heavy bags here. This time I was shopping from the sofa. Here I did very well. I won a bid for a bulk load of 30 girly party bag items. There was 6 different items 5 of each. These include… Temporary tattoo packs, wooden bangles, friendship bands, sticker sheets, packs of 4 hair accessories and mascaras (that they didn’t get). I won the bid at £2.20 with £1.50 postage. The stuff is of excellent quality so I was super happy.

I also brought a bag of 100 acrylic Alphabet beads (£1.40 free postage) 20 funky plastic rings £1 with 85p postage and 10 heart mobile phone charms (that can also be used on iPods, hand gaming consoles and more) these were 99p with £1.99 postage.

The last two items I got from eBay were a pack of pretty girly cellophane flower design bags and a pack of 20 monster high rice paper cupcake toppers both items were £2 each with free postage.

Prep…

Given the bunting was rather plain (just brightly coloured flags on a string, we decided to cheer them up with stuff from the craft cupboard.

We used…

Different size decorative tapes in 5 different designs (pink lace, stripy, Love, skull and cupcake)
Self adhesive buttons
Self adhesive hearts
Mod podge gloss

We cut the 20 flag strip in two halfs of 10.

We used the different tapes in various ways to decorate each flag. Some had multiple strips where others just received a boarder along the top.

We used the different embellishments to decorate. Buttons were applied directly to the tape or in the middle or bottom of our flags. The hearts were sometimes gathered in groups of 2 or 3 giving a bold and girly design.

The skull tap did look a little pirate theme but we then added a strip of Pink Love tape along with a heart to make it stand out in a girly fashion.

The last step was to apply one coat of mod podge to each flag. Now although the flags and some of the tapes were already ultra glossy due to the material they were made from, I decided to do this as to make the bunting stronger and to give the embellishments and other bits that same glossy look.

Mod Podge applied to this material dries in minutes. Our bunting took less then 20 minutes to make which does include drying time. It was therefore up on the wall in no time.

Other decorations we made together, were some very pretty hanging butterflies that would not only be fab decorations for a slumber party but a great addition to her bedrooms decor like that of the butterfly canvas we recently created and showed you here on the blog. With this I’ve decided to show you these in a later post (that will include a little tutorial). We also made paper chains from decorative papers and pompom garlands. All items apart from the flag bunting were already housed in our crafts cupboard, so the costs were kept very low

As for the party bags (for when they leave to go home) we created these with the following items…

Clear cellophane bags with flower design.
Wire ties (came with bags)
Self adhesive wire flowers and butterflies
Ribbon (different colours)
Decorative tags
Decorative paper and a balloon and heart craft punch (to make sequins)
Party Bag Contents (the items from eBay, including the rings and mobile charms)

These, were simple to create but the end results were very pretty, much better than your bog standard party bag that normally involves little themed bags that kids tip all over the floor just so they can find what it is they are looking for.

I wanted the bags to be see-through hence the cellophane bags. This allows kids to see whats inside without even opening them. Nonetheless, I still wanted them to be really pretty and girly so opted for the flower design I’ve mentioned above.

Each bag was filled with the treats mentioned and there was no inclusion of any sweets. I hate it when my kids bring home bags of sticky sweets following a party. 1- They may have siblings (and we all know how kids like to share their sweets) and 2- Sugar highs are not welcomed by all parents. I also decided to hold back the mascaras. I didn’t fancy parents calling me up asking why the hell their 10 year olds were stood in front of the mirror poking themselves in the eye as they stood applying mascara! The contents were however really fun and girlie and included all the other little bits I mentioned earlier within this post.

To add sparkle and that something extra, myself and daughter sat for what felt like ages punching out balloon and heart shapes from decorative papers with the craft punches. We then added a handful of these shapes to each bag before finally tying them shut with the plastic wire ties followed by pretty ribbon tied into a bow.

The last few steps were to apply the self adhesive wire flower and butterfly shapes to the centre of each tied bag (one for each). Finally we used a small piece of our pretty “Love” print tape to attach the pretty decorative tags that we hand wrote the names of each child attending.

Stunning don’t you think…

So… to find out what food we created, cakes we made and special little gifts we gave, be sure to return to read our second instalment of “How to organise A slumber Party On A Budget” I’ll be sharing tips on how to create fun party food on little money, cocktails appropriate for 10 year old little ladies and an update on just how well Alice’s slumber party played out… Warning Paracetamol intake involved.

How Too Capture Perfect Images Of Your Little Ones

Zulily, the guys who bring us daily events offering both mothers and they’re children beautiful items at cut cost prices, have been asking us bloggers what we think it takes to capture a great image of our kids. We are to give our top three tips on the subject and one blogger could possibly win a Zulily voucher.

Given I love snapping pictures of my children whenever opportunity will have it, I decided this one was for me!

So… Here we go then…

1) Be Sneaky… By this I mean capture images of your children when they are unaware you and the camera are looming. This is how I’ve captured some of my most beautiful images of my kids. Natural smiles are magical as are expressions of laughter, anger, confusion and more! When images are taken this way there is no forced fake smiles, pouting from your 9 going on 30 year old or that of frozen expressions.
This is especially true for my 12 year old who has a diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome! He doesn’t really enjoy being photographed and its best to catch him unaware when he is at his most relaxed and happy. I’ve found that as his grown older, trying to capture images of him is now much harder hence the reason I use this tactic often.

Below are some different images of my eldest ‘Little Man’ and my daughter ‘Alice-Sara’. I’ve included both images where they have been fully aware I’m taking pictures and a couple where they haven’t.

2) Relax and have fun… As well as the older two children I also have a toddler of three. His a bundle of energy and always on the go. Running around after him trying to capture a smile just isn’t going to work. As soon as the toddler has the slightest idea I’m trying to get a picture everything goes wrong. He actually tries to look at the screen as I’m taking a picture which means I just end up with an image that displays a flash of his head or some other unrecognisable blur. I’ve found that by relaxing and having fun with my toddler its provided me with lots of magical moments that transfer into great images. When I’m relaxed, his relaxed and this shows through in my images. I don’t keep him confined to the one area, instead I let him explore his environment, especially when we are taking pictures at the park etc.

Below are some of my favourite images of my toddler just being himself…

And here’s some images of Harley with his cousin Amy. They are extremely close in age (Amy is 10 weeks younger). As they have grown together, I’ve managed to grab some adorable images of them both over the last few years.

3. Don’t be afraid to experiment… Of course I prefer to take images with my Canon camera but more often than not I feel the need to capture an image when all I have to hand is my iPhone. This is where good editing tools come into the mix. Photoseed is one of my favourites. Here I can do my more basic editing as well as being that bit more adventures with the different filters on offer. Photoseed also allows me to upload images directly to instagram as opposed to saving them on my iphone, handy when your albums are already taking up 75% of your memory. Nonetheless, when I do have my camera to hand I will often adjust its settings applying different programmes for different subjects and environments. I love to capture motion pictures so will make sure this setting is applied when I’m snapping pictures of the children on the move. I’m also a fan of images taken in black & white or those that sport the more vintage look in which case I often use sepia as filter.

Below are some of my favourite images of my daughter Alice-Sara. The images have both been captured on the Canon or the iphone and filters have been applied with snapseed or Wow FX…

Zulily are also passionate about photography and there site is enhanced with an aray of beautiful images of their models having fun on set.

Every month the guys at Zulily run a competition where they ask you to upload pictures of your little cuties to instagram. This month they are asking you to snap a picture of your cuties sporting a massive grin. Their favourite photo wins a £100 zulily voucher, storage boxes from Feather and Black and a Juicy Couture clutch for Mum.

How to enter…

Upload an Instagram snap of your little cutie in January sporting a big cheeky grin. Be sure that your profile is public, so that Zulily can see your photo.
Now follow zulilyUK on Instagram (@zulilyUK) and tag your picture with these three things….
#zulilyUKJanuaryCutiesCompetition
@zulilyUK
and either: #zulilynewbie (if you’re new to zulily) or #zulilian (if you’ve already joined zulily)

The competition closes on Thursday 31st of January & the Zulily team will be doing the shortlisting on Friday 1st of February. More info on the Zulily Tumbler

To discover more about Zulily who have daily sale events on designer and Boutique clothing as well as homeware and other items for both mother and child, then visit their stunning site and join for free.

This post is my entry into the Zulily bloggers competition

A Thrifty Toy Auction

I always get a bit overexcited when I hear an auction is coming to town, especially one with big lots of toys.

Last week I attend a jumble sale and auction. Both running via the same organisers on the same site, just different rooms.

Boy, did I have my eye on a lot of treasure… Some I won, others… Sadly not!

I bagged a fantastic lot of toys. These were in one lot and included…

Two limited edition bears ( one called Hayley and the other named Bailey). These are in mint condition and I’ve seen them fetch a few quid on eBay recently.

A very cute but cool Noddy that speaks a few words when his tummy is pressed.

A large Upsy Daisy from “In The Night Garden”

A soft bodied “Bob The Builder” rucksack.

As mentioned all the toys came together as one single lot. However, during the course of the auction, there was some mix up with the toys located next to those up above. The guy had announced the two separate lots as one. I actually won the biding at £6 and it was only following my win did a buyer point out the mistake. I was asked what lot I thought I was bidding on and I explained that I thought that I was bidding on both as one.

Because of the mix up I was asked if it would be ok to sell the other lot and I could keep the above for FREE… Yes, FREE!

What a result that was.

The other items were not really of interest and I would have only passed them on and kept these anyhow.

Nonetheless, I did spend a little money as I also brought a beautiful bike for the toddler which I won for £7, a whole box full of lamps and shades (including vintage and crystal) for just £1, and lastly, a stunning shabby chic vintage tea set, that I’m in love with.

I’ll be sure to share some pictures of those over the coming weeks.

This Week I’m In Shoe Heaven

Admittedly I’m a lady who likes her shoes… I wont lie! I have many pairs!

Some may argue… Then Why buy more!

I’m entitle to treat myself every now and then especially when I’m treating myself to something for a fraction of its original cost!

I got my hands on two beautiful pairs of shoes this week. Both platforms, both beautiful, both an absolute bargain!

The first pair of shoes were actually delivered to me last Saturday but I was in Bristol. I therefore collected my parcel from the local sorting office on Wednesday and was delighted to discover that the parcel was in fact one of my latest eBay finds…

They are amazing, I just had to have them! So I added the shoes to my watch list and set an alarm on my iPhone with a reminder of the auctions closing time. I was surprised to discover that this was actually due to end at a funny hour. Despite this being a UK long time eBay seller it was due to end at the Ghastly hour of 3am. Anyone who uses eBay will get where I’m coming from when stating how foolish such a move is! Its one that could have actually cost the seller a great eBay sale! I mean who is awake at 3am? I swear its only me who’s unlucky enough to be kept awake so late. Many people don’t bid till the last hour of auction… Fact! This would have almost definitely affected its final selling price.

As a result, I snapped up these beauties for the remarkable price of £2 plus a very reasonable £2.50 P&P. Not bad for a beautiful pair of shoes that have only been worn just once.

The second pair of shoes I brought was in london following my Savoo interview. These were from the new Primark flagship store located on Tottenham Court road on the corner of Oxford Street.

The new store that opened late last month (september) is massive and host 4 floors of treasure. There is a great selection in all departments whether women’s, men’s, children’s and even that of homeware.

On this particular day they had many items reduced in price and as a result I snapped these up for just £6 saving £10 from the £16 they were originally.

To be completely honest, I’ve never really liked the selection of heels stocked by Primark but in the last year I’ve noticed some stunning new lines that tick all the boxes in style and price. I don’t know how well made these are but at £6 it won’t be so heartbreaking if they don’t get through too many nights out (not that I have many but that irrelevant).

They do seem sturdy with a heel that’s reasonable strong. At £6 I can’t help but to shout about them.

I only got these this past Saturday and hear they are still currently on sale in many Primark stores. If these are not your thing its still worth checking out your nearest store this week as the number of shoes amongst other items on sale, is most definitely worth a look.

Check out the Fashion Foie Gras blog for an in depth informative review on the Primarks newest London flagship store

Do you know what really grinds my gears?

Men that fail to put the toilet seat down.

The fact a milkman is hard to come by these day!

The fact we have a shabby prime minster.

The realisation I’m ageing.

How school half terms come around ever so quickly but failed to do so when I was at school.

Today’s crappy weather.

The realisation my daughters growing up fast and at almost 10, already raids my makeup bag!

That my Pre-pregnancy jeans still don’t fit and my son is almost 3.

When idiots play their music through their phones speaker as opposed to some headphones when on public transport! Why… Do you really think I wanna listen to your music? Well… No, I don’t!

When I go into central London only to realise that I’ve forgotten my cigarets and then find myself being charged £2 extra! Yes… bad habit I know!

When a bus driver considers his bus full so doesn’t feel the need to stop but just drives on by. Have you ever noticed the slight grin on their face as they do this!

When you think you’ve uncovered an incredible bargain at your favourite clothing store only to get to the till and be told… “I’m really sorry madam but it seems to be priced up incorrectly!” Meaning you can’t actually afford it now.

When your stood waiting to cross the road or sat at a bus stop on a crappy wet day and some #%}##% decides to drive through a massive puddle leaving you looking like a drowned rat.

When toy prices rapidly rise come Christmas only to fall to less than half the price on Boxing Day.

When pop groups from my teen years such as Steps, try to do a come back!

Trying a dress on in a stores changing room, thinking you look hot only to realise once home it was the fabulous lighting. You actually look like shit!

Bags… Not handbags! Hell no! Bags that hang from under your eyes.The type no magic concealer can hide.

When people tell me… “Things will look much better in the morning following a good nights sleep!”

How my morning hair oozes unwanted volume yet on a night out its lank, limp and flat!

How penny mix ups don’t actually cost a penny anymore.

Chocolate… It tastes so stinking good but leaves you feeling big and bad.

The woman who is mopping the floor in McDonalds as you and everyone else are walking on it. If I wanted you to mop my shoes or worse try to kill me… I would of asked!

The 10p push machines in arcades. You play the 2p ones and think your rich. Yet the 10 pence machines don’t budge an inch. Took me to my teen years to finally realise that they glue the money down!

Hairdressers who cut off way too much hair from your barnet. More than you actually asked them to. Because they hold the Scissors they sadly have the power.

Men who laugh when a woman picks up a power tool.

Being stood in a supermarket queue for 20 minutes to suddenly be informed by the women in front of you that the till is closing and she’s the last one being served.

Jobs descriptions you know you could easily do! However, you don’t get a look in as you don’t have the list of qualifications their looking for.

Shopping trolleys with dodgy wheels. You want to go one way, yet your shopping wants to go another way altogether.

So what really grinds your gears? What better way to get it all out your system then to write it all down and share it. For this reason I thought it would be fun to tag a few others and see if we can get this forming into a little meme. 🙂

So, I tag this lovely lot and ask them what really grinds their gears?

Lilinha from Lilinha Angel’s World
Angoewright78 from Mum of three boys
Julie from Mama Owl
Nikki from Stressy mummy

Meme rules (because that’s what makes a meme). Simply link back to the meme creator which is me 🙂 and the person who tagged you.

Next tag some more and share the rules within your post simple.

New Look Denim Competition – #denimcomp

Jeans… I love um! With so many hot new pairs hitting the market this AW12, I really can’t wait to get my hands on a few pairs.

If you need an excuse to go out and get yourself a new pair of skinny’s then what better time then now. Today is Jeans for Genes day. Wear your Jeans with pride, join in one of the many fundraising events taking taking place up and down your country.

It’s guilt free jean shopping for me today.

While checking out the latest AW12 jeans online, I came across this wonderful gem of a site called The Sparkle Fashion Blog. They are running an awesome bloggers only competition in conjunction with New Look as a celebration of their newly launched collection of jeans. The prize… One winner will receive £200 + pair of jeans! And an additional 9 runners will also win a pair of New Looks newest sexiest jeans!

The competition closes at mid-day so i’m rushing like made here but still trying to impress you with my fashion “know how” so please bear with me.

Basically all I had to do was express my inner fashion sense by going wild and creating an outfit centred around one of their newest denim arrivals… The jeans.

It actually wasn’t hard to find a pair I loved as I quite simply loved them all. Decisions… Decisions what is a girl meant to do?

Ok here it is… My chosen jeans and the over all look I’ve chosen.

The Jeans.

Seriously… You can’t go wrong with a pair of Skinny Jeans. This black pair is super chic with a rock chick edge.The studded side detail really sets them apart from the rest.The cut looks great and I could see myself dressing them up and down for both night and day.

I was also drawn in by the very reasonable price tag of just £24.99! Super stylish and sexy with a super price tag to match… You just can’t fail to get it right. These jeans will be a winner every time you put them on and I’m now looking for my credit card. 🙂

Now, although the Jeans are the centre piece for my design inspiration I can’t go out and about sporting these and these alone.

The Jumper & Jacket

I love red and with the evenings turning from warm to very nippy, what better then a cosy knit to warm your cockles!

This ‘Red Label Red & White Stripe Mesh Knit’ looks warm cosy and above all very comfortable. This would give my dark jeans the injection of colour it desires. At £17.99 I’d call that a bargain buy.

Now… the biker jacket, what more can I say than WOW. This is black in colour with front zip fastening and at £59.99 for real leather it would seem that New Look have brought us stylish leather of a budget.

Boots and Bag

These are Silver Chelsea Boots and I want them. For just under £60 they are very reasonably priced. I love that they are Metallic, It gives them that certain edginess!

As for the bag, I’ve just got to have it! It’s got me written all over it! The blond hair the makeup and even the wine… yep this tote is definitely for this Blondie. The tote is by Scruffy little cat and sold at the New Look UK online store.

Accessories:

OK, OK… These Probably are a bit out of my price range. But it doesn’t stop me lusting after them. The red and grey matches so well with the rest of the outfit… So I’m just going to dream a little! Here’s the link to the Beret (note all pieces sold separately).

So there you have it. My perfect New Look AW12 jeans! What do you think?

My Amsterdam Look

Admittedly I’ve never been to Amsterdam but that’s not to say I wouldn’t like to! In fact I’d love to that’s why I’m entering this fabulous competition put on by the guys at easyjet.

All I have to do is basically share with you, my readers, what I’d wear to this lively dutch city.

Given I’ve never had the privilege in exploring the city of Amsterdam I can’t pretend to know what the latest trends are in this part of the world but for me this really doesn’t matter. I’m a woman who doesn’t follow the latest trends, I don’t wear something just because its “IN” I’m an individual who likes to express this through her sense of fashion. I wear what suits me, what makes me feel comfortable and confident. Just because I’m a mum it doesn’t mean it’s all oversized baggy jumpers, leggings and school run fashion! I am only 30 you know! I think it’s always better to be wearing the clothes instead of the clothes wearing you.

Now I should also mention the fact I don’t do things by half. Send me shopping and there is a danger I may just come back with the entire contents of a shop! Yes, I can be a little excessive… Not great when it comes to baggage allowance and check-in.

This tends to be the same when it comes to creating a fashion look book, as I’ve discovered during the course of this exercise.

Now that’s all cleared up, and you can’t say you haven’t been warned, here are the pages of my Amsterdam Look Book.

Page 1

What better way to start an Amsterdam Look Book, then with a little Dutch Inspiration. It became quite obvious relatively quickly when checking out Amsterdam on the net that the Bicycle is a big part of the cities transportation, hence the inclusion of my stunning red bicycle here in my look book. Page one features some very casual but super chic pieces. Perfect for a busy days sightseeing or a bicycle tour around the city’s hot sports. Life in Amsterdam seems chilled and relaxed by day and crazy lively by night. Here i’ve tried to capture this element within my style choices. I feel I’ve done well to capture some of the traditional dutch trends. From the clog style footwear to the stylish wooly red hat, I love them all.

Page 2

The next page of my Amsterdam Look Book incorporates both vintage, designer pieces and high street trends. All pieces are casual but smart adding this real city sleek feel to them. I’ve even included some real Dutch statement pieces from the necklace to the super sexy stylish gold trainer boots. I’d be more than happy to have all of my chosen pieces loaded in my suitcase. I’d feel comfortable yet stylish as I sip coffee by the canal in an Amsterdam coffee shop.

The vintage pieces really do well to demonstrate my individual style choices. Although I can visualise myself packing these, I can also see myself doing some hardcore bargain hunting around the many vintage stores and markets of Amsterdam.

Page 3

Page 3 highlights my love of bright colours. The yellow dress and black flat cap make a real statement and ensures you won’t be missed. I love these 60’s retro orange boots and could see myself teaming these with a pair of skinny jeans. Colour blocking is a fun but stylish trend, one I’ve been playing with for years.

I’d wear the above dressed down in the day but teamed with the right accessories I’d hit the bars wearing all of these bright combos come night. Sex In The City… Amsterdam style!

Lastly, no Look Book would be complete without a page dedicated to your night time style.

Page 4

When it comes to party wear I like to think I can hold my own. For me its all about sparkle, super killer heels and glitzy accessories. Partying in Amsterdam wouldn’t be any different, I know what I love to wear and will party in it no matter where I am.

What’s great about Amsterdam is the fact that there is no “Right” way to dress. From what I’ve read it’s all about individuality and this suits me fine.

Above, you will find some super sparkly heels sporting a good 5 inch heel (whether I can walk in them is beside the point). The dresses I’ve chosen are a little bit quirky, just the way I like them. Oh…Yes, I really can see myself dancing in the ‘Paradiso’ wearing these babies.

So, with a suitcase bursting at the seams with super stylish clobber… The hotel to lay my hat at would need to be really something, wouldn’t it?

The Die Port Van Cleve Hotel sounds like just the ticket.

With its prime location on the site of Amsterdam’s original Heineken brewery right by Dam Square this 4* Hotel is right in the middle of all the action. With many of the cities best shops and markets right on my doorstep. This coupled with the near by nightlife make the ‘Die Port Van Cleve’ the perfect hotel for me.

Disclosure: This is my Amsterdam Look book for the easyJet holidays competition”

Monday’s Vintage Discoveries

I’m a real girly girl, a complete sucker for anything pretty but an even bigger sucker for a bargain.

Today I want to introduce you to some of my latest finds! It’s actually something I’d like to do every Monday! Whether it’s a one off vintage must have, retro handbag or a dress from New Look.

I’m forever discovering pretty things and if the price is right I’ll normally find myself purchasing them.

I have no shame in admitting that I love a good charity shop and have done so for as long as I can remember. Other places I like to grab a bargain are good old church halls, normally the ideal host for a jumble sale. On a Sunday, I can normally be found dragging the children around a bootfair and for me it’s the bigger the better.

But it’s not just bootfairs, jumbles and charity shops I’m a fan off! Hell no! I’m an experienced shopper and experienced shoppers go to eBay. I don’t just sell on eBay, I also buy an awful lot! Whether it’s stuff for the kids, myself or even the home, I almost always find it on eBay.

I do shop online for clothing and other bits, however I also love the experience of hitting the shops. The best time to hit the online stores are during the sales! Yes, I love shopping but stood in a queue outside a department store at 5am during a freezing cold December isn’t exactly fun!

I’ve discovered some great online gems and will be adding some of these to my blog roll (I need a place to unload my bookmarks). I’m also planning on introducing some of my favourite online treasure troves in a post, but that’s another day so I’ll shut up about it now!

I’ve chosen three items for today’s show and tell!

Two of these items are great little treasures I’ve uncovered at bargain basement prices.

The third is a review item, but it still ticks all the boxes! It’s pretty, girly and a bargain. With this I decided to include it here!

Recently I was sent this beautiful bracelet from Olivia Accessories Its a striking piece of costume jewellery that sparkles like a trillion stars in a moonlit sky.

I’m a sucker for vintage or vintage inspired pieces and this Art Deco bracelet has a real retro feel to it.

It’s not a collectable item, a bracelet that dates back to the forties, it’s not made with precious metal or real diamonds. But it has been made well, boasts that vintage look, is crystal set and simply stunning.

The silver and white bangle’s design is very eye catching! It features a double feather design that is set with lots of very sparkly crystals that really make an impact (especially when they are hit by the light)! The feather bangle has a discreet sprung hinge for easy opening, yet remains secure while wearing.

The Feather Bangle cost £16. I’ve worn mine a total of three times and haven’t experienced any loose or missing stones as yet. This does tend to happen a lot on bracelets that have a large number of stones (even some of the most expensive types). So, though this is a good chunky bangle, in my opinion, it should still be treated as a delicate piece. Not an everyday bangle, but one worn on evenings out etc.

I do really like it and think the price is great. Would I be drawn to it if I saw it in a shop? Well, I’m usually a real gold or sterling silver girl! However, for an art deco vintage inspired bracelet costing just £16… Yes, I think I would be.

You can visit Olivia Accessories online store for the feather bangle and a whole lot more besides.

Next up, once more I have a vintage inspired piece. It was discovered hanging from a display at Matalan during a recent shopping trip for my daughters school uniform.

Again, this pretty vintage inspired locket on extra long chain, isn’t made from a precious metal such as gold or silver, its purely what one would refer to as a fashion accessory! But then what do you expect for £2? Yep, seriously… The pretty locket was just £2 in the sale (even the pre sale price was just £7)! Would you actually believe that having worn it for an entire week, it’s yet to turn my neck black… Or worse bogey green! Now that’s a bargain!

I adore this vintage inspired design which has the pretty image of a bird painted in whites and pinks directly onto the outer locket case. Once this locket is opened up you can add two good size photos one on either size of the casing.

Lastly, I have a beautiful bag/purse to show you. This stunning bag is originally purchased from ASOS but when and by who is anyones guess! I picked up this very girly bag from a local jumble sale in South London… It cost me just 10p!

I love the deep reds and the constant sparkle it displays. It’s a real retro inspired bag that has a removable (clip on) chain handle therefore converting it into a sweet little purse or mini clutch bag.

The bag is design to resemble the shape of a heart and is covered in dazzling vibrant red sequins. I really love it! It’s so bold and pretty. If your not looking to take this out, you could even just hang it from a tall floor mirror, bedpost or wardrobe handle, it’s still worth the fabulous 10p I paid.

Needless to say… my 9 year old daughter has her big beady blue eye on it!

Please check back next Monday for more Mondays Vintage Discoveries

Disclaimer: The feather bangle was sent to me free of charge in order to give an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
All other items are that of my own.