Meadowhall trip

Last weekend I took the train to Meadowhall to meet with my family. Due to it being a Sunday, train times weren't regular so I ended up waiting an hour in Starbucks for them to arrive. No bother for me. I enjoyed a hot chocolate and a pastry while reading blogs on my iPad. Prepared. I forgot how nice it is to just sit and read in a coffee shop. I'm usually rushing about so it's a rare occurrence for me. 

When it came to the time when the shops started opening, I decided to have a wander while I waited. First stop, Dorothy Perkins. Destination, the sale section. I got quite lucky considering how small the section is (the sale is pretty much over). I managed to find a pair of purple jeggings in a size 12 for just a tenner. They were a petite but fit my short legs just fine. And even better, when I got to the till I remembered that I had about £16 left on a gift card from my birthday last year. Score!

Finally my family arrived and it was off to look around some more shops. We were stuck in Holister for awhile thanks to my brother and my auntie but I kept myself amused taking snaps for instagram with my new Paperchase postcards. Though it's still pretty dark in there I have to admire their floor. Pretty! The main reason for my Paperchase visit was to pick up a couple of things to top off the parcel for my #springtimesurpriseproject partner. Post to come later on that. But of course it being me, I had to get a few postcards myself. Only 60p each though so not enough to break the bank. 

Next stop was lunch. TGI Fridays as chosen by my cousin. The less said about this place the better. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be disappointed by a quesadilla. On the bright side, I really liked the decor of the place.

After that it was followed by more wandering around the centre. It's been such a long time since I last visited which is funny since I practically used to live here as a teen. A couple of weekends a month, my mum and I would drive the hour journey over to shop, have some lunch then go and visit my grandparents. I was a bit of a lonely teen so I used to enjoy these visits immensely. How times have changed. 

Before heading to Primark, we stopped in Topshop and Debenhams. The latter where I bought a dress reduced to £10 in the sale and the former where I was surprised at how bored I was. What has happened to the clothes in Topshop? I've never seen so much black, white and beige in my life. Where's the colour? I hope it's just this store - Topshop is the majority of the time too expensive for me but I usually love walking around for inspiration. 

When it came to Primark, I really reigned myself in and just got things that I needed and things that were a complete bargain like the leather jacket below. Only £10! That'll be ideal for when Spring finally makes an appearance.

The toiletries bag that I've had for around 10 years finally died on our Florida trip so it was time to pick up a new one. I love the nautical style of this and it's a decent size to fit all my bits. 

For those who love Disney and Harry Potter, I would get yourself down to Primark soon as there is a massive choice at the moment for t-shirts. I couldn't help myself when I found this Hufflepuff t-shirt for £6. This type of thing would set you back double or triple the price in the Wizarding World in Florida. This will be saved for October when we visit next. 

And of course in true February on the high street style, all the sandals and summer clothes are beginning to make an appearance. By the time you actually get the warm weather or go on holiday they're all gone so I took this opportunity to get a couple of basics. This vest will be ideal for work as I'm told it's like a furnace in the office during the summer months. And these shoes will go with everything. They remind me of a pair I saw in Accessorize last year, only these are about a quarter of the price. Sold. 

Pickles approves.

What have you bought recently?