#BEDM Day 14: Fashion

It's been awhile since I did an outfit post on this blog but I do miss them so check out what I'm wearing to work today and then dinner with Topher.

Vest: Gap (on sale!), Necklace & shoes: Primark, Jeans: Outlet store in Florida for $17!

I only got this Gap vest a week or two ago but haven't had a chance to wear it yet due to all the rubbish weather but now that it looks nice again I'm going to risk it! I love the bright colours and the aztec print. A great addition to the colourful side of my wardrobe.

I tend to stay pretty casual in the office and I love how comfy the jeans are. They're at that awesome fits just right stage where they're not tight like new jeans usually are and not falling down either. I didn't have to wrestle when I bought them so they're being constantly worn at the moment. 

When it hasn't been raining these shoes have been constantly on my feet. For Primark flats, I have to say that they are holding up pretty well against the heavy wearing. Though we'll see by the end of the summer!

Luna seems to be interested by my outfit choice...

What's your go to outfit when the sun is out?

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?

7 days of...prints

Prints I have worn in the last seven days. It's funny when the weather starts to turn cold. I don't know what to wear for that awkward in between phase. Too cold for bare legs but not cold enough for tights. All I know for sure is that I need some more colour in my wardrobe.

What's your go to outfit for that seasonal limbo?

365 July Edition

1st: Silly selfie, 2nd: Topher tried making ice cubes with grapes, 3rd: Grey, 4th: Pretty flower

5th: New bedding, 6th: Sunday dinner at the parents in my new dress, 7th: Stupid face to send to Topher, 8th: Cheeky wine after work with the girls, 

9th: Colourful pasta, 10th: Important lists to be made, 11th: Flower necklace, 12th: Lunch out with the family, 

13th: car boot find, 14th: Nail polish and the heart dress again, 15th: Reading blogs on the train, 16th: Fun with fruit, 

17th: He Watch, She Watch, 18th: 29 degrees Celsius in the office!, 19th: Pret a manger dinner, 20th: Bit of Queen to get me through, 

21st: Got my 2 and a half stone award at Slimming World, 22nd: Train views 1, 23rd: Train views 2, 24th: Leon hot box. Falafel is always a good idea, 

25th: crowded train. They all joined me on the floor eventually, 26th: Another silly selfie, 27th: My new coasters from Rachel, 28th: A train that's actually spacious!, 

29th: European biscuits - why mostly made of air?, 30th: Photo for my new blog, 31st: Logo for my new blog - more to come soon about that!

Are you taking part in the 365 project?

Outfit Post: Staying cool

It has been a scorcher of a week hasn't it? Even with the rain and thunderstorms. It's been a bit of a challenge dressing for both the weather and the office. Especially my office which has no windows of AC. It got up to 29 degrees last Friday. Anyway, the short shorts and tiny t-shirt you wear around the house at the weekend won't cut it for that commute and that workplace environment. So here's my formula for staying cool on the tube.

Vest: Charlotte Russe, Skirt & Sandals: Primark, Necklace: Reborn @ New Look

A skirt of a decent length (how very grandma of me!) because who wants to be flashing their knickers at everyone on the escalators as you go up?

A top with no sleeves - very important. One that doesn't show too much cleavage but still not overheating yourself. The central line is particularly bad in the evening rush hour.

Sandals - I don't know about you but my feet get overheated very easily. So sandals are essential if you're lucky to work in an office that will let you. Just watch out for those ladies in stilettos (ouch!).

A hair tie of some kind - if you have long hair like me, it's a god-send when your hair is sticking to your back in a sweaty office. 

And finally, minimal jewellery. I kind of break the rule with this outfit by having a necklace which I wouldn't normally recommend. If you want jewellery then I say go for earrings. They're not as plastered to your skin as necklaces are. 

What are your tips for staying cool and corporate at the same time?

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium

As my birthday was on a weekday this year (boo) I decided to properly celebrate on the following Saturday. One of the must do things on my list for when I eventually visit Japan has always been to visit a cat cafe. So imagine my delight back in February when I heard that London would be opening the UKs very own cat cafe. Lady Dinah's is located in shoreditch just a hop and a skip away from brick lane and is completely booked up until October. Which makes me very glad that I booked a spot for 28th June back in March. 

All my life I have been a cat lady, even though I've only ever owned one once. That's the downside of moving house, county or country all the time. I'm planning on my current flat being both the last flat and the last rental home I reside in. I want a house - and when I get one, I want cats.

So on that rainy Saturday (damn you weather), Topher and I travelled down to London to visit.

There were quite a few groups there and the cats were asleep for the first hour so a few people left including the table next to us, grumbling about them not doing anything. What were you expecting them to do? Juggle? They're cats. Cats tend to sleep a lot. Those people seemed to just be there for the novelty and not for the fact that they loved cats. Well hipsters, I'm very happy to say that the majority of them woke up, were wandering around and even playing not long after you left. Patience is rewarding! (Yep, I'm being totally smug)

I actually preferred the fact that they slept for the first hour, they were sweet to look at and it gave Topher and I plenty of time to demolish the afternoon tea that we ordered. I've never had a proper afternoon tea before so it was glorious. Sandwiches, cakes, macaroons and scones with jam and clotted cream. Not forgetting the teapot of tea. Bliss. 

If you do want to see cats running around all over the place all the time, then I recommend you visit in the morning. We started at 1.30 which is prime siesta time. I had a really great time and I definitely insist that you give it a visit...unless you don't like cats then you probably wouldn't like it at all, ha ha. 

Though I loved the experience, it really reminded me and Topher that we don't have any of our own. One day. 

Have you ever visited a cat cafe?

Hello June!

After a nice couple of days off from blogging, I feel pretty refreshed. Now the only thing that's standing in my way is my camera's memory card, or lack of it. What can I say? I'm a slow unpacker. I blame the commute.

A little present Topher got me a couple of weeks ago

There's a lot of lovely things for me to look forward to this month:

• Blognix - so excited! And I'm looking forward to properly visiting Birmingham for the first time.
• The London to Brighton Trek - though slightly bricking it now - please sponsor, we're getting close to target!
• My 26th birthday - The first time I'll ever be working on my birthday but I plan on looking on the bright side as:
• Lady Dinah's Cat Cafe - I'll be having afternoon tea there on the weekend after my birthday for a treat. I seriously can't wait! Cats and tea!
• Hopefully a heatwave? Or is that asking too much?

In the last few weeks I've been thinking about my career and where I want to go in life. I think I've come to something of a conclusion so will be using this month to do some more research and hopefully begin pursuing it. We shall see.

What are your plans for June?

#BEDM DAY 27: National Barbecue Week

So apparently it's national barbecue week. Can someone please inform the weather? Ignoring the rain, I'm going to share with you my barbecue secret. Marinade marinade marinade. 

Here's an awesome Slimming World barbecue recipe that I tried a few months ago (no pics of my own sorry!) and am desperate to try again on a real barbecue! 

Source

Green Curry Chicken Drumsticks

"Ingredients

• 8 large, skinless chicken drumsticks
• 150g fat free natural yogurt
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 5 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• 5 tbsp finely chopped mint
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. With a sharp knife, make a few cuts in the flesh of each drumstick.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until fairly smooth. Transfer to a wide ceramic bowl and season to taste.
3. Add the drumsticks to the marinade, rubbing the mixture well into the meat. If you have time, cover and chill for 1-2 hours or overnight if time permits.
4. Remove the drumsticks from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Cook them on the barbecue for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through. "

Let me know if you try it! What's your favourite thing to cook at a barbecue?

Top picks #5

1. Playsuit, £35 – Miss Selfridge

2. Handbag, $54.99 – Modcloth

3. Top, £24 – Warehouse

4. Nail Polish – Speckled Eggs Magpie Green, £5 – Model’s Own

5. Dress, £110 – Boden

6. Wedges, £19.99 – H&M

7. Zigzag dress, £48 – Sugarhill Boutique

8. Necklace, £18 – Eclectic Eccentricity

9. Shoes, £18 – Dorothy Perkins

10. Swimsuit, £39.50 – Debenhams

I've really got that spring fever now, or actually looking at these picks, summer fever! I'm not delusional, just about to go on holiday. Therefore these are sensible choices that I'll use for my 2 week holiday and for the 2 or 3 days of sunshine we'll get back here in the UK. 

I've already purchased this Debenhams swimsuit for my holiday. I just fell in love with the cute little skirt and it's no secret that I'm a fan of polka dots. Plus I fit in a 12! Perfect. I'm also in need of some sandals...so it looks like I got a little bit distracted. But both pairs of these shoes are so pretty. I'd wear the wedges with the Warehouse vest and light jeans. 

I'm not so much in need for dresses but this Sugarhill boutique dress & Boden dress scream summer. Boden's is very classy and elegant while Sugarhill Boutique's is very fun and needs a desert backdrop to it in my opinion. 

For those who follow me on Twitter, you would have seen me tweet about the Models Own speckled range for easter. Now that they're on their website I'm definitely after a bottle or two. And I shouldn't really have put this necklace on here as it's sold out but hopefully it'll be restocked soon. Say it will Eclectic Eccentricity? I need it!

I’m a sucker for a novelty handbag. In fact make that any novelty accessory. Anything that will put a smile on your face. This domino handbag is quite subtle but kitsch and would go with everything! At least everything in my wardrobe. 

Have you got spring/summer fever?