Autumn wish list...

Hiyaaaa,

Sorry I've been so bold these past few days but every time I've gone to write a blog post I've just eaten sweets and watched films instead. I think I'm trying to lap up the last of my home comforts before I head back to uni and live in squalor and poverty for another year. Although this time of year gets me SO EXCITED for two reasons, one is that it's almost autumn and I can finally wear all the jumpers,boots,coats and furs my heart so desires. I think I mentioned before I'm not a summer kind of gal. The second reason is that it's almost time to move into my new house and decorate it. The only thing I love as much as clothes shopping is bedroom designing. Oh how I love it. Seriously I could spend hours and hours on Tumblr looking at bedrooms and dreaming of my room and how I'm going to design it, does this mean I'm getting old because I'm having serious joy times over pillows and rugs? I'll actually probably do a post on my new house and room when I get back to show you all what I've bought. Anyway I'm digressing, so I decided to do something with my time and stop eating sweets and seeing as it's almost loan time (yay!) I'm going to do an Autumn wishlist. I think I've spent the whole summer adding things I couldn't afford to my favourites so that I would remember to buy them with my loan, this is a very bad thing to do so please don't do it. I could honestly be here forever telling you about everything that I want so I'm going to try and whittle it down as much as I possibly can by just putting together a virtual outfit.

D&G Green Lipstick (stolen from Azealia Banks' Instagram)

Urban Outfitters Printed Band Panama Hat £28 

Topshop AGE Chelsea Boots £62

Primark AW13 Collection Oversized shirt £12

Topshop MOTO Ripped High Waisted Mom Jeans £42

Zara Faux Leather Jacket £69.99

You actually can't begin to understand how long it took me to decide which items made the cut and which didn't. I think as a full outfit this would be so nice though so decided to go for these items, although I wish the chelsea boots came in black! I think the chocolate would be a nice alternative though, plus I own about a million pairs of black boots already. Sorry this post isn't as long as usual but I'm actually holding off watching Breaking Bad to do this and I cannot hold off any longer. FYI you NEED to watch Breaking Bad if you aren't already watching, it's unbelievably good TV.

Lots of love and kisses,

Katie.
                                      

Monochrome Set

I just can't seem to wear bright colours these days, they don't suit me. Plus I think my inner goth won't allow me to wear anything other than black. This top is a little silky h&m baseball lookalike top which was £14.99 and I completely love it. I think it looks a bit like a Rihanna for River Island top, I'm going a bit ghetto fab aren't I? The jeans are the best jeans EVER from Topshop called Joni's in white. They come in a few different colours and cost about £45 but I got mine in the sale for £22.50 because they're white summer jeans and autumn is around the corner, yay! My shoes I've shown before on my blog because I adore them so much, they only cost £25 from h&m which makes them even better. My bag is from Urban Outfitters and my love of lumo had me dying to buy it even though I don't usually buy bags that often. It cost me £20 though which isn't bad :) The necklace is Primark because I can't even cope with the price of jewellery these days and they also have great stuff in! 

Sorry that I haven't written anything in a few days but I'm currently waiting on some treats in the post for me to review, so when they arrive I'll be sure to post about them ASAP.

Lots of love and kisses,

Katie xxx

Out with the new, in with the old...

Hello hello, I've not written anything in a few days as I've been busy working and trying to organise an enormous amount of clothes to sell on eBay which is probably one of the most tedious tasks ever. Most of these clothes are old vintage pieces I've picked up here and there so it inspired me to do a post on vintage clothes and more importantly charity shop gems. I know a lot of people who wouldn't shop for vintage clothes because number one they usually smell like a musty granny and two because someone's already worn them. For me though that's exactly the appeal. I don't know why but I love the idea that someone somewhere wore the clothes that I'm now wearing and loved them, is that weird? maybe. I just think that vintage clothes are great because there's usually only ever one of everything so you'll always have an individual piece and the price is usually very reasonable (unless you're looking at vintage Chanel, that's pricey!) If I'm honest I would absolutely love to be able to afford designer vintage pieces but sadly they're just not in my price range, sometimes you find the odd designer scarf while rummaging through a basket in a charity shop though which is always great. The only designer thing I've ever come across was a Christian Dior men's silk shirt and I actually didn't even know it was designer until I got it home, which was a lovely surprise. Mainly though vintage pieces would usually be between £10-40 which is decent enough, especially if you consider that Urban Outfitters have now got Urban renewal where they "re-do" vintage pieces and slap a big old price tag on them and people actually buy these things just because Urban Outfitters sell them! Come on girls and boys, if you went to your local charity or vintage shops you'd find these things for half the price and you could do them up yourselves. I'm not trying to criticise Urban Outfitters here I mean they're one of my favourite shops but I think that paying that amount of money for re-worked denim shorts is a sin when you could find a pair of old jeans and cut them up yourself. Be wise with your money people! I suppose I say this because I don't have endless amounts of money so I'm always trying to find a bargain wherever I go, but no one should throw their money away like that. I used to work in a vintage shop in Belfast before I moved over to Liverpool and something that I found a lot of customers saying was that they didn't know where to begin to look because nothing is laid out on a mannequin for them. I understand that Topshop has things laid out beautifully and it's therefore easier to find but if you actually take the time to rummage through charity shops I promise you you'll find some hidden gems. If that is your idea of hell then you could try some online vintage boutiques or even vintage fairs, they have less things and usually only display their best pieces so less crap to go through. Recently in Belfast a new type of Vintage fair has popped up, Lola's Vintage is a kilo sale which means that you pay for your clothes per kilo (£20 per kilo) so you could get yourself about 3 or 4 items depending on weight for £20, what a great idea! These fairs are held every month and they have some amazing clothes there, it's especially great because there's cakes and drinks and a DJ playing so you can have a boogie while rummaging. The next one hasn't been announced yet but if you search for them on Facebook "Lola's Vintage" the page will keep you up to date on everything. 
Another great page that I found on Facebook is called "Come Together Clothing" the owner Kirsty sources all the best vintage clothes from up and down the country and brings them to fairs mainly in Birmingham, Redditch, Chester & Liverpool. 
Vintage fairs are great to find one off pieces and they're usually a bit more expensive as the clothes are hand picked, but if you're looking for cheap pieces that are one offs and something a bit different then I urge you to go to your local charity or vintage shop. The charity shop money goes to a great cause and the owners are always so grateful for business in a world dominated by high street. It may not always be your thing but there's no harm in looking, so give it a go! You never know what you might find :)
Love and kisses,
Katie.

Always time for camo..

There was a thunderstorm today so I thought it was the perfect excuse for me to wear all black again, yay! I went for my favourite slouchy harem pants that I got years ago in Primark that seem to have been a timeless investment. My t-shirt is actually just a plain black one from h&m that's been dipped in bleach by my very artistic little sister and turned orange and my jacket I found in the Topshop sale for £20! I know last year was the year of the camo but I will always love a good camouflage jacket. I like how this one is cropped and has a fur collar so it's not quite like the ones that EVERYONE wore last year but still a nod to the camo invasion of 2012. My rings here are a pack from h&m which are their take on those Balenciaga ones that everyone is dying about and were only £4. My necklace is the ASOS version of the Celiné ID chain which cost me £15.

My shoes are Deena & Ozzy from Urban Outfitters but they're actually pretty wrecked since I wore them to death last year so I won't give you a close up of them haha! Thanks for reading,

Love and kisses,

Katie xx

Too hot for trousers..

Note to self: don't wear denim in the sunshine. Excuse my wearing of the same blouse but I haven't been home (although I did change my trousers which I brought thinking it would be cold, it wasn't.) These high waisted Levi 501s are my absolute favourite thing to wear because they go with everything and pinch your waist in at its smallest point which is very flattering. They cost me £30 from a vintage shop in Liverpool and you can find them in most vintage or charity shops, roll up the bottom for the ultimate 80s look. My blouse is the same as before from Urban Outfitters and my fedora hat was £8 from H&M last year, Misguided do a great version on their website and it even comes in burgundy so you can buy two :) My bag is from Primark and cost me £10 but I think it looks rather expensive and is one of my favourite purchase of the year, it's a complete Mary Poppins bag and holds everything but the kitchen sink!

OOTD

Hiiiyas! I decided today to do a little mobile post in between my next blog and this is my first ever outfit post as well :) Most fashion blogs usually consist of people posting their own outfits for others to see so I thought I'd give it a go. Sadly I don't own as many lovely clothes as most of the bloggers online but ah well I'll try and make the best of what I have! Today I'm wearing a Primark Aztec print maxi skirt that I grabbed last minute before I left Liverpool (obviously they wouldn't have this in Belfast!) which cost £10 and my favourite summer shirt; my mint green floaty shirt from Urban Outfitters which only cost me £5 in their summer sale last year. My boots are from Office and are the one thing I own which I never have off me, partly because they cost me £85 but it was worth it. So without the boots my outfit cost me a total of £15 and you can find this sort of thing everywhere now. The best place to find maxi skirts I feel is in a charity shop, there's always tonnes of 90's maxi dresses with wacky prints on them and they're usually no more than £7. You'd also be surprised what gems you can find at the back of your mums/aunts/granny's wardrobe so go and have a rummage and see what you can find! Maxi dresses on a hot day are always a winner.
P.S I've tied this skirt up with a bobble to show a bit of ankle clevage so I wasn't walking around looking like a nun, give it a go if you want to jazz things up a bit ;)
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Katie.

Sun is shining, the weather is sweet...

Hi guys, I know I haven't written anything in a while but it's sunny outside and this NEVER happens in Belfast so I've been out trying to tan myself. If like me you're whiter than white and reflect the sunshine then you'll probably not have tanned either, but never fear because I've found a great new tan for us all to fake it with. It's called Xen Tan and it's just great! most people I know are religious about sun beds but I'm far too lazy to constantly go on them so fake tan it is. Usually I find most tans drag on my skin because I have quite dry skin or else they'll all just wash off in the shower but this tan is definitely a contender for the best one I've used. If you go on the website http://www.xen-tan.co.uk/ you can order online or find where your local stockists are and even better which salons use it for spray tans. I'm wearing the dark lotion (236ml) that costs £28.99 which isn't bad considering you don't need to use a lot to get a nice bronzed even look, so it lasts for a while. Usually I would wear medium but this washes off to leave you with a nice glow instead of a horrible dirty brown colour like most tans. The great thing about this is it starts to develop immediately and you can see it on your skin so you know if you've missed a bit while applying, plus it only takes 3 hours to fully develop - the white girls guide to quick tanning.

So apart from tanning myself I've only gone and got myself a job FINALLY which means I can buy lots of nice clothes to bask in this sunshine (if it lasts!) I went for my interview on Tuesday for Schuh and found out I got the job the next day which means SOOO MANY SHOES FOR ME. For anyone who knows me they'll probably know I love my trainers, I would much rather go for a rave in a pair of air max than fall over myself in high heels, unless they're my white wedges from Kurt Geiger because they're just perfect. Here I am with my beautiful friends wearing my beautiful white wedges. I fell over myself SEVEN times that night. 

I'll let you all in on a secret which kills me but I really should spread the joy, they're now down to £59 on Kurt Geiger online, sickening.

Here's a close up of them in all their glory 

I completely digressed from trainers to heels there but as I was saying, I love trainers and have already spied some beauties that I want to get my hands on. When you work in Schuh you have to wear trainers that you can buy there, so that's my excuse for all the trainers I plan to buy. These are actually men's and only start in a 7 so I'm praying they'll be a small fit, look aren't they beaut!?

Nike air base ii - £72

Seeing as I'll have some money soon I've started to make notes of all the clothes and bikinis I want, I'm not actually going on holiday but I figured if this sun sticks around then I'll need more bikinis to wear - right?

My favourite but most dreaded shop is Urban Outfitters because they're so pricey but so god damn good at making clothes that I want. I think they definitely take the crown for best high street bikinis and I actually bought one of my favourite bikinis from there last year. It's high waisted, cost me £30 and was worth every penny. Here I am with my sister pretending I'm a 1950s pin up girl on the beach..

Mia (left) wears Primark bikini & Topshop shorts and me on the right wearing my bikini and denim shorts, both from Urban Outfitters! Headband from a Vintage shop in Glasgow and both pairs of sunglasses from Primark.

Here's my list of summer must haves -

• Sunglasses from Primark, they're cheap and on trend and never more than £4 so you don't need to worry about losing them and can buy as many pairs as you like.
• A pair of denim shorts, they're versatile and go with everything and easy to throw on over a bikini if you're not brave enough to bare it all.
• A head scarf or hat, a burnt scalp is not pleasant and no one wants to put sun cream on their heads (the greasy look is not chic) so get yourself a scarf from a vintage shop or even use one of your granny's old scarves to avoid the pain!
• Jelly Sandals, like flip flops and sandals but comfier and more fun. Embrace your inner 90's kid and get yourself a pair of JuJu Jellies like this. JuJu Jellies can be found in Office, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel and many more shops. Check out their website to see where you can get them near you. http://www.jujushoes.co.uk/jujustockists.aspx

These come in almost every colour you can think of!

• Sun cream!! I don't know why people are so anti sun cream, fair enough it stops you tanning a bit but hellooo ladies we don't want to look like leather bags when we're older. Skin cancer is not fun! Plus it's only about £3 a bottle so save yourself the hassle in years to come and get it on.
• A kimono, I am all about the kimono this year. I absolutely love the ones Topshop have in ATM and even though they're a bit pricey, they're the perfect cover up for the beach or even just to throw on over shorts and t-shirt to glam up an outfit a bit. 

  

  This Aztec Embroidered Kimono is £60 from Topshop but I think it's worth it!

• Finally, a tan. Whether you fake it or bake it everyone loves being tanned - it's the ultimate accessory.

So if you're going away or sunning yourself in this heatwave then hopefully that checklist has reminded you of something you need for that last minute holiday, or if you just want to look your best in your back garden. The suns just come through the clouds as I'm writing this so I'm definitely rushing the end of this to get out in it, I am taking every second of these rays as a blessing from the sun gods. I'll be back soon to talk about the sun and more clothes I want, I can guarantee it. 

Thanks for reading!

Lots of love & kisses,

Katie.