I blame the heat...

On the amount of shopping I want to do! I'm setting myself a challenge starting today. I'm giving up shopping. Yes you heard. No more clothes shopping for me AT ALL (apart from essentials like tights, pants, the odd vest top from Primark) and no unnecessary purchasing of makeup (and by this I mean no lunchtime trips to the Mac counter!). I'll only replace if necessary, and under NO circumstances will I decide I need a new nail varnish (because let's face it, I don't).

So to make up for it, I have treated myself over the past few days. There's the new handbag I mentioned in the previous post (although I did need this!) for £25 from H&M, and the grey Office sandals were my uniform shoes for work so I didn't actually have to pay for these (LOVES a pair of free shoes!). I've wanted the hightop pink converse for ages, and now we've had some nice weather I thought they'd get worn so I purchased them....I'm actually sat in the garden right now wearing them with a pair of denim shorts and a black and pink flowery croptop from New Look about 4 years ago!

The boat shoes from Office were a 'treat' and a bit of an impulse buy. I'd actually seen some boat shoes in Next ages ago when Mum dragged me in there to look for some brogues for her, and I'd ummm-ed and ahhh-ed about them for a while, but these Office ones are so much nicer. Can't wait to crack these out with my rolled up chino's and plain black vest, or with a black maxi and cropped denim jacket!

So here's to day one of the no-shopping test (I'd like to point out how I started off on the easiest day ever....Easter Sunday when there are no shops open!) Wish me luck!!

Bank Holiday Pt 1....

Has been just as I'd anticipated. Messy.

Thursday at work I wore my H&M shorts with my new Primark top and shoes. I absolutely had to get this top it was SO cute!

Thursday night was full of wine, vodka and lots of laughs with the girls:

(l-r) Steph had her new Forever 21 dress on with tan shoes from Evans and a belt borrowed from yours truly. Kellie had wedges from New Look (her dancing shoes apparently) and flowery shorts from H&M (short envy). Sarah had her new dress from Zara she bought in Birmingham, and her gorgeous mary jane heels from New Look. I wore my River Island flowery skirt and 3 year old River Island wooden heels that are still going strong today!

On Friday I went into Leicester shopping with mum and dad, and went out for dinner (I'll be honest with you, I only went for the free food!!) I did buy a new handbag but that's only because I didn't have a bag to go with the above outfit so I went straight to River Island to buy a new one (disappointingly didn't have one I liked so ended up in H&M for a HUGE tan number that I'm a bit in love with for the bargain of £25!!) 

Anyway I wore a maxi dress from Primark, tan sandals from New Look and a plaited tan belt that Mum had free on a pair of trousers!! I went a bit over board on bangles that are all a mixture of Primark and New Look, and my feather earings from Topshop. The sunglasses were from a random show in New York that I LOVE! Absolutely classic shape, will never date. 

On Friday night I went to a party with Steph but kept is casual with my new Jeggings from Zara, a white crop from Topshop, and my amazing coral wedges from New Look (thought I'd test drive them on a night where I didn't have to be up all night dancing, and I have to say they were a success!!)

Got it all again tonight as well....another night in HTC with Steph...now what to wear....

Get your glad rags on.....

I need this girls night out so badly….me and the three besties are off into Hinckley Town Centre (more commonly known as HTC) to drink a horrendous amount of rose and vodka, cause some mischief and dance the night away. I don’t know why I’m quite so excited about a night out in Hinckley (usually it ends in some sort of disaster or is just generally rubbish), but I do seem to have a positive track record of Easter Thursdays! Also, progress has been made from previous post, and I am REALLY hoping he’ll be out tonight. I need to prove he can trust me, and I also need to remind him how good it all used to be.

Anyway so now of course comes the fun part. Currently sitting downstairs are Kellie, Sarah and Steph, eating pizza and drinking their 3^rd glass of God only knows what, outfits hanging up in my wardrobe ready to get glamorous later. We’ve got a mixture of cute summer dresses from Zara and classic navy one shouldered numbers from Forever 21. I’m not sure what I’m going for yet. I’m thinking a skirt (maybe the River Island flowery one from a while back that still hasn’t had a wear) or the new black Forever 21 skirt. Either way I’ll team it with my signature over the knee socks and huge curly hair, get my Eylure double thickness lashes glued on, and a squirt of Burberry perfume (I’m going to need some good luck tonight either way the night goes!)

Wish me luck, I’ll have pictures on asap I promise!

And here come the feelings.....

Having a few man issues and really need to vent my frustration! Anybody else got that one person that you always go back to, that one person that is probably the most perfect guy in the world for you, yet somehow nothings ever really happened? I’ve got myself one of those. We’ve been on and off for years (literally, I think it’s been about 4 years!) sometimes publicly, sometimes not. I’d probably say he was one of my best friends, and I also fancy the pants off him. He was the one that got me into dubstep (some of my friends still haven’t forgiven him for that…!) and I’d probably say over 20% of the songs on my ipod have some relevance to how I felt about him at some point in time. I’ve even got a text saved that he send me a couple of summers ago that said: ‘chillin in the garden listing to the streets with the lads, this day can only be topped off by seeing my girl later’. Massive CRINGE but also kind of sweet that I still have this? So what do you do when said boy comes back into your life and tells you that he still has feelings for you.

I wonder if it is actually possible to be with someone when you’ve been through so much apart? Some of the things I’ve done I am certainly not proud of, there’ve been tears and I’ve also been pretty happy in one relationship that ended badly but I do still sort of miss. I don’t think I’m even slightly the same person as I was back then, yet I still have exactly the same feelings as I did when we met way before I started uni. I still get moths (butterflies….sorry private joke) and I still always want to ring him and sing down the phone when a certain song comes on the radio.  

And now there’s suddenly a big fat elephant in the room and I don’t dare mention us or what’s going to happen with us now, which is pretty stupid considering I don’t want to loose him to someone else again. I’d love nothing more than for him to turn around and say lets start again, from the beginning, take it slow and see what happens. If only I could open my big mouth that I can never usually keep shut, and say something….

On a slightly different note, here’s a few outfit posts from the past few days.

For work: top is a man's with the sleeves cut out from Primark, shorts are Topshop and shoes are Vans from Office

Went out for dinner Sunday night: shirt is Primark ages ago, jeans are Miss Selfridge and Wedges are my new ones from Forever 21

Work yesterday: Shoes tights belt and dress all from Primark. 

Palazzo pants looking a bit see-through in the top picture there!! Oooops! Vest is topshop, jewellery is all Miss Selfridge, Palazzo pants are Primark and Jacket is H&M. 

Right I need to shower, tan and sleep off all these feelings I'm having, I'm sure it's not healthy....

So about the teeth...

I'm not sure if this is just camera trickery but HOW white do my teeth look in this?? Thank you Blanx and Pearl Drops Hollywood smile.... alright CHEESY smile!

It's the closest thing I've got to happiness....

BIRMINGHAM shopping trip today with my ladies. But more on that later, first to my love affair with my new airbrushed skin. I went along to my local Mac counter this week to make the leap from my normal powder foundation which has decided it doesn't like my skin anymore, to a Mac liquid one that I'd heard recommended many times. Studio fix fluid, in Number 22. Also treated myself to a foundation brush (£26!!!!) and a new lipstick in Saint German that I love so much I'd happily sleep in.

So anyway, on to Birmingham....the shopping outfit went a little bit like this....

Dress and tights: Primark

Boots: Random shop in Leicester

Jewellery: from all over the place to be honest

Leather jacket: Matalan

Got the Mac foundation and lipstick on here, and Mac eyeliner in Smoulder, as well as Mac blusher in Fleur Power. 

Some lovely purchases....

Cardigan in the sale for £45 in Urban Outfitters sale

Jeggings (which i've been looking for for TIME!) £20 Zara

Shoes: Forever 21 for the bargain that is £23!

Bought this skirt for work (Forever 21 for £9.50) but I love it so much I might get it on for Thurs night with my Henry Holland tights and a cream shirt.

Had to buy this (£15 Zara) because the words could NOT be more true....

Jacket £40 Topshop

LOVES a pair of sunglasses, but I've been so good and not bought a single pair this year, until now. £16 Miss Selfridge

You know those weekends....

...where everything is perfect? The girls are back from uni, all the boys were out in Leicester on Saturday in Office looking tasty, the suns shining, far too much rose was consumed and just generally a beautiful weekend.

In fact the sun's been shining for a week nearly now..... here's a few random outfits from work last week....

Crop: H&M sale

Trousers: Oasis (far too big for me now I've finally become a skinny minnie but I love them too much to part with them)

Brogues: Office

Shirt: Primark

Belt: Primark

Jewellery: Primark/ River Island/ New Look

Wedges: New Look

I went out with the girls last night but not got the pictures from that yet but I'll get them on when I do. I was going to wear the coral dress I posted on here a while ago but I didn't feel right in it when it came to going out so went for denim high waisted shorts with a Topshop vest tucked in and over the knee black socks. 

Had the day off today, so made the most of the gorgeous sunshine and walked into town to meet Steph for a costa, and we had a wander around Boots and The Works (lipstick, nail varnish, and some new books!)

Nail Varnish: 17 Supreme Shine in Simply Pink. Really pale colour but quite nice for the summer so I can give my poor nails a break from black and purple! 

Lipstick: 17 in Hot Chilli....amazing colour as you can see from the pictures underneath. 

Mum and Dad took me out for a Nando's too, which I will never complain about. Still so warm so went for my Topshop mustard jumper I got in the sale over leggings, and my new New Look wedges. Of course, the new lipstick made an appearance!

Sorry I look so rough, my hair was a state after last night (bit too much Tresemme freeze hold and back combing) and my skin looks terrible. Bit of a detox this week I think!) 

Sunshine makes the world go round....

What a beautiful day!! I got out last years Primark sun dress and had LOADS of complements on it!

Hair in a topknot just because it was a lot easier, but thought it worked well with the dress.

Treated myself to some new wedges (the sun makes me want to buy wedges don't know why?!) and some feather earings, all in my new fave colour: coral! Can't get enough of it atm, might even go paint my nails coral tonight actually! 

Shoes and earings are both New Look, £20 for the wedges and £3 for the earings. Hope this sunshine stays out so I get a chance to wear them soon!

Also, song of the day is, without a shadow of a doubt, this:

 Mainly because it is JUST how I feel right now, it was the perfect soundtrack for driving home with my shades on with the window down. Boys are shit. Fact. 

'Why's he so jel for"....

So last night was The Only Way is Essex, also known as the highlight of my weekend. And I personally think that last night’s was too good to go unspoken about, there were actually times when I shouted “Don’t do it!” at the TV (Lucy agreeing to go on a date with Kirk) and doing the old “ooooo he did NOT just say that” (Kirk’s comment of “who are you anyway you’re just an extra” to Maria).

So anyway lets start at the beginning. Queen of Essex Amy looked (as always) stunning, but absolutely out-did herself in Minnie’s boutique in that first multi-coloured maxi dress. Who care’s if you can dance OK in it? When you look that good, you could stand still in the corner for the whole night and you’d still steal the show. As for the bikini, I’d say move on up to a medium, I know the saying “If you’ve got it, flaunt it” but it’s like she said, you don’t want to be flashing on the beach in Marbs!

The Arg and Lydia fight made me so sad. They seem like such a cute couple but clearly things aren’t always smooth sailing. She say’s he’s gone from being totally in love with her and devoting all his spare time with her, taking her out for meals and away on holiday, to not answering her calls or caring how she feels. Now that’s bad enough after only a few weeks (and I should know!) but they’ve been together too long for him to start letting standards slip. It probably is something genuine like just forgetting to call her back because he’s out with Mark (oh Mark, always getting the blame) but there’s still no excuse to make her cry like she was last night. Anybody else want to give her a huge hug? The best bit was when he went “I think we need a few days apart so you can calm down” erm SORRY? I think that’s totally the wrong thing to say, but then that’s just personal opinion, I’d want him to be like right I’m turning my phone off and we’re going to spend the next 48 hours in bed watching chick flicks, and eating Chinese (I’m a simple being really).

On to the big one: the Kirk - Lucy – Lauren Pope triangle. Here’s the background: Kirk and Lauren get together and make the cutest couple ever! She wants to stay with him forever and get married; he seems to feel the same. Then he see’s all the new talent around Essex and decides he’s a rubbish boyfriend and breaks up with Lauren, breaking her heart and feeling the wrath of her best friend Maria (with the most perfect teeth in the world) along the way. So what’s a newly single young Essex man to do eh? Well of course it’s to chat up Lucy, Mark Wrights ex (much to Joey Essex’s disgust, his face was priceless) and take her out on a date. Except this date happens to be in the same place Lauren Pope and Marie are sharing a nice drink, and talking about how much they hate men. Kirk and Lucy walk in, and Kirk announces to the man on the tables ‘sit her down for a minute will you’ (and of course they give her the table facing Lauren and Maria).

So just to add fuel to the fire, Kirk goes over and demands Lauren speak to him, even offering to ditch his date with Lucy there and then. Cue Maria hurling a barrage of abuse to both Kirk and Lucy in equal measures (I wouldn’t like to get on her wrong side) and finally leaves Kirk and Lauren too it, only when she’s made Lucy cry and run out of the restaurant. Drama!

There were a lot of negative comments about Maria last night on Twitter because of this, but give the girl a break! Any girl who’s had to sit and watch her best friend have her heart broken will know how painful it is, and how you’ll say and do anything to make her feel better, so all last night proves is that Maria is actually a really caring and kind friend (with a very fiery temper).

So should Lucy have gone on this date? She knows Lauren Pope quite well, and knew it would get back to her, but on the other hand both her and Kirk are single, so why shouldn’t they?

I had to feel sorry for both Lauren and Lucy, but I mostly feel sorry for Kirk. I don’t actually think he’s a dick if I’m honest, just a little bit lost and confused, like a lamb trying to find it’s was back to the flock (strange description but I think it fits quite nicely).

So will Lauren take Kirk back?

Will Amy decide that her boobs need restraining into a size medium bikini top?

Will Arg give Lydia too much space and end up breaking her heart (although she’ll always still have Mr Darcey)?

And will poor Joey essex ever get the girl?

Wednesday, hurry up please……

Random outfit post...

Shirt, tights, belt, bracelet all Primark

From Friday....

Found a few pictures on Friday I forgot to put on.

Went into Primark to pick a couple of bits up last week, needed to re-vamp my accessories. Came across some lovely summery bits:

Gold necklace with actual material flower, and stacked flower rings that are going to take a lot of my outfits into Spring :) (both £2 each)

Also found an outfit picture from Friday I'd forgotten about. Just going to work, this is me trying to slowly stop using extensions as much....

Cardigan and trousers both H&M

Brogues River Island

Vest Primark

Belt Vintage

The Spring Clean....

Mum scared me the other day and warned me that I’ll have countless spiders and months making a nice comfy home in my wardrobe if I don’t get it sorted. Now this was probably only a scare-mongering tactic for me so I’d get of my lazy bum and sort out the mess I call my wardrobe, but it worked and this weekend is being dedicated to my beautiful wardrobe and clothes/shoes/jewellery. I won’t be happy unless I throw out a MINIMUM of two bin bags full of stuff, most of which I’ll try and sell at a car-boot sale.

Although I will admit, I’m rubbish at this job. I get all indecisive and say ‘ooo well I might wear it one day’ and then 3 clearouts down the line it’s still there, hanging up, un-worn, looking very sorry for itself indeed. So this time, if I’ve not worn it in the past 12 months (see, that covers all seasons!) its out. If I pick it out of my wardrobe and go ‘hang on I forgot I’d had this’ then it clearly can’t be very special and it’s going to byebye! (There are of course exceptions to this and if it’s a treasure it stays).

As for everything else….if the shoes hurt, they’re not welcome anymore. If the rings are a bit too small and send my finger green, seeya. And if the earrings or headband have been seen on Becky McDonald or anyone else similar from Corrie, then into the unwanted pile they go. I’m holding no prisoners.

So anyway this is my challenge. All clothes, coats, shoes, accessories, beauty products and anything else in between will be sorted, cleaned, tried on, mended and put back into perfect order in my walk in wardrobe before The Only Way is Essex at 10pm on Sunday Night.

This is the state of it right now, I've only been doing it for an hour and I've made more mess than anything else....

I won’t be blogging much over the weekend as I’ve got a busy one planned as well as this spring clean challenge, so wish me luck and I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.....!