Fantasy Friday #7 Spring Wishlist

floral playsuit | tan ankle boots | Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet | Marc b bag | red paisley dress | NARS Copacabana

I have not done one of these Fantasy Friday posts in so long! Fortunately, spring/summer are my favourite seasons and I have so many more things to lust after when the days are longer and the weather is warmer.

I was out at the Trafford Centre and spotted the floral playsuit on a mannequin in John Lewis, I fell in love immediately and annoyingly it didn't have the little information paper thing (?) next to it giving you the details so I hunted it down on the shop-floor to find out who it was by. I've worn my black ankle boots to death this winter and I want another pair for spring, I always think tan boots looks so nice and brighten up your outfits before it's warm enough to wear a pair of sandals. On the same Trafford Centre trip, I noticed Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet whilst perusing Boots. I currently have Miss Dior Cherie and love it so I was intrigued by this one as it has more floral undertones. I gave it a spritz and it smells gorgeous, perfect for the upcoming months. I can't have a wishlist without a bag appearing in there somewhere and this bag from Topshop caught my eye, I love the little detailing on it. The red paisley dress is so cute and I'm trying to branch out from wearing floral patterns, so this is a perfect option. Finally, NARS Copacabana. I really need to get more NARS in my collection and I'm in dire need of some radiance, this looks the most gorgeous highlighter and great for adding a healthy glow.

Cute Christmas Jumpers | My Picks

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I've never bought a Christmas jumper before but I've noticed so many cute ones whilst browsing around that I thought I'd pick out my favourites and share them with you all. As you can probably tell from my selection, I'm fairly into my animal themes and apparently cakes, sounds about right...

I think they're all really cute and I'm struggling to pick out a favourite. I do love the polar bear, I think it would look super cute paired with a collared shirt and could be worn throughout winter as it's not too Christmassy.

What's your favourite style of Christmas jumper? Subtle or Stand Out?

Winter Warmers

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The weather is getting noticeably cooler now, not surprising as it's November (already?!) and I've been looking for some cosier items of clothing. I'm loving jumpers so far this year, they were never really something I was interested in but there's so many lovely styles out. With a new coat, I obviously need to get new accessories and I can't decide between the cute heart snood or the cream knit scarf. I'm in need of a new hat too and burgundy is such a warm shade, you can have mismatched accessories, right? I've been longing for a leather coat for so long. I used to have one years ago that I loved and wore to my first ever concert aged 9 feeling super cool (Britney Spears FYI) Finally, it wouldn't be winter without some novelty socks and these fairisle racoon and owl patterned ones are right up my street along with the adorable heart print tights.

What are your winter essentials?

Fantasy Friday #5 Skater Girl

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This post has been a bit of a long time coming... Now that I've had Ozzy, I've also sadly discovered that maxi's just don't suit me, damn it! This means that I've fallen back on my old favourite style, the skater dress.

This style really flatters my figure, especially as I'm carrying a little extra weight and a bit of a jelly belly. 

The fit and flare style of skater dresses skims neatly over my hips and belly and cinches me in around my waist making me look slimmer than I am and making me feel confident and feminine without having to wear floaty tops all the time. I can also buy them in my normal size so I'm not wasting money on clothes that won't fit me next summer.

What's your favourite style dress?

Fantasy Friday #4 - Maxi Madness

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I've never really been into maxi dresses or long skirts, usually I favour something a little more along the lines of a skater dress or something just above the knee. This year though, I've really spotted quite a few maxi items that have caught my eye and made me want to try out the style!

Now I'm due to become a mum (he's still not arrived, 5 days late and counting, come on ooooutt!) I think my style has become a little more reserved than it has been before. 

I have tried the Denim Jacket (1) on and it looks much nicer than in the picture above with cute floral detailing on the inside of the cuffs. I think denim jackets are so great for mixing and matching with loads of outfits and to keep you looking stylish even with our crappy British 'summer'!

I really love the River Island coral dress (2) for casual wear, it's one of my favourite colours and would look gorgeous with a tan. 

The Warehouse Masai Print dress (3) is a little different to what I'd usually pick (because it's not pink or floral, haha!) but I think it's really pretty and bonus - it's currently reduced to £36 at House of Fraser.

The Oasis Iris Chiffon dress (4) is a little more fancy and I think would be great for something a bit more special, it's a bit more expensive than the other items, but you always have to spend a bit more for a celebration/occasion, right?

The linen top (5) and skirt (6) are pretty much a complete outfit that I saw on H&M but they just look great together along with the jacket and necklace (8) (Which sadly is sold out, but I couldn't find anything similar whilst browsing).

Finally, I couldn't resist a pair of wedges (7) to go with all the outfits above but I think they'd all look great with flats too.

Do you like the Maxi trend? What are you loving this spring/summer?

Fantasy Friday #1

I thought I'd start a mini weekly series called "Fantasy Friday" - basically a wishlist/outfit that I'm liking each week. We'll see where this goes, but for this week I've gone for a Spring navy theme!

1. Jeans - I've never owned a pair of white jeans but I think they can really brighten up your outfit whilst keeping it casual. These are cropped just by the ankle, so perfect for any warmer weather.

2. Top - You can't see it to clearly on the picture, but it has some lovely lace detailing around the neck and the pattern is so pretty. It's a dark top without being unsuitable for the weather as it has so many bright colours on it.

3. Blazer - I've got a beige blazer that I love so I wanted a darker one to go with different outfits. This one fits the bill and goes perfectly with the rest of the items I've picked out.

4. Bag - This cute little bag is perfect for a small trip out for all of your essentials, it also has white detailing around the edges so ties in nicely with the top and the jeans.

5. Wedges - This list would not be complete without a pair of wedges and these ones are perfect, I love them! They also do them in different colours, but for this outfit they are the perfect navy and just add the finishing touch.

What items are currently on your wishlist? Do you like any of these items?

H&M MAMA Maternity Range

Hey everyone, 

I hope you're enjoying your weekends so far! It's a shame it's been so rainy, where is Spring? 

As of today, I'm now 30 weeks into my pregnancy and that means only 10 weeks until baby's arrival, I can't believe how quick time is flying by!

It also means that not many none of my pre-pregnancy clothes are really an option anymore. I had to say goodbye to most of them fairly early on as they included lots of skirts/playsuits which would sadly not accommodate a growing belly.

I worried at first that I wouldn't be able to find anything nice to wear and I'd be stuck wearing the same clothes over and over again. Most shops on the High Street don't stock maternity wear in-store making it difficult to know what size you'll need to purchase to fit your expanding bump and also having to rely on pictures online to see what items are available to you.

Then, I stumbled upon H&M's MAMA Maternity range. It was hidden among the children's clothes; a part of the store I'd never normally pay any attention to but a kind sales assistant pointed me in the right direction.

They sell a varied selection of styles ranging from the everyday essentials such as tights and underwear through to party dresses and jackets.

I've found them to be an absolute saviour so far throughout my pregnancy, they are affordable but most importantly I actually feel like myself when wearing them. None of the clothes feel frumpy or unfashionable so I can go out feeling good about myself when I'm missing my old wardrobe.

I've so far purchased quite a few tops to dress up my leggings in size 'S' (which was my usual size beforehand) and the maternity range is true to size and have fit me well from the earlier weeks through to now and I feel there's more room for expansion too. I've also purchased the coat pictured above which is lovely and goes well with all of my outfits fitting me flatteringly without being baggy or shapeless. Plus, the tights are absolutely amazing and are so comfy, enabling me to finally wear a skirt again!

I haven't actually tried any of their jeans/leggings as they seem to be quite popular in store and don't usually have my size plus my mum had already grabbed me a few from other places.

My only complaint with H&M is that they are sometimes inconsistent with what you can purchase online and what you can in the store - sometimes even different stores have different items meaning I have to go on a mini hunt to find the item I want. I grabbed a lovely top in the sale the other day for £5 but I'd never seen it on the site prior to picking it up, which I definitely would have!

Most items vary from around £6 for the basic tops, £12-£15 for the dresses or more fancy tops and £25 to £30 for the pants/coat.

I just thought I'd pop up a quick review as I found it hard to find any decent reviews or recommendations online for good maternity wear and I thought it might be helpful for any expectant or future mums.

What do you think of H&M? Do you enjoy their normal range or have you tried anything from MAMA?

Holiday Countdown

Source

In just a meager 2 weeks, I shall be leaving work for the foreseeable future to begin my maternity leave and soon to be stay-at-home mum role. I'm rather happy about this but I'm even more excited as I am heading off on my hols for a week the same week that I finish work.

As with every holiday I go on, I usually try and find some excuse to do some "pre-holiday shopping." Yes, that necklace is an essential that I need to purchase because it will go excellently with that extremely necessary new t-shirt I just bought. Ahem.

Now, as I'm pregnant for my holiday this time, my fun has been a little limited and with only 8 weeks left until my due date by the time I go I'm not really looking to purchase any pricey maternity wear, as nice as some of it may be.

That got me thinking about shoes. I'm not a huge shoe lover; I don't own hoards of them. In fact, I own a very select few that I buy seasonally and pair with most outfits over the season.

Shoes, however, (unless life is especially cruel to me and makes my feet swell up and become double their normal size) will fit me bump or no bump.

My favourite type of shoes to wear either casually or dressed up are wedges. There are so many styles to pick from and not only that but they can be worn in any season and most importantly I find them really comfy and easy to walk in.

My go-to place to purchase shoes over the years has been New Look. In fact, I bought my first ever pair of high heels (well, I say high, they were about 1.5 inches tall) from there when I was about 14 and they remained my only pair for about 3 years that I proceeded to wear with every outfit that I wore that I deemed "dressy".

My favourite purchase of the Summer last year was a pair of tan open-toed wedges that I wore with literally all my skater dresses, playsuits and skirts and I could wear them for hours without getting sore feet. Due to my loving of them and also general clumsiness, I could do with purchasing another pair for this Spring/Summer and of course, my holiday.
So I headed on over to the New Look site to to see what they had on offer for me this year. As usual, I'm spoiled for choice by their range of stylish wedges and can't decide on which style to go for, lower heel to accommodate the bump? Or should I just go for my usual towering style..I think this can only be remedied by a trip to the shops on my day off to try some of them on!

What is your favourite style of shoe? 

*Sponsored Post - all opinions are my own.

Florally Obsessed

Hello!
It's Friday (almost Saturday!) again and I can't believe that another week has passed by. I never got round to doing my 28 week update and at this rate I'll be at 40 weeks before I know it, eep.
I thought I'd do some late night wishlist browsing and post a "Spring Wishlist" but then I noticed that all the items I was looking at were floral. I've always loved floral print, it's so feminine and subtle and makes me feel really spring/summery which are without doubt my favourite seasons. I got disappointed before when I checked the weather on my phone and it said we're due snow flurries early next week?! That is not acceptable. Anyway, I decided to create a Floral Wishlist with a couple of neutral items thrown in for good measure:

Summer Garden Studs - £6
Woodland Ditsy Vest - £22
Daisy Chain Collar Necklace - £10
Supersoft Skinny Jeans at Warehouse - £40
Studded Low Wedges -£35
San Tropez Rose Print Scarf - £22
Mini Clean Satchel - £34
Botanical Border Dress - £55
Flower Stacking Rings - £15

What items are currently on your wishlist?