Great Plains

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know that I love A: jumpsuits B: anything with a pattern, and C: clothes that feel like pyjamas. Luckily for me, this jumpsuit meets all three of these requirements! I’ve been wearing it non-stop this week (is that wrong?) for sewing, lounging, running errands and everything in-between. It’s super comfy and the cute print means that it looks like I made an effort. It’s from Great Plains who, I have to admit, I hadn’t previously heard of, but they do some great basics as well as having some really cute prints! When the sun comes out, my hair gradually starts to turn a cooper colour. It’s fun that you can see that in these pictures! I think the golden-hour sunlight is also lending a hand.

Outfit details: Jumpsuit, c/o Great Plains (see more from their range here!) / Shirt, Topshop (Old) / Boots, New Look / Necklaces, a gift

I took these photos in the countryside which is a 5 minute walk from my house. It really is beautiful up there in the evening light. I’ve mentioned it before (in this post!) but these fields are soon to be turned into housing estates. I’ll be sad when that happens, but until then I’d better make sure I take more walks and soak up the sunlight. My mum told me that one of the most beautiful places in the world is the English countryside on a perfect summers evening. You know, I think she might be right!

It’s Raining Pink

I feel like I’ve been talking about the weather a lot recently, but the constant rain this week has really been affecting my mood. I had planned to make things outside, and take a lot of photos but I just haven’t been able to because it’s been so wet! I’ve been regressing back to winter hibernation mood – eating a lot of cake and wanting to hide in bed. But no one can be grumpy when they’re wearing a bright pink raincoat, right? This pink-overload of an outfit did manage to brighten my day. It might not be sun hat weather, but this pink hat was just begging to be worn with my raincoat.

Outit Details: Raincoat, H&M (Old) / Hat, H&M (Old) / Shirt, Natura (Old) / Skirt, Shop Jessthetics / Boots, New Look

This is my favourite skirt from my Etsy shop, I think the vintage pattern is gorgeous. The benefit of selling handmade clothes = you get to road test them! I’m also wearing a shirt that I picked up in Barcelona a couple of years ago. It’s my go-to summer shirt, it’s so light and breezy! I’m looking forward to travelling to Edinburgh  tomorrow for a weekend of flat hunting. I’ve been offered a place at Edinburgh to do my MSc in Environmental Sustainability next year, so I just need to find somewhere to live! I’ve heard the weather in Scotland’s not great, so I might need my coat…

Plaid in Newcastle

I picked up this coat in Birmingham for the bargain price of £2 – yes, you heard me right! My friend Leah introduced me to this amazing chaotic, cheap vintage shop called Credit Crunch Vintage. You have to dig to find the good stuff, but it’s worth it! I’ve been wearing this coat all week. It’s lightweight and perfect for the British summer! The rest of the outfit just seemed to make sense – dungarees always make sense! I’m not sure how clear it is in the photos, but I got this lovely Lime Crime lipstick for my birthday. It smells like vanilla, and it’s the perfect purple!

Outfit Details: Dungarees, Vintage (Dolly Mix Vintage, Leicester) / Coat, Vintage (Credit Crunch Vintage, Birmingham) / Crop Top, Ebay / Chelsea Boots, New Look / Necklaces, Gift / Lipstick, Lime Crime Poisonberry

I finally got myself a new pair of sensible shoes. I picked up the last pair of size sevens in the New Look sale – they’re vegan, and they don’t have a heel which is exactly what I was looking for! Chelsea boots aren’t the most glamorous shoes in the world, but they’re comfy and they go with everything. These photos were taken after James and I enjoyed a picnic in the park during a charity shop trip to Newcastle. I’ve been doing  lot of charity shop shopping recently to stock my etsy shop, and I’m not complaining!

My Birthday Outfit!

This is what I wore out to dinner for my birthday last week! I’m wearing paisley again, which might be a bit samey but at least I know what I like! I bought this blazer probably a year and a half ago from the vintage section in Urban Outfitters. I don’t wear it that often cause it’s not really a daytime jacket (although perhaps it should be!) When I was in Birmingham last month I found this skirt in Cow which almost matches my jacket, so I had to buy it. It’s a gold overload, and I love how over the top they look together! I’ve actually been wearing this skirt a lot  with black t-shirts day-to-day and I really love the length.

Outfit details: Jacket, Vintage (Urban Outfitters / Skirt, Vintage (Cow, Birmingham) / Top, ASOS / Shoes, Ebay / Necklaces, a gift

These necklaces were a birthday present from a couple of my friends. They’re so pretty and dainty, and I love the designs! It was a lot of fun wearing red on my lips and eyeliner on my upper lids – I feel like I haven’t done my makeup like that in forever! Also, do you like the pom poms I glued to my shoes? They’re not really involved enough to be a “DIY” so I’m not posting about them separately, but I think it makes my shoes a lot more fun!

Black And White And Prints All Over

I feel very much like a “blogger” in this outfit. I’m not sure why, I think it might be the floppy hat and heeled Chelsea boots combination. It’s not often that I dress in monochrome, but I think the two different prints make my outfit interesting enough! I actually bought these dungarees from Lavish Alice in the January sales, but they tore in a couple of places literally ten minutes after I put them on. They had sold out online, so I decided that I would fix them rather than returning them and I’ve only just got around to it! I love the leopard face print, I think it’s so cute! I’m also wearing pink lipstick to stop these outfits from being too grey 🙂

 Outfit Details: Jumpsuit, Lavish Alice / Boots, New Look / Blouse, Vintage / Hat, H&M

Can you see that there’s only a little bit of blonde left at the end of my hair? It’s taken me three years to grow out my bleached hair and it feels so much healthier, but I’m itching for a change! If I do my MSc this year then it might be my last chance to have rainbow hair before I have to look respectable and employable and such. I also don’t want to damage my hair again, after all these years of restraint, and I can’t afford to have it done professionally. Oh, life’s decision are hard!

People Tree

We had some lovely weather last week so James and I took the opportunity to go for a walk and a picnic lunch in Bradgate Park. I’m wearing my new trousers from People Tree! I just love the pattern and the high waist – they’re so summery! They were too small for my calves, and I knew that the size up wouldn’t fit my waist, so I sewed splits into the back of each trouser leg, and now they’re the perfect fit. All of People Tree’s clothes are sustainable and fair trade, so I always feel good about buying from them. I found these sunglasses in a vintage shop in Southampton and they’re so funky. This summer I don’t think I’ll be leaving the house without a pair of colourful round sunglasses. They remind me of the 90s and the 70s at the same time, and what could be better!?

Outfit details: Trousers, People Tree / Clutch, People Tree / Crop Top, Ebay / Shoes, Ebay / Necklaces, Waiste / Sunglasses, Vintage (The Beatnik Emporium, Southampton)

This clutch bag is also from People Tree! It’s made from a recycled sari which is pretty cool, and I love the pattern on mine. The clutch is bigger than I expected it to be – my huge phone fits inside, and I wasn’t sure that it would! I look forward to being invited to lots of summery parties so that I can take my bag. My shoes are new too. I really need to buy a sensible pair of shoes. These purple ones aren’t very high so they almost count. I love the colour, they’re the perfect height and the postage was free!

I hope your week is off to a beautiful start 🙂

Pastels by the Pool

Okay, so there may not be a pool in these photos as the title suggests, but there was a pool behind me, I promise! It just wasn’t filled with water, since 10 degrees is apparently not “swimming weather.” These photos were taken during my recent trip to Sorrento, on the terrace of our villa. This is what I wore to dinner on our last night in Italy, where everyone had a little too much to drink – we were some of the first to arrive, and the last to leave! I bought this vintage jumpsuit in London when I was visiting the lovely Laila. The bodice was a little long for me, so I took the sleeves in on the shoulder seam. I just love how colourful it is, and I love how wide the legs are!

Outfit details: Jumpsuit, Beyond Retro / Shoes, Topshop (Old) / Belt, ASOS

I’m not sure if you can tell in the photos, but I’m wearing gold lipstick, and I’ve slicked some of it over my eyelids as well, to match my golden shoes. It’s a fun way of having a golden complexion without actually being anymore tanned! I love these shoes and I’ve had them forever, but they’re impossible to walk in. I have a real problem with shoes – I only really like the look of high heels but I’m both too tall and too lazy to wear heels during the daytime, or to do any kind of walking in heels. Finding flat shoes that I like is hard!

Paisley in Southampton

I spent the last weekend with my good friend Joe in Southampton. He used to live on the same street as me (we’ve been friends since we were 13!) and we would help each other out with our art and photography A levels. I would model for him, and he would have picnics outside with me at at midnight, or help me collect rubbish from the bottom of the river to make into a shed. I had a blast staying with him in his gorgeous flat, and we spent Saturday taking pictures like old times, in the woodland in Southampton common! I’m wearing a playsuit from ASOS and my trust New Look heeled boots. I LOVE this playsuit. it’s quite a striking colour, and it’s very comfy but the cut outs make it a little summery. I can’t wait to take this to Italy with me this week!

Outfit Details: Jumpsuit, ASOS / Boots, New Look / Sunglasses, H&M / Earrings, H&M

I’ve tried to go for a “stepped out of a time machine from the 70s” look with my round rose-tinted glasses. They’re very similar to a fancy dress pair of sunglasses I have, but I can assure you these ones are supposed to be worn every day! I don’t usually wear heels to go walking around a forest (although my last outfit would have you thinking otherwise) but these shoes are so comfy maybe I will from now on! Taking these photos with Joe was so much fun, and there are more coming your way! It’s a shame he lives so far away, otherwise we could do this every weekend 🙂 You can see some more of Joe’s work here. Have a lovely week!

No elephants were harmed in the making of this blog post

The lovely Laila saw this dress in the charity shop she works in and thought of me. I’m so glad she did because I love elephants, and I love everything embroidered! It is a little big for me, so I made it backless with the aim of making it looking purposefully oversized. It’s so soft and flowy, and I’m looking forward to taking it to Italy with me next week! Oh, and what do you think of my shoes? Obviously they’re not practical walking-around-a-forest shoes, but I think they go perfectly with this dress. I bought them four years ago, and have yet to get much use out of them so I’m glad they’ve found a something matching!

Outfit Details: Dress, Vintage (Charity shop) / Shoes, Primark (Old)

Now I’m in Leicestershire again, you’ll be seeing a lot of countryside backgrounds in my pictures! I love the woods. It’s one of my favourite types of countryside, especially when I stumble across bivouacs like this to pose in. I imagine this was made by two eleven year old explorers escaping from some boy scouts Moonrise Kingdom style, what do you think?

Scarborough

On our last full day in York, James and I decided to take a road trip to Scarborough! I’ve never been before and I wasn’t expecting much – a friend described it as a “grim place” – but I had a really great time. It’s quite large for a seaside town and whilst the town center is a little crumbly, there’s lots to do and see along the shore! We had pizza for lunch and walked all around the town, the pier and the castle. We browsed the charity shops and the strange little stalls in the market vaults and ate lots of candyfloss! Similarly to Filey, Scarborough has a trapped-in-another-decade feel that I find beautiful, charming and sometimes a little eerie, in the best possible way!

Outfit details: Crop top, ASOS / Boots, Topshop (Old) / Skirt, Vintage / Necklaces, Waiste and Ebay

To wander around Scarborough I wore an ASOS crop top with a floral skirt that I found in the attic – I think it used to belong to my mum! I’ve found this crop top quite hard to wear. It’s quite high, and I have to wear it with a bra so that it keeps its shape, which is not something I wear very often! I was pleased then to find that these two items go together quite nicely 🙂

We had a gorgeous day, and I would definitely return again to visit more of the North Bay and this veggie cafe that was closed when we were there! Sorry for all the photos today, I had a lot to share. Today I embark on the beginning of my holiday in Scotland! I hope you’re having a good Monday 🙂