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asos | mini haul

acid wash

jacket: river island (old)
shirt: primark
necklace: lilac edge
belt: primark
mom jeans: topshop
boots: primark

hi world, and welcome back to another instalment of my infrequent but definitely-still-a-thing outfit posts! i've spent today working on the beginnings of a picture book spread and broke it up with a visit to the post office, and because it was such a nice day i figured i'd take 20 to snap a few outfit pictures too. as i was only nipping out briefly i couldn't really be bothered with the effort of premeditating an outfit before chucking it on, so while in the process of chucking on clothes i reached for a striped shirt (as ever) and my trusty mom jeans that weren't going to flap around in the wind on my way to the post office.

i'm currently still working on the aforementioned picture book spread, and i think it's going well so far; i'm feeling a little bit rusty at the moment but i'm sure by the end of the week i'll be back into the swing of things! i'll probably give myself another hour or 2 on this spread now while waiting for my housemates to get back from uni, and then i'll be giving myself some necessary time off to stuff myself silly with pancakes with lots and lots of jam and nutella (not together though, obviously.) happy pancake day everyone!! 

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magpie

turtleneck jumper: primark

necklace: primark

midi skirt: topshop

boots: primark

if you know me, you know that i cannot walk past a shiny/sparkly/glittery/metallic item in a shop without having to go over for a look/feel, and it was no exception when i passed this rose gold number in the topshop sales. after picking it up and seeing it had been marked down to £5 (!!!) it didn't take me long at all to try on and get myself straight to the tills. five bloody pounds, bargain! 

sidenote: does anybody else feel like they'd make a kickass teacher every time they wear a midi skirt? or is that just me watching a little too much new girl?

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the waiting game

top: h&m

necklaces: lilac edge

skirt: primark

gilet: boohoo

boots: primark

since presenting for one module last week and handing my dissertation in yesterday, i've essentially been playing a huge waiting game, nervously anticipating my results from my first module of the year which were said to be given to us before the end of this week, so as you can imagine i'm currently sat around frustrated at the fact that they still haven't gone live. i just need to know so i can lay it to rest (!!!!!!!) 

in other news, had you noticed that stripes are my new go-to? well if not, they are. this top and skirt combo is an outfit i've been reaching for lately when i can't be bothered to properly plan an outfit, simply because i know it works and it's a comfortable option. i've been feeling a bit icky and a little ashamed of myself lately, so i've picked my bum up now i've recovered from my stint of illness over the last week or so and am back on with doing the 30 day shred again to try and get back into shape after failing to do so over the summer. seeing as i failed this summer just gone, hopefully i can make up for it by making it my goal to be in shape again by this summer!

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back in the swing of things

shirt: charity shop

necklace: h&m

gilet: boohoo

skirt: boohoo

boots: primark

hi world, i'm back! i was presenting my work at 9.30 this morning, which means that i now have all day to myself before going out for celebratory drinks tonight, so i thought why not finally get some new blog stuff done to drag it out of its mini hiatus?! last week i decided i was going to treat myself a little when my loan came through because a) i worked bloody hard over christmas, and b) i didn't really spend all that much on clothes or makeup throughout term one, so i went along to boohoo and found some things i'd been after for a while.

the gilet and tapestry skirt were part of my order, as well as a metallic dress that i plan on wearing tonight. i'd been after a shaggy gilet for a while, and this fit the bill perfectly for £15. tapestry skirts are always something i eye up but never end up purchasing, so i thought to hell with it and finally added one to my wardrobe. i'm a bit wary of ordering from cheap online shops such as boohoo and missguided because the quality's often questionable, but i really seemed to drop on with the three items i chose because they're all fab. the boots here are also a recent addition to my collection within the last week as i decided it was time to finally replace my old primark chelsea boots as the heel was starting to come loose, and i really didn't want to risk any unfortunate mishaps in public... 

here's to hoping my blogging mojo's back, ey? hope you've all been keeping well!

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2014 in outfits

january - march

march to april

april to june

june to september

september to december

seeing as 2014 was the first year to date that i'd blogged properly for the entire year, i thought it'd be nice to throw together a round up of all my outfit posts throughout the year; i managed 49 ootd posts altogether, which i don't think is all too shabby! i approached personal style blogging very reluctantly at the end of 2013 – i was preoccupied with thoughts surrounding what people who knew me 'in real life' would think of it – after having read plenty of fashion/personal style blogs for the last year, and now at the end of 2014, i'm glad i made the jump.

i think reading other blogs and starting to write my own has helped massively with my self confidence and body image over the last year. reading blogs exposes you to a variety of different styles and body shapes, and has kindly reminded me that people can look and feel fantastic whether they're 5ft. 2 or 5ft. 10, a size 6 or a size 16, and it's encouraged me to let go of my own insecurities and obsession with 'perfection', and to rather be more confident in my own style and appearance. taking the next step and blogging my own style has helped me to overcome my own fears in terms of how i perceive my own appearance, and the lovely comments i've also received along the way have helped to remind me that hey, i can look good even when i don't particularly feel at my best, and it's altogether helped me to build a more positive mindset. of course my more positive body image hasn't come from blogging alone, but i feel that it's definitely been a great help, and for that reason i'm viewing my blogging experience throughout 2014 as a positive one, even if it has dwindled out a little over the last couple of months due to university commitments.

i don't want to sit here typing up a bunch of promises i can't keep in regards to my blog, but i can say that this isn't me giving up. third year's proving a lot more difficult than i originally anticipated and it's meaning that i have less time and motivation for blogging, but i don't want to give up on it altogether. i'm unsure of where 2015's going to take me, let alone my blog, but i'll definitely try my best to document the ups and downs along the way (where necessary, of course) because when it comes naturally, blogging can be a lot of fun. 

outfits 10, 12, 30, 43 and 46 are a few of my favourites for the year, and i'd be interested to know what your favourites are, too! i hope 2014's been a good year for you all, both in and out of blogging, and i wish you all the best for the new year ahead.

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tartan & stripes

hat: h&m

jumper: h&m

scarf: urban outfitters (old)

chokers: lilac edge

skirt: primark (old)

boots: primark (old)

i've been feeling a little out of love with my wardrobe and the high street's fashion offerings recently, but one thing i've really fallen a little bit in love with is stripes. stripes are something that never go out of fashion and always look effortlessly chic, but in the past i've just never really been that much into them. perhaps it's my falling out of love with my wardrobe that has brought me to them because when i'm feeling uninspired, nowadays i can just throw on a trusty striped top with some jeans or a skirt and i'm good to go!

i've been really into this striped crop and faux leather skirt combo lately, and now the weather's dropped a little colder i find that teaming them up with my tartan scarf helps to inject a little bit of colour into a monochrome outfit. i'm currently on the lookout for the perfect striped dress, however i'm yet to find one after countless attempts of browsing online and in shops. my perfect striped dress is a shift style, high necked, with sleeves that sit just above the elbow; know of any? please do feel free to let me know if you've spotted it, because i've yet to!

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all layered up

necklaces: gothikkka & topshop (old)

jumper: depop

shirt: charity shop

skirt: new look (old)

boots: primark (old)

sometimes blogger acts like a total bitch, and today is one of those days as it seems to not be able to handle uploading images properly, meaning i'm left with darkened, slightly pixelated pictures which isn't cool by anybody's standards, right? come on, blogger, pull it together!

how cute is my little hand necklace?! me and my friend jenny got together over the summer to have a play around with clay and tiny hands were amongst the things she created, so when she asked if i'd like a tiny hand necklace i wasn't going to turn it down! i find the little pop of teal that it brings to my outfit helps to make it a little less drab (even though i'm super comfy and warm right now, and that's key, right?)

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back to black

turtleneck jumper: primark

skirt: primark

boots: primark

long time no outfit post, ey? i've attempted to take some outfit pictures a couple of times since my last outfit upload, but because of issues with the weather and lighting they just didn't come out well enough to share unfortunately, but last friday i scrambled out into the garden just in time before it started to rain and managed to take some successful snaps! i've got more of a bitchface going on here than i'd desire to have, but i thought to hell with it and decided i'd share anyway seeing as my blog's been so horribly quiet over the last couple of weeks.

i nipped into primark last week after seeing them share this skirt on their twitter page knowing that i had to have it, and luckily enough for me it was available in store and waiting for me to take it home. it's a lovely thick, wooly material that's perfect for keeping warm in the winter, even if it's somewhat constrictive when you're sat in a lecture theatre, but you can make compromises for pretty items of clothing, right? paired with a turtleneck and my faux fur trimmed coat, i can see this becoming one of my winter staples this year. 

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collar full

hat: h&m

necklace: lilac edge

shirt: charity shop

dress: hand-me-down

boots: primark

when adding items of clothing to my wardrobe, dresses in particular, it's important to me that they can be teamed up well with a good ol' collared shirt to be taken through into my a/w wardrobe, and this hand-me-down dress i received from my mum over the summer fits the bill perfectly. teaming what i think is a slightly sophisticated floral print with a shirt and leather gives it a more casual feel that is more appropriate for day to day wear as opposed to evening wear, as i like to wear the dress alone with some chunky sandals. when finished off with my trusty bowler hat and a statement red lip i'm good to go!

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