post

Ok, it's 5:08am as I start this post; why?! Because I am awake and have time to sit and blog!
This week has been one of those crazy chaotic weeks and I'm not complaining because it has been quite wonderful when you take out the fact I have a doctors appointment at 8:30 this morning and I'm wondering why on earth I agreed to such an un-friendly time!


Please do accept my extended (and probably needless) apologies for not having commented on your blogs this week...Sunday I will finally have the chance to sit down and do so...I'm not used to being this busy for several days in a row...tomorrow I'm hopefully going shopping with Mum to spend some birthday money! We did shopping round one on Wednesday and it's left me with the bug!

And on the birthday subject...seriously guys, thank you for the lovely wishes. Each and every one was appreciated. Am I overly soppy, yes? But I honestly held no expectations for this year and was for once in my life happy to be proved wrong.

I thought I'd share with you a few of my main gifts. It would be impossible to post them all as I was spoiled rotten by friends and family with gorgeous trinkets that you will no doubt see in up-coming posts! There are some pretty awesome pairs of tights to be modelled, and jewellery galore!



This suitcase was from my parents. An odd choice of gift perhaps? Not when you know you have a hospital admission looming..and plans for travelling and visiting friends once you've got yourself back on track!
They were also kind enough to gift me with money, to spoil myself, as well as my much coveted eyeshadows from the MAC give me liberty range <3





My grandparents are the most generous people I know. From them I recieved this Moomin wallet (remember them?!) and the locket you see in the second photo from Me and Zena

The silver bracelet I bought myself on the shopping spree!



My best friend/sister Trudi knows me too damn well and solved my dilemna of which Alice in Wonderland OPI polish to buy, I can't wait to rock these, maybe all at once?!

[and now everyone will realise what a spoiled brat I am!]

No birthday outfit photo, I totally forgot to take any photos, but here's what I wore yesterday!



And before I go start getting myself sorted for my early start, the most important part of this post is...

The Winner of the Karma Cards Giveaway!

Congratulations Vicki!
I will be in touch shortly.

Back to regular blogging and commenting on Sunday...see you then!

xxx

Another Year

[photo from weheartit]


I just wanted to post with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has wished me a Happy Birthday today.
This year especially, it means a lot to have so many people care and be kind when truly I did not feel like celebrating.
So thank you, for helping me put aside everything else and enjoy the day (though it's not over yet)

I've got a really hectic few days coming up, I will try and post on Friday and will catch up fully with blog comments when I get some time to breathe on Sunday...I don't want anyone to feel neglected!

Don't forget to enter the Karma Cards giveaway if you haven't already, it ends tomorrow! The winner will be selected and announced on Friday's post.Comments disabled as this is all about me.

xxx

Black Milk part three and ecosystem

Hello, I hope your week has kicked off with a bang. You get a double post from me today; an outfit AND a review, to make up for what might be a lack of posting and commenting from tomorrow as my week gets hectic with Birthday (non) celebrations spending time with my family, and then a flurry of appointments.
Hopefully by the weekend I'll be back with you 100% ;)

So firstly, I know that like me a lot of you are suckers for gorgeous stationary. Well, look at these beauties:



Are they not the most bright and cheerful notebooks ever?
Not only do they LOOK gorgeous, these books by ecosystem are totally environmentally sound, too.
The lovely Ivy was kind enough to send me three of their Author journals (in watermelon, clementine and kiwi) so I could see for myself.
The books are also available in several other vibrant colours and styles including blank, architect and advisor making them perfect for all your fashion musings.

Here's some information for you:
"Like all of us, each ecosystem has a unique past, present and future. From the packaging to the paper, the book’s past brings together recycled parts to create a new chapter in the life of each component. Every ecosystem product is made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled materials using low-impact processes that are environmentally savvy and responsible. Made entirely in compliance with U.S. Fair Trade standards, ecosystem moves notebooks forward.

Want the full story? Just register your ecosystem online (www.ecosystemlife.com) using its unique ID number to learn the origin of every component in your book and the innovative way it was constructed and if your ecosystem become separated, we’ve got a way to reunite the two of you."





Like I said above, the books are so bright and cheerful and I just love that you can register and learn about exactly where your book came from! The quality is just fantastic and you can order inserts to extend the capabilities of your book such as a to-do list or calendar.

Check out the website for more information, stockists or order online!

Phew, this is turning in to a longer post than I anticipated! But I have to show you the third pair of leggings sent to me by James at Black Milk! I apologise now as the photos DO NOT do these babies justice, un-cooperative lighting and camera frustrate me!

This is the teardrop laces (side) style, available here. It was a bit chilly here yesterday so I added pink tights under mine for additional warmth and a cool contrast.









I have one more pair to share with you, but that will have to wait!
And well,
if you made it through this entire post then you deserve a cookie/cupcake/slice of birthday cake!

I'll be updating and commenting when life allows me too! Stay safe and have fun!

xxx

Maxi

I spent a long time lusting after a jersey maxi dress, and what seemed like an eternity searching for one that met my needs AND budget. As ever it was New Look that came up trumps with this one pictured below, priced at £15...I also took advantage of a 20% off voucher making it a very affordable £12.

I've had it about a month now, hanging in my wardrobe waiting for the weather to improve. With yesterday promised as the warmest day so far I decided it was time and teamed it with a nude lace vest and my grey jersey blazer.





I love the floaty feeling you get from wearing a long dress, and the fact it's jersey means it's comfortable enough to want to live in.
Totally a summer essential in my eyes!

Are you having a good weekend so far? The weather has taken a turn for the worse today; grey skies and rain which is just no good! Thankfully it is set to be lovely again from tomorrow which is just as well as I have a busy week full of appointments and my birthday on Wednesday.

What have you got planned?

Don't forget you have until Thursday for my giveaway and this week will also bring more outfit posts and an eco-friendly review.

xxx

two outfits

Happy Friday! Weekend time again, and it looks set to be a gorgeous one weather wise! What are your plans? I'm catching up with a friend today, visiting grandparents tomorrow and chilling out Sunday.

Here are a couple of outfits that I've worn this week, the first one is from Wednesday; I dont often wear jeans but had a strange desire to do so for whatever reason. This top was passed along to me by a friend and it had been lingering in my drawer for far too long so I decided to give it an airing too.







And this would be today's outfit. For some reason (perhaps because of the pale colour and my tendency to spill things) I rarely wear this dress, I do love it though!








Don't forget to enter my giveaway for your chance to spread some karma!

xxx

Together we have a Voice + Giveaway

Check out this picture, isn't it stunning? This was shot by the amazingly talented Jill for American Apparel. Jill is someone I am proud to call a friend, she is an incredible photographer who captures fantastic shots of street style around London, she is also an incredible person to know...so wise and insightful.

Right now Jill is on a mission, in her own words:

"I mean, let's face it: most of us who blog are already doing our bit, for free, for our favourite brands' PR. It's just a fine line, really. I want to do this as a series, shooting YOU: the Dot Icons on the street. Together, we can transform how advertising works.

Together, I passionately believe, we have a voice".

To find out more, and check out the rest of Jill's amazing work, head on over to her blog: Street Style Pics By Polka Dot


And in other exciting news, I have a giveaway for you dear readers! Thank you to the lovely Sarah, creator of Karma Cards

Sarah has kindly offered up a set of 15 cards printed on luxuriously thick paper so you can spread some karma around the world.







Would it not make your day to find one of these when you need a boost most?

Entering is simple, just follow these steps...

1. Giveaway is open from 11am today (22nd April) through to 11am next Thursday (29th April) GMT.

2. To enter leave a comment on this post telling me where you'd hide/love to find a karma card hidden. Here are a few ideas from Sarah's blog:

"Now start paying it forward! Tuck those cards somewhere that someone will find them. Ideas?
* inside the bill folder at a restaurant
* inside a book
* in a bathroom stall at a bar
* under wiper blades
* in bike spokes
* on the window of a bus
* in a random mailbox slot
* in a napkin dispenser"

3. Once the giveaway has ended, a winner will be selected using a random number generator. Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you when you comment- an e-mail or blog address is fine.

4. That's it. If you want to become a follower, tweet etc etc that's fine, but not essential!

To find out more and get inspired don't forget to go and say hello to Sarah! And good luck!

(giveaway is open to ALL readers)

xxx

Baking Post; Rocky Road

Ok despite the title, this isn't technically a baking post as no oven is involved. I spent some of yesterday afternoon in the kitchen making Rocky Road as a treat for my parents and their colleagues...
totally going to put them in a sugar coma today!



This would be it before chilling for at least two hours.

Want the recipe?
Of course you do! The one I used comes from the Good to Know website, one of my favourites for quick and easy recipes.

Ingredients:

100g/4oz unsalted butter
225g/8oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces
2tbsp golden syrup
2tbsp cocoa powder
2tbsp caster sugar
100g/4oz Maltesers®
100g/4oz mixed milk and white chocolate chips
100g/4oz mini marshmallows
225g/8oz ginger biscuits, broken into pieces
Icing sugar to dust

Method:

1.Line a 20 cm/8in square cake tin with baking parchment.
2.In a small pan heat the butter, plain chocolate, golden syrup, caster sugar, cocoa powder and stir together with a wooden spoon. Once melted together leave to cool for 10 minutes.
3.In a large bowl place the Maltesers®, milk and white chocolate chip, mini marshmallows, ginger biscuits and bind together with the melted chocolate sauce.
4.Pour into the lined tin and leave to set in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
5.Remove from cake tin and slice into 16 snack-sized rocky road bars.
6.Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Direct link to the recipe here

And how did it look once set?

Well, judge for yourself!







This was seriously simple to make, I highly recommend you give it a go!

I'm going to play around with the ingredients a bit next time and try making substitions,
some ideas:

Vary the type of chocolate used to milk, or white.

You can pretty much use any type of biscuit; rich teas, oreos, cookies, shortbread...

Same for the add ins, use dried fruit, nuts, any kind of sweet/chocolate

I think you can just about let your imagination go wild and get amazing results regardless!


And, as a bonus, here is my Anna Sui dress that I got from the outnet



I just adore it,
not so much this photo though! Mum snapped it on my phone and I wasn't quite ready!

Hope your having a lovely week so far...half way to the weekend!

xxx

Black Milk part two

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was great! Today brings part two (of four) of my posts showing my Black Milk goodies,
I think this pair has to be my ultimate favourite; indeed, you might remember some time ago me posting some comic print tights from ASOS that I was swooning over...well these have gone one better!

This is James' amazing "Sick of Men" design. Sheer brilliance.









I'm pretty sure I'm going to get some interesting reactions to these when I pop up to Tesco later...are the people of this sleepy little town ready for the awesome?

Anyway,
I hope your week gets off to a great start and the beautiful weather is still with you! Anyone got any exciting plans?

xxx

P.S. don't forget to check out the Black Milk blog! I spy a me!

Have You Got What it Takes? Two competitions for you.

A quick post today, I'm exhausted in every sense of the word but hope to be back in blogging and commenting action tomorrow. I thought I'd use this as an oppurtunity to share with you the details of two competitions I was informed of this week, I'd be delighted if one of my wonderful readers entered and won!

First up we have...

Have You Got The Sparkle? bought to you by Echo Falls Wine and Come Dine with Me.

Echo Falls are offering Britain’s girls next door a once in a lifetime chance to be the star of their very own advert and viewed by almost 30 million people throughout the summer.

To celebrate the launch of the new light and bubbly Pinot Grigio Spritz, Echo Falls are looking for a star to really sparkle on screen. The ads will be aired ahead of Come Dine With Me, the show that celebrates Britain’s best and worst dinner party hosts, throughout June, July and August



All female hopefuls aged 25 and over can put themselves forward as the perfect mix of sweetness and light, sparkle, fizz and freshness, to be in with a chance of getting top marks from the judges at Echo Falls. To enter, visit www.echofallswine.co.uk, fill in the details, and then enter a few words as to why you believe you have got the sparkle. Finalists will be invited to London for a final casting and the winner will attend a full day shoot and feature in the Echo Falls adverts aired before the Come Dine with Me shows live on Channel 4 during June, July and August.

You can also find Echo Falls on Facebook! All entrants are encouraged to drink responsibly and visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for more information.

I'm not old enough to enter this one, but I hope at least some of you are, and that you decide to go for it!


Secondly I present to you a fabulous new campaign from Stella Artois. They're seeking an heir to French film producer/director Jacques D’Azur’s extraordinary Cannes Festival experience. See, Jacques has gone missing while vacationing in the South Pacific and one lucky person and a guest will have the chance to fill his polished shoes at this year’s festival: http://j.mp/JacquesGone

The chosen heir will live out the weekend in style and class from beginning to end and head to toe just as he did. Round trip first class tickets, stay in a five star hotel, a personally tailored suit or dress for the winner, tickets to an opening or closing gala at the Palm D’or Awards and exclusive VIP festival screenings is just a taste of the lavish weekend ahead for the winner.

See the reading of Jacques D’Azur’s will for all details and to enter, http://bit.ly/JacquesdAzur, and for a look at Jacques’ fabulous and fashion-filled life check out these photos: http://j.mp/JacquesPhotos

The closing date for this competition is April 25th!

Good Luck to any of you who decide to enter!

xxx

T-post and Polka Dots

Happy Friday loves, another week draws to a close. How did it go for you? Full of ups and downs here, and I want to thank you all sincerly for your support and well wishes.

The post lady really has been kind to me this week, as well as my amazing leggings she also delievered a package from T-post.
What is T-post? I hear you ask...
well, it's the world's first wearable magazine, you can view a little video explanation of it here
or check out their website

"T-post is a wearable magazine. Subscribing to T-post is a lot like having
a subscription to a magazine but instead of receiving magazines in your
mailbox - you receive T-shirts. As a subscriber you receive a new t-shirt
every six weeks based on a current news item. The topic is interpreted by
select designers and the written story printed on the inside."

When they offered to send me a past issue tee so I could get a closer look, I wasn't really sure what to expect. It sounds amazing in theory, but how would it translate to reality?
The tee I was sent was Issue 40 and they are now all the way up to Issue 53, so it's clear that this is a popular idea that has really cottoned on.
The t-shirt is amazing quality, and a really quirky piece. Me being me, of course teamed mine with florals.







The actual text is printed on the inside of the shirt, so it remains a little secret just for you



Is anyone who reads here a subscriber? Do you have plans to subscribe? As soon as I'm working again, I will be!

And today, no coloured tights OR florals, nope. I've gone back to another favourite dress, this bright polka dot number





I'm currently thinking up some ideas for wearing my other pairs of Black Milk leggings, so watch this space for that!

Have a fantastic Friday,
what are your weekend plans?

Anyone score a bargain on the outnet? I know the site crashed frustratingly early for a lot of people,
I managed to get an Anna Sui dress, and I'm torn between feeling guilty...and feeling giddy. Perhaps it's fate, cheering me up during these tough times?

xxx

Black Milk part one

To say I love bright tights would be an understatement, so when the genius that is James of Black Milk Clothing got in touch with me some weeks ago offering to send me some of his incredible leggings to try out I was beyond excited.

Cut forward to Monday, the post lady knocks on the door with a shiny black package. Upon opening I found four of the most incredible pairs of leggings I have ever seen in my life, and today I am showing off the first pair.

This design is called Crystal, and the print is created from an actual photo of a crystal.
(Please note I am housebound today hence the indecently short dress)











I've never owned leggings from anywhere other than New Look or Primark before, and whilst they are fantastic, and excellent quality for the price you pay, these are something else entirely.
Words cannot describe how great these feel on, and how much they have turned an otherwise pretty miserable week around!

You can check out more from James and Black Milk at the following places;

Website: http://www.blackmilkclothing.com/

Blog: http://www.toomanytights.typepad.com/

and watch this space for the other pairs I was sent!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far, we're half way there!

Mine = not so good, having being signed off work sick for the forseeable future, but it can only get better from here!

predictable? and discount codes

Blurry outfit photo and florals/coloured tights, yep, I am becoming predictable! Just a quick post for this sunny Monday morning,
I hope everyone has a pleasent week ahead of them?







Primark sunglasses, Pennydog necklace, Favourite ring.

If you remember a few months ago I held a giveaway thanks to www.discountcoder.com/. The lovely Daisy got in touch with me again this morning to let me know about the current hot discount codes available so I could share with my readers, so here we are:

ASOS
Free standard delivery when you spend £75
Code: STANDARD
Expires: 31st May 2010

Ann Summers
20% off when you spend £60
Code: HEARTS
Expires: 15th April 2010

Boden
10% all orders and free delivery
Code: LN9P
Expires: 30th April 2010

Littlewoods
15% off clothing and footwear
Code: XV158
Expires: 15th April 2010

Hotter Shoes
£5 off all orders
Code: XBCOBD
Expires: 19th April 2010

BeCheeky
Free first class delivery on all orders
Code: FREEPOST4
Expires: 11th April 2010

Love Your Shoes
10% off all orders
Code: LYOURSTEN
Expires: 30th April 2010

For more fantastic codes, check out the website and shop away any Monday blues!

xxx

sunshine and shops

Hello, Happy Saturday! How is your weekend going? I worked this morning but have otherwise being enjoying the gorgeous weather and spending time with my family. This included baking scones and cake for them yesterday, and seeing my grandparents today...perfect!



The ever popular cheese scones! Apparently these were even better than the last lot, but the only thing I changed was the shape!



And this is just a simple sponge cake with added mixed spice, mixed peel and white chocolate.

Yesterday was another floral outfit day, with the worlds most comfortable sweater to add a little warmth. The jumper was a gift from Mum, and came from New Look (of course) for a very reasonable £10







I am also really excited to share with you a newly opened Etsy shop from the talented Sophie, over at diary of a young designer
Sophie has long been a blogger friend of mine, so when she told me she was opening a store I was beyond delighted for her!
Her shop FunnyPeopleCo sells beyond gorgeous hand-made accessories. My top three picks from the shop are:



Embellished tights in white with black pearls, $10...you know me and my tights addiction, so you can see why I've fallen head over heels for these!



Golden Nautical Knot hairband. I love all things nautical (it's my inner pirate) and I've recently developed a love for hairbands, too, so this is top of my wishlist right now! $13.25



Ruffles, for your hair?! YES PLEASE, this band is inspired by Gossip Girl's Jenny and costs $16.50

so go check out her shop and show a fellow blogger some love! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!