Work on a Budget

Last week I had an e-mail from sofeminine, inviting me to put together the best bargain outfit that I could come up with under £50 (and they'd foot the bill). The timing of this was fantastic, as I've been starting to ponder how to get a decent workwear wardrobe on a budget. I'm lucky because my job is pretty lax when it comes to what we wear, and at first my standard dresses etc seemed to fit in just fine; but now I'm working there more, and I'm more involved in "front of house" I wanted to invest in some more classic "worky" clothes...but didn't want to spend a fortune.

My outfit came via Topshop. Somewhere I can only ever afford to shop during the sales. The trousers were £20, reduced from £45 and are the perfect fit and length on me. I'm not a trousers girl, except for work, and I am loathe to spend a lot of money on them, especially as they so rarely fit right...but these do...and although not a traditional colour, they are smart, comfortable and (for once) a quality that will last.





The top, I bought in three colours; a paler blue and a white as well. These were an absolute bargain at £5 each down from £15. It gets hot and work, so loose cotton is an instant winner and that that kind of price, I'm not going to say no!

I would have been able to get some flat, sensible shoes within the budget too, but I opted not to purely because I have NOwhere at all left to store new shoes!

My outfit, as well as the other bloggers who took part will be showcased here, so you'll be able to pick up all our hints and tips for shopping on a budget.

What are your top budget shopping tips?
Mine would be..

-Shop the sales.

-Look for pieces that are good quality, and won't date.

-If you see basics at a good price, buy in bulk!

-Don't buy anything you only like because it's cheap; it's a false economy!

xxx

Aussie Summer Soiree

As a fairly new recruit to the Aussie Angels this was the first event of theirs I've been too, and also the first time I've had a chance to meet other bloggers. I had NO idea what to expect and nervous is probably not a strong enough word.

Fear not. Bloggers are lovely. Lovely lovely lovely. I would however like to formally apologise for talking rubbish pretty much the entire day (who didn't envy Hayley having to travel back with me?). Check out the epic venue, gorgeous girls and Amy's AMAZING candyfloss hair!

I barely took any photos (what kind of blogger am I?), so the ones here come courtesy of Hayley and the lovely Emma at Aussie...















Huge thank you to Aussie, again for such an amazing time! I can't wait for the next one!

xxx

P.S. if anyone has any good luck vibes going spare, my Nan is having a hip replacement today.

work that heat

Case in point of how humid it has been here; my hair was dead straight Sunday night. Yesterday I woke up to...



Yeah. I was un-amused.

And it left me with a dilemma. The site I work at on a Monday isn't know for it's warmth, but we have a lot of glass, which basically meant greenhouse!
After much frustration I went for my coolest weight skirt and a sheer blouse. It kind of worked. With the aid of a fan in the office.





The big reveal of my latest Sarenza ambassador purchase! As many of you guessed, I opted for some Jeffery Campbells. At the time the weather was vile and I found myself planning ahead for winter (with a resigned view to wearing them most of the summer, too). As soon as they arrived, the weather got gorgeous, so no modelling of them yet!





The (perhaps aptly named) sweat boots, which have since gone in the sale at just £56...perfect excuse to invest, if I do say so myself!

I also picked this gorgeous Friis&Company bag, which is also now in the sale! This is PERFECT for carrying my life around in!

Who else has been suffering in the humidity?

Anyone else planning ahead for winter?

xxx

Lazy Hazy

Oh wasn't yesterday glorious? So.hot.and.sunny. I wish the weather could always be like this, it makes me want to do nothing but sit on my ass and eat ice lollies.

For whatever reason, my outfit still involved tights (well, people were still wearing jeans). I learnt my lesson by 4pm when my ankles had swollen beyond recognition and a cold bath followed by a somewhat cooler maxi skirt and vest combo were deemed essential.



Hair swept out of face



And makeup kept minimal (pouting, standard)



Today, despite the forecast I have woken to a bedroom more humid than a greenhouse. Hair that's going in twenty crazy directions and no idea of what to wear for work.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Witch giveaway. The ten lucky winners were;

Jennie, Lauren, Hannah, Pippa, Sherin, Charly, Char, cowbiscuits, Lois, Zilla.

Congratulations ladies, you should have all had an e-mail from me now, if not, give me a prod

xxx

P.S. Aussie post sooon!

Survivor!

I promise, a full post on the Aussie event to come...(when I have err, borrowed some photos as I fail as a blogger and barely took any!)

For now I just want to say a massive thank you to Hayley for pretty much being my parent for the day and giving me geography lessons, making sure I didn't get lost or maimed and putting up with my inane chatter...


Of course a massive shout-out to Aussie for the awesome Summer Soiree,
and to all the gorgeous bloggers I finally got to meet! Err, apologies again for being so socially awkward. You are all AWESOME.

xxx

London Calling

FINALLY today has arrived and I am off to London for the day to at last meet some of my favourite bloggers; and some new to me ones too. I'm a bag of nerves, but exciteeed! I'm always gutted to turn down event invites due to having to work and living so far from London that travel is often expensive and impractical. The Aussie gods worked their magic to pull this one off!

I spent Friday afternoon in a mad panic, and the perfect "so much to do but no idea where to start" outfit is clearly wide legged jeans, a floaty top and super high clogs for stamping feet in frustration.

The day was sweetened by my latest Sarenza Ambassador perk (they have an amazing sale right now..go check it out!)

Teaser...







And a new challenge. Sometimes at work we get sent really awesome things for health promotion. I was all over this one, designed by Innocent (of smoothie fame). Getting my 5 a day is one thing I excell at!



Well,
best be heading off...

To anyone I might be meeting later...apologies in advance for my tendency to talk. A lot. It's a nervous habit.

xxx

CLIENT

Client is a new unisex fashion label from Kate Holmes, founder of the band of the same name. Equal parts austere and sneakily sexy, the line is as influenced by the cold war as it is by Kraftwerk, Koolhaas, and the coolest clubs in the world.

The Client line – a capsule collection including clothing, accessories, and makeup – is all about utilitarian ease… with a hint of edgy sensuality bubbling underneath.

What is a CLIENT?

A secretary, a call girl, a lawyer’s customer and accountant’s patron – they’re all clients - male or female. The Client collection nods to uniforms and office wear but interprets that feel with a knowing, modern twist. The pieces are updated, uniquely tweaked takes on the sensibility of what you might expect an old-school shop assistant to wear – or even your lawyer - and the fantasies they might inspire some customers to have after they leave.

Who is CLIENT?

The band Client has built a loyal international following, touring the world over the last five years. The group has played tastemaker clubs literally across the globe – in countries like China, Finland , Germany, America, and Mexico – and have sold a vast amount of merchandise like fitted, logo-ed t-shirts along the way. The clothing line is distinct from the band, but echoes the imagery and aesthetic of that salient, visual live show.

What makes up CLIENT?

Upon launch, the Client line will consist of utilitarian dresses, a skirt, a blouse, unisex t-shirts, jackets, trench coats and accessories . Everything is easy-to-wear and versatile, but still makes
a statement… all for not too much money. The pieces are designed for each wearer to customize with their own accessories and existing wardrobe, whether with designer pieces, high street purchases, or vintage finds.

What is the ethos of CLIENT?

We aim to source all our material and manufacture here in the UK. We also have a "remade" label which is a sustainable line of used army and field surplus wear re-cut and re-made by Client - all sourced in Wales.

CLIENT… Satisfaction Guaranteed.



I'm loving the look of new label Client who have already been featured in Vogue and InStyle. The sleek, chic and military vibe really appeal to me and the pieces look perfect for a more grown up, refined style.

The shop has literally just opened, I was pretty disappointed not to have been able to make it to the launch!

You can check them out online, on facebook and on tumblr

What do you think? It's a far cry from my usual style, but I think I'm ready to embrace the change.

xxx

the not so uniform

Palazzo pants. A fleeting trend, I'm sure. These were cheap and cheerful from boohoo and I really kind of love them. They are so comfy and provide an awful lot more "sitting down dignity" than a skirt.







The photos are somewhat ridiculous. I'm sorry...I just can't help but flail around like an idiot.

Have you tried Palazzo pants? What are your thoughts?

xxx

uniform

This dress, despite being one of the oldest I own and costing the princely sum of £3 in New Look a few years ago appears to have become a work staple. Comfortable, not low cut (vital when working on front desk) and a decent length with potential for a few different pairs of tights (although my tights obsession seems to be waning somewhat lately/I've been more boring with my choices).







It was somewhat depressing to be putting on ankle boots for JUNE! It was seriously raining when I left for work yesterday; but in the end it turned out to be a gorgeous day...judging by the fact the sun woke me up around 5am today, I think things might be on the up! I'm thankful I have the morning at home to make the most of it, being part-time does have advantages!

My free time will mostly be used for panicking over outfit choice for the Yummy Hair event in London on Saturday. It's the first one I've been invited to and goddam I am nervous and somewhat overwhelmed at the idea of being surrounded by so many stylish people!

Thank you for all of the incredibly sweet comments on yesterday's post. They each meant a lot to me.

Allow me to show it off one more time...



Don't forget the Witch Giveaway!

And for those who didn't win the Bijoux Dolly giveaway, Katie has sweetly offered a 20% discount off any purchase with the code DAISYCHAIN
The site has had a stunning makeover and there are some crazy awesome hair bows for sale as well as the vintage inspired jewellery.
Shop now (that's an order).

It Might Be Simple But

Long time readers of my blog might better understand why I was so excited about such a simple tattoo, and it wasn't just me who got tattooed either; oh no, I dragged my Mum along for the ride after she made a promise last year. So simple, it serves as a reminder, a motivator and a memoriam all in one.





I opted for the brightest colours possible to make the occasion. I have a love/hate relationship with these Zara trousers. I utterly adore them BUT they make me feel so insecure about my legs simply because they draw so much attention to them.

But really,
that doesn't matter. Not any one of us is defined by how much we weigh, what size clothes we wear or what we look like. And I'm still on my personal mission to leave that behind.

You know what?

I really believe I will.



(it is straight btw, it's impossibly hard to photograph your own wrist)

xxx

Win with Witch!

In July, Witch skincare are launching a brand new anti-blemish liquid concealer. I've raved about their primer a few times on the blog, and I'm pretty excited for this to launch as my skin is beyond a joke right now!

The lovely folk at Witch are offering TEN of you lucky readers the chance to get your hands on a concealer before they hit the shelves...

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post stating which shade you'd like (light or medium) and leave your e-mail address.

Open to UK readers only. This giveaway will close on Sunday 26th June.

xxx

Blue Monday

Blue seems a very apt colour to wear on a Monday don't you think? It's never the nicest day of the week, although the highlights of mine involved fruit cake from one of our patients, so it could have been worse.

The Yull shoes once again made an appearance. For anyone considering buying a pair; trust me...these are COMFY. No ache in the balls of my feet or heels despite wearing them constantly from 8-6.
Be prepared to receive a lot of compliments on your footwear though.







Tuesday = my day off. No plans, apart from the tattoo (there will be photos) and some catching up on blogs and e-mails.
No more overtime this week either, just my usual half days (I kind of forget I'm only contracted to 17 hours!) so I might even get a chance to do some baking...

What do you vote I make?

xxx

Jetting Off (on the cheap?)

(source)

With the seemingly never ending rain and grey skies, my mind has once again turned to holidays. I am so disorganised though, I've never had a job where I work more than weekends so booking time off was something that hadn't really occurred. Amazingly, on checking the holiday rota in the office today I have somehow scored a week off in July AND a week in October.

Temptation is creeping in to jet off somewhere hot and sunny, and with websites galore offering cheap holidays it could soon become more reality than fantasy. I do have a few hesitations though.

- Going it alone. As much as I'm craving sun and sea and some peace and quiet, could I stand more than a day of my own company? Especially on foreign shores where I am un-blessed in language and common sense skills. Have you ever been abroad alone? How did you find it?

- Money/hidden costs. Sure the holiday might be cheap, but what about hidden costs? What sort of budget would I plan for?

- Packing. I do not have a holiday wardrobe. And cannot afford one.

- Swimwear. I do not have a beach ready body.

What do we think? Would you do it?

I'm thinking perhaps I'm better off planning for October rather than July, more notice for a friend or two to get some time off...

but then...WHERE IS SUNNY IN OCTOBER?

Oh help.

(sponsored post. I do accept sponsored posts, but only if they relate to me...which this one did. I've done nothing but tweet about/complain loudly about my lack of holiday for weeks)

Weekend Wearing

This weekend was all about the comfort, old favourites and dressing for the bloody awful weather.
It was a great weekend though; the famous (infamous?) Best.Friend. has passed her driving test and so we ventured further afield than normal and squeed over baby bunnies at the garden centre and hit the jackpot on the 2p machines. She also came with me to see my grandparents, and just because we had the car and we didn't have to carry things, we spent a small fortune on crap in Tesco (anyone else do that?)





I also managed to get out on my poor neglected bike yesterday. I really need to stop being lazy and use the poor thing more!

This week should be fairly quiet, apart from today where I'm working all day, I have no overtime and will be doing my usual half days...that'll be strange, I've got used to working a "normal" amount now, but I daresay the break will do me good.

Tomorrow has been declared "tattoo tuesday". Needless to say, I can't wait (although don't get too excited, it's only going to be a small, meaningful piece of ink).

Shoe Sunday; Mad for Melissa

By all rights, I should hate Melissa shoes, they go against my long term resentment of jelly shoes that stem back to not being allowed a pair as a child, however, the more I look at the designs the more my resolve weakens...

Gold Campana Zig Zag look like they'll be perfect with rolled up hems.

The Lady Dragon Westwood could be a fun yet practical work shoe (and by practical I mean immune to my coffee spill issues)

The Liberty sandals just appeal with their clean cut lines and shiney appearance

And as for the blue Ultragirl Westwood; well, these combine all my shoe hatreds in one, and yet I still lust after them.

What do you think? A Melissa fan or not?

Were you allowed jelly shoes as a child?

xxx

(photos from spartoo)