June Lust List

Another month, another lust list! Here are all the things I'm dreaming of in June...

Tripod

Now that I have a huge house, huge white bedroom and a summer stretching out in front of me, I'm determined to start putting more outfit posts up on this blog - might as well make use of all these clothes I'm buying right? Unless I can convince the boy to put up with my ludicrous poses (and I'm sure I'd feel a little too self conscious anyway), a tripod is the way forward and they're surprisingly cheap. 

Chevron Duvet from Tesco

Moving house has inspired me to inject some bolder and less fussy prints into my bedroom and this Chevron duvet is bang on trend and a steal from Tesco - just £9.50 for a double.

White Midi Skirt from Primark

Nothing says impracticality like a pure white skirt, but this Primark number would look ever so pretty on a summer holiday with wedge heels, vest and a simple 50s round neck cardi.

Pink Gingham Blouse from New Look

I'm not sure I've quite gotten over walking out on H&M's Pink Gingham top in Leeds Trinity the other week, but New Look's version comes pretty close and is about a fiver cheaper. 

Milkshake Tumblers from Habitat

Unfortunately my beloved cheapo ikea tumblers got broken in the move, so what better excuse than to replace them with pastel perfection in a glass? These Habitat ones comes in beautiful ice cream shades and look a darn sight fancier than my 50p ones.

Twisted Sista Curl Activator

Deciding to put down the straighteners and relaxers and work with my natural hair means a hell of a lot more product. This twisted sista curl activator seems to work really well to define my curls  and is only 99p in Home Bargains, but the bottles are so teeny I'm desperately seeking a bigger version.

Primark Pastel Beach Tote 

£4 I was itching to spend but just couldn't justify last time I was in Primark, my need for this tote has become entirely validated by my upcoming beach holiday (round 2) to Dorset. Plenty of space for my camera, sunglasses, and a weeks worth of reading material.

Matalan Canvas High Tops

My trusty black converse gave out a little while ago and I am still mourning their loss. I can't really justify £40+ on a pair of trainers at the moment but these £12 pink cuties from Matalan could plug the void for summer at least.

H&M Baby Blue Tote

October will hopefully bring with it a PhD and a lot more time spent lugging paperwork to University, so a bag big enough to cope with this and still look adult and stylish is firmly on the agenda. This lovely specimen is from H&M and is a little pricey at £40, but looks sturdy enough to justify the price tag.

Wireless Festival Ticket

Drake, Kanye and Outkast. Need I say any more? I think not.

Mollie Makes Blogging Special Edition

At the top of my 'to do' list this summer is to pay some more attention to my poor ailing blogs - more posts, better content and a slightly more regular approach are all on firmly on my agenda. The Mollie Makes Blogging special might be a tad pricey for a magazine at £10, but it looks like it'll contain lots of handy hints for injecting a little more fairy dust into my blogging approach.

Betty Magazine

Despite being a bona fide magazine addict and lusting over the flawless page design for months, I still haven't gotten my hands on my very own copy of Betty magazine yet. This month might be the one...

Notebooks from mochithings.com

The perfect size, shape and complete with customisable tags, these mochithings pads are perfect for people like me who insist on order for everything. I'll take five please...

What are you lusting over this month?

Happy Feet

Happy Sunday! After almost 6 months of hard work, I finally finished my case study and practical project and couldn't be more relieved. Now, there is only an essay and two features standing between 3 weeks of work experience at NME, lots of exciting summer projects and mini holidays, lots of reading time and perhaps most excitingly, graduation! (more on that in a bit)

With most of the hard work over, Kev and I decided to treat ourselves this weekend. His mum ever so kindly sent us up a sainsbury's voucher to pick ourselves some shopping so we indulged in the ingredients for homemade cocktails and ended up with a delicious concoction of cherry brandy, amaretto and cranberry that tasted just like Cherry Bakewell cakes. I thoroughly recommend! 

On Saturday morning, we got up bright and early for a bit of retail therapy. The sun was shining and we had a lovely long peruse around Huddersfield Market before stopping off for a massive chippy lunch. It always baffles me when so many of my coursemates say they've never visited the market - it really is a treasure trove of all sorts of stuff, from crazy cheap furniture and vinyl records to amazing vintage buys, often sold by lovely Nana's who are up for a chat.  

However, the single best thing about Huddersfield Market has to be what is colloquially known as 'The Topshop Stall'. Basically, it's an amazing stall that sells all manner of out of season items from Topshop, Miss Selfridge and occasionally, H&M. I'm not sure how they do it and it can be hit and miss as to the variety of sizes on offer or the conditions of the garments, but I'm pleased to say that this saturday, they made my shoe dreams come true...

 You guys will have seen me harping on about these on the blog multiple times, but finally they are mine, allllll mine! (evil laugh). They were sat all innocently jumbled along all the massive heels and clutch bags and nobody seemed to be looking at them, but when I saw that flash of white I leapt on them and was ecstatic to find that they were first in a size 6, and second, only £12, a massive £26 less than they were in Topshop last summer. Good things come to those who wait eh? My day with topped off even further when I picked up a beautiful Topshop beaded dress for just four pounds because some of the beading was a little off. It's exactly what I wanted for graduation and as it was selling originally in Topshop for £70, I'm feeling pretty thrifty. Sadly, putting pictures on here of it so many months in advance feels a little like posting your wedding dress before you wear it, so you will all have to wait till July to see that one.

Here are my shoes with a couple of wired hair bows I also picked up from Primark for £1.50 each - I've been planning on buying some for ages. they're a lovely way of girlying up a simple jumper and jeans combo and I love the way the wire holds the bow in place. I'm very happy with how my spring wardrobe is shaping up, and on such a great budget too. You can also see a little polka dot number that I picked up last week from eBay for just 99p - the floaty chiffon will be perfect for pub garden trips or the university awards night I will be attending in the week.

What have you been treating yourself to recently?

March: Lust List

Another month, pastel moodboard! The sporadic days of sunshine we've been having recently are making me last after summer more than ever and I can't wait to have some time back to myself to have a spring clean. Probably not the best time ever to be introducing another eleven items to my 'would love to buy' list...

Floral Converse
My own trusty pair of black and pink high tops kicked the bucket a little while ago, and although I love my topshop Mary Jane's, I am feeling the 'casual shoe' hole left in my life, waiting for a pair of Connie's to come fill the void. These babies are super girly but are still subtle enough to go with most spring outfits. Probably not best paired with a floral dress though...

Paperchase Photo Frame
I've been in love with these Paperchase frames ever since I laid eyes on the duck egg blue one just after Christmas, and seen as they're only a tenner, I think I may well treat myself after I've finished my coursework, or attempt to make my own with fabric flowers. A lovely way to add a little pop of romance to a plain dresser.

H&M Breton Tee
Not the most exciting item in the world, but I'm working hard to integrate some more plain and versatile items into my wardrobe, as well as more white - I have a lot of busy patterns in there at the moment competing for attention! These tee would be really easy to throw on under my dungarees or tucked into a skater skirt.

Primark Lace Midi Dress
I know, I can't believe it's Primark either! My favourite store have really stepped it up this Spring/Summer. It's £17, which is practically top end Primani, but I think this could be the perfect modest-yet-on-trend budget graduation dress teamed with some nude or cream heels.

Pink Swedish Hasbeens
With warmer weather approaching, I've been searching everywhere for a slightly more grown up alternative to my old beat-up gladiators, and I keep coming back to the Swedish Hasbeens website. They're a bit pricey, but I love the story behind the company, the vintage inspiration and the fact that every blogger and their dog seems to think they are amazingly comfy. Maybe destined to remain on the lust list for a little longer.

Pink and Navy Laptop Kanken
Third year of uni has me hauling everything and the kitchen sink into the library everyday, and my old tatty £3 backpack that I hastily bought for a festival is beginning to show the strain of keeping up my 15 inch macbook, textbooks and bulging files. One of Kanken's specially crafted laptop backpacks would be an ace solution, as well as looking adorable. Saying that, I love pretty much every colour, so the pink may not be the final answer on the epic backpack hunt.

Dunelm Book Boxes
How sweet are these? Designed to look like the sort of plump recipe books that would make Mary Berry proud, these would fit all manner of trinkets and 'things I don't know where else to put', and easily hide away in your bookcase, clutter free. Clever.

Mint Wooden Bin
As chic as I think this bin is (if chic bin's are even possible), I put this on here more as an act of symbolism. Over my three years of uni, I have accumulated so much rubbish - my fashion style has matured, my old sixth form paperwork that I thought might be handy are rendered useless, and I am looking forward to ending 15 years of non-stop education and stepping into adulthood by having a good, merry clear out. Putting away childish things, so to speak. A bit rich from a 20 year old who loves baby pastels, is a compulsive magazines hoarder and is currently writing this blog about all the things I want to buy, but I am serious. Instead of buying thriftily and stealthily, I'm going to try really hard when I move house this summer to only hang on to things that I really want and need, and start the next phase of my adult life with a clearer home and state of mind.

Nick Hornby - A Long Way Down & John Green - The Fault In Our Stars
One thing I really have missed at Uni is having the time to read fiction for fun. It's so easy on a course like mine to get bogged down in theory and musical biographies and forget that one of the most comforting things in the world is just curling up in bed with a good story. Nick Hornby is probably my favourite writer ever, but I've never got round to reading A Long Way Down so need to do so before the film comes out and there are spoilers aplenty. as for John Green, I simply wouldn't be a blogger if I didn't give The Fault In Our Stars a try. I loved his other book Looking For Alaska so I'm sure this will be similarly emosh.

Pastel Statement Necklace
Another realisation of student life is that going out of an evening is such a fundamental part of the social side of things that you actually start to not make much of an effort dressing up wise. It's the same with having a boyfriend who studies the same course - we hang out all the time but are both so busy that date nights have become more about ordering in and watching telly than more formal 'date nights' out. Not that we're complaining, but we've both agreed that post-uni it'll be nice to spend some more traditional 'dinner and drinks' type time together. I've really let jewellery and evening-type wear fall by the wayside in my wardrobe, so another step into adult life (I'm not sure why I keep saying that) will be buying some statement jewellery pieces to jazz up some of plainer day dresses I already have, rather than buying new dresses. See, I really am trying to be good!

Phew, that was a bit of a mammoth post! What are you lusting after this month?



 

Primark SS14 Part 2!

Okay, so I thought Primark's SS14 Collection couldn't get any better... but then they dropped these super-cute beauties. I feel a massive wardrobe clear-out coming (Dissertation procrastination alert!) to make room for some more well-needed pieces. I particularly love the orange blouse, geometric print swimsuit and the blue and pink gingham dress. It's probably my favourite Primark collection so far, I just want to buy it all!

Which item is your favourite? Have a look at my SS14 Primark round up (part 1) here.

Primark Spring/Summer 2014 Collection

It's that time of year again folks! That glorious time of year when I get to forget all my dissertation troubles, ignore the gloomy apocalypse worth weather outside and rejoice, for Primark have released their Spring Summer collection! I think it's pretty obvious from this blog that I am what kind people call 'thrifty' and mean people call a 'cheapskate', so Primark has always been my go to store for on-trend fashion at a student friendly price. I've never really been much of a slave to 'fashion', preferring to just think of myself as a lover of clothes that suit me rather than picking what everyone else is wearing for the sake of it, but it's always fun to experiment with the new styles without feeling like your sinking all your funds into something you might hate next year.

Here's my picks of the new collection that I can't wait to get my hands on...

NME Office Attire: a week in outfits

Happy Sunday Everyone! I'm very excited to share this post with you all because it comes a day before I'm due to start a week's work experience in London at NME Magazine. Having been an NME reader since I was 14, this magazine was my gateway into all the music I love now and a big influencing factor on my decision to study Music Journalism, so needless to say I'm pretty excited (and a little nervous!)

Not really knowing what to expect, I've tried my best to be prepared; making sure my dictaphone has batteries, lots of working pens, notepad and lots of ideas for content etc etc. I've also gained some control over the situation the only way a fashion blogger knows how: my pre-planning my office outfits. Even though NME appears to have a pretty casual dress code, I figured there's no harm in making a good smart first impression, and I know an outfit I'm comfortable in will put me in the right mindset for the long days of work and commuting. So, assuming it doesn't snow (fingers crossed!) and ruin my plans, here are my outfits for the week, featuring as per, lots and lots of Primark!

MONDAY 
Polka Dot Denim Blouse - £5, Primark

Black Skater Skirt - £3.99, Topshop via eBay

Burgundy Loafers - £13.50, New Look For ASOS

TUESDAY
Green Aztec Print Skater Dress - £8, Primark
Burgundy Cardian with Military Buttons - £5, Primark
T Bar Patent Shoes - Office (gift!)

WEDNESDAY
Cream Floral Dress and Matching Bow - custom vintage, £5
Mustard Jumper - Primark via eBay

THURSDAY
Fluffy Beige Jumper - Hand Me Down
White Blouse - 99p, eBay
Check Pleated Skirt - 99p, Bon Marche via eBay
Red Mary Janes - £30, Topshop

FRIDAY
70s Print Blouse, £5, Primark
Black Corduroy Dress - £5, Primark
Black Glitter Socks - £1, Primark
Red Mary Janes - as above

What do you think of my outfits? Wish me luck! 

August Haul - Bits, Bobs and Sappy Sods

Eh Up! Time for another round up of some of the thrifty bits and bobs I have procured this month. 

Tapestry Vanity Case
First  up was this lovely vanity case, which I got from Lockwood Car Boot for just £1. I used to love a good car boot, and having been inspired by some of the amazing bargains that some of my favourite thrifty bloggers have been picking up, I thought it'd be fun to get started again. Unfortunately for me, my nearest sale was more of a small gathering of grannies than a full blown morning fest, but I thought this would be sweet for holding my sewing projects in, plus it was in perfect condition, with a teeny mirror and pocket inside. I might even add some trays to turn it into a proper sewing box.

Mint Stripe Skater Dress from eBay
We all know I love a good eBay sesh, but I've tried to be good this month and have only bought a couple of things from the money I made selling some old things on there. A very modern form of recycling! First was this toothpaste stripe dress, originally from Miso, which I won for just £2.20. It looks really nice with converse and bare legs, although this doesn't look like much of an option in this rain! I'm hoping it'll still work with a denim jacket and tights as it gets colder. 

Primark Lilac Cardigan from eBay
Next was this Primark cardi that was mine for 99p. I bought it originally to cover in embroidered daisies as a DIY tutorial version of a cardi I saw on Pinterest, but it actually looks really nice as it is and is a great way to brighten up my wardrobe seen as all my other cardigans are either black or grey.

Primark White Converse pumps from eBay
I saw these in store and thought they were a great lookalike to the real thing at only £3, but unfortunately they'd sold out of my size. Luckily, I managed to grab a pair on eBay for £2. They're a really great casual shoe that works well with dresses and I'm loving the ease of low tops having spent the last four years stuffing my feet into my favourite black and pink high top connies. 

Vintage School Teacher Dress from Antiform at Beacons Festival
As mentioned in a previous blog post, I was working at Beacons Festival last weekend (my full review of it can be seen here), and had an amazing time. There were some really cool shopping opportunities there, including Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair and an Urban Outfitters tent with 20% off, but what really caught my eye was the Antiform vintage tea tent. With vintage items starting at just £1, it was ransacked by the time I got there, but I managed to snag this on-trend tartan style dress for a fiver  that will look really nice in autumn with the sleeves rolled up. 

Phillips Headphones
One of the stages at Beacons was sponsored by Phillips, and because of this, every band who played that stage were given a pair of very snazzy looking headphones each. I was pretty jealous watching them get doled out, until my boss Simon sent me one of the leftover pairs in the post as a thankyou for my work. Ultimate blag! The sound quality is pretty cracking and they're a welcome additional to my Journalistic equipment collection, thanks to the comfort of the over-ear cans and the fact that my old skull candy ones were on their last legs.

 Primark Tea Dress
Speaking of Journalism, a very exciting job interview has cropped up for me in London next week, so I decided to treat myself to something smart and office-weary off my Primark lust list for the interview. This tea dress was only £8, which is pretty good value considering it is brand new into store. The material is silky and comfortable, and although the waist is a little baggy in a size 12, it should look really nice with a belt, tights and a hair bow. Wish me luck! 

Office Mary Jane Shoes
Which brings me on very nicely to the last item in my August Haul. Avid readers will probably have noticed several mentions of a certain boy across my posts. Said certain boy (Kevin) and I recently celebrated our first year together whilst at Beacons Festival, but decided to do something special once we got home. I was quite happy with a cooked dinner, bit of wine and catching up with Made In Chelsea, and thought nothing more of it. Still, sneaky boy had to go to Manchester for the day to pick up some paperwork, and rang me to say that he was going to Office to buy a pair of trainers he was after, and did I want anything from town. I sent him off to pick up the aforementioned Primark dress, feeling a little mean for sending a boy into a MASSIVE girls shop, but hey ho. When Kev returned with my dress and an Office bag and told me to take a peek, I assumed he wanted to show me his new shoes. But OH NO. Out fell these bad boys. 

As you can see, WAY better than the Topshop pair I have been lusting after for months and bending Kev's ear about how I was going to buy them when student loans came in, not to mention perfect for my interview. Even three days later, I am in awe of how easily tricked I am and how thoughtful a boyfriend I have. I mean hey, any boy who buys you shoes has got to be a keeper right? Even after a year, every day feels like our first together (in a good way) and I have to regularly check he is not some sort of super-perfect cyborg person built purely for my happiness. Sickening, I know. Don't worry, his present is coming too! I won't mention it on here just in case he decides to take a sneaky peek at this blog. 

That should tide me over for the rest of summer and early Autumn! Definitely no more dress or shoe buying for now - winter woolies and layers will have to come out soon! What have you been buying (or been gifted!) this month?

Primark Autumn/Winter 2013 Lust List

It's that time of the year again! As much as I love summer and ice cream shade dresses, sunglasses and bare legs, my heart truly lies with Autumn when it comes to fashion. I love layering up, fun coloured tights and that back-to-school feel. 

With Primark probably one of my all time favourite stores due to it's affordability and ever increasing quality (I am a thrifty fashion lover after all), I was super excited to get a login to their press site and catch a glimpse of their upcoming A/W range. It looks like grunge is going to be here for the forseeable future, although the tie dye of summer has seen a subtle slide into punk as it is replaced with lots of tartan and leather. Boxy fits and adrogyny also appear tyo be playing their part with lots of blazers and cigarette pants.  However, for the more girly girls amongst us, here are some of my picks that I will no doubt be tracking down come September. Cut Out Mary Janes (finally an affordable end to my Topshop Lust?) - £12

Tea Dress - £8

Collar Clip Cropped Blouse - £12

Princess Coat (obviously a ode to Kate Middleton!) £25

Raspberry Open Knit (so similar to American Apparels but a much nicer shade!) - £10

Bottle Green Skater Skirt -  £8

Leather Strapped Denim Pinafore - £12

Tartan Tea Dress - £13

Padlock Tote - £10

Which items will be buying from Primark's Autumn/Winter Range?

Primark's Yellow Laced Wonder - The one that almost got away

Readers, I have a confession to make. When I was in Manchester for Judy's Affordable Kilo Sale a few weeks back, I have to admit that vintage clothes were not the only thing I fell in love with. In fact, I started an infatuation with a dress from a store about as non-vintage as you can get. Behold, ladies and gentlemen, for I give you Primark's yellow laced wonder.

I mean really, how was I not supposed to buy this? It has a collar, a swirly skirt, polka dots... The second I tried it on the mahoosive Manchester in Primark I knew this was THE dress for my friends sisters graduation party next month. Fitted perfectly across the chest, skirt was a decent length and I felt like I was 5 years old again and going to a tea party.

 I think we can all agree that yellow is not for the faint-hearted and I was initially worried that wasn't doing my mixed race skin tone any favours. Having already spent £20 at the vintage fair, I was beginning to feel a little naughty - I know fashion bloggers do a lot of 'haul' posts but I for one feel somewhat guilty about spending more than a certain amount on clothes in one day. This dress was £22 - nothing bank breaking but pretty top of the range for Primark. So, I put it back on the rail, got the train home and lived in instant regret for two weeks.

In the fortnight that followed, I'm pretty sure my boyfriend wanted to dump me for all the times he'd look across the sofa and i'd be frantically searching for this dress on the eBay app. It made no appearance in the Huddersfield store, nor in my hometown store of Stevenage (yes, I rang my mum and made her go look). It seemed the yellow wonder was going to be my very own one that got away- I couldn't really justify the tenner of train far back to Manchester to get one what with rent and all the other boring expenses of being a student in between loan dates.

But result! Anyone who knows me knows that I am a music journalist by trade, and was lucky enough to get a press pass for Parklife festival through my other blog, safetyinsound.com. Not only was I delighted by a free festival, I had an excuse to go back to Manchester!

And so, this happened.

I am so, so glad I bought this dress. Sure, I can't imagine it is the most popular of items due to its boldness and will probably end up in the £5 sale in a few weeks, but who cares? Sometimes, you just gotta have it.