My New Personal Style Blog- LIVE TO LOVE DENIM

Hi everyone!! Well it's the last day of 2012 and I have actually now put in to action those ideas and inspirations that have been at the back of my mind for so long and hopefully deliver me out of the blog wilderness that I have been enduring for a number of months now. 

Work and health issues have been main concerns during 2012 and I have felt that this year really has not been one of my best regarding posts and blogging. I have had several bouts of low inspiration and interest during this year and I feel it has reflected in how often I have posted on Thriftmystyle. On the plus side I have joined Twitter and although I haven't tweeted that much this year, I hope my new blog venture will change this. It is no secret that I have always had a love-no scrap that-self confessed obsession with all things denim and what better way to channel that but into a self contained personal style blog which is aptly named LIVE TO LOVE DENIM :

I am constantly inspired and enthused with all things denim, particularly jeans and now I have a dedicated blog I sincerely hope that you will join me there on my new denim journey through 2013 and beyond.

I still fully intend on posting on Thriftmystyle as of course thrifting at boot sales and charity shops is still a great passion and very much on the agenda for 2013 and beyond-it's just I have always wanted to put my other main passion-denim- into a structured footing and having my own blog for it means my followers and readers have either or both to hopefully gain some style inspiration from.

I do wish you all a very Happy New Year and a successful 2013 in whatever ventures you are currently involved in or plan to execute-good luck and best wishes to you all!!

Thriftmystyle outfit post and my sales savings and purchases!

I hope you all had a Very Happy Christmas- ours was spent eating, drinking, watching Christmas TV and relaxing and for me a first, a day at the Christmas Sales.

Younger son had a wishlist and a hole burning in his pocket so we set off to Oxford Sreet, London on Thursday which proved to be most successful and enjoyable! He managed to buy two pairs of trainers which were both half price-saving a whopping £130. We enjoyed a sushi lunch in Wasabi in Oxford Street which was my first proper Japanese sushi experience and very delicious it was too- I will certainly be having it again and it was so nice to have something so fresh, healthy and enjoyable whilst eating out. We were so surprisingly full afterwards so headed for a browse through Soho and Carnaby Street before going into Liberty's, which was amazingly my first ever visit considering the numerous times I have been to London.

I succumbed to the sales too by snapping up a gorgeous  blue wool and cashmere animal and tiger print reversible wrap by Mulberry which was half price, saving me a whopping £147.50!! 

All shopped out we headed home happy in the knowledge that between us we had saved nearly £300 on items that we truly wanted and will wear-very chez thriftmystyle!!

 

The outfit below is one I wore last weekend and shows off one of my recent thrift finds from the last boot sale before Christmas- a midnight blue buttersoft leather jacket by Jaeger for only £2. Its a great layering piece under my winter favourite faux fur gilet and I'm also wearing my Guess scarf which my older son got from their SS13 press day for me-it's animal print and stars and one of my favourite scarfs of the moment!!

 

 

I am wearing my Pavers boots from a few years back which I have been itching to replace with a lighter sheepskin version-well not replace, but have as an addition. So when Celtic Sheepskin emailed me earlier today with their upto 50% off sale on footwear I snapped up my coveted pair and saved myself £40 in the process. They will hopefully be with me next week and again I've saved on something that I've wanted for ages and wil be wearing straightaway.

 

Jaeger midnight blue leather jacket- £2, boot sale

 

So how is your sales shopping going-did you manage to bag the bargains you wanted either by shopping online or going to the sales in person?

 

In case this is my last post of 2012 I wish everyone a very peaceful, prosperous and happy new year and a successful and fabulous 2013.

Happy Christmas and some thrifting Peruvian style!!

Hi everyone!! I would just like to take this opportunity of wishing all of my fellow blogger friends, commenters and readers a really Wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 2012 seems to have passed so quickly and I must say it's been not a bad year at all-quite mixed really regarding health and work issues but family wise which is the most important, it has been very good indeed so I really do give thanks for that.

I do so hope you are all looking forward to Christmas and your preparations are in full swing. I have done all my present shopping and tomorrow will see me complete my food and drinks shop-thereafter it will be a menu of relaxation, eating, drinking and being extremely thankful of being able to celebrate this special time of year. Being a thrifty Mrs I tend not to go overboard at Christmas with material items and spending unnecessarily-as long as we eat well over Christmas and my family are happy and healthy this is all that matters. Myself and DH have given each other and the boys just ONE present each -our gifts are what we all truly wanted so it will be special for each one of us. My boys will both receive exactly what they asked for as prudent saving has ensured they got what they desired-no tat or quantity over quality at chez thriftmystyle!!

Anyhow, back to all things stylewise- I was particularly pleased to thrift this week my second item of favourite label 'Peruvian Collection'. If you haven't heard of them before do check out their website which is a gorgeous offering of all things exquisite and unique which have been crafted by highly skilled Andean artisans-craftswomen whose textile tradition goes back millennia. Their gorgeous knit and woven pieces are made from luxury fibres native to the Andes—silky soft alpaca and Peruvian pima cotton.  My first item was thrifted last year and is a wonderful pima cotton intricately woven patterned tote bag and as soon as I saw this in the PDSA a few days ago I knew I had to have it:

Its a wonderfully warm and stylish felted baby alpaca and wool jacket which feels amazing on. 

So on that note I am now officially starting my Christmas break with the family and I look forward to catching up with you all very soon- wishing you seasons greetings and a peaceful and prosperous 2013.

ThriftMyStyle.........Joining the Puffa brigade

Hi everyone!! I hope you are all keeping cosy and warm-funnily enough, the weather here at the moment has been quite mild and sunny for December, so extra thick layering is not quite on the agenda just for the moment!

One trend that has been in fashion for a couple of decades now has been the 'puffa jacket'-it is definitely one of those 'marmite' trends in that you love or hate them. I fall in to the 'love' category- I remember having a bright orange Miss Selfridge one back in the 90s and although I still love the style I would only ever wear neutral dark colours now!

The celebrities certainly know that not only can they be stylish, but they are just so warm and snug and in the Daily Mail last week it looks like this is a trend that will be around for quite a while to come, especially for those in colder climes:

Sarah Jessica Parker managing to look so casual chic and ultra snug and comfy

Emanuelle Alt showing us that puffas can be stylish

Naomi Watts doing dress down layered chic

Over at Net-A-Porter they have some really fabulous picks and if money were no object I would certainly be picking one of these snuggly options:

Mulberry quilted jacket, £1800

Peter Pilotto Ri printed jacket, £1300

Gucci padded jacket, £1130

I picked up this Armani black puffa jacket last winter and its very 90s inspired in the crop style:

I love the little Armani details on the zipper and pockets and being down filled, it really is a cosy option for the winter. I found it for less than £10 in the Sense charity shop and I must have had good jacket thrift luck that day as I also found a H&M khaki and fur lined parka jacket that is still going strong for me again this winter.

I cannot resist a jacket and any style seems to be on my radar for this season-wool, puffa, faux fur- in fact my wardrobe is bulging purely in winter wear!

What style of winter coat or jacket is on your style list this winter-do you love or hate the humble yet cosy puffa?

Dresses from Crossroads Australia

Australian brand Crossroads offers a whole range of different clothes, ranging from plus size dresses to jackets, denim, skirts and accessories. They currently are offering free delivery on items ordered over 60$ and orders placed before 18th December are guaranteed delivery for Christmas.

They take a variety of payments including paypal, making online shopping a pleasureable and safe way to shop. A lot of their dresses are currently reduced, so if you are looking for bargain, then they have a great selection to choose from:

Party print dress, 29.95$

Ruffletastic diamonte dress, 29.95$

Ombre maxi dress, 29.95$



Mid lace kick flare dress, 29.95$

ThriftMyStyle.....Faux Fur in my Winter Wardrobe

Well winter is well and truly here and whenever I am on my thrifting trips I always seem to be drawn to faux fur-be it a hat, scarf, coat, jacket or cape. For winter dressing,  faux fur is definitely my go to for stylishly warm dressing as any chosen piece will totally work with a day or evening outfit and keep you super cosy too!

I think I must be slightly obsessed-here are my most recent faux fur thrifty finds which I will not be without this winter. Firstly, a cossack hat is the perfect winter accessory-the one I found is a mid grey fluffy one by Marks and Spencer and was a bargainous £5.50 from the Sense charity shop. They are currently on sale in Marks and Spencer for around £20 but these sort of hats are so readily available from charity shops and vintage fairs for at least a third of the shop price:

Faux fur grey cossack hat by Marks and Spencer £5.50, Sense charity shop

My second thrifty find is this unlabelled snow leopardprint faux fur snood which I picked up from the Cancer Research shop for just £4.99. A faux fur snood is such a versatile piece as it can be worn with a variety of outerwear for day or night and also with a cashmere cardigan or crew neck jumper for easy daytime lounge wear.

Snow leopardprint faux fur snood, £4.99 Cancer Research charity shop

I'm always on the hunt for faux fur vintage jackets and last month I found this caramel number in the PDSA charity shop for less that £10. I was looking for one that had fastenings up to the neck and has a high collar to keep out the chills and this fitted the bill for my requirements. The colour goes with so much in my wardrobe and vintage faux furs always tend to be such good quality too:

Vintage faux fur jacket, PDSA charity shop £9.99

This weekend was a really busy one as DH and myself were at vintage fairs in London. Of course I always have a sneaky peek around for a stylish bargain and I was really happy to find this gorgeous chestnut vintage faux fur cape which kept me deliciously warm this weekend. Its the ideal find for me as I've been after a poncho style cape for a while and this looks amazing over a wool coat or jacket as an extra stylish layering piece:

Chestnut faux fur vintage cape, £26 Vintage Fashion Fair

So what styles are keeping you stylish and cosy this season-is faux fur on your fashion radar?

Dresses from Autograph Australia

Hi everyone! For any readers who are looking for dresses online in sizes 14-26, then Australian fashion brand Autograph have a lovely selection of dresses which are perfect for day or evening wear and also ideal for Christmas too.

 

 

 

Red bandage style dress $90.30

 

Black lace dress $90.30

 



 

Animal print mesh dress $55.99

 



Multi print tier dress $62.99

 

 

They offer free shipping, easy returns and take paypal too-if you are after some stylish plus size dresses then they have a great selection of outfits to choose from!

Valentino: Master of Couture

Hi everyone!! You may already be aware that master couturier Valentino has an exhibition currently on at Somerset House in London. It is celebrating his life and work and showcases over 130 iconic and exquisite haute couture designs worn by the likes of Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Sophia Loren.

The exhibition is split into 3 sections and is accompanied by a series of talks, screenings and events- without doubt, Valentino: Master of Couture is a journey into the secretive world of Italian couture and should be a must see event for any die hard lover of style and couture.

 

Tickets for the event should be prebooked if possible and are £12.50. The exhibition runs until 3 March 2013, so if you can't get there before Christmas then this can be a New Year's treat!!

 

 

 Of course, a Valentino red dress would be the most coveted item to own and wear, unfortunately unless I stumble across one in the future I shall have to just dream of owning one. However, I was very fortunate last year on my of my boot sale trips to find this stunning Valentino black tuxedo, which has lace detailing around the collar and fits like a glove-thats proper tailoring for you. The icing on the cake was that I paid less than £5 for it and it definitely is a piece that I will keep forever:

I am really looking forward to seeing the exhibition and marvelling at Valentinos extraordinary works of art.

 

Check out what the grand master of couturier has to say on all things Primark in Vogue yesterday too!!

Designer watches at T H Baker jewellers

Hi everyone!! It's the time of the year where I am busy drawing up my 'Christmas list' for my nearest and dearest with the intentions that I will have happy, satisfied bunnies on Christmas Day.

 

I also drew up my virtual Christmas wishlist and at the top of it would be a designer watch from family jewellers T H Baker, who celebrate their 125th anniversary next year.

I have always loved quality designer timepieces and I thought I would show you my favourite current picks any of which I would be happy to receive in my Christmas stocking-well, you never know!!

 

Gucci rose gold watch, £635

 

 



Gucci silver and bamboo style watch, £650

 

 



 

This would be a real treasure to receive!! Omega Ladymatic 18ct gold watch £11730- a girl can dream huh!!!

This would look amazing with ANY chosen outfit- Tag Heuer Formula One watch, £1550

 

 



 

I can't leave DH out, he would adore this- Tag Heuer Monaco watch £5500

 

 

What's at the top of your virtual dream Christmas wishlist- will it be a nice watch or item of jewellery or are you hoping for something else to be under the tree on Christmas Day?

Have you got your High Street loyalty card........charity ones of course!!

Following on from my Give More post previously, I thought I would share with you how I show my loyalty AND get rewarded for it through my local charity shops.

I have used the Sue Ryder loyalty card scheme for years now and for every £5 you spend in their shop, you receive a stamp-collect 10 and you get a whopping £5 to spend on anything in their shop!!

For a die hard charity shopper like myself, this is a must have in my purse and I always seem to get at least 3-5 freebies a year!! I would really recommend you sign up for one-if you can't get in to a shop, then you can apply online for one here

 

Another loyalty card in my purse is from the Salvation Army which not only does a similar scheme but it also rewards you if you take in your unwanted items too! I've got all my stamps on my card now, so my next visit will be to choose my free item!!

 

 

A couple of days ago I also used up my stamped up Sue Ryder loyalty card so I thought I would show you my latest buys. I chose this Gap 1969 denim shirt for £3.75:

 

 

 

I also chose a Marks and Spencer dark olive and black snakeskin digital print blouse for also £3.75:

 

 

So both items came to £7.50 and  with my loyalty card discount I only paid £2.50 for both items!! That is what I call rewarding loyalty and these cards are a real incentive to shop at your local charity shops as often as possible.

 

 

Do you hold any loyalty cards for your local charity shops-if not, why not sign up as soon as you can!!

Source: WomensPersonalFinance.net

Give More Time-Money-Energy

 

I have just been made aware of an organisation called 'Give More', which is a growing movement of thousands of people within our communities who are pledging to give more time, money and energy to the causes they are passionate about.

In their own words, the need in our communities is going up and charities and community groups are struggling to cope. The facts are stark – 83% of teachers have seen a growth in the number of children arriving hungry at school. At the same time there’s been a 100% increase in the number of people being fed by foodbanks, with 4 new outlets opening up every week. 5.4 million households are living in fuel poverty, almost half of those individuals are over 60.

 

In response to this, thousands of people from every corner of the UK are uniting to fight escalating need by each giving more time, money and energy to the community or cause they care about and inspiring others to do the same. Give More is an independent, privately funded initiative that asks you to stand up and be counted – join the movement and be part of something vitally important. We rarely talk about giving, but if we don’t shout about the good work going on up and down the country, many charities and community groups may cease to exist.

 

There are many ways you can join in and help the Give More movement grow:

You can Sign up – show your support by signing up and learning more about Give More

Make a pledge – make a public pledge, and add your cause to our face wall

Inspire others to join in – invite 3 friends to make a pledge, and help the movement grow

Spread the word – use your networks to help us raise awareness of Give More via Twitter and Facebook

Encourage your organisation – encourage your organisation to become a Give More partner, and help us reach more people.
Get the Give Guide-The Give Guide is a free, tailorable resource packed with simple ideas for helping charities or good causes this Christmas.

 

Read Wayne Hemingway's story- like many of us, he is a big charity supporter and if you don't necessarily have time to be a volunteer, then by regularly donating unwanted clothes to your local charity shop and also choosing to buy your purchases from them is a fantastic way of supporting your community. I do so hope this has inspired you to take part-whether its by social media or down at your local chazza!!

 

 

 

Christmas budget

Breaking the Christmas budget: do you spoil your grandkids?

December is a time for festivities and merriment, Christmas decorations,

puddings, tinsel and, of course, giving - and new research suggests that Brits

are anything but Scrooges when it comes to the festive season. A recent

survey of 135 UK-based women conducted by an online retailer

among them mothers and grandmothers, has shown that more than three-

quarters of those surveyed believe that children are spoiled with gifts on 25

December.

But are Britain’s children really being spoilt? And are parents and

grandparents stretching their budgets to accommodate all the most

popular ‘batteries not included’ toys this year? The survey seems to indicate

that we Brits are aware of the indulgence of the season, but treat the urge to

splurge with a certain amount of caution and restraint, with only 2 out of 10

women stating that they plan to spend over £500 on gifts for the whole family

this year.

However, when the question was refined to ask ‘How much would you be

willing to spend on toys for the kids?’ more than a third of those surveyed felt

that up to £50 was the right kind of budget. To put this response in context,

when asked how much money was appropriate to spend on a gift for a

partner, the budget increased, with almost 1 in 3 putting themselves in the

£50 to £100 range.

Let’s make a distinction here between spoiling the children by getting them

a lovely, much desired present, and spoiling them by indulging them to the

point of letting them run roughshod over their elders. Whilst the former may

occur, the latter, returning again to the survey, is not likely. Parents and

grandparents are setting excellent standards of Christmas etiquette in terms

of gift giving and receiving. Almost 9 in 10 of those surveyed said that they

would never get a deliberately awful gift for someone they didn’t like, and four-

fifths admitted to telling that most acceptable of white lies - pretending that a

disappointing present was perfect.

So, with all that in mind, it seems the best course of action is to let

our children or grandchildren enjoy that all-singing-all-dancing toy or gadget

they’ve been longing for, within reason - but to make sure they write a thank-

you note afterwards!!



Thrift Inspiration..............Net-A-Porter and Vintage Style for Heritage Dressing

Hi there!! Heritage dressing for this season is not only super stylish, but practical, functional and so very versatile if the right key piece is picked. 

A wool tweed jacket is definitely my pick of the season and as usual this can be found from designer right through to high street- I love these from Net-A-Porter who have a lovely range of wool tweed items in a range of different colours and styles:

 Carven forest green tweed wool blazer, £450





Joseph Hutton wool tweed blazer £495

Browsing this trend from designers to high street this season has really inspired me to 'Shop Vintage'. What inspires me so much about vintage for this trend is the sheer quality of fabric and that a lot of wool and tweed items are made in Great Britain. On my hunt for the key 'heritage' piece this season, my key requirements were pure wool fabric, luxe tailoring and to be made in the British Isles.

This jacket ticks all the boxes-it is a recent vintage find by Burberry and is not only 100% wool it is also made in England. I love the attention to detail too- it has a cute velvet collar, leather buttons on the cuffs and the front and it is a perfect 'boyfriend' style, ideal for keeping warm with chosen layers underneath.



The colour of the jacket is more 'blue' and it goes perfectly with skinny jeans and my favourite jean style of the moment, indigo skinny flares. I found a fabulous pair by J Brand for only £3.99 a couple of weeks ago and they are a perfect accompaniment to this Burberry jacket.

Will you be doing heritage this season? Whether you choose designer, high street or vintage this is certainly a style which if chosen right will be a perfect wardrobe staple for years to come!

MyStyle......My Choice of Dresses at Phase Eight

 

Hi everyone! The 'C' word is drawing ever nearer and if thats not an excuse for a new dress, then I don't know what is!! I love how at House of Fraser there is such a fabulous range of these Phase Eight dresses which are not only party dresses, but also some gorgeous day, evening and cocktail dresses that suit all budgets, tastes and styles!

 

Here is my virtual shopping list of my favourite six dresses, some of which would be perfect for a smart daytime to evening look with the addition of heels and jewellery.

 

Each dress here is completely on my style radar-black lace, midnight blue, winter florals, ruched jersey-whats not to love with these choices and not only are they ideal for Christmas, they will seriously work as year round dresses with that forever timeless style factor that each of these have!

 

More Phase Eight dresses can be seen here and a lot of them have some seriously high reductions-do check them out!

 

This Rhona lace dress is reduced from £99 to £59 and is a perfect choice for a transitional day to night outfit.



 This midnight blue Ema silk cape dress is half price-now £44.50



Digital prints and winter florals make this Kara print dress a perfect choice for this season, now reduced to £59

 



This is the perfect style dress for Christmas Day-Side ruched jersey dress, £79 will still look fabulous after that gigantic Christmas dinner!!

 



 

I adore winter floral prints and this will certainly take you into Spring, Secret garden cowl neck dress now £65

 



 

My perfect style of cocktail dress- Harriet dress £160

 

 

What style of dress will be on your shopping list for Christmas? I hope these choices have given you some gorgeous dress inspiration what ever you decide on!!

Tim Walker Exhibition at Somerset House

Hi everyone!! Sorry for not getting over to you and leaving comments-I'm very much the 'blogger lurker' at the moment in that I am visiting your blogs to read, but not leaving comments-naughty I know, but still very self indulgent and enjoyable!!

 

Last month saw a visit to the Tim Walker exhibition at Somerset House which was made all the more enjoyable as it was with the lovely Mrs TNMA. We enjoyed a fabulous chat in Fernandez and Wells before viewing the exhibition. I will let the pictures do the talking-all I will say is its a free exhibition and is on until 27 January, so if you are in London check out the link above for more information and do try and stop by for a visit:

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you are all having a great week-I'm currently still not a well bunny so have nothing more than rest and recouperation on the menu!!