Thrift Inspiration.....My Version of The Maxmara Carrara Coat, aka The Teddy Bear Coat

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and Boxing Day, ours was very relaxing with a lot of good food and drink, films and Christmas TV thrown in! Thank you all for your lovely Christmas wishes-they were so much appreciated and I hope your holidays have been all you wanted them to be and if Santa didn't bring you that elusive pressie you've been after then hopefully you may be able to track it down in the sales that are all on at the moment!

I thought I would share a find from the summer holidays with you that is my inspirational version of the gorgeous and most covetable coat of the moment, the MaxMara Carrara coat, which I know is Carine Roitfeld and Kim Kardashian's winter coat of choice:

MaxMara Carrara Coat

It's just like a blanket coat, enveloping you like a big fluffy dressing gown and making you feel like a teddy bear-thus giving the coat it's nickname of the 'teddy bear coat'

I have a feeling the coat is sold out now, but it certainly is such an inspiring look and style- I love the casual wraparound vibe, the gorgeous caramel colour and of course the thought of the feeling you would get wearing a coat like this, I don't think you'd want to take it off!! 

So here is my inspired version- it's a vintage faux fur coat by Tissavel of France, a very renowned but now sadly defunct, faux fur manafacturer established in 1953. I have owned a couple of Tissavel coats in the past which were such fabulous quality, but this one is defintely my favourite. My favourite features of the coat are it's wide collar, the 'no buttons' style so you have to wear it in a wraparound style and of course, the length-this coat is definitely keeping all chills at bay!!

The true life colour is more as shown in the second picture, a 'caramel camel' colour and it was the perfect coat of choice to wear at the weekend for a brisk walk around St Katherines Dock- which was a very brisk and short one as we decided to go for a drive and enjoy a forthcoming coffee out at Cafe Nero.

I'm wearing a lurex pom pom beanie from Primark last winter, River Island faux leather panel leggings, ankle boots from PrettyLittleThing.com, a Marks and Spencer thrifted black merino wool polo sweater and a Chanel inspired black leather quilted chain bag:

Because of the wraparound style I just felt like hugging myself and of course you have to with this sort of coat as it comes apart otherwise!!

I bought this in the heart of summer from a local towns Sense charity shop which sells everything for a £1- so this is definitely my cheapest coat bargain of the year! 

Have you found your perfect winter coat yet? Do you love vintage or will you be seeking a bargain in the sales? I'd love to see how you're all styling up your chosen winter coat this season!! I am linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for her weekend blog hop, I hope you get a chance to check out her fabulous blog! Wishing you all a very happy weekend and happy sales shopping too!

A Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays To You All!!

Hi everyone!! I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone one of you a very happy and peaceful Christmas with lots of festivities and fun!

A Massive Thank You to all of my lovely followers and readers for your continued support and friendship and for the lovely comments I've received from you, they are very much appreciated.

I am trying to get myself organised for Christmas, I still have a few things to do but with any luck it will all pan out ok! Today I'm out with some girlfriends for Christmas dinner and then working tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday morning!

I hope Christmas brings you all that you hope and wish for and I look forward to seeing what Santa has brought for you!!

Have a Fabulous Weekend and Happy Holidays, Lots of Love To You All!!

Dining In with Tiffin Tin

Hi everyone! I had to blog about my recent 'fine dining experience at home' from my all time local favourite eatery, The Tiffin Tin. 

"The Tiffin Tin is one of London's Top five places for a great take-home meal," Tom Parker-Bowles. 

"The portions were enormous: the meat was juicy and well spiced-the spices for each dish are ground daily on the premises. The freshest Indian food this side of Brick Lane." The Evening Standard.

I had already bought food from here before I knew of it's fine reputation and the first time I tried it I knew it was a place that would be forever a favourite and is frequented on special occasions for it to remain a treat.

We traveled to our local branch in Wanstead so we could personally check out their open plan kitchen and see the cooks in action. The service was excellent and it was great to watch the food being cooked in front of us and enjoy the aromas wafting around. 

The Tiffin Tin uses the finest ingredients and the freshest and most different vegetables in their dishes and they do not use any artificial colourings or preservatives. Your chosen dishes are vacuum sealed and also put into plastic reusable containers and your meal comes with complimentary popadums and chutney.

We had a Tandoori mixed grill for starters, murgh (chicken breast) dansak, pilau rice and vegetable biryani, which between three of us was more than adequate as we had food leftover for the following day too: 

I love how you receive your food too-no bog standard white carrier bags, you get this funky cardboard box which is based on the original Tiffin Tin carrier which is a standard for the Indian way of life of how people carry fresh food from home to work. I already have a couple that I keep in my room to store scarves. As the food is tightly secure, the boxes are immaculate and always reusable immediately:

Like I said we went to our local Tiffin Tin branch in Wanstead, (East London)-they also have branches in Hornsey, Totteridge Lane, Tuffnell Park and West Hampstead. You can actually order online and credit cards are acceptable as well as cash if you wish to take advantage of their free delivery for orders over £10.

If you do live in any of these areas around London I really recommend you try their food-you won't be disappointed and the standard of food is definitely the equivalent of eating in a top quality restaurant with the added benefits of being at home of course and you also get the chance to support a local, thriving and successful business!!

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and that all your preparations are coming along nicely for Christmas too!

Ralph Lauren Fair Isle and Some Musings on My Blogging Future

Hi everyone!! Please excuse my absence recently, having started my new role as a library assistant I have been learning my trade by being at different libraries within my borough as well as my main local one. I am so enjoying my new job and it's great to work in the serenity and quaintness of the smaller libraries as well as the ever busy main library in which I am doing so many different duties. Being away from work for over a year because of health issues meant I had quite a lot of time on my hands to go thrifting, read and post blogs and of course doing housework at my leisure- now time seems to be running away from me and although it feels work is coming first at the moment, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's great to be in a job that I actually look forward to going to and making a difference too-unfortunately my blog posting has taken a back seat because of this and also because I am enjoying my free time by reading more books and blogs without actually leaving comments.

My blog is six years old in March (!!) and it's been a real journey of building relationships and friendships and a labour of love of showing my thrift finds. I've been extremely fortunate this year to find some awesome items, such as my Chanel jacket and my MaxMara coat and I always get a buzz from finding designer and vintage pieces for next to nothing, but I admit to being disillusioned with the boot sales this year-I've had much more success at the charity shops and without the need to be up at the crack of dawn too!

 As I said before, I am in the process of re-evaluating my work/life balance and I'm not entirely sure how my blog fits in the equation at the moment. It may well be that as Christmas is approaching, like everyone else life and work are priorities but as much as I love thrifting, style and fashion I am not sure if the 'passion' is still there for me to carry on blogging on a very regular basis. I suppose only time will tell, but I think my blog posting will be more infrequent and sporadic for the foreseeable future. I do however really enjoy my blog reading regularly so I will be attempting to comment more regularly via bloglovin.

This may well be my last outfit post of the year, so I thought I'd share a recent look from earlier this week when I wasn't working in my regulation work polo tee and black jeans! I am wearing my thrifted Ralph Lauren Fair Isle tank sweater, Primark chambray shirt, recently thrifted wine colour River Island skinny jeans and black leather studded Dune ankle biker boots:

A close up of my sweater- it is a really cosy top and with a shirt underneath gives just the right amount of warmth on days that are not freezing cold!!

I would also like to say as a given that my blog would not be where or what it is without the constant support, friendship and readers that regularly stop by to either lurk, read or comment- I am so thankful and humbled by the amount of love that is sent my way via the blog and without any of you I would have stopped blogging a long while ago. Even if one person is inspired or enjoys a particular post on my blog that makes me feel so appreciative and thankful and it's honestly been the catalyst for me to have carried on posting.

I do hope to stay in 'blogland' for the forseeable future but things and life do have a habit of changing so it is much a scenario of 'Watch this space!'

I would like to take this opportunity of wishing you all a very Happy, Peaceful and Festive Christmas and a Successful and Healthy 2014, God Bless You All xxxxxxx

UPDATED TO ADD-All my lovely comments have inspired to share my post with the wonderful Claire Justine for Creative Mondays and I really want to say a massive big thank you for all of your kind words, support and comments!!

MaxMara Camel Coat.....My Best Thrift Find for the Winter!

Hi everyone!! I hope you had a really great weekend, I had a positively relaxing one and took great pleasure in pitching up on the sofa for most of Sunday afternoon watching films and only getting up to prepare dinner!!

You may remember from a couple of posts back that I went to London last weekend and I thought I'd show you my best thrift find of the summer- a MaxMara wool camel coat which was an amazing £5 from a local boot sale. It sat in a carrier bag for a while awaiting to be dry cleaned and now it has been done, it is officially being worn! It's a really warm coat and I was deliciously toasty whilst I was doing the rounds around London-too warm in fact as I had to come out of some shops and get some cool air to stop me from overheating!!

My outfit of the day was the MaxMara coat, my Aquascutum scarf, River Island faux leather panel leggings and my thrifted Marks and Spencer merino wool black roll neck which I got a couple of months ago for £2.99:

Going back to when I got the coat, it was in July when the weather was scorching and I nearly didn't get it as I wasn't really into winter coat thinking mode and I didn't really want to lug it around the boot sale. I took it off the ladies car and tried it on and it's in great condition-the interior is immaculate and the exterior has the odd tiny patches of wear but overall it definitely has a good few years of life yet to go. Another lady who was buying something else was eyeing it up, so I quickly paid my £5 and bought it!

 To think that camel wool coats are so popular this season and to be honest, I wouldn't have bought a brand new one so thrifting the best name in winter coats was beyond a bonus for me- up with my Chanel jacket find, they are both my best finds this year!!

I'm linking up to the lovely Claire Justine for Creative Mondays, I hope you get a chance to take a look at her lovely blog and maybe link up yourself!!

Wishing you all a really fabulous week ahead, whatever you get up to!!

Dune Mongolian Scarf & Liberty Tartan Scarf- Scarves of the Week

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely week so far and like me, looking forward to the weekend. This week has seen me start my official role as a library assistant which I'm really enjoying plus I'm meeting really nice co-workers too, making the transition of starting a new job so much easier!

I'm not sure what I'll be doing this weekend but if the weather turns particularly nasty it will mean having to stay indoors snuggled up watching TV, films and listening to music, whilst catching up with my blog reading and book reading!! 

I thought I would show you this weeks scarf purchases-the first one is my Dune Mongolian shaggy wool scarf/shawl which I treated myself to whilst in London on Saturday:

It really is a scarf of substance and I actually felt naked after taken it off instore to put back the display piece- I love the softness and shagginess of it as I've always wanted a scarf like this for so many past winters. I really would recommend it if you're looking for a shawl like item over a variety of different coats and jackets this winter-it really blocks out the cold and looks really nice on too.

My second scarf was an accidental find whilst in town early this week, as I'm trying not to spend anything on myself after my splurges this month. I was really only trying to browse my local Salvation Army but it's always the way-when you don't want to see anything or are watching the pennies, something always shows up! Thankfully when I saw this scarf, it was well worth buying and I couldn't leave it behind for just £1.99:

A pure wool black and white tartan scarf which is immaculate and still has the original Liberty paper sticker on it too:

I'm so chuffed to find this one as I don't have a monochrome scarf and this fits the current tartan trend perfectly. It's a lovely length and width and it looks like one of those items that has been bought and not used and donated to charity, waiting for me to swoop and buy!!

I keep saying it, but I'm really on a strict (ish) self imposed thrift and shopping curfew-apart from maybe getting a new pair of black trousers or jeans for work that will be my only spending for the forseeable, but I can never say never.....sigh!!

Here's hoping you all have a lovely weekend and what with the Festive Season and my new job I may not be around as often to blog new posts and comment back, but I always take pleasure in reading your blogs via bloglovin' and google+ to see what you are all up to in the style and fashion blogosphere!

The Winter Tag!

The lovely Andrea at CousCousandcorkWedges has tagged me in The Winter Tag.

The rules of the tag are:

Share 12 random facts about yourself.

Answer the 12 questions.

List 12 bloggers you wish to tag and pass the tag on by letting them know you've nominated them. However I've decided that my Winter Tag is open for anyone who wishes to participate as being such a busy time of year you may well decide to take part before or after Christmas on this one!!

My 12 Random Facts:

1. I've just started a new job-hurrah!! I am now officially a library assistant and I work in different sections and different libraries within my borough-plus, I actually love it too as I get to work with adults and children and do a variety of different things each time I'm there!

2. I love Made in Chelsea-it's my guilty pleasure and I love how my eldest son pitches up with me every episode to tune in!

3. I have a scarf addiction which seems to be growing each week-it doesn't matter if it's vintage, a boot sale or charity shop find, a high street or designer buy I show no preferential treatment to whichever one catches my eye!!

4. I also have a jeans addiction- 27 pairs at my last count-gulp! I love skinny jeans, bootcut, straight, slim and flares as well as coloured jeans too!

5. My favourite flavour tea is Twinings Lapsang Souchong, it's really smoky and I love it strong and hot. 

6. I love music- all genres but my favourites are late 70s pop and disco and classical music.

7. I love reading too but I just need more time to get into my books- if I'm relaxing I still tend to surf the net a little too often!

8. I went on the Orient Express for my mums 75th birthday to Deal- it was an amazing experience which I would love to repeat!

9. I don't do ornaments- I really am not a knick-knack or bric a brac type of gal- it could be having a small house with two boys was generally the main reason but now they're older I still don't hanker over having items like these dotted around the house!

10. I don't like cooking and prefer to let hubby do it, but when I do my favourite meals to make are curries and roasts.

11. I love potatoes-jackets and roast ones are my favourites.

12. The last time I had my hair cut short was the last time I will ever have it short- I sort of regretted it and it seemed to take an age to grow out too!

And the questions:

1. What are your favourite things about winter?

I love choosing what winter coat or jacket I'm going to wear and it gives me an excuse to stockpile my scarves!

2. What is your favourite winter outfit?

My black and white tweed oversized wool jacket, skinny jeans and Dune biker ankle boots with a sweater underneath and of course my scarf du jour!!

3. What is your favourite winter food?

Home made soup and home made shepherds pie.

4. What is your favourite winter drink?

Mulled Wine!

5. How do you like your make up in the winter?

I only wear blusher and that's the same year round!

6. What are you hoping Santa brings you?

I wouldn't say no to a nice bottle of perfume!

7. What is your favourite winter scent?

I love the smells of comfort foods cooking in the oven.

8. What is your favourite winter memory?

When everyone bundled up and made a beeline for the garden to build snowmen and throw snowballs!

9. What is your dream way to spend a winters day?

Under my fleecy blanket on the sofa, with some classical music playing and reading my current favourite book.

10. What are the first 3 things that remind you of winter?

Starting to wear gloves and hats, layering up and making up hot water bottles!

11. What is your favourite winter song?

I love hearing any hymns being played on the radio, especially Christmas ones.

12. Finish this sentence.....If I could have one Christmas wish it would be....

To be somewhere hot for a change!

I hope you enjoyed reading these random facts about me and please let me know if you do the tag in my comments so I can come and check you out too! Wishing you a great week ahead!

Marks & Spencer Autograph Leopard Print Boots and Some Issey Miyake

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, I had planned to stay in Saturday afternoon after publishing my last post which said I didn't have anything planned, however mid writing that said post my eldest son asked if I fancied an afternoon up West and as I hadn't seen the Christmas lights I thought why not? Well returning home that evening, my bank balance was noticeably lighter, what with getting his Christmas present- a Michael Kors watch no less which he is contributing more than half to and I also treated myself to a totally gorgeous, couldn't leave the shop without it, Dune Mongolian wool shawl/scarf which left my neck naked when I put it down and walked out of the shop without it, trying to be good. 

I very rarely buy anything brand new from shops, I would say my wardrobe is 95% thrifted from charity shops so it generally takes something special from the High Street for me to part with double figure funds. I've been after one of these type of shawl/scarves every winter that goes by and as soon as I'd left the store I couldn't stop thinking about it and high tailed it back and got the sales assistant to cut the tags off so I could wear it straight away!! So that's really an early Christmas present to myself which I am so pleased with and I'll be showing it off on a post later!!

Back to my outfit post which also contains a new buy-these Autograph ponyskin leopardprint wedge boots from Marks & Spencer which I got a couple of weeks ago when they were doing 20% off- I had spied them online and the same day I was in town they had one pair in my size left on the shelf, so yes, another High Street purchase but at least I didn't pay full price!! I am also wearing my beloved vintage thrift find wool waterfall cardi-jacket by Issey Miyake which was another Salvation Army charity shop find for only £2.50 a few years ago. I love this, it makes an appearance every winter season and I also wear it over my black leather biker jacket as an extra layer:

I'm wearing my light wash thrifted Levi's jeans which are a firm favourite for me this season and here is a close up of the boots- I'm generally not a lover of high heels, but these have an insolia built in sole and are really quite comfortable as they have been designed to redistribute your weight from the balls of your feet and I just love the pointy heel and of course the ponyskin leopardprint!!

My clothes and accessory budget for this month is well and truly smashed and I really need to try and not see anything else that I love- I have been extremely tempted by Michelle at MyFashionable40s who recently got a gorgeous woolly fleece from Uniqlo which is a perfect winter style piece to have, but I just sadly can't justify buying it at the moment, not with the Car Tax due at the end of the week too ;-( 

Still, I need to start busting out what's already in my wardrobe and on a future post I'll be showing you a really fabulous thrift find from the Summer, stay tuned!!

I am linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for Creative Monday do be sure to check out her blog if you haven't already, she's been nominated by Candis magazine for her lifestyle blog which is really well deserved!! Wishing you all a really great week ahead, whatever you are up to!!

Thrift Inspiration..........Coloured Faux Fur for Winter

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a good week, my week has been fairly hectic but hopefully most of the weekend should be quite relaxing with no plans- just how I like it, so I can just do anything or nothing!

I thought I would show a recent thrift find and alternatives to mine that are available online or instore at the moment. Faux fur is a really big presence for this season and it comes not only in traditional black and trendy leopardprint, but all different colours too. Here are my picks of my favourite colours of the moment:

BIBA dove grey short faux fur coat, £118.30

ASOS baby blue faux pelted jacket, £80

ASOS teal longline faux fur coat, £80

ASOS berry batwing faux fur, £85

A couple of weeks ago I found this really cute navy faux fur jacket in a neighbouring towns Haven House charity shop for just £15. It's collarless and is perfect for wearing with roll neck jumpers and scarves and is super cosy and soft too!! 

The lining is in a contrasting purple and blue pattern and being navy means it's going to be so versatile and go with a lot of items already in my wardrobe.

Is coloured faux fur on your radar this season? Do you already have some coloured faux fur in your wardrobe that you've started wearing already?

Wishing you all a really fabulous weekend and hope your plans or no plans go as scheduled!!

Thrift Inspiration.....Short Sleeve Chunky Knit Jumper

Hi everyone!! I hope you are all bearing up now the Wintry weather is setting in-apparently we are in for some real icy cold weather over the next couple of weeks so now is the time to dust down those winter knits and get them to the front of your wardrobe.

The majority of my jumpers that I have are all long sleeved, but I do have the odd short sleeve jumper, that being my Sonia Rykiel thrifted jumper that I bought a few years back at the now sadly gone Help The Aged charity shop for only £2.49. It's great to wear over silky blouses, chambray denim or a thermal long sleeve top. Short sleeve jumpers are so versatile and stylish and make a welcome change to the normal long sleeved versions and what I'm liking about the current versions are they are cut like oversized tees, making them perfect for layering and cosying up in. Here are my favourite picks of short sleeve jumpers that are available now:

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, £235

French Connection jumper, £69

IRO Kailey Jumper £259.50

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel jumper, £250

So I found another short sleeved jumper to add to the wardrobe recently- a lovely hand knitted aran chunky knit which is oversized and cocoon shaped and was a bargainous £4.49 from my local Salvation Army charity shop:

I chose to wear it yesterday with my Uniqlo heattech long sleeved top from last year, my All Saints jeans that I got from the boot sale a few months ago for £3 and my new tan Chelsea boots:

I'll definitely wear this over my light and dark wash chambray shirts in the style of Laura of the WIT blog and with skinny jeans too- it really is a cosy buy and being short sleeved and oversized means I don't get too over-heated and stay snug at the same time.

Do you have any short sleeved jumpers in your wardrobe for this winter- is it a look you could or would try? I do hope you enjoy the rest of your week and stay snug and warm whatever you get up to!

Outfit Post: Fluffy Tartan & Leopardprint with an Unintentional Pout!

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a lovely weekend, I didn't really get up to much, but I had a fabulous lie in on Saturday morning till past 11am- indulging in some Classic FM, two red velvet cupcakes and a steaming hot mug of coffee-courtesy of my boys as my breakfast in bed, well it's got to be done every now and then!!

I've been using some of my thrift budget to get leather boots re-heeled and coats dry cleaned in preparation for Winter.  It's great to buy new or thrifted items for this coming season but it's also important to look after what's already in the wardrobe and this helps to prolong the life of existing pieces and bring to life forgotten items that have languished at the bottom of the closet waiting to be repaired or professionally cleaned. I'm on at eldest son to put aside some of his wages to take a few jackets to the cleaners at the end of the month to save him wearing other jackets over and over again. 

Anyhow, my outfit for Saturdays chores in town was as follows:

My trusty black and white tweed coat that I thrifted a few months ago has proved invaluable and I'm wearing it so much lately. I'm also wearing my newly thrifted faded Levi's jeans and a couple of new items-a fluffy tartan Primark scarf which I totally love-it's so cosy and big and was just £5. I'm also wearing some Topshop leopardprint chelsea boots that I found on ebay last month for less than £20 and are like slippers, just so comfortable and add a fun pop of colour too! My grey sweater is a fairly new thrift find too and was from my local towns British Heart Foundation charity shop for just £3.99 earlier this month.

I had to add this photo, when I saw it it made me laugh as I was really not intending to do a 'pout pose' but as it's not too contrived I thought I'd show it, lol!!

I'm linking this post to the lovely Patti at NotDeadYetStyle for Visible Monday and the lovely Claire-Justine for her Creative Monday blog hop. Do try to check out both of these wonderful blogs, they are so inspiring and regularly share so many other creative and stylish bloggers from all around the world!!

Wishing you all a great week ahead- be warned, it's getting colder so wrap and layer up nice and toasty!!

Thrift Inspiration.....Doing it Fair Isle Style

Hi everyone!! I hope your week has been going well-I've fallen off the budget pedestal somewhat lately and will share my spoils of what I've been thrifting in future posts. 

I thought I would share a thrift find from last month which I've just been waiting to pair with the right shirt underneath and having just snaffled a light wash River Island denim shirt yesterday on a thrifting trip means I'll be able to wear my find below with it and also a white shirt too. As you can see, I've picked out my favourite styles of Fair Isle knits that are currently on the High Street at the moment. This style of knit is not only traditionally stylish, it surpasses current trends and will always look great in Autumn and Winter:

Ralph Lauren Sweater,

Ralph Lauren sweater, £125

J Crew sweater £138

River Island snood, £20

Matalan sweater, £18

As you can see there is a really great selection of Fair Isle items for all tastes and budgets and if sweaters aren't your thing then there are plenty of accessories such as hats, scarves and gloves on the High Street in a range of lovely patterns and colours. 

I was really pleased to find in my local Salvation Army charity shop this fabulous Ralph Lauren hand knitted sweater for a bargainous £3.99- it's as new and is also a longer length so ideal for wearing with jeggings or skinny jeans:

I love how the Ralph Lauren sweater in the first picture has been paired with bright colours and is a really fun and trendy way of wearing this style of pattern. Wearing Fair Isle means you can pick out different colours from your chosen piece to co-ordinate with the rest of your outfit:

I also love the cute little pockets on the front and the assortment of different colours in the knit-it will definitely be a versatile item to wear this season!

I hope you all have a great weekend and I'm also linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for her Friday blog hop, take care all!!

Thrift Inspiration.....Faded Levi's Jeans for Autumn-and Beyond

Hi everyone! I hope your week is going well for you all-there was frost on the car today and apparently it is the coldest day of the season so far, but it's lovely when it's dry and sunny too! Today I am layered up in a vest under a long sleeved denim shirt with jeans (double denim!) and earlier when I was out I had my scarf and coat on. With yesterday's outfit I was in a short sleeved tee as when I'm working at the library I really get warm so as long as I wear a padded or wool coat then I'm good to go!

So as you can see, Tuesday's outfit comprised a black oversized tee by Primark, my leopardprint scarf that I bought last week and seem to be wearing almost every day, a  pair of newly thrifted jeans from a couple of weeks ago and my black ankle leather biker boots which are from Marks & Spencer also from last year:

I've been keeping my eye out for some faded light wash straight legged jeans for a little while now, so when I came across these Levi's jeans for only £1.50 in a neighbouring towns Sue Ryder charity shop they came straight home. I like the idea of wearing faded jeans in Autumn and Winter, it goes against my 'go to' black and indigo jeans and they are surprisingly a really versatile colour too- I'll be wearing them again with light colour sweaters, chunky knits and different shades of denim shirts:  

With Autumn and Winter settling in now, what colours are you gravitating towards this season? Are you a lover of darker palettes or does colour feature quite heavily in your wardrobe at the moment, I'd love to know!!

Wishing you all a great week and don't forget those layers!!

Splurge at J Crew vs Sensible at Zara vs Steal at Primark!! The Statement Pearl Necklace

Hi everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend-the weather has been rather hit and miss where I live but yesterday when I took a walk into town, it was brisk and sunny and a welcome spot of exercise after overindulging in ciders and curry on Saturday night!!

I am not really much of a jewellery wearer- I do have a selection of real and costume jewellery of course but I tend to wear just earrings on a regular basis with rings and necklaces being worn occasionally. It seems that the 'statement necklace' is very much evident this season and visiting different blogs and reading the magazines it seems that a lot of designers and the high street have a lot to offer that are being snapped up by many to style up winter sweaters and chunky knits. I've been keeping my eyes open for the right one for me and on Friday I finally managed to track down the one I wanted and bearing in mind I know I won't wear it regularly it was great to get one for less than a fiver!

Being inspired by what is being worn by other bloggers and what is currently on the high street gave me a lot of inspiration for what I was after. Here are the necklaces that finally inspired me for my chosen choice: 

J Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace £98

This J Crew necklace is a great choice for those who have the funds to indulge in a chunky pearl necklace that is timeless and elegant in style and with the new J Crew now open in London there is sure to be a lot of stylistas eager to grab their statement necklace for under £100 for the coming festive season and beyond!

Zara Pearls and Chain Necklace, £19.99

This is a really trendy, stylish choice for anyone who wants to mix pearls and stones and a real bargain price which will not only look great in the daytime over a grey sweater or chunky knit but just as gorgeous for a night out over a LBD or a black sweater and leather skirt or pants combination!

Primark Silver Gilt and Chunky Pearl Necklace, £4

There is no link to this one as it was bought in store and I'm pretty sure it is new in as I hadn't clocked it when I was in Primark a couple of weeks ago. The picture doesn't really show how lovely it is- a good weighty piece for the money and the chain and pearls do not look cheap either, which has been a main sticking point for me when choosing my ideal piece of costume jewellery. A lot of necklaces on the high street look really pretty, but close up the stones look quite cheap looking even when the necklace isn't.

I am linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for Creative Mondays, if you get a chance to check out her blog with links to a lot of other stylish and creative bloggers. 

Have you indulged in a statement necklace this season or do you already have one (or more) in your jewellery box already? Maybe you've a special one on your Christmas list, do share!!

Wishing you all a really great week ahead!

Scarf Fever.....My Current Obesessions of the Moment

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great week, it really feels like it has flown by-which is a good thing, being on the cusp of the weekend! I've been really good this week with getting myself organised- putting things on ebay, filing away months old paperwork and bills and getting round to my 'to do' list of ringing around companies that I've been putting off doing. Just when I think all the current bills have been sorted and paid for, I get a reminder from the DVLA for the road tax due at the end of the month- so any style items in double figures that I've been eyeing up will either have to come out of ebay sales or just wait.

So with this in mind I indulged this week in one of my two style obsessions-scarves. My other obsession is denim and jeans but my scarf addiction is currently the one that has been taking over recently.

With my love of leopardprint showing no signs of abating I had to get a scarf that featured it in big print and the viscose one below was just £4 from the scarf man in our local shopping centre. I'm now lusting over a tiny print one so that may well make an appearance in the wardrobe over the weekend if I venture back into town-highly likely!

My other purchase earlier this week was this 100% French navy pashmina scarf by Tie Rack from my local Sue Ryder charity shop for just £3.99. I have quite a lot of printed scarves so for a plain one to appear is just perfect- I have a plain black wool pashmina scarf and it's so versatile and stylish and for me a necessity to have so I'm sure the navy one will be worn loads. The bright pink pashmina is one pulled out of my summer scarf collection and put with the Autumn scarves. I won't be doing the pink coat/jacket trend this season (unless I spy a fabulous vintage one of course) so this scarf will add a great pop of colour on days when I fancy something vibrant on:

What are your style obsessions at the moment? Are they items that can comfortably fit into the budget or are you saving for something in particular or special?

Wishing you all a lovely weekend whatever you get up to, I'm going to try and get stuck into at least one of my books in the reading pile- which has since grown due to some library books borrowed midweek (not sure why I can't cope with what I've got, but hey-ho!). I may even venture out for a little thrifting trip too, my budget of £5 to £10 a week can really reap dividends if I'm lucky!!