Thrift Inspiration.....Stockpiling Leopard Print this Autumn

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend, my one was very low key due to not feeling that well but I was very well looked after and fed with favourite and healthy foods and drinks, and sweets and magazines were regularly topped up too.

For this coming season I have been having a mild obsession with leopardprint-it hasn't come full force so far as I've not bought and kept anything new or thrifted as yet this Autumn. In my mind I have a semi wishlist of what I would like- I'm holding out for 'traditional' leopardprint, rather than the coloured variations and just key pieces like the ones I have from last year, that will roll forward every Autumn and continue to be items that I look forward to use and wear.

These items are what I already have from last season and are beginning to make appearances. This Autograph by Marks & Spencer leather tote bag is already a perennial favourite that I love using at this time of the year and goes with a variety of different coats and jackets:

The gloves were also purchased last year, another Marks & Spencer item that will just always be an Autumnal favourite and hopefully not get lost!! I love the mix of red leather and leopardprint, it provides a perfect pop of colour against khaki, brown, camel or black:

The perfect accessories that go great with all my jeans are skinny and normal size belts and the bigger one is a real staple in my wardrobe- it was a thrift find from my local Sue Ryder charity shop and is real leather by Topshop. The skinny one was a bargain buy from Primark last year:

I have already an idea of newly thrifted items I would love to try and get, so watch this space as the leopardprint obsession becomes reality over the next few months!!

What style has really grabbed your attention this Autumn-will you be searching out new pieces or do you have them already in your wardrobe?

I am linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for Creative Mondays, wishing you all a lovely week ahead!

Autumn Thrift Find-H&M Monochrome Cardigan

Hi everyone! On thrifting trips whether they are to boot sales or charity shops, my eyes are always open for different types of knitwear- whether it's a crew neck, v neck, polo neck or cardigan I'm always trying to get great quality pieces regardless of the time of year as I know once it reaches Autumn and Winter, they will come out of storage and start to be worn.

One find from the summer months was this waterfall wool mix cardigan from H&M which was from my local Sue Ryder charity shop for just £4.99. I have already wore it once instead of a jacket and being monochrome tweedy wool means it will go with so much that I have already have in my wardrobe: 

I wore it with skinny jeans and a tee but as the weather gets colder it will be perfect with a polo neck jumper underneath- it really is a soft cosy knit which was well worth the fiver spent on it!

Do you love knitwear? I know a lot of people prefer pure wool over synthetic knits and a lot of people just can't get on with cardigans or sweaters and prefer to layer up with thermals underneath lighter layers. I'd love to hear what camp you fall into!!

Wishing you all a really relaxing and lovely weekend ahead!!

A Fashionable Collection Of Christmas Gifts

Hi Everyone! With the festive season fast approaching, those who like to plan ahead are already turning their attention toward their Christmas shopping. Finding the right gifts for friends and family every year can quickly become a headache, as we all tend to descend on our nearest shopping centre and the pressure of shopping can sometimes makes it difficult to figure out meaningful, personal gifts.

Of course, there are always the predictable gifts to consider. This season for example, there will probably be a new Xbox One or Playstation 4 wrapped up for a lot of people on Christmas Day and of course the latest Apple and Samsung devices always make nice choices. If however you're looking for a particularly fashionable, stylish, or personalised gift for someone, you might want to look into something more unique. Marks and Spencer has a wonderful tool this festive season to help with the task as the store's 'Presents They'll Love' Collection section features gift ideas to match different personalities and taste, particularly with regard to style, beauty and fashion. Here are a few examples from this exciting selection to help get you thinking.

For Fashion Followers

This is a particularly excellent section, as it incorporates some of the hottest autumn/winter fashion trends as gift ideas for all tastes and budgets. The suggestions here range from trendy scarves, to chic clutches and handbags, to an array of other accessories and can make excellent additions to any woman's wardrobe this season and work wonderfully as gifts. Giving clothes is difficult, as fit can be tough to guess on - but accessories make fantastic Christmas presents, particularly when they are this much in tune with seasonal trends.

For Beauty Addicts

This is a great selection, particularly for stocking fillers and smaller gifts. For those people on your Christmas present list who love to take advantage of the latest beauty products you'll find some perfect choices here. Hand lotions, bath products, lip glosses are all fabulous choices in beautiful packaging and in some cases are available as mixed presentation packs - all making wonderful festive presents.

Gifts For Her

If you want to step outside of specific fashion and style collections, the "Gifts for Her" section is excellent for providing some variety. This section not only has a good range of fashion accessories and beauty products, it  also includes jewellery, stylish home accessories and even some gorgeous lingerie choices. It's a first stop choice collection full of the kind of gifts you always want to find for others but can't seem to track down!

These are just a few of Marks & Spencer's innovative stylish gift categories and collections, so if you're starting to look for presents already for the festive season with fashion in mind, these three are well worth checking out first!

Wednesday's Winter WishList Item by Barbour at Liberty of London

Hi everyone! For those of you wanting to add a pop of colour to your wardrobe and invest in a good quality statement item that will last you for years to come at the same cost as a high street sweater, take a look at my chosen wishlist item which is this merino wool and cashmere scarf by Barbour:

Not only does it give a splash of colour to any chosen winter coat and jacket, the cashmere wool mix will keep you really stylish and snug and from a heritage brand such as Barbour, you know you're getting a really lovely statement item for Winter. 

It's also a fabulous way to indulge into the plaid and tartan trend for this season and is easily an item that will never go out of style or fashion, looking great for day or night time dressing. I love the three way colour scheme of red, black and white as it would go with so much:

Now on to the price- a really worthwhile £40 from Liberty of London!!

I'll definitely be adding this to my list of 'Winter Wants', for me it ticks all the boxes for price, quality and colour, what's not to love?

What is currently on your Winter wishlist?

Wardrobe Re-organisation and Edit

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a really nice weekend-for me I didn't make the trip to the vintage fair at the SouthBank on Saturday as I'm pretty sure I'm coming down with something and with the weather being so temperamental I decided to just spend the day catching up with house work and a spot of local thrifting. 

Yesterday was a really chilled relaxed day which was just as well as the weather was wet and windy and was just perfect for staying in and browsing the 'net, watching films on TV and eating!! I have been thrifting quite a fair bit lately, but I've been trying to get items that I know will fit in with the rest of my wardrobe and get worn regularly and items that slot into this category include sweaters and more trousers and jeans. Over the weekend I really edited and sorted what I had, what I wanted to keep and get all winter items close to hand. Here is a snapshot of my wardrobes in general and this first one is for jackets only-everyday winter and other seasonal ones:

Next are my chest of drawers which in drawer one (top) are scarves and cardigans; the middle drawer is for tees, shirts and blouses and light sweaters and the bottom drawer is knitwear:

My other wardrobe has my jeans on the top shelf and all my vintage and designer jackets, dresses, skirts, trousers and tops that need to be on hangers:

Here is a picture of my storage for other items- the wicker Fortnum & Mason hamper basket holds my jeans that are on rotation, the green case below it holds knitwear on rotation, the case below has a mix of different items that are trans-seasonal. The 'Tiffin Tin' box holds woollen scarves, the wooden crate holds more scarves and the blue case has my summer tees and blouses.

These are all on a vintage trunk that holds my summer skirts and dresses.

I did do quite a bit of a wardrobe edit a couple of weeks ago with the unwanted items sent to the charity shop. I've only got less than five items sorted from the weekend that I'm going to put on ebay at some point and I'm hoping to put the funds towards a pair of ankle boots that I've seen!

I feel that I'm pretty much up to date with basics for winter but I will be on the look out for a couple of scarves-preferably with a red or pink mix to liven up my winter coats and jackets which are housed in my downstairs cupboard. I've a good selection of parkas, faux fur, black coats and trench coats- they just need a splash of colour I think!!

I really want to make the most of my wardrobe and really start wearing what I have rather than keeping worrying about what I haven't got- a re-organisation really helps you realise what you already have and just need to get on and wear!!

Wishing you all a really good week ahead! Do you have your wardrobe sorted for the winter season? Will you be making do or do you have a few items that you need to get to pull your wardrobe together, I'd love to hear about that!!