Cheeky little Autumn Haul

I haven't had a huge amount of time to myself recently; but I managed to get myself to Bristol one afternoon for a cheeky little bit of shopping and to push my anxiety as part of my recovery. I almost get annoyed at myself for not going to Bristol more; Less than £5 return on the train and a wider variety of shops than Bath offers. Bath is brilliant for all the independent boutiques but Bristol is the king of the big high street names...A Primark that dreams are made of, a zara and all the stores I miss from Norwich. The anxiety part, well at the beginning of summer I felt to anxious to even walk down to my local shops on my own ( a 5 minute walk fyi), yet I managed to get the train and spend the afternoon mooching around Bristol on my own!

So here's what I picked up:

Pink angora Blend Jumper- £19.99 New Look

 I have been looking for a winter jumper for soooo long!! I'm quite fussy with my knitwear, have sensitive skin and hate cropped styles so shopping this season was a chore. I finally found this Pastel pink beauty in New Look and have lived in it since I bought it as it goes with everything!

 

Printed teadress - £8 Primark

Admittedly I went into Primark looking for silly Christmas presents and separates, I did achieve the silly presents but as always came out with dresses over tops and trousers. I couldn't resist the more autumnal print and the cute shape that shows off my figure whilst keeping me covered up. 

 

Teadress with cut out back - £5 Primark

I spotted this little beauty on the sale rail and for once they had it in my size! It's an empire line teadress with a cute little detail in the back, in a soft jersey fabric, and for a fiver it's an absolute bargin! I cannot wait to dress this up for winter date nights, and dress it down with cozy knits for days shopping & in the studio.

List book - £7.50 Paperchase

I can't find this online, but I'm absolutely in love with this current paperchase collection! I'm a little bit list obsessive so it satisfies my love of lists and florals, and technically it helps to keep me organised with my mountains of work!

Lula Magazine

Lula is by far one of my favourite high end fashion magazines; its so girly and whimsical, and one of the only fashion magazines that I really could connect with. Its kind of pricey, but its definitely worth a read if you ever have the money free.

Have any of you bought any cheeky things this autumn?

Keep warm lovelies

FFF

xox

Fashion is a cruel mistress

So despite my best intentions blogging has gone by the wayside a little :( It's not that I haven't had things I wanted to blog about, it purely became a time issue. As many of you will of read in previous posts my course is a little intense and I just haven't been able to take the time out to blog. Hopefully after christmas when the making side calms down, & my work is actually good enough to not need re-doing (whoops! Great start to the year!) I'll gradually be able to up the frequency that my posts go out.
But enough boring stuff; I'm really excited by my current project and just wanted to share little snippets about what I'm working on!

The Brief:
              We literally had to close our eyes and pick pieces of paper out of a hat; cue lots of dramatics when people discovered what they'd gotten. As a year group we don't tend to freak out about fabrics too much; but having the choice taken away from us, and having to use solely this fabric for our last make project before collections next year, made the fabrics mildly terrifying. I was lucky enough to get double faced; admittedly I didn't feel lucky at the time, I had no clue what it was other than it could be very pricey! I'll tell you later on when my opinion on the fabric changed.
     The aim was to use our selected fabrics to create experimental yet beautiful garments to couture standards; and this time we were expected to make more than one garment, a complete outfit was required. Most people are aiming for a top & trousers/skirt combination however I'm keen to try and get a jacket and a dress made in the time allowed. To help us think in couture and show terms a bit more we have also been asked to design the full 35 look collection, which can use a combination of fabrics, however the outfit we chose to make must be made entirely from the set fabric! Daunting!


So what is double faced?
Well, its basically any fabric that has 2 right sides....which sounds a million times less terrifying!! On my trips to London & local fabric shops I managed to collect such a variety of samples that I stopped freaking out about being limited by my fabrics, as double faced comes in all shapes and forms. I have to admit I 2 have to strong favourites fabric wise at the moment; a gorgeous double faced woven fabric from stock rolls at uni that's monochromatic and features herringbone on one side and houndstooth on the other, and weirdly enough neoprene style fabrics again monochromatic with white on one side and black on the other.

My Muse:
As its couture the aim is to have to specific client in mind, and I couldn't think of anyone more inspiring than the beautiful Isabella Blow. Despite her tragic death a few years ago she was an influential woman in fashion, and she fits the kind of pieces I wanted to make for this project.

Bit of a wordy post; but I'll try and keep you guys updated with how it all goes!

FFF

xox

OOTD- Little Tartan Dress

So I should really be sick of anything that even slightly resembles gingham due to my current uni projects; however whilst on a trip to Bristol to get fabrics I had a quick dash into Primark and spotted the cutest little Tartan dress and just had to treat myself. I was really worried about looking too school girly, as I dont really ever wear anything that's high necked or has a collar so I toughened it up with my ankle boots and leather jacket. I apologise for the photo quality, these were taken when it was getting dark and I live in a basement flat so not ideal for outfit photos!

Dress - Primark

Belt - Primark

Tights - Tesco (surprisingly good!!)

Jacket - Topshop

Boots - H&M

Hope you are all keeping warm and cosy during this spell of frankly quite horrid weather!! I got rained on before I took these photo's, hence the wet leather jacket :( 

FFF

xox

Summer Sketchbook

So although this project didn't actually get finished, much to my dismay, I really enjoyed creating the initial concept sketchbook; so I thought I'd share some pages with you.
My initial inspiration came from a local beach town, Cromer, I'd planned the visit as part of research into my initial theme 'Never Let Me Go'; however when the day came I'd been to the doctors in the morning to get help for my anxiety (something I will blog about when I feel the time is right) & was feeling very uninspired and low.
Luckily for me, as soon as I was on my way, things seemed a little bit brighter. I managed to get chatted up whilst waiting for my train, which realistically was awkward, especially when I kept mentioning my Boyfriend and this guy wasn't giving up, but it just gave me a bit of a confidence boost. By the time I reached the seaside the sun was shining and after a 5 minute walk from the train to the beach I was feeling better. As I was growing up I think I underestimated the calming and comforting effect the sea has on me; I just felt so calm and more like myself than I had in months so I scrapped my initial research plan, whipped off my tights(probably flashing half the beach in the process!), found a rock for my bag and coat, and paddled out into the shallows with my camera snapping as I went. The spontaneity and affect on my mood made me realized that this was how my inspiration should feel and my initial sketchbook for the first time in years was more of an artistic response. So here it is!

I'm open to any feedback, and opinions on my work, & hopefully will be able to share more and more of my work with you throughout the year.

Love

fff

xox

Life Update

Things have gone a bit quiet recently, mainly due to starting my second year at university and moving into a new place. Finally all settled into my new flat, with internet and bills all set up, and homely touches added its really starting to feel a bit more like a home. As well as moving back I also went to the Mcfly 10th Anniversary concert at the Royal Hall; now some of you may turn your noses up at that, but the boys were influential in my teen years and they always put on an amazing show. The surprise of Busted joining them on stage definitely made the night, and even reduced my friend to tears!

Starting back at uni I was straight in at the deep in, beginning a drape project the first full day back. So far I'm really enjoying it, and slowly beginning to get my head round the new techniques. Been able to have a few nights out with all the girls from last year, and it barely seems like we were apart over summer! 

Replicating a drape from a photo on the first day of draping.

Sorry the posts may be a little sporadic now as I get back into the swing of things; I'm trying to be more disciplined this year with my work to allow me more time to relax, blog and visit my boy.

Hope you all had good starts to your academic years!

Love

fff xox

September Wishlist

So next weekend I'll be leaving home again, and moving back to Bath and into a new flat; I'm still struggling to get my head round the fact that Summer has ended and that I have to go back already. Posts will probably go a bit quiet again just whilst I spend time with all my loved ones, and make the move and just get generally settled in again. Despite the next few weeks being quite hectic there are still quite a few things that I'm lusting after, stylish items to update my wardrobe for freshers, homeware's to make the new flat feel cosy and fancy new bits of kit and stationary for my course.

L-R

Mint Cami Top - £18 Topshop 

Mary Jane pumps - £17.99 New Look

Daisy open back tea dress - £40 Topshop

Zara Office City Bag - £49.99 Zara

I've recently become a bit obsessed with cami tops; it's something I just always assumed wouldn't suit me, but in actual fact I really love them on! I'm lusting after this cool mint colour as I could dress it down with jeans and chunky knits for days in the studio but also pair it with killer skirts and heels for nights out and events. Okay, so I may have a pair of shoes that are really similar to these....but look at them! They're so cute!! In my head I was already putting outfits together with these shoes, cute with a small heel that means I can look chic but comfy scaling the hills of Bath. Despite being a little bit obsessed with dresses I haven't actually bought one all summer...this daisy dress is the first I REALLY want as I can see it paired with comfy knits and winter accessories. Ahh and finally the office city bag, something I've been toying with and undecided about for a while, but the practicalities speak for themselves with this one, I'm aiming to travel between my 2 homes a lot more this year and hate having to have my laptop loose or in my main case. Zara solves this problem by allowing me to house my laptop in my main handbag and I can fit more clothes in my holdall , which is always a plus!

Salted Caramel Yankee Candle- £16.99 Yankee Candle

Don't forget to be awesome rug- £14 Urban Outfitters

Heart memo board - £12 Urban Outfitters

Mason Jar - £10 Urban Outfitters

Vintage shoe rack - £14.99 Dunelm Mill 

Okay....So I'm a little bit of a sucker for UO homewares; the amount of times me and my new flatmates have all gone into the Bath store and mentally decorated the flat together is a tad mental, but it's also nice to know the 2 girls I'm going to be living with have the same home aesthetic as me and we want our new home to be as cosy and cute as possible.

First of is the new Salted Caramel Yankee Candle, I'd treated myself to a little sampler one already (Student finance isn't in yet, if it was this candle easily would of been bought!) and it just smells amazing. So many friends and family have come into my bedroom and said how homely and lovely it smells because of the candle, if you like sweeter scents I'd definitely give this one a go, its divine! Once I'm back into the uni routine I know I'll probably feel a bit tired and glum in the mornings, so this cute rug from Urban outfitters will be placed on my route out of the flat, to make me smile and remind me to be awesome. As much as I really enjoy the independence of renting, it sucks not being able to put your own permanent stamp on a place, this memo board adds a pop of colour and can be hung on a door hook. Mason jars....yes they're kind of everywhere at the minute, but look how cute they are! I really want to learn how to make proper cocktails and I need a pretty glass to match my pretty drinks right? Possibly a little dull, but I really want a cute little shoe rack for next year, during first year I kept my shoes on the bottom shelf of my wardrobe which meant digging around in the morning looking for the right pairs, I also really like how cute some of my shoes are and want them on display adding a bit more personality to my room.

L-R

Letter tray - £9.50 Ikea

To do pad - £5.99 Knock Knock

Desk Bunny - £19.95 Not on the high street

Fashion Journal - £4.50 Not on the high street

I always end up with so many odd pieces of paper on my desk, be it sketches or inspirational images, or things I need to file and follow up, as dorky as it is having a letter tray will give me a slightly more organised way of keeping on top of these, and in pink it doesn't look to fuddy duddy. I LOVE the knock knock stationary range, and as I spend my time going from one to do list to another its only fair I get a proper one. It's a Bunny...with scissors as its ears and a magnet to pick up paperclips...need I say more? This little fella will cheer me up when I'm up at stupid a'clock trying to meet me deadlines. I'm the dorky kid at school who always has to get a new snazzy notebook each term and this one is very fitting. Fashion notes, so its factually correct and with a quirky little illustration on the front, what more could a girl want.

Are you guys lusting over anything this Autumn?
Good luck to everyone moving to or returning to Uni over the next few weeks

fff
xo

My Summer In Disposables

So for my Birthday 2 of my Friends from Uni bought me a disposable camera; although I struggled to get used to it initially,once I stopped taking pictures accidentally its become a bit of a love affair. These are some of the highlights from the first camera and another one I'd bought especially for Latitude Festival.

Top Row L-R: View from outside the BBC Radio 6 Music Tent, What happens when the tin opener breaks and the boy wants his beans!, Cheeky cocktails on my Birthday
Bottom Row L-R: Me and the boy :), Sitting in the middle of the Circus looking over to No.4, Me and one of my best friends Charlotte; both very intoxicated on the last uni night out

Short but sweet post today,
Hope everyone's enjoying the last of the sunshine!

fff
xox

Liebster Award

So last week I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Fay from Crazy Crafts . The award is a way for smaller bloggers to get in contact and big up each other, so it's nice to find out that people are actually starting to read my little blog!

So the Rules are:

1)You must have less than 200 followers to be nominated

2) Link back to the person that nominated you to share the love!

3) Tell the world some facts about yourself, 11 to be precise!

4) Answer 11 questions put to you by you nominator

5) Nominate 11 blogs that fit the bill (Less than 200 followers)

6) Ask your nominees 11 questions that they'll HAVE to answer 

7) Let you nominees know!

My 11 Facts:

-I've become slightly obsessed with lipsticks

-I used to be really into singing/performing, even performed at the Norwich Christmas lights switch on in 2008

- Despite people saying reality TV is pure trash, Lauren Conrad is one of my idols!

- I'm very organised and tidy, to the point that some people joke that its verging on OCD

-I always overcompensate how long it takes me to get to places, so its not unheard of for me to be hours early for Job interviews

-I bought and played Pokemon games a long time after it was socially acceptable to do so

- Nothing will ever beat cheese night in Po's on a Friday!

- I wish I had the money/confidence to really push and explore my look/style further

- I've been dyeing my hair for so long that I can't actually remember what my natural hair colour is

-I randomly started getting Tonsillitis last year, & it got so bad I had to have an operation to have them taken out

- In the past year I've really realized how different people can affect my life, some definitely for the better with a fresh perspective

The 11 Questions put to me:

-Favourite brand of nail polish?

Has to be Barry M, simply because of the sheer number of polishes I own by them; however Nails Inc is beginning to steal my heart simply because of their Basil Street Polish

-If you won the lottery which 5 things would you buy?

1: A flat/house; I'm such a home bird, so I'd definitely want to buy my own little space

2: Fiat 500! ; After not being able to afford a car during uni I'm seriously lusting after one, especially the cute little Fiat 500!

3: Holidays; I love to travel, and with everything that's been going on recently I'd want to have a big girly holiday and a romantic break with my boyfriend as well. Top of my list would be Disney World and I'd also love to go to Paris purely to shop and enjoy it!

4: I'm a Fashion student, so of course I would go on a massive shopping spree and buy all the fabulous designer items I'm never going to be able to afford.

5: I'd donate a sizeable chunk of the money to charity once I'd got a house sorted, and some saved as there's no need to hoard ridiculous amounts of money!

-Out of 10 how much do you enjoy blogging & why?

If I'm being truthful only about a 6/10; I'm still struggling to get myself organised to write posts and feel like I'm getting very far with it. However, my writing has really improved and all this experience will hopefully allow me to document my final collection when the time comes.

-Who is your favourite blogger?

I don't have a favourite per se, I'm still discovering a lot of blogs and love different aspects of so many different peoples blogs. So I have love for everyone really.

-What makes you happy?

My friends, family and my absolutely amazing boyfriend. It really is the simple things, I love baking, being by the sea and just being able to spend time with the people I care about.

-Which 4 items in your handbag can you not live without?

1: My phone

2: My notebook/sketchbook

3: Inhaler/Meds :P

4:Make up

-Favourite Film?

Bridesmaids, This just never fails to cheer me up and reminds me of girly nights in with friends

-Do you have a nickname?

No, I don't have very nickname-ables names :( So never really had one, other than year 11, when skins series 3 came out, everyone thought it was hilarious to start calling me Emily

-Favourite thing to do in your spare time?

Spend time at the beach, be curled up with my boy, or be shopping with my best girls!

-Are you into soaps or not?

No, I definitely think I missed the memo, reality tv is my addiction, namely The Hills and MIC 

-Best time of the year and why?

Christmas, everyone comes together and is so much nicer to each other at Christmas. Since going away to Uni family time is more important that ever, & as a child decorating the house and baking for Christmas was always the highlight of the year. In Bath there's the Christmas Market to look forward to, and planning a day of shopping in London (my halfway point between home and uni) with the boy.

My Nominations! :

-http://itslaura-patterndesign.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://rainydaysandcupsoftea.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://kitschvixen.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://oberjean.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://daydreamsdaisychains.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://charlotterollinson.co.uk/blog/

-http://drawdrobeblog.co.uk/

-http://mystringaling.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://www.purpleeerose.com/

-http://underestimatethegirl.blogspot.co.uk/

-http://ljtfash.blogspot.co.uk/

& my questions for them:
-Who is you style icon?
-If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life what would it be?
-If you could only pick one make up product to use which would it be?
- Where is one place you really want to explore/travel?
-If you could have any hair colour and pull it off what would you pick?
-If you could only shop at one store from now on, where and why?
-Love or a career you enjoy?
-A quote that you live by?
-Favourite holiday season? (ie, Easter, Christmas, Valentines day)
-Biggest fashion faux pas you've ever made?
-When shopping do you go for the full experience instore or the ease of online?

Hope you take a look at all these lovely ladies blogs and continue to share the love.
fff
xox

OOTD

I haven't done an outfit of the day post in so long, but after losing a little bit of weight and getting some investment pieces , I'm feeling a lot happier to do outfit posts. I had a bit of a mundane day, running errands and getting lots sorted out so I wanted to look stylish but be comfy too.

From the bottom up:

Trainers-£5 Primark

Jeans- £11 Primark

Cami Top- £5 Primark

Leather Jacket- £58 Topshop

Necklace- Birthday Present Oasis

Selfie!Which shows the necklace a bit better. I really love it :D and happier now I have more pieces that I can wear it with.

FFF

xox

Shopping with Best Friends is Dangerous

Your best friends are always going to be good people to shop with, they know your personality, what you like, what your style is but they are also unafraid to let you know if they don't like something or if it doesn't look good; however in my case a recent shopping trip with Emily (Rainy Days & Cups Of Tea) proved fatal for my bank account. I will admit, having my op and everything else that has been going on in my personal life shopping and updating my wardrobe hasn't been high on my list, however with my outwear looking tireder with each wear and a big family do coming up I needed to at least look for some new pieces. Looking didn't last long and within 3 hours I had a lighter bank account but some transeasonal pieces that will see me through the colder months and hopefully work as investments!

So here they are:

L-R

X-Ray Butterfly Tube Skirt £28 Topshop

Mac with Leather Style Sleeves £25 Primark

Biker Jacket £58 Topshop

I wasn't really supposed to look at anything in Topshop but wandering round with Emily I was drawn to this Pencil Skirt, I've really been trying to steer myself away from my usual printed tea dresses whilst still continuing my love of print. Initially I tried the skirt on with the family party in mind, however I know it will creep into my day wear before I know it, dressed down with tee's and comfy jumpers. Ahh the outerwear.....I was initially just looking for a replacement for the mac I already had however the leather sleeves and detailing on this primark number seduced me into going for something a bit snazzier, I am a fashion student an all! I'd spotted the Leather Jacket when I'd taken the boy shopping for his hols, but didn't buy it as I was freaking out about the cost, however I haven't stopped thinking about it since and with the Besties approval I was good to go!

I'm actually quite excited to see what else the shops will bring out now, as this was my most successful shopping trip in a long time!

fff

xoxox

Tonsillectomy Blues

Any of you who follow me on Twitter will be aware that over the past year I've had multiple bouts of Tonsillitis and therefore at the end of July underwent the operation to have my tonsils taken out. Despite being a pretty scary prospect, before the op I'd never been in hospital let alone had a general anesthetic, I decided it would be better to have a few weeks of feeling awful to know that I won't have another year like last year where I felt like I was constantly fighting off infections. However it has been far from plain sailing, the op was A LOT more painful than I was lead to believe and theres so many things I wish I'd been told before the op! So here's the helpful hints and honest truth about getting rid of your tonsils:

• When you talk to consultants about the surgery, you'll be told it will be the same pain as having a bad bought of tonsillitis; for me I would count my bad bouts as when my tonsils were so swollen and yucky that I lost my voice, felt sick and had a little bit of pain swallowing, nothing a good nights sleep, a throat sweet and antibiotics couldn't fix. In reality after my op I couldn't even handle swallowing water it was that painful for over 12 hours and ended up needing morphine and other IV pain meds to get me through the night. I ended up being discharged hours later than I should of been as the nurses weren't happy with the state I was in Saturday morning and I desperately needed to begin to eat and drink.
• Recovery is a million times worse than you expect. Tonsillitis for me normally spelled 1-2 days feeling rough in bed but still managed to eat things like soup and ice cream and then being able to man up and get back into uni as despite feeling rough I could still drag myself in. With the op it took me well over a week before I had a day were I didn't have to go lie down and some point during the day because I felt so rough. I spent most of the first week counting down the time to my next hit of pain meds and struggled to sleep for more than 4/5 hours as I would often wake up in the night crying in pain and needing more relief.
• General anesthetic makes you feel like crap. Obviously in pre-op they give you a bit of warning that you might feel a little bit groggy and sick after you wake up but the sickness lasted a good 4-5 days for me :( and definitely felt spaced out for 2-3
• You won't want to eat....at all. Anyone who knows me, will know how much I love my food, even when I was walking up to theater I was complaining about being hungry, but when I came round the pain took over any desire to want to eat. My family were so concerned about my calorie intake that I started having to drink complan shakes just to get enough calories in me to sustain the little amount I was doing in a day. 11 days on and despite the pain being a million times better my appetite has yet to return meaning I still struggle with normal meals, however it's not all bad news. I lost half a stone in 4 days but I wouldn't recommend it!
• Even though it hurt like a bitch initially I wish somebody had told me sooner about the benefits of taking dissolvable paracetamol over tablets. Amazingly they gave a small amount of instant relief going down and it was another way to try and force some more fluids down if they were laced with pain relief. I was given codine alongside the paracetamol but I really didn't like how sick & generally horrid it made me feel so forced myself to manage on the less hard stuff as soon as possible.
•  Having a "spitoon" as grim as it sounds was helpful. You have so much phlegm and gunk in your throat from the wounds and you get fed up of the painful swallowing, so its handy to have something nearby, it also made me feel a bit better to know I had a back up plan when I was feeling sick!

A massive thank you to the nurses that looked after me on Easton Ward, especially those on Saturday morning who made me feel well enough to make the journey home
Hope this helps anyone who is undergoing the same and if anyone else has any tips feel free to comment

fff

xox

#FestivalFresh with Halo Wipes

So before I went to Latitude I entered a competition Halo Wipes are running every week over summer giving you the opportunity to win their entire range of wipes to keep you fresh over summer, and much to my surprise when I reconnected to the world I discovered that I'd won :D

The Goody Bag!!

Eye make up remover pads- Perfect for eyeliner addicts like me, and saves me from having to use up either a ton of normal face wipes or carry a bottle of make up remover with me everytime I spend a night away from home.

Deodorant wipes- These are the product that introduced me to the brand and were an absolute life saver at latitude! Great for camping but also handy to have when the weather is this hot so you can freshen up!

Toilet & Surface wipes- You have no idea how much I wish I'd got my hands on these before Latitude! Too many grim occasions of having to clean before I could go. I will definitely keep these to hand for when I'm travelling too and from Bath for piece of mind.

Moist Toilet Tissue- Another luxury that would of been greatly appreciated at the festival! I'm saving these for my trips to the beach as Beach toilets are possibly the grimmest around.

Hand Wipes- Who doesn't love the reliable hand wipe? Anyone who knows me will be aware of my life skill of managing to get food/glue/paint/anything messy all over myself and my hands. So these are a vital part of my handbag to keep me clean, yes I really am that bad...think 5 year old child messy!

All the products come in dinky sized packets, perfect for fitting into you handbag! I'm so happy to have won these bad boys and they are already handbag staples :D

 The competition is still running and you can enter here:

https://www.facebook.com/Halowipes/app_129982580378550

Check out more about Halo Wipes : 

http://www.halowipes.co.uk/

Good Luck Everyone & Hope You're enjoying the Summer 

fff

xox

Latitude Essentials Haul

I'm excited to say that I'm finally going to lose my festival virginity! Its going to be the only chance I'll have this year to have a holiday; but its also my first time ever going away with a guy (yes, I reached 20 with long term relationships and no mini-breaks) so I'm slightly nervous/excited about that however I think being stuck in a car together for 8 hours (4 of those just stuck on the M4) with no arguments or bickering is a fairly good indication. So next weekend I will be venturing off to Latitude in Suffolk, with the boyfriend in tow, and disconnecting from the internet and outside world. Being a festival virgin I had no idea what to take so racked my friends who'd been brains as well as trying to remember what I used to take camping in my teens; my boyfriend seems to think that as I'm fairly girly now I can't handle camping, little does he know that I've done my Duke of Edinburgh and spent my childhood/teens camping at car rallies with my famalam. I think I possibly went a bit mad with everything I got, but seens as its technically my first mini-break I didn't want to completely sacrifice my beauty comforts.

Seens as I got bored before a night out and coloured my hair pink(more about that later), my hair needs looking after. Travel miniatures were on offer 3 for 2 in Boots, so I covered my shower essentials choosing smaller versions of products I already know and love. 

L-R

Ted Baker Origami Body Wash - £2.50

TRESemme Colour Revitalise shampoo

Herbal Essences Beautiful ends conditioner

There's nothing worse than waking up and instantly feeling grim due to a case of hangover/morning breath. So to combat it I went as far to get mouthwash, was hard to resist when superdrug was offering 3 for £3, just wish I'd popped into Superdrug first!

Travel Toothbrush

 Dentyl active ph smooth mint mouthwash- £1.20

Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief

I've always stuggled to keep my skin in check, however have more recently managed to find products and a regime that seems to be working. Despite not being able to take my normal 'kit' with me, I don't want my skin to get all horrid. Nivea have always been my go to wipes due to having sensitive skin, and simple was the safest option regarding a miniature moisture, its also what my sister uses and she has such good skin! 

Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturizer- £1.50

Nivea daily essentials refreshing facial cleansing wipes- £2.99

Now we're getting down to the nitty gritty essentials. The festival staple babywipes, along with some deodorant wipes to help me cope with not showering daily, along with a jumbo tub of hand sanitizer to make sure me and the boyf don't pick up anything nasty.

Johnson Baby wipes - 88p!

Nivea stress protect 48h antiperspirant- £2.29

Halo deodorant wipes- £1.20

Cuticura antibacterial hand gel

Having greasy hair is possibly one of my biggest worries about next weekend as its something I've always been self conscious about so I've entrusted the fail safe Batiste (in the Red, which hopefully will still be easier to disguise in Pink hair) and trialing a different dry shampoo; as I was finally starting to think about how much I was spending!

V05 Plump me up dry shampoo- £1.69

Batiste dry shampoo Red- £3.99

For piece of mind I bought some travel locks, with 2 keys(So we should be able to keep atleast 1 between us :P ) to allow us to lock either the tent or the compartment with a belongings in it. After having to do my make up in the my tiny compact mirror at my boyfriends this week I realized I would need something bigger for the weekend, it also means when the girls come over before nights out its one less person squished up by the mirror in my room. As lame as it is, I caved and bought a disposable camera, well 2 but they were buy one get one free; friends had bought me one for my birthday and I recently had them developed and I'm a little bit in love with having the old school physical photos. I chose 2 different designs so we could each use one for the weekend and compare afterwards.

Superdrug Glo locks twin pack- £3.49

Everyday value shaving mirror clear (Wilkinsons) - £2.58

Boots Disposable Camera - £8.50

And finally meet Norman the Gnome; everybody says you need some sort of marker to help you find your tent when its dark and your worse for wear, normal people get a windsock or fluro stickers. Me and my boyfriend, being the oddballs that we are, decided it would be funny to get a tent gnome; however whether Norman will live outside the tent is now being debate as the boy is getting very protective of our gnome!

Anybody else heading to festivals this summer and feel like sharing their top buys? Let me know. Hope you're all enjoying the weather. 

fff 

xox

Summer Fashion Wishlist

So it finally feels like summer is here! Managed to have a cheeky BBQ for my Dads Birthday on Sunday, & to celebrate the family being back together again. So here are a few of my lusted after items for summer.

1- Tattoo Floral Teadress, Topshop, £45

2- Cherry Loco Blossom Crown, Crown & Glory, £12

3- Heart Elbow Patch Jumper, ASOS, £22

4- Pushlock Crossbody Bag, Topshop, £35

5- Floral Pencil Skirt, ASOS, £18

With summer coming up and possible day trips and festivals in planning all the pieces are inspired to fit round my plans. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I have a slight obsession with print dresses, so I simply couldn't resist this Topshop tea-dress with its light summery print which I would accessorize with this dainty floral crown from Crown & Glory. I've been lusting after a floral headband for ages to jazz up my summer daytime looks and to also wear for special occasions coming up this and next summer, so I doubt it will be long before I cave on this particular item. An item my wardrobe notably lacks are cover-ups that aren't black, so when I saw this cutely detailed jumper on ASOS it was lust at first site, not to fussy in the details and a basic colour means it adds to any outfit without detracting from the variety of printed items I wear/hoard. Bagwise I've always been in 2 extremes; tiny little clutches suitable for nights out or handbags that accommodate the ridiculous amount of stuff I haul about on a daily basis for uni. This bag from Topshop is a much needed addition, big enough to fit my purse, sunglasses and daily essentials but small enough not to be too much hassle to carry on day trips/festivals. Last but not least in a bid to introduce separates into my wardrobe I chose this bold floral pencil skirt from ASOS, teamed with plain shirts and tee's this could either be dressed up or down depending on my mood.

What are your fave fashion picks for summer?

FFF x

Hometown Glory

Despite Bath being as lovely as it is, I do have times when I do miss my hometown of Norwich, and due to its location most people don't really know what it has to offer and how amazing it it, and fyi I don't know anyone with webbed feet and I've lived in Norfolk my whole life. So here's a few reasons why people should visit Norwich/Norfolk more and my favourite places to go when I'm home.

Despite being a bit out of the way, for those of you that don't know Norwich is on the Bump bit of the country above London, Norwich is relatively easy to get to, with train and road links across the country and is less than 2 hours away from London by train. Norwich is the hub of Norfolk and due to this there are often a lot of day visitors to the centre, the easiest and often cheapest way to get into town is the brilliant Park & Ride service with 6 sites on the outskirts of the city; there are a huge range of cafe's and restaurants that service the city with chapelfield terrace offering the widest variety in one place: wagamamas, cafe rouge, yo sushi! ask italian, giraffe and soon a Gourmet burger kitchen :). However one of my all time favourite restaurants back home is "The Waffle House". Waffles? I hear you ask....yes waffles! Savoury or sweet this restaurant offers the yummiest waffles you can imagine with a variety of toppings, a personal favourite is the ham and cheese sauce waffle, but spag bol on a waffle always goes down a treat. They offer student discount but are fairly reasonable price wise, so if you ever come to Norwich they are definitely worth a visit .

Medium white waffle with ham and cheese sauce....NOM!

In Norwich you have 2 main choices shopping wise, the supersized modern shopping centre Chapelfield, which houses all the highstreet favourites, and the lanes, which is home of all the amazing independant stores.

Despite the ease and huge variety of shops in Chapelfield: H&M, Zara, Warehouse, French Connection, House of Fraser, Schuh, Boots and many more, Its nice to come home and rediscover all my favourite little shops again. I've found amazing presents and vintage finds in these shops and the best of all is the biannual fair they hold, which brings extra stalls and everyone out onto the street, another of my must do things if you're about when they're on!

As lovely as Norwich is by day it actually is pretty amazing for nights out, something that I really didnt appreciate until I moved elsewhere. Pretty much all the main bars and night clubs are within 1 mile of each other, so its easy to bar hop and flit between clubs depending on your mood. Personally I start off at one of the 3 wetherspoons nearby, The Bell, The Glass House or Queen of Iceni (Lloyds), working my way down stopping of at places like Revolution or Essence before heading into either of the 2 big clubs, Mercy & Wonderland. Mercy offers a very polished experience and advertises itself as being the classier of the two, however you do pay for it, so its always best to pre-drink before heading to Mercy. My current favourite is Wonderland due to the good nights they host, propaganda and back to the 90's, and the value of their drinks. I'm definitely taking the girls from uni to propaganda when they visit! Definitely look into Propaganda to see if the night runs near you! 

Enjoy Norwich Lovelies

FFF x