Outfit Art: All Boxes Checked

No outfit post today and maybe not for the next few days, as this week is a not-leaving-the-flat dressed-in-comfy-clothes revising-for-exam kind of week. I have an Intro to Research exam on the 7th, and even though it's online and therefore 'open book' I need to write down all my notes in nice ordered pages rather than the chaos they are now and make sure I at least know enough to not be flicking through every 5 seconds! However, if I were going out today (and it were sunny rather than miserable) this is what I am daydreaming about wearing;

[dress: tesco via ebay £3, petticoat: ebay £10, belt: primark, cat shoes: blue banana]

DOTW: Modcloth Red-y and Rarin' to Go Dress

Red-y and Rarin' to Go Dress $69.99

A bit more of a grown-up dress this week. With a sophisticated silhouette and chic detailing this dress could be dressed up or down for a variety of situations; from social events to work days to dinner with friends. Wear your hair up in a messy bun and wear black flats to casual-ise the outfit or a high ponytail and espadrille wedges for a high spirited summer-holiday look.

Surprise Post

Check out what I just got through the post! 'R' for Rai c:

from the always lovely Katie of What Katie Found ♥

Shades of Cute Sunday: Lovely Lilacs

I thought it was about time I got another feature on my blog! I racked my brain to thing of something a bit different whilst still being fashion oriented and very 'me'. And of course I came up with one of my favourite parts of dressing up; colour, colour, colour! Can you believe I managed to be a Goth for a whole year considering how much brightness is in my life now? Anyway, my first colour theme for SOCS is pastel purples;

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

A 50's Feeling

I feel like I'm from a different era today! All I need is a set of pearls to complete the look, hehe. Very Rockabilly chic, no? This dress was a complete impulse buy that I probably shouldn't have bought but I love it so very much; I don't own any other halternecks and I think it'll take me a while to get used to but it's worth it for that gorgeous pattern. My lovely boyfriend is up for the weekend so he very nicely took these pictures for me c:

[dress: matalan £22, cardi: new look, jeans: next, cat flats: blue banana £10, bag: gift]

The Handwriting Challenge

I've seen this on several blogs recently and thought I'd finally join in! I was a bit hesitant, you see, because my handwriting isn't bad but it's inconsistent. It can go from girly and bubbly with heart-dotted 'i's to spider scrawl and anything in between. I've never really set on a style that comes naturally to me; weird, I know! My quote, by the way, is from the amazing Art Deco FP RPG Bioshock, one of the loves of my life. So here goes;

1.- Name and blog name.
2.- URL.
3.- Write, "A quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog!"
4.- Favourite quote.
5.- Favourite song.
6.- Favorite bands/singers.
7.- Anything you want to say!

Cut Grass

Outside my window all the grass has been mown, so every time the wind blows I get a lovely smell wafting in. It really feels like spring 'round here now; yesterday it was so sunny people even got sunburnt! In March! Crazy. Today Edd is visiting (until monday) and I'm ever so excited to see him, I hope the weather holds up...

{dress: new look, belt: topshop 90p, cardi: new look, necklace: topshop £1}

She Sells Seashells

This dress is my most recent primark acquisition. I saw it in the primark taster images before it's release and fell in love with the pattern. In real life the fabric is a bit more cheap-feeling than I was expecting (cheaper than other primark dresses in similar styles) but for £9 and with such a darling pattern you can't really go wrong. Today is my last ever lecture of Counselling Theory (this year) so I'm going to cram my head with as much knowledge about psychotherapy and person-centred counselling as possible. How much I'll retain is anyone's guess, though ^_^;

[dress: primark £9, cardi: new look via ebay 99p, necklace: gift, jeans: next]

Mini Tutorial: Leopard Nails

Another nail tutorial; this is the first time I've really tried leopard print and I'm super pleased with how they turned out! I think the shimmery gold (17 high gloss in sphinx) really makes it look that much better. And because of the imperfect nature of the pattern doing it on your right hand is pretty easy without messing up c: (I do recommend putting some topcoat over though; otherwise the marker can smudge terribly or fade!)

QUICK NOTE: To everyone who asked about the marker and top-coat, I'm not wearing any topcoat (I've run out) but I recommend letting the marker completely dry for an hour or so before adding it. My marker is bog-standard asda's own, but sharpie would probably work better as it has a finer nib.

Mustard Lady-Bugs

Back to work today; over the weekend I haven't really gotten much Uni work done (not that there's any real rush; I have no assignments until the 8th of next month and that one's only small) and this week I'm going to really knuckle down and get some work done before Edd comes to visit on Thursday ♥ my goal is to have finished writing up all my notes for Intro to Research, start on Applied and Abnormal notes and do a couple tasks for my Counselling Skills portfolio. Phew! it sounds like a lot more than it is written down. I've also been experimenting with nail art again, I attempted some ladybug nails but they came out a little wonky and unfinished. I'll definitely try them again though.

{dress: new look via ebay, cardi: h&m, necklace: claires, jeans: next}

DOTW: Primark Beach Dress

primark beach dress, £17 (in store only)

If i'm honest with myself, there's very very little chance of me ever owning this dress, or finding it at a reasonable price. The primark near me didn't even stock it. However, I hold hope that one day a certain dress will turn up on ebay under a mis-spelled name and just happens to be a 16, with no other bidders...

Hair Story

So, I changed my hair again! I doubt anyone's surprised, but for me the change was pretty subtle this time. I really love it though, it's something I've wanted to get for months and months but kept chickening out about. I don't know why though because now I have it I really don't want it to grow out, so I'm going to do my best to maintain it. So, by now you probably are completely confused as to what I'm talking about; so let's start with a photo of my hair 'down'...

Looks the same as normal, right? maybe a little thinner and 'shinier' all over but then I pin up my hair and...

Spot the difference! I love my little shaved patch ^_^ my hair wasn't pinned up very well so you can't see the full extent of it but you'll see it often in outfit posts from this point. I'm going to dye that little patch a nice purple shade. And I love that it's so easy to conceal if I want/need to. Happy happy happy c:

The Colours are Changing

You've seen this dress before; just in a different colour. I find this shade far more summery personally, and the print pops so much more in lighter shades. Not to mention the roses go with my hair/nails. Today my parents are visiting and I think we're off into town to have a snoop round and grab something to eat, which should be good :3 At some point this coming week I'm dying my hair again and I'm hoping to go for a more 'pink' shade this time, very little purple. Just for a bit of a change, I suppose! I might mix in a bit of conditioner to make it a lighter pink too, I'm undecided on that so far. Hmm...

{dress: primark via ebay 99p, cardi: new look, leggings: ebay, belt: from this dress, docs: treds £50}

Fashion Weakness

I think everyone has a fashion weakness; for some it's shoes, for others nail polishes and rockabilly... Everyone just has that one style/accessory/item they just can't resist, could spend hours drooling over and could spend hundreds and hundreds of £££ on. My personal fashion obsession is Lolita Fashion. Which, unfortunately, in the UK is incredibly hard to get your hands on for any semblance of a cheap price. I've been perusing the bodyline website, which though really cheap is based abroad so subject to possible silly customs fees, on and off every few days and next time I have more cash in I may just have to place a little(ish) order. I swear, some of those dresses make me weak at the knees! They would be just perfect with my pink petticoat. What's your fashion weakness? ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Green Grass and Clear Skies

Yesterday was wonderful; sunny, bright and generally cheerful. And as I said 'it feels as though spring has truly sprung'! And the weather, in a bid to prove me entirely wrong within 24 hours, is thoroughly miserable today. Sigh. However, I still have a bit of outfit eye-candy for you. Rosie and I decided to take the advantage of the warm weather and do a little shoot. Technically not an everyday outfit but I did wear practically the same thing (if you swap out the flats for docs) to town on Wednesday, so it's not all fakery and lies :p

{dress: new look £29.99, tights: topshop £2, petticoat: ebay £10, necklace: topshop £2, shoes: topshop £3}

Mini Tutorial: Strawberry Nails

I was in a crafty mood yesterday so for want of something better to do I painted my nails strawberry-patterned and decided to do a little tutorial to go along with it, just in case any of you guys were interested ♥