Outfit Of The Day: Purple If You Please

I should probably preface this by saying there is nothing to see here, lol. 

After all this is a super casual outfit, I am sure anyone reading this could pull a similar outfit from their own closets. Alas this is what I am wearing today. 

I had to complete a few errands today, including returning library books, sampling perfume and scoping out the deals/offers/sales in Boots and Superdrug.  

 (The Simple hydrating mist is a great dupe for the MAC fix plus travel mini #justsaying #saving #budget #cheapncheerful)

The Garments 

Shoes - Zara

Trousers - Mango

Belt - Oasis

T shirt - Primark 

Cardigan - Forever 21

There you go, 

my outfit of today.

xx

New Shoes - ZARA Patterned Ballerinas

I purchased these shoes last August and since then I have been waiting in earnest for the Spring to arrive. Soon  I will be able to wear them with my linen trousers/skirts, and summer dresses. These are Spring shoes in every sense of the word, from the delicate design, to the materials and colours used. 

Green Patterned Ballerinas

Purple Patterned Ballerinas 

                                     

Come on its tradition, lol. 

Be happy my lovelies.

xx

Birthday 2014 - OOTN

Yesterday was my birthday  (25th January)  there was a lot of love via calls, texts, cards, champagne and cake, cake, cake cake. Shout out to my aunty M for being the first call of the day and to G for being the first text of the day. Usually I am awake and my skype pops off at midnight  with my friends calling to sing me happy birthday. This year I was asleep so the skyping/calling had to wait til the morning. 

Face 

Laura Mercia Tinted Moisturiser - Walnut

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - Deep Dark, Dark deep (whatever they are calling it these days)

Sleek Blush - Flushed#

Rimmel Brow Pencil - Dark brown

Kate Moss by Rimmel lipstick - 22 

Dress - Little Mistress via House of Fraser

Shoes - Call it Spring

Happy Birthday my fellow January births,

 back to the celebrations now.

xx 

The Replacements

My Miss KG Lotus Black Pointed Ballerinas passed away to shoe heaven in September. In addition to that the Office Term time Loafers did not work out. I had to exchange the brown pair twice because the soles kept splitting. The black pair didn't do me the honour of splitting, one of the soles just fell off one day when I was at work. Suffice to say replacements needed to be drafted in.

The irony of this is I ran away from purchasing these Dune Laino Penny Loafers because The Office Term Time Loafers were cheaper, not by much but still cheaper. Now after all the the rigmarole, I had to buy the Dune Loafers anyway. If I had bought them in the first place I could have saved myself the trouble and the blisters. 

LAINO Black Leather Penny Loafer

I had a look at the Nine West Jowhona3 Black Flat Court Shoes in Debenhams while on my shoe hunt. However after realizing  the composition of the Jowhona3 Black Flat Court Shoes were synthetic just like the Faith Patent Bow Pumps I went with the Faith ones. I have 3 bows on my shoes instead of 3, making me a very happy bunny. 

Faith Patent Bow Pumps 

Love the 3 bow detailing

The life and times of a shoe-a-holic in training.
Happy New Year my lovelies 
xx 

The Flat Shoe Is Making a Power Play

Miss KG flats

The flat shoe has been the ugly step sibling of fashionable footwear everywhere for years. They have long been loathed by the fashionable women in society. Skyscraper heels, wedges, sandals and various stiletto beauties have always taken up the forefront of  fashion magazines, advertising and even tv shows. However the flat shoe is fighting back, not content to just sit in the corner. The tides are slowly turning and the arena for fashionable flat footwear is drawing more and more spectators. Flat shoes now are not only limited to the Clarks ballet flats I wore for 2 years, though comfortable they were in no way comparable to their fashionable counterparts now taking up the runways. Top brands such as Charlotte Olympia, Mulberry, Miu Miu, Gucci, Tory Burch  and Marc Jacobs are increasing their efforts in relation to flat and near flat footwear for women. Forget the "Power Heel," for 2013 it has been all about the "Power Flat." 

River Island Bordeaux Flat

Ballet flats are out!!! They have been banished from the workplace, offices and boardrooms. Instead they have been replaced with exquisite textiles and embellishments added to other classic shapes such as smoking slippers, loafers, brogues, to create truly fashionable flat master pieces.  Not to say that the Ballet Flat does not have its place. Where as in the 90's tv show Sex & the City had  droves of women queuing up to purchase Manolo Blahniks Offerings. Tory Burch has built a cult like following around her Reva Ballet flat, google the Reva Ballet flats and you will generate pages of suggested blog posts and you tube videos.

River Island Navy Flat

 Why the rebellion on the heeled shoe? There are several reason: Health  - as I have mentioned before the appropriate heel height for a heeled shoe which will be worn over a long period of time is 3 inches. Wearing heeled shoes over 3 inches high for a prolonged period of time (years) causes strain on your pelvic muscles which could lead to a prolapsed uterus.  The constant need to balance on the thin stiletto heel (the preference of the power set) causes strain and sprain on your ankles, bunions could form and also displacement of the bones on your feet.

Time - wearing high heels slow you down. There was no fancy way to explain that.

Options - as I said before footwear options of the flat variety have increased tremendously. There is something for everyone and for every occasion. Flat shoes are no longer limited to the extremely casual events which occur in a woman's life.

 "Long stuck in stuck in the purgatory of casual wear, flats are suddenly being promoted for polished occasions. Flats sleek enough to dress shoes were paired with the tailored suits and even with evening wear on the spring runways from Marc Jacobs to Giorgio Armani." - WSJ

I am a Black Girl in the Ring and I wear flat shoes. YOU should too. 

River Island Black Loafer

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This was an original piece which first appeared in Black Girl in the Ring Magazine

New Shoes - Office Term Time Loafers

I recently had a little clear out and I had to regulate 4 pairs of my flats to the rubbish bin. They had been loyal and trustworth servants over the years, but alas they had to go. With space now in my shoe cupboard I decided to stock up on some new shoes. I had been stalking the Office Educated Loafer ever since they launched online/instore. On several occasions I had tried them on, but I never liked walking in them. The  soles are too hard, and they just felt like I was walking with two pieces of board attached to my feet.

Enter the Term Time Loafers, these had be sold from the first time I tried them. They fit well on my feet. Plus they have a great insole, which is nice and soft. I am big on comfort, the Term Time Loafer offers style and comfort, what else could I possibly desire? Oh yes a bargain of course. The Term Time Loafers were on offer at the time I purchased them, saving me £10 per pair. I bought the Term time Loafers in black first, then 2 weeks later I purchased a pair in tan. I like the loafer style of shoe because it is a classic, therefor it is versatile enough to wear all year round, from the cornershop to the office. I will waterproof them before wearing them out with the rain and colder weather approaching. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase. 

Black Office Term Time Loafers
The classic colour, their is something which is just serious, almost business like, about glossy black leather. 

Tan Office Term Time Loafers 

Tan, whiskey, cognac, brandy, rum these are the new games given to brown leather, making them sound as great as they look. No matter the name or the hue, there is something  luxe about brown leather. Also the older it gets the better it looks. 

                                     

Totally unrelated - but here is a song called NEW SHOES by Beyonce.

Have a great day lovelies. 

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Little Black Dress ft Black Blazer

Rounding out the Little Black Dress series is another daytime work wear look.

Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Blazer - Zara

Shoes - Dune 

Little Black Dress ft Navy cardigan & Black pump

Another LBD and cardigan combo for Spring, remember no back of the closet for the little black dress.  A good combo for work, and windy days or afternoons. Get out and enjoy the  sun. 

"Fashion fades by Style remains eternal." - Yves Saint Laurent

Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Cardigan - H&M

Shoes - Dune 
xx

Review: Joules Print Wellies - Navy Stripe

What Joules Say:

     From festivals to farmyards, Joules wellies have making a splash all over the land for years. For women’s traditional wellington boots with a twist, look no further. If you’re after a bright, printed patterned welly, you’re in the right place. Our prints include floral prints, stripes, flying pheasant prints, dog prints and many more. All are classic, practical and made for you to stand out from the crowd in style. Our new Premium Welly Collection includes glossy wellies, zip back wellies and even lace-up wellies, all truly individual and in a handcrafted shape for ultimate comfort and flexibility. They all have a new tread pattern for enhanced grip and a new rubber lining for extra strength and durability. Our new Premium Wellies also come packaged in a beautifully crafted box. Our famous Wellibob ankle boots are also brilliant for keeping feet covered in style. 

What I say:

If you live in England or any of the British Isles you should own a pair of Wellies. In between the rain, hail, sleet and snow I must declare my love for my Joules Wellies. These are my second pair of all weather boots and though I have had Hunter wellie dreams. I am in love with my Joules Wellies. I was trying and trying to hold out from purchasing new wellies but after my last pair of wellies split in the back after 2 years of good service (I literally wore them every day between december 09 - March 10) I decided to take the plunge and just buy these since office had them of offer for £25 reduced from £45. Well my wellies did not come packed in a "beautifully crafted box," but they did come with a plastic draw string bag. At first I was a bit stunned at the bag but then I thought this bag would be quite useful even more so than a box. If there ever is a time where I need to carry my wellies I do not have to worry about getting mud, dirt, snow or water on my clothing. 

All in all my only complaint is that the draw string bag be a little bit stronger. I have not worked my way to committing to a welly bag as yet, therefore I would like a few ore uses out of my drawstring bag before it starts splitting. 

Would I buy full priced? - Yes
Would I repurchase? - Yes 
Would I recommend? - Yes

Stay dry my lovelies 

BlogMas Day 9 - Heels

Don't make your heels give you hell

"Slip a pair of gel cushions into your platforms/skyscrapers/stilettos and you're ready to party until the early hours without sore feet in the morning!"

Superdrug Dare Magazine

Review / New Purchase/ Haul - Converse All Star lite OX

     In 1908 the Boston based Converse rubber company began making sports shoes. Years later when chuck Taylor joined the company he gave birth to what was to become the iconic Converse high top. The history of the Converse hightop is long and has since intertwined with two other mainstays of the American lifestyle, Rock n Roll and Basketball.

What CONVERSE says : Answering the question of how to stand out in a sneaker everyone wears: A slimmer, sleeker, lighter version of that same shoe. The All Star Lite sneaker is an update to our most iconic silhouette, built for a feminine foot with narrower construction, minimal detailing and additional arch support. Not quite the same, not completely different.

      I got my first pair of Chucks y'all. lol lol I am super excited. I ordered them over the weekend, they were delivered  yesterday and in my excitement. I wore them around the house for an hour, while still dressed in my work clothes. I purchased them at Office which is a shoe store here in the UK. They are super comfy, (I tried them on in-store on Saturday) 

      I got Blue ones, since it is a colour that I readily wear all year round. These are just perfect for nipping to the shop, or a stroll around the city centre. You may have noticed that these Chucks are very slim and streamlined. This is due to the fact that this is a diffusion line, the sole is much slimmer and the shoe has a sexier cut which finishes below the ankle. These elements make them more feminine than the traditional converse, which is great since this line was created specifically to suit the smaller feet women traditionally possess.

Totally unrelated - but here is a song called NEW SHOES by Beyonce. 

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

What to Wear to Work - Dune Sanctuary Court Shoe

     

       Dressing for work is not only about the clothing. Foundation items such as underwear, stockings, tights and under-shirts are very very important. Complimentary items like shoes, accessories and outerwear such as jackets, blazers, and cardigans help to bring an extra element to your work wear wardrobe. 

     Today the What to Wear to Work series will focus is on the shoe, it is important to have a core pair or two of shoes which are comfortable yet stylish. For work my personal preference are shoes made of leather, maximum height 3 inches. I spray the shoes with a water-proofer to preserve the leather, and from time to time I polish the shoes and wipe them with shoe cream to nourish the leather and keep it soft and supple. 

     My current shoe of choice is the Dunce Sanctuary court shoe pictured below, what makes this shoe special is the lovely cushion, softness in the insole, especially under the toe. 

Shoe - Dune Sanctuary LE court shoe

30 Things Every Woman Should Have Before She Turns 30 by Wendy Atterbury

 I stumbled across this list  and thought I would share with my  readers


1. The courage to stand up for herself and her beliefs. 
2. A (weekly) income that covers the rent (or mortgage payment). 
3. An Orgasm.
4. A favorite song, porn site, image, movie or fantasy that always gets her in the mood. 
5. A great vibrator. 
6. A favorite sex position. 
7. A hair stylist she trusts implicitly.
8. A signature drink.
9. Bras in the correct size. 
10. A healthy relationship with her parents.
11. Enough alcohol in her home to offer guests who drop by a cocktail.
12. An emergency hangover remedy.
13. A voters registration card.
14. A wardrobe that includes a flattering little black dress, a great pair of heels, jeans that make her ass look great and a hat to hide bad hair days. 
15. A yearly appointment with her gynecologist 
16. The name of a reliable movers to give her friends when they ask for help relocating. 
17. The gumption to ask a man out. 
18. No interest in men who aren't that into her.
19. A group of girlfriends who get it.
20. A set of tools and the ability to use them ( even if it is just to hang a piece of Art).
21. A balanced cheque book.
22. A vacation to look forward too at least once a year.
23. A good bullshyt detector.
24. Clothes that fit the size she is now not the size she was 5 years ago.  
25. Always enough toilet paper.
26. A set of hand towels so that guests don't have to dry their hands on her bath towels. 
27. Enough self love to break off unhealthy friendships and relationships. 
28. A commitment to excercise.
29. A retirement fund. 
30. Health Insurance. 


If you are already past 30 its late but not too late to tackle this list. 

Going to the movies....

Movie time so I went to take in the latest offering by marvel comics Captain America

This pic was taken mid step.....lol

just born with it

this last one is called "where are my glasses?"

shoes - Office
denim capri- Miss Selfridge
vest - River Island
cardigan - H&M
bracelet - Links of London
watch - Fossil
lippy- moistly by MAC