A Week in Outfits

I thought I'd do a quick post and show everyone what I've been wearing recently. There's nothing overly glamorous, but there are some beautiful pieces in the shops at the moment. I definitely love to incorporate trends into my look, but I always do it in a way that makes me feel comfortable and confident. So without further ado...



Look One: On Sunday it was sunny and fresh. I wore my favourite new slogan jumper from H&M (£14.99) which is so soft on the inside, and my new favourite 'ripped-effect' girlfriend jeans from River Island. I don't like Mom jeans, and I don't really like overly baggy jeans, so these are perfect because they're relatively tight but still a bit edgy. Plus, you can dress them down like this with boat shoes, or up with a pair of strappy heels.

Look Two: This was for an unfortunate Sunday in the office. I love gingham, and this New Look shirt is super comfortable but cute. I wore it with my Topshop Joni's and my new black Topshop slipper shoes, plus a fedora to finish it off. Casual Sunday dressing at it's best.

Look Three: This was my beach walk outfit when I was back at my parents' for the weekend. I love this baggy orangey-red jumper (my favourite colour after pink) and with a pair of jeans and my fake Clubmasters from Primark it's casual but still smart. FYI, the sunglasses were £2. Yes seriously. I'm going to be buying 5 pairs so I'm never without them.



Look Four: This was my 'first day of Spring' outfit. This Zara jacket/coat was a very naughty purchase, but I absolutely love it. The cut, the fit, the colour...perfection. The jeans are the white Joni's (I'm loving white jeans for this time of year) and the shirt is an oldie from Topshop. Here are my trusty nude courts - they are very well loved.

Look Five: I love this outfit. It's all black, but the florals lift it and make it interesting. The boots are lace ups from Primark which are SO comfy and another absolute bargain. The floral kimono is from H&M and was £14.99 and I just wore it with a plain black silk cami and black jeans. And there's that black floppy felt hat again, I told you it would crop up again...

So there you have it. I'm counting down to pay day so I can treat myself to a few more items. What are you 'selfie-ing'?

Haircare Saviours

One question I get asked a lot by my friends is, 'Ellie, how do you make your hair look like that?' Now I have to admit, I am quite lucky in the hair department (a certain someone told me it looks like a lion's mane) but I am also quite lazy with it. I have naturally curly (read: frizzy) hair and I find it a real pain in the backside to manage. Therefore, any products which help tame it and make it easier to style are a definite win!



Shampoo/conditioner: With shampoo and conditioner I'm a bit of a floozy; I tend to decide based on what's on offer. I love the Tresemme ones as an affordable option, and the L'oreal Riche as a slightly more expensive treat. I try to change whatever I'm using after finishing up a bottle as I find then my hair doesn't get used to it and the effects don't stop working.

Hairbrush: The Tangle Teezer - every long haired gal's best friend. Since using this I rarely have a battle with knotty hair, and I therefore feel like I'm doing less damage to it. Only £12, and absolutely worth every penny. If you're looking for a pricier option, my crazy flatmate bought a Mason Pearson hairbrush which is probably even more delightful.

Hair Oil: The L'oreal Extraordinary Oil is a cheaper alternative to the Moroccan Oil, and in my opinion does almost as good a job. It seals the ends of your hair, keeps it looking shiny, and recently I've been using it on the little dry bits of hair near my face which have been over-dyed to give them some extra nourishment. Plus a bottle of this stuff lasts for AGES.

Hair Spray: You can't go wrong with the Tresemme hairspray. It keeps hold without making your hair crispy (no-one wants a boy running his hands through your hair and comparing it to straw). Super affordable, and keeps my curls in all day (and even into the second day.)

Dry Shampoo: In my opinion, for the money Batiste is the dry shampoo winner. I especially love the blonde one, as when I'm in need of a visit to the hairdressers it not only soaks up any oils and gives my hair more volume, but it also covers my roots!

Styling – surf spray: This little Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray came in a set from my besties as a birthday gift. I wasn't a crazy fan of the shampoo and conditioner as they were a little too drying for my already-dry hair, but this spray is perfect when you can't be bothered to do anything with your hair and you just want those sexy 'I just walked out of the sea' beach waves (even if you do live in the middle of a big city.)

Styling - hair rollers: The Enrapture Heated Rollers are the styling tool of the Gods. I love that you can put them in, and then do your make up whilst you let them work their magic. Take them out and voila, you have big, bouncy Cheryl Cole-esque hair. What more could you want?

So there's a round up of my current favourite hair 'stuff.' What else do my locks need in their life?

STEAL HER STYLE: Mollie King

So the other day, I came across a post like this on Bloglovin', where someone took a celebrity picture and then re-created their outfit online (for much cheaper.) It got me thinking about my favourite celebrities and what they wear, and time and time again someone who I love for the way they dress is Mollie King. I am constantly ogling her outfits on the Daily Mail side bar of shame, and then trawling websites to find clothing items so I can copy her look. She's always very smartly dressed, rarely ever showing a lot of flesh, and everything is very clean cut and feminine. She recently brought out her second clothing line for Oasis, and I have to say I am incredibly impressed. My bank account, however, won't be, after the damage I'm going to do in there!

Look 1:



I love smart cigarette trousers. From starting work I realise how much more I prefer trousers rather than dresses and skirts, but I think it's hard to make trousers more interesting and feminine. In come the floral/patterned cigarette trousers. Nicely fitted, add some interest, and can be dressed up or down; definitely an investment piece in my opinion. These cute daisy print ones are from River Island.

You can't go wrong with a white blazer like this one from Zara. Again, you can wear it with jeans during the day, or you can wear it in the evening over a tight LBD with strappy heels. Another wardrobe staple. This little blue cami from H&M is cute, and I like the lace detailing to add a bit of interest. Alternatively, choose a top in a different fabric like silk for a luxe look. Finally I LOVE strappy sandal heels. They are so elegant, and these ones are from Zara for £29.99. I know, WHAT?? *All rush to Zara*

Look 2:



I am absolutely in love with anything floral at the moment, and I have also had my eye out for a cute shorts suit for the Summer. When I saw Mollie in this I knew I had to have it, and to my luck I found out it was part of her Oasis collection! It is so fresh, smart, and what's great is that the two separate pieces look great together but also paired with different things so you can get the wear out of it. This white shirt with little burnout polkadots from Dorothy Perkins is really cute, and again the outfit is finished off with nude heels, this time pointed courts. These are £24.99 in New Look, another absolute bargain! Perfect for drinks with the girls, a dinner date, or the office. I live in mine!

So there you have it, Mollie King's look all from the high street. Don't say I never treat you ;)

So the Queen actually owns Buckingham Palace, mortgage free?

This post has been a LONG time coming. We're talking weeks. So pretend that this was a recent event...

The title of those post was a particularly insightful question asked by James when we arrived at Buckingham Palace. He told me he'd never visited before, and I decided it was a wonderful tourist activity to do on a Sunday afternoon. The weather was absolutely glorious again, so we were really lucky.

We took the tube to Victoria and walked along Buckingham Palace Road until we got to the Queen's home. It was actually a lot quieter than I expected which was nice. The building never fails to take my breath away. It was particularly special this time after visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok, where one of the buildings there (and even the soldiers guarding it) were modeled on Buckingham Palace because of the impressive architecture. Plus because James had never visited before his awe was so infectious.

After admiring the golden gates and the soldiers in their full uniform standing like statues (how do they do it?) we took a stroll through St James's Park and got a drink. Everyone was sitting on the grass passing away their Sunday afternoon relaxing, chatting and reading in the sun. I got James to take a quick photo of my outfit.



I went for pastels. My jeans are (again) the light wash Joni jeans from Topshop and my cream silk cami is also from Topshop (a great wardrobe staple.) I wore my pale pink blazer from Zara which was kindly gifted to me by a boy from the past (no names mentioned.) I definitely don't wear it enough, but pink is everywhere this season and I was excited to get it out. What better day than the first weekend of Spring? Finally my bag is from Miss Selfridge. I usually wear it as a clutch on nights out, but I was struggling to find a bigger bag to go with my outfit and so I used this. It actually worked a lot better than I expected.

We then took the 35 minute walk from the Palace, through Knightsbridge, to the Natural History museum. We passed Harrods and all the beautiful designer shops. I had to drag James along to stop him staring at the smart shoes (he's worse than me) and at one point he did get me to take a picture of a baby blue Ferrari for him. At least he was happy eh?

We didn't stay long at the museum, but it was really fun. We looked at the dinosaurs, and everyone's favourite has to be the moving T-rex at the end of the exhibit...



My favourite part was the Human Biology exhibition. Aside from sniggering at the pictures of private parts, we found the mirrors which distort your reflection. I have honestly not laughed so hard in ages. There were tears in my eyes! Here's my favourite 'selfie' we captured...



We left the museum and fancied a sit down. We stumbled into Le Pain Quotidien and after umming and aahing over the menu made our choices. James said it was the best cappucino he's ever had. And the desserts? Well they were out of this world. James doesn't share food so he had the toffee and banana tart which looked delicious, and I went for the largest scone with jam and cream. It was incredible, although it definitely defeated me...

Unfortunately soon after this we had to head home for James to pack and head back up North. However, we had an incredible day (and weekend) and even better, we hardly spent a penny! London can be expensive, but it has so much to offer for free if you make a little effort to look for it...

Drinks on the 32nd floor...

I went to Law School in London Bridge. Which meant every morning when I got off the tube I'd be greeted by the enormously impressive building - the Shard. And every morning I'd look up and daydream about taking a trip up there and sampling the food and drink whilst looking out over London town. Unfortunately I was a student, and the little money I did have didn't really stretch that far. However now I've become a grown up with a proper pay check, I decided it was time to make that dream a reality. I knew James was going to absolutely love it. So on Saturday we took the 12 minute tube ride from Clapham and arrived at the Shard, ready to admire the wonderful views and drink the finest cocktails money could buy.

I wore a simple but classic outfit. My silk black cami is from River Island, my red skirt is from H&M (I had previously bought it for work and realised it was waaay too short) which has beautifully overlapped fabric which you can't see on the photo, and then my simple black heeled sandals are from New Look. I absolutely love wearing red - there's just something sexy but effortless about it. We asked the security guard on the ground where to go and he said Oblix on the 32nd floor. We got into a lift which only had one button (32) and whizzed up. When we arrived I left my coat with the people at the desk and we walked through a dimly lit corridor into what can only be described as a fantasy.

There was a live band playing everything, from JT to Amy Winehouse. It wasn't too busy but the atmosphere was buzzing. Everyone was dressed to impress, and the decor was elegant and sexy. James and I decided to order cocktails. I went for the Pink Cadillac, and James had the Plum Rum Mai Tai. Both were absolutely delicious (and extremely strong.) Whilst they were pretty pricey and definitely not your casual drink in the local pub on a Saturday night, it was so worth it.



You literally could see all of London whilst you sipped on your drink. James and I naughtily went to the window and looked down at the ground, and immediately started pointing out landmarks and things we knew.

I definitely didn't capture enough photos but I urge you to go. It was absolutely MAGICAL. I vow to go back for dinner next time for a really special occasion. James and I didn't really have words to describe how amazing it was. We had a couple more drinks (oops) and eventually headed home for some fast food and cuddles. Best Saturday date night EVER.

Portobello Road, Portobello Road...

So for quite a while I've been promising James a date weekend in London. A whole weekend, just the two of us, where we explore different parts of the beautiful city and do things we wouldn't usually do. I love London, but it's so easy to get stuck in your little bubble. Home - work - home - out in the area you live in. You forget that a 15 minute tube ride can mean you end up in a completely different area of the city with a completely different vibe. It's one of the reasons I love our capital.

We had a little lie in on Saturday morning followed by a naughty full English brunch. We then got dressed and headed out to Notting Hill and Portobello Market. I spent the whole journey singing the song from Bedknobs and Broomsticks (James has never seen it - devastated) and as soon as we got there I wasn't disappointed.



The weather was unbelievably beautiful. There were all kinds of antiques, clothes and people to admire. The smell of the food stalls made my mouth water (especially the peri-peri chicken, chorizo ciabattas and falafel wraps) and if we weren't still full of brunch I would have feasted on all of it (MENTAL NOTE: Return for the food.) James bought himself a 100% wool tartan scarf from one of the little shops (what a trendy man I have) and I may have treated myself to a gorgeous black floppy hat which I proceeded to wear the whole afternoon...

After strolling up and down the road and admiring everything on offer, we found a local drinking hole to quench our thirst. A Carling top for James and a Modelo with lime for me.



James was in heaven - the place was the perfect mixture of classic pub with an edgy cool modern twist. Everyone was relaxed and just enjoying a casual Saturday afternoon. Perfect.





On our way back we lingered along the roads of Notting Hill, dreaming about one day living in one of the beautiful white houses with the tall pillars at the entrance and the big black doors. One day it will happen, I'm sure of it. I got James to snap a photo of my outfit.



I wore my trusty black Joni Jeans from Topshop, a beige oversized polkadot shirt from Topshop, my tan loafers from New Look which I absolutely love (but kill my feet,) this GORGEOUS bag from Primark (yes, Primark. For £9. Bargain or what?!) and finally my new floppy hat. I can see that appearing in a lot more future posts.

It was the perfect Saturday afternoon. Check back to see what we did Saturday evening and Sunday day - you're in for a treat!

A sneak peak into our new home...

I can't actually believe I'm saying this, but I think I've found something I've enjoyed buying as much as clothes this month. Homeware. I know, am I feeling alright? Since moving into our new flat almost 2 months ago, we have made a lot of effort to decorate as much as possible so it feels like 'home.' For both Katie and I this is the place we will spend almost all of our time when we're not at work, so we wanted to make sure we were excited to get home to it every night!

So without further ado, here's a little tour of the place we like to call home!

First up is my bedroom. Now I am a massive girly girl. I love all things pretty and pink (hence being likened to Elle Woods.) However, I wanted my room to be feminine and cute but not so over the top that it resembles a 5 year old's princess room (although I was tempted.)



I chose some simple white floral bedding, and got 2 pink cushions from IKEA and a white soft heart-shaped cushion from Primark to 'dress it up' a bit more. I think cushions just add that little something. My little pink bedside lamp is from IKEA as well, and I am in love with my 'LOVE' letters from BHS. I'm a sucker for all things like that (I'd own everything on www.notonthehighstreet.com if I could.)

My dressing table was a steal from JYSK at £24.99 and now I've finally got somewhere to put my plastic make-up storage on. I finally have my 50 lipsticks to choose from in the morning again! I still want to get a photoframe collage to go above my bed (you can never have too many photos of loved ones) and I need to get a chair so I can sit down to do everything but then the room is DONE!



The open plan lounge/kitchen is my favourite part of the flat. The sofa and coffee table were already there when we moved in, but we've bought a random mixture of cushions to cover the sofa, and the rug was gifted to us by my parents as moving in present! The flowers are from James from Valentines Day - They look so beautiful I'm tempted to just buy some for myself every week!



The red theme runs all the way into the kitchen. I LOVE the cute Tea, Sugar and Coffee ceramic pots we picked up from Sainsburys and the gingham teatowels are adorable (and so on trend ;) )

So there's a little sneak peak. We've still got a few finishing touches to make like photos and canvases, but it's almost all complete and I'm so happy with how it's turned out. My first proper grown-up home...when did that happen?!