NYE Outfit

I'm going to put it out there - I've never had an incredible New Year's Eve. I always find it creeps up on me after Christmas and I haven't made any solid plans. This year was no different - with finding a flat and starting my job in January things have been absolutely manic and I've hardly stopped to breathe (OK, that's a lie. But you catch my drift.) SO, James and I decided to keep the evening relatively low-key, and make dinner at home with champagne and then head out to the pub to see in midnight. It was a really fun evening, and one too many glasses of Prosecco may have been drunk...

I decided to wear something that would hide any food/alcohol I had that night (plus all the food/alcohol consumed over the festive period for that matter) but still made me feel good. Now anyone who knows me knows I am a huge sucker for leather. Leather tops, trousers, jackets, skirts...I can't get enough of the stuff. So when I spotted this leather shift dress in River Island I knew it had to be mine.

It's the perfect length and fit, I love the gold zip detailing, and in my opinion it's the perfect dress for those occasions when you don't want to go full-on glam, but it's also not a jeans and top kinda affair. (Bit of advice: the sizes come up big. I had to get a size 6 despite having eaten a year's supply of brie this Christmas)

As for accessories I wore a simple black and gold watch, some strappy black heels (which I can actually walk in) and a plain black clutch.

I kept my make-up simple, using the Armani Luminous Silk foundation as my base and some winged black liner with HEAPS of mascara, and then attempted some messy waves in my hair with my GHDs.

Happy 2014 everyone! I hope you had a great New Years too!

The Orange Coat

Today's post is another outfit I've put together, and it's fair to say I'm lusting after every single item in this post!

I find it extremely difficult to incorporate colour into my wardrobe, but a great way to do it is with a coat. You can keep everything else basic, but the coat makes the outfit interesting. I absolutely LOVE this burnt orange oversized coat, and if I hadn't already bought 4 coats this Winter (oops) it would be straight in my basket. You couldn't help but smile wearing it!

I love 'tube' style jeans, and these look very similar to the Topshop Joni jeans but are slightly cheaper. I also love the bright blue colour; I think they will provide a nice transition colour from Winter to Spring (when it finally arrives.) I'm definitely going to try a pair on next time I'm in River Island!

You can't beat a basic white V-neck tee. I'm all about good basics, and this is a must.

Lastly I've accessorized with cute black cut out boots (come pay-day I may have to have these) and the most adorable black cross body bag from H&M. I LOVE the faux-fur texture and the gold on the chain. I think it looks so much more expensive than £12.99! Lastly, a gold chain necklace adds that extra bit of interest, and ties in nicely with the gold of the bag and the boots.

What do you think of this outfit? Have any of these items caught your eye?

Happy New Year everyone! I'm off for champagne and dinner cooked by the boy, before heading to the local drinking hole for midnight. Expect an outfit post soon!

Sunday Walks

Sundays are made for being lazy. Fact. So yesterday, after a massive lie-in and a pot of tea, James and I decided to head down to the local park in his home town and walk off the ridiculous amounts of cheese and chocolate we've eaten the last few days. We managed to avoid the wind and the rain, and I got to try out my new boots.





Sundays are all about being comfy. I bought this cream cable knit from Primark a couple of days ago. It looks exactly like the ones you can get in the likes of Topshop or Zara, but it was only £14. Bargain of the month! I teamed it with my trusty Topshop Joni Jeans which are my go-to super-flattering jeans. I obviously can't go anywhere without my Zara City bag (although I am on the look out for a slightly smaller black tote at the moment) and I added my tartan scarf for some colour and warmth.



Now for the boots. I had already bought some new black boots for Winter, but I also wanted some tan ones. Luckily James had been listening carefully, and he bought me these beauties for Christmas! They're the most comfy boots I own, and I think they look great with this outfit. Plus for Topshop I think they're a pretty reasonable price. I don't want to take them off!



I kept my face really minimal, because who wants to be caked in make-up on a Sunday? I used some Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, the Sleek Contour Kit for a bit of colour, a wash of Woodwinked over the eyelid and my favourite mascara of all time - Maybelline The Falsies.

I couldn't do an outfit post without featuring the boyfriend/photographer. He always scrubs up well. He's actually wearing the new puffer jacket I got him for Christmas (which I hated at first but I think looks really good on) and some black jeans and all black Nike trainers (which he tells me are EXTREMELY rare and thus justify the ridiculous price tag.)



We hadn't eaten all day, and naturally ended up at the pub for a quick drink and something to eat. We both went for a burger and fries (the diet WILL start in January) and it was delicious. We promptly headed back home for some chocolate and a film, snuggled up in bed. Perfect Sunday.



How did you spend your Sunday? Were you as lazy as us?

Sunday Sessions - New Year's Resolutions

Today I was having a conversation with my girls about New Year's Resolutions, and it got me thinking. 2014 is fast approaching (3 days to be exact) and with a new year comes the possibility of new beginnings. I'm not a firm believer that we feel any different when a new year comes, but I do believe it can offer that extra boost to help us start things we may not otherwise have pushed ourselves to do. Last year my Mum's NY resolution was to lose weight, and she's now 2 stone lighter (well done Mummy White.)

So, here are a few of mine. Obviously I am going to try and exercise and keep a diary, but those things go without saying.



1. I want to say 'yes' to more things. I have a tendency sometimes to want to avoid situations which I'm scared of or are out of my comfort zone. Saying 'yes' to those kinds of things often creates the memories you look back on in your old age!

2. I want to get all the photos from my camera printed. I am absolutely AWFUL at leaving my photos in digital form, but I love having photo albums to look through. I have done so many great things this year and I want to be able to look at them in hard copy. I'm even tempted to get one of these books, which will force me to capture moments and print them off!

3. I want to buy at least one bunch of fresh flowers a month for the flat. I absolutely LOVE fresh flowers - I think they make a house feel much more homey.

4. I want to make sure for the hour before I sleep I completely relax. I have major problems sleeping, and often find I'm lying awake tossing and turning, stressing about one thing or another! I want to get a hot drink, read a book and switch off from the world before bed. I may even invest in some of the This Works Pillow Spray.

5. I want to try and carry on blogging! Obviously working as a lawyer takes up rather a lot of time, but I want to try and carry on the blogging as a part-time hobby as I really do enjoy it.


What are your New Year's Resolutions? Anything out of the ordinary?

Boyfriend jeans

I started creating this post because I finally found a pair of boyfriend jeans I fell in love with. I'd been looking for ages, but none of them seemed quite right. They were either too baggy, or more like Mom jeans. I love the light colour of these, and the slightly ripped effect makes them look nicely 'lived in.' Plus, they're on sale. What more could you want?

I teamed them with some gorgeous red courts from Kurt Geiger, for that casual but sexy look. The red adds that splash of colour to the outfit which makes it stand out. As everything else was block colours, I chose a printed polkadot shirt, but a striped Breton top would also look great.

I desperately want a camel coat, and this one looks perfect. The price tag is even more perfect! I don't usually go into Pull and Bear that often, but I have seen quite a few gorgeous things lately, so have vowed to go in next time I'm on Oxford Street.

I wanted to keep accessories simple and classic. This Zara bag is just beautiful. It's got the mixture of textures, and the black and cream means it will go with everything. The shape reminds me of the Celine bags, and one of those is high up on my lifetime wishlist! I'm a massive fan of gold rather than silver jewellery, so this watch was perfect. It's actually sold as a men's watch, but I prefer my watches slightly larger, and I think this sets the outfit off perfectly.

I got a little bit of money for Christmas so I may treat myself to a few of these items to start off my 2014 wardrobe. What do you think? Are you a fan of boyfriend jeans, or are you a skinny jean girl through and through?

Christmas with the Whites

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I wanted to give my blog a little sneak peak into what Christmas Day is like with my family. Now I didn't capture everything on camera (even if I did get a picture of my Dad dancing around the kitchen to Avicii it wouldn't be going up) but I managed to get a few pictures to remember the day by.



The jumper - No Christmas would be complete without one. This is a Primark mens special, and I highly recommend it! FaceTime - I managed to capture James and I on Facetime on Christmas Day. I was on the Ipad whilst all his family opened presents. It may not be as good as actually being together, but it was the next best thing and I LOVED it. The decorations - my family (well, my Dad) goes pretty mad with Christmas decorations. There are numerous Christmas trees dotted around the house in different forms. The drink - Buck's Fizz at 11am sharp. Everyone must (wants) a glass and we cheers. It's followed by many more glasses... The dinner - Best meal of the year. We actually have beef as none of us are huge turkey lovers. And that also means Yorkshire pudding - WIN. I was so full I only just managed to make it to the sofa to watch Elf. The smiles - Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the cringe staged photos. This one took about 10 attempts, and we still both hated it!

So there's a little look at my Christmas Day. I hope you all had an amazing time, with lovely presents and food. I was absolutely spoilt rotten as usual!

I'm off tomorrow to visit my boyfriend and his family for more celebrations. I never want Christmas to end!

What did you get up to on Christmas Day? Did Santa bring you everything you wanted?

THAILAND

So in November I went on a pretty big adventure to THAILAND with my best friend Katie. We went for a month and, typical us, we hadn't booked anything other than our first night's accommodation in Bangkok. She had been to SE Asia before, but I'd never been that far afield.

We went to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and back to Bangkok. It was an absolutely incredible month and I already wish we were back there!

Here are a few things I learnt about Thailand when I was there...

1. There is NO health and safety. Definitely no seat belts. Only in Thailand would you be able to sit and play with baby tigers (although we did have to sign a disclaimer in case we died/got mauled.)



2. The beaches are just as beautiful as people say they are. Unfortunately it rained when we were on Maya Beach and I had an awful hangover/sea sickness that day. But the sand was like white sugar and I've never seen such turquoise seas.



3. You really do drink out of buckets, and all kinds of fruit. NOTE: they are lethal.



4. They really love their royal family. In every taxi, shop, restaurant and temple there would be pictures of them. Imagine if we did that for Will and K Mid? Plus, almost all the population are Buddhist. Hence the Buddhas EVERYWHERE. (Also, they say 'Oh my Buddha' instead of 'Oh my God.')



5. They don't use toilet paper. They use small shower hoses. I obviously don't have a picture for this, so I'll leave it to your imagination...


I could carry on but I'd be rabbiting on forever. I would encourage anyone to go to Thailand if you get the chance. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience, with amazing people, amazing food, and amazing scenery. I loved every second.

I plan to write a more detailed post soon about things I did in Thailand and advice/tips I'd give to anyone planning on going.

Only question left is, where to next?