Sparkly shiny new things!

So you will remember that last week I reported A Very Bad Day For The Credit Card. Well, the fruits of my purchases have arrived. Read on!

Yep, I couldn't resist the pendant I was lusting after here! I also added a lovely green coloured cocktail ring to the order. Lovely.

This is the contents of the Oasis parcel: stirrup leggings - which I have been after for a while - and a fitted tunic. (I'm not 100% sure about the tunic - will have to get my sister's opinion when I'm home at the weekend.)

I will try to post an outfit post of the new look over the weekend!

Have you made any purchases recently?

How to... give thoughtful presents for your girlfriends

I don't have many birthdays to buy for at the beginning of the year but come spring and I have lots of girlfriends' birthday presents to shop for. I love shopping for other people, when I know what I'm looking for and when I have a fabulous idea. But sometimes it can be a horribly stressful experience with no clue what to get. For anyone else who has found themselves in this stress I have put together a comprehensive how to guide.


For the friend who likes to travel:

• a jewellery roll like this beautiful beaded one from M&S. And why not fill it with a few pieces of jewellery to get your girlfriend started? Like a gorgeous cocktail ring? Or a pair of chandelier earrings?
• luxury leather accessories like Aspinal of London's personalised British Travel Collection which includes two stunning Aspinal Luggage Tags, an Aspinal Classic Passport Cover and finally the Aspinal Classic Travel Wallet.
• a city guide for their next trip. Why not buy a Moleskine City Notebook and personalise with your own tips for the city of choice?

For the friend who loves to shop:

• a chic cream coloured purse like this from Smythson. And why not load it with a voucher from their favourite store?
• a Topshop Style Advisor Shopping Spree. Load up a Topshop Gift Card with any value from £100 to £300 and your very lucky friend will get the ultimate shopping experience with one of Topshop's Style Advisors in the London Oxford Circus store, as well as access to the VIP fitting rooms, free gift wrap on their purchases and be treated to lunch for two at the EAT cafe. The ultimate shopaholic's treat!

For the friend who likes to bake:

• a handwritten recipe and the ingredients to make it. Buy a lovely tin - like these by Cath Kidson - and fill it with the ingredients.
• a recipe folder - like this from Paperchase - part filled with your favourite delicious recipes and leave space for your friend to add their own.

Another way in which to make it special is to theme the gift. For this, find an old box. An old shoe box is often good as they are a good size (not too big and not too small) and have a lid. Then cover the box with some funky wrapping paper and line it with brightly coloured tissue paper. Then comes the hard part. What to put inside the box?


A girl's night box:

• a DVD. Something girly like Sex and the City or Pretty Woman.
• a mini bottle of fizz.
• chocolates. Like this rather scrumptious collection courtesy of Thorntons.
• chick lit like Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic or Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.

A sleepover box:

• snuggly sheep slippers like these cuties from La Senza.
• spotty pyjamas for a night on the sofa like this pretty pastel pair from M&S.
• pampering beauty products like a luxurious Chanel nail polish in Dragon red or a Clinique Cleansing Mask.
• a lovely mug like this Cath Kidson one from John Lewis. And don't forget to include a few sachets of hot chocolate. Very important.

I hope you have found these ideas helpful. Let me know your thoughts.


*P.S. Just so you know - none of these are sponsored links - they are there as a guide!!

Let them eat chocolate!

According to a BBC report, chocolate might actually be good for us! I always knew it was. Secretly. I knew that all those bars of chocolate that I just couldn't resist could not be as bad for me as everyone was telling me!!


According to the research, eating (a small amount of) chocolate can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke!


So now I don't feel too bad about the bag of Mini Eggs I just scoffed!

Tuesday's Tricky Trend: Sheer

Love it? Or hate it?


Have your say. Will you be wearing this tricky trend?


If you want some tips for this trend, try this article.


Last Friday, Times' fashion writer Alice Olins, answered readers questions on how to tackle spring/summer's most difficult trends. You can read what she suggested here.


If you have missed any other of the posts in this series you can find them here.

Monday Morning Pic-Me-Up

Is there anything more romantic than balloons floating over Paris? I think not.

Sunday Best

My dad has been staying this weekend. This morning as it was Palm Sunday, we decided to attend the morning mass at Llandaf Cathedral. And then my dad took me out for lunch to celebrate my passing my masters!!


I am wearing a Topshop floral dress, a Dorothy Perkins belt (in the sale for £3!!), coloured tights also from Dorothy Perkins (also in the sale - for £1!), New Look Mary Janes, H&M sunglasses, thrifted M&S blazer and my bargain M&S bag!


I have quite a few pairs of coloured tights in my wardrobe but don't often wear them. What do you think?


Hope you've all had lovely weekends. More soon. Love, SG

Earth hour: did you join in?

My dad is staying tonight. We decided to spend an hour in candlelight for Earth Hour.


Did you join in?

LUST LIST: ASOS perfume bottle pendant

I am currently lusting after this beauty:

It's an absolute bargain at just £6!!!! I want one. Now. Roll on pay day!!

You can get yourself one here.

It Has Been A Very Bad Day For The Credit Card....

Oops!


I will be having a couple of packages arriving next week. I will show you all what I purchased when they arrive.


Until then... I hope the boyf doesn't see this!!

And the winner is...

Laura Emily of Political Style.


Congratulations!


Send me an email with your address and I'll get the goodies off to you!!

Style Icon: Jean Seberg

Jean Seberg might have been American born and bred but she was a Parisian girl at heart. She was immortalised as a style icon in the 1959 French cult film, A Bout de Souffle (Breathless). It was in her role as Patricia Franchini that she sported the cropped cut that made her a style icon.


Seberg's private life might not have been the happiest but this did not effect her icon status.


He wardrobe - for Breathless - of stripes, pumps and over-sized shirts have a beautifully timeless and French feel to them.


To read more about Seberg's life, follow this link.


If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?

Don't be late!!!

Only a day left to get your name in the Mad Hatter's hat for your chance to win Alice In Wonderland goodies!!


Visit here to enter!

Bargain Hunter: McQueen-esque Skull Scarf

For just a fiver!


When I saw this in Peacocks I just had to grab it!

What do you think?

Trench chic

This is my lovely new trench! It's me trying to look smart off to work! I'm wearing a Gap trench, a Peacocks scarf (watch out for a post about this tomorrow!), New Look shoes and M&S bag.


What do you think? Am I smart?

Tuesday's Tricky Trend: Double Denim

Love it? Or hate it?


Have your say. Will you be wearing this tricky trend?


For tips on how to wear this tricky trend, check out this article in last week's Guardian.

The Impossible Made Possible

I am sooooo excited! I'm not sure I could be much more excited right now! Gah!!!


Ok. Calm.


Or calmer.


This week. Let me say that again, this week, the Impossible Project will release for sale the first batch of its newly created film for Polaroid cameras. Polaroid film is not dead. It is very much alive again.


I can't wait to get myself a couple of packs and show you the results! Watch this space!

And the winner is....

Leia!!!! Of HiFashion.


Leia, please email me your address and I will send you your copy of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.


Also, remember to enter the giveaway for Alice In Wonderland jewellery courtesy of Temporary:Secretary. Entry closes on Thursday so get your name in the Mad Hatter's hat before it's too late!!

Trainers that tone your bum as you walk...?!

Is it real you ask? Or is it just some fabulous dream?!


Before I answer those questions, let me explain.


Yesterday, Helena and I were in London to join other bloggers who were invited to trial Reebok's newest innovation, EasyTone trainers. According to the sport's brand, their new EasyTone trainersincrease muscle toning in your glutes (a posh word for your bum, apparently!) by 28% and in your calves and thighs by 11%!


How do they work you ask?


Well, they have these fancy pods in the soles (invented by a former NASA engineer, don't you know?!) that create instability as you walk. It is supposed to be a little like walking on sand.


At £75 a pair it does seem a little pricey when you are a little sceptical about believing the hype. So the lovely people at Reebok offered me a pair to try out and tell you all if they actually work!


I am a complete gym-phobe. I'd like to be able to say that I don't have the time to go but even if that were true, in reality, I'm too lazy. My one reason for ever thinking about exercise is when I think that it might be nice to toen up for my summer holiday. But - and here is my main problem - exercise is a gradual thing and I have little patience. I want instant results and if I don't get them I'm simply not interested. Walking, however, is something that everyone can fit into their daily routine. I walk to work every day.

EasyTone's tag line is, Take The Gym With You.

How do they feel you ask? More importantly, do they work?

Well, yesterday we had a walk along by the Thames sporting our lovely new accessory! And they definitely feel different to any shoe or trainer I've ever worn! It feels little springy, like trying to walk on a trampoline. Maybe. My leg muscles were definitely feeling like they'd been working out. A bit. But then that could have been walking all over London for a day.

I will be trialing them over the next month or so, wearing them to walk to and from work each day and I will be updating you regularly on how I'm getting on. So watch this space folks.

More soon. Love, SG

London: cupcakes and culture

My sister - Helena - and I spent yesterday in London together. We don't often get to hang out as we don't live very close anymore. So it was lovely. We were in London for a Very Special Mission. But that is for another post. Later.

After forcing our way through the Saturday crowds on Portobello Road we arrived at our destination. The Hummingbird Bakery (133 Portobello Road). I was given the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook for Christmas and decided I wanted to see what the cakes should taste like!

I chose a Red Velvet cupcake as I'd never had one and had read that the Bakery was famous for them! Helena went for a vanilla cupcake with yellow icing. They came packed in this gorgeous box! Perfect for keeping them in tip top condition as we zoomed off to our next destination on the tube!

Yesterday was my trench coat's first proper out! (Christmas present from my lovely mummy!) And yes, that is the strap of my new bag!!

They were indeed VERY yummy!!

Next stop was an exhibition of photographs of Twiggy at the National Portrait Gallery. It's not an enormous collection but it is just the right amount of culture when you're in London for the day!!

Then we were off to Canary Wharf for the reason we had come to London! Check back later for all the gossip! Let me just say, if you're an excerise-phobe (like me!) but dream of toned legs and bum be sure to check it out!

More soon. Love, SG

Bargain Hunter: Cath Kidson delights!

My sister is a bit of a whizz on the sewing machine and is always making something. Her speciality these days are cushions, in all sorts of shapes and sizes.


When I was home last time, she made me this cute bag to pack my underwear in my suitcase. We found the Cath Kidson material in the remnants box in John Lewis - bargain! And it has a lovely little tie at the top made from pretty pink ribbon.


What do you think of it? How much would you pay for something like this? Helena has some craft fairs coming up and is thinking of putting some more together!

London fun

Well my dears. Today I am off to London. Meeting my sister at Paddington for some art and food treats. Photos and info to follow - probably tomorrow!


Hope you all have fun this weekend.


More soon. Love, SG

Bargain Hunter: Gorgeous Slouch Bag

I picked up this gorgeous blue mock croc slouch bag today in M&S! Was down from £35 to £17. Lush.


What do you think?

Style Icon: Coco Chanel

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."


Coco Chanel not only created incredible and beautiful fashion for women but also demonstrated how to wear her creations with style and poise.


Chanel might have dressed primarily for comfort but in doing so made sure that she was stylishly and elegantly dressed too. She removed corsets, ribbons, flowers and other frivolities from women's clothing. Indeed she is quoted as saying,


"Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury."


The Chanel label continues to design and make beautiful clothes today.


Coco's style has been immortalised on the big screen many times but most recently and my favourite was last year's Coco Avant Chanel starring Audrey Tautou (who will be appearing in this Style Icon series shortly).


If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?