Friend Friday #50: Fall trends

As with previous trends, this week's Friend Friday is looking to next season. Here are my five favourite fall trends:


Autumn 2011 Trend #1: faux fur


I love a bit of faux fur come autumn (see here, here and here) and I was so pleased to see so much of it on the catwalks for 2011. Wear it short for evening and team with a floor length dress, as at Michael Kors, or wear it big and belted for a glamorous vintage look, as at Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Autumn 2011 Trend #2: button-up shirts

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Visual Friend Friday: all in the details

Source: weheartit

This week's Visual Friend Friday is sponsored by Ashley Getting Dressed and we're doing an upclose and personal look at a favourite clothing item.

Friend Friday #49: dreaming dreams

Source: weheartit

Of this week's Friend Friday topic Katy says:

"I have been overwhelming inspired by two separate blog posts I read in which the blogger quit their day job and has started on the path to self-employment doing what she loves to do. If you haven't read Sally from Already Pretty's post on this rush over and do it now. And then to top it all off my younger sister has decided to quit her job and start her own business. So that got me thinking... we all have dreams, goals, aspirations. Putting them down on paper is often the first step to realizing those dreams."

Source: weheartit

1. Fess up - if you could do anything professionally what would it be?

I always always wanted to be a political correspondent. I guess I wouldn't pass up the opportunity now, if it came along. But the dream has now turned into one of doing some freelance jouralism. It is a more attainable dream and one that I would enjoy a whole lot.

2. What draws you to this?

I love to write. It is one of the reasons I took a Masters degree, one of the reasons I've been thinking about enrolling for a PhD and one of the reasons I write this blog.

3. When did you first start dreaming about this ideal?

Well, the original idea, a long looooong time ago. But it has morphed more recently.

4. What's holding you back from going all in?

Money and a lack of knowing where to really start.

5. Sometimes the first step is the hardest... what's one step you can take now on the way to realizing your dream?

Start pitching to other blogs and magazines for some experience and to start building my writing portfolio. Any other suggestions anyone?

To see everyone else's dreams this week, go straight over to ModlyChic. And if you'd like to be involved in the Friend Friday project, you can check out all of the details here.

Friend Friday: DIY Mani

It's another visual Friend Friday post and this week's title is, simply, DIY manicure. Anything goes really. There can't be many women who don't enjoy sitting down for an hour and pampering themselves with a DIY mani, can there?

Last Sunday, I sat down for a couple of hours to watch a DVD and decided to paint my nails. I got out my collection of Models Own nail polishes and then couldn't decided which colour to choose. So I didn't!


Models Own polishes (left to right): Vintage Pink, Lilac Dream, Champagne, Grace Green and Slate Green.


If you're a follower of this blog, you'll know that I am a huge nail polish fan and post my weekly Mani of the Week every Tuesday. If you too like to treat yourself to a DIY mani, you might like to check out Grit and Glamour's post on her nail polish favs, tips and tricks.

What's your favourite colour to paint your nails when you give yourself a DIY mani? Do you like to try a bit of nail art? Check out my latest/first attempt at nail art here.


You can find the rest of this week's Friend Friday contributions over on Thrifty and Shameless. If you fancy getting involved in the Friend Friday project, you can find all of the details over at ModlyChic.


If you fancy winning four nail polishes - among other fabulous prizes - why not enter my giveaway?

Please nominate me in the "Established Fashion Blog" category

Friend Friday #48: Locational Influences

Taken from the balcony of the apartment where I stayed with friends on a trip to Paris last Spring

This week's Friend Friday topic is all about how where we live has a lot to do with how we dress.

1. What part of the world do you blog from? (feel free to be as specific or as vague as you are comfortable with.)

Cardiff Bay: taken with my gorgeous vintage Olympus OM1

Cardiff. Wales. UK. Europe.

I mention all of these as each plays its own specific role in influencing how I dress.

2. If you had to describe the overall mode of dress for where you live what would you say?

There are two faces of Cardiff: the student face which is all about hoodies, jeans and flip flops. Mainly. And the WAG-wannabe face which is all about looking good on a night out - short dresses, high heels and a lot of make-up.

And then a third which is somewhere in between.

3. Do you fit in with the status quo around you or do you break the mold?

I'm somewhere in between. I used to be a student in Cardiff and so have favoured the hoody, jeans and flip flops look in years gone by. But then I graduated and started an office job and had to find my own sense of style. I guess my style fits in pretty much anywhere as I try to buy classic pieces that will last for a while rather than lots of on trend clothes that will last only a season.

4. If you have lived or traveled to another part of the country/world did your clothing choices evolve?

I've lived in Italy and in Brussels. I guess that by developing a style that is pretty much transferable wherever I am has been a result of this travelling in my early 20s.

Of course, in the age of globalisation and the internet, it is easy to be influenced by styles and trends from 100s of 1000s of miles away.

5. If you had to describe your style by naming a specific city, what would you be?

Paris in Autumn

I'd like to think, Paris. But that's probably wishful thinking.

All I know is, I feel completely inspired every time I go to Paris and last Autumn when I was in the French capital, it seemed that every second person was carrying a Longchamp Le Pliage bag - and now, as a result, I am the proud owner of one!

Do you find yourself influenced by the place in which you live? Or somewhere else? Maybe somewhere you wish you lived?

Remember to check out the other responses to think week's Friend Friday topic, over at ModlyChic. You can also find more information on how to get involved over on Katy's blog too.

Please nominate me in the "Established Fashion Blog" category

Visual Friend Friday: Where I Blog

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This is where I wish I blogged from. A beautifully organised workspace all of my own. When I saw this in last week's The Simply Luxurious Life's weekly newsletter, I fell in love (if you can fall in love with a desk!!).

We are currently in the process of house hunting to buy our first house. It is a long and slow process as we work out what we want from our first house and then work out the reality of what we can afford to want. Personally, I would like a little corner where I can set up a desk properly for my blogging. However we currently live in a rented two bedroom flat that we are fast outgrowing and so, this is where I blog:

A leather Ikea sofa in the living room of our flat.

Of course, it doesn't have to be the desk in the first photo, I'd be equally content to sit myself down at this desk too:

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When I found out we were doing this post for FBFF this week, I went on the hunt for more workspace inspiration and I found it in abundance:

Sources, clockwise from top left: #1; #2; #3; and #4.

It seems that when I come to creating my perfect workspace in our new house, flowers and an old-fashioned typewriter are what I need to make it mine!

I'm a girl torn between a modern minimalist desk:

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And an old-fashioned higgledy piggledy desk:

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What does your workspace look like? Whether it's for blogging or any other type of work? Do you dream of how it might be?

This week's Visual Friend Friday is brought to you by Suze of MissVinylAhoy, you can pop over to her blog and see the other places the FBFF bloggers blog from. For more information on the Friend Friday project, you can visit Katy's blog, ModlyChic.

Friend Friday #47: Labels

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This is the first of the new forthnightly FBFF posts. This week Katy wrote a post about labeling and why she thinks it is detrimental. As she was casting around for a theme, B of Beautifully Invisible suggested that this be this week's topic.

1. As a someone who writes/blogs about fashion, have you placed yourself into some sort of blogging category?

I guess I call myself a "fashion blogger" but that is a label we all use, right? Otherwise, I'm not sure I really fall into a specific blogging category. I guess I write quite a general blog which doesn't really lend itself to any particular label as such.

2. What keeps you from or encourages you to label yourself as a certain kind of blogger?

I think that a lot of the time bloggers use labels for themselves when they are creating a niche for their blog. Certainly this is to be encouraged but it doesn't necessarily reflect the blogger themselves, only the niche in which they blog.


3. When picking blogs to read and follow are you drawn to ones that indicate a certain group or way of thinking/being?

I enjoy personal style blogs but more broadly than that, I suppose I enjoy blogs that showcase fashion from the high street that I can afford. I certainly don't find myself drawn to any particular "label" as I'm not sure where I fit into the labels given to fashion bloggers and therefore which would particularly interest me.

4. Do you think there are benefits in labeling yourself or others?

I think there are certainly benefits to the labeling that occurs within blogging but not within society in general. I think that, as I have already said, in blogging labels are a good way in which to define a niche.

5. Agree or Disagree - We're all just people; we don't need all the labels.

I do agree that we don't need labels, per se. But I do believe that in life we all try to "figure" people out. I think we like to put people into neat little boxes so that we know who they are. This doesn't always work. But we are all defined in some way by the things we do. And so, we are all bloggers and then this label (bloggers) gets narrowed further, to "personal style blogger" or "plus-sized blogger" or whatever. I'm not sure that these labels are necessarily to be fought against, unless you feel that our blog isn't really about whatever the label is.

What are your views? Are we right to use labels or are they just another way of stereotyping people?

Remember to check out the other responses to think week's Friend Friday topic, over at ModlyChic. You can also find more information on how to get involved over on Katy's blog too.

Friend Friday #46: uniform dressing

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This week is the very last of the weekly Friend Friday posts, after more than a year, Katy has decided to change the format to fortnightly questions. For this week's topic, Katy said:

Vahni from Grit and Glamour has a post several weeks ago in which she outlined her personal uniform or outfit formula as she dubbed it.

1. What’s your go-to outfit formula?

OFF DUTY STYLE: Skinny jeans all the way!

I have my "work uniform" and my "off-duty uniform". For work, I tend to stick with a shift dress and heeled court shoes. Simple and sleek. And, I like to think, chic! For my weekends, I like to keep my silhouette just as simple, with skinny jeans and a loose top of some description. Sometimes I veer from the tried-and-tested formulas but I usually end up going straight back again.

WORK UNIFORM: Mango dress + Spartoo heels = EASY!

2. How did you come about this formula?

Trial and error, I guess. When I started my working like about five years ago, I was in a very casual office and would often wear jeans to work but then about four years ago I started working in a much more formal environment. To start with, I wore smart trousers and shirts to work - the same thing, like a uniform, day in and day out. But the thing was, it felt like my school uniform. So when I took my current job, I decided that I needed to break away from this and create a "look" I was more comfortable with. That was the same time I discovered dresses and I have not looked back since.

3. Do you have different formulas for different occasions in your life?

Definitely. Although dresses now play a massive role in many of the formulas for dressing in my life. I find dresses make an outfit so easy to put together as they are a complete outfit in one piece. Perfect.

4. Has it morphed over the years?

As described in my response to question 2, the way in which I dress for work has certainly changed a lot in the last 4-5 years. For special occasions, it has also changed as I have upgraded my wardrobe to include many more dresses.

5. Which other blogger’s outfit formula would you like to swipe?

Garance Dore has that easy French chic appeal that comes from knowing what suits her and sticking with it. I also enjoy the simple uniform which Fleurette of Dead Fleurette showcases on her blog, like this.

Remember to check out the other responses to this week's Friend Friday over on ModlyChic - and if you fancy getting involved, you can find all of the information you need here.

Friend Friday #45: secret fashion loves



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 Of this week's topic for Friend Friday, Katy says:

"This was partly fueled by a suggestion from Suz of MissVinylAhoy and partly by my own realization that I like some odd things since I started blogging – things I never would have looked twice at before."

1. Since you began blogging do you notice a change in the types of things you gravitate towards while shopping?

I am definitely more adventurous when shopping now. Colour has mades its way into my wardrobe a lot more since I started my blog. I am also a little more careful about what I buy, since doing the 30 for 30 challenge and reading other blogs, I try to think about how new purchases will fit into my wardrobe and have a mental list of things I look for in sales.

2. Do you find, as a fashion blogger, that you dress differently from your family and friends? Do they comment on that?

I don't dress too differently to how I did before I started blogging, I guess I have just "honed" my style a little more. I remember years and years ago, my best friend told me that my style was kind of "timeless". (I think this was even when we were back in school!!) I like to think that this is still the case.

3. What’s the weirdest fashion that you secretly like, even if you aren’t bold enough to wear it?

Ankle socks and shoes. After being forced to wear socks with my shoes when I was at school by my mother, I never thought I would actually feel like I wanted to do it! I tried it out a few weeks ago - I'm still not sure how I felt about the trend on me but I still like it... secretly!
4. Looking at current trends – what would you like to try but need to build up the courage to do?

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Bold lip colour. I love the look, particularly against tanned skin but I never think it looks right on me. (As seen on the catwalk at Jil Sander, amongst others!)

5. Toot someone’s horn – what fashion blogger out there inspires you with her bold fashion choices?

Katie of What Katie Wore is always boldly dressed and fabulous at the same time! However I have to admit that the bloggers that inspire me the most aren't those who necessarily push the boundaries but those who are consistent and always chic, bloggers like V at Grit and Glamour and Veshoevius of The Taxonomy of my Wardrobe and Jazzabelle of Jazzabelle's Diary. Amongst many many others!

What trends do you wish you were bold enough to try? Which bloggers' style inspires you?

Remember to check out the other responses to think week's Friend Friday topic, over at ModlyChic. You can also find more information on how to get involved over on Katy's blog too.

Friend Friday #44: Food

This week's Last week's Friend Friday topic was food, glorious food! Katy asked us to, share the recipe to your favorite seasonal dish... the one you love to make and love to eat this time of the year. Before I headed off for my long weekend away, I didn't have time to post my recipe, so when I made it this evening I figured now would be as good a time as any to post it.

This really is a terribly easy and absolutely delicious meal to make. (Please note, it does seem to create an enormous amount of mess and washing up in a very small amount of time!! But then maybe that's just me.)

Chicken with lemon butter sauce


Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
50g plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
60g butter
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons chicken stock
20g flat leaf parsley

Method:

1. Place the chicken breasts on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to cut each one horizontally into two thin slices.

2. Put the flour onto a large plate, season with salt and pepper and mix. Coat each side of the chicken breasts with flour.

3. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a large frying pan. Place the chicken in the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until it starts to brown and is cooked through (work in batches if necessary).

4. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and keep it warm while you make the sauce.

5. Pour the lemon juice and the stock into the frying pan, scraping all the brown bits from the edges and bottom into the liquid. Bring to the boil, stirring for about 1 minute.

6. Add the chopped parsley and remaining butter and give it all a good stir to create a creamy texture.

7. Place two slices of chicken in the middle of each serving plate and drizzle over the lemon sauce.

I like to serve the chicken with salad and caramelised onions.

What is your favourite thing to make and eat at this time of year?


Remember to check out the other summer recipes over on ModlyChic - and for more information on Friend Friday.

PS:

Have you entered my giveaway to win a fabulous pair of Oasis New Vintage earrings? If not, make sure you do so right away!! You can’t win, if you don’t enter! 

AND, if you have already voted for me in the Filofax Facebook Blogger Style Off, thank you. If you haven’t voted for me yet, please do go and vote for me and will be forever grateful.

Friend Friday #43: Summer Trends

For this week's Friend Friday topic, Katy asked us: What are the top 5 Summer trends that you are looking forward to wearing this season?

You might remember we answered the same question for Spring a couple of months ago (if you don't, you can find the post here!).


My top 5 summer trends that I'm looking forward to are:


1.       Braids:

As seen on the catwalks at Alexander McQueen, Valentino and Hermès

The perfect style to keep unruly hair looking chic on holiday, at the beach!!

2.       Ballet-inspired fashion/pleated skirts:

As seen on the catwalks at Lanvin and Chloé

I adored the ballet-inspired pleated skirts that appeared on the catwalks for Summer 2011, these two options from the high street are perfect, don't you think?

Left, Mango pleated midi skirt; and right, Miss Selfridge pleated dress

3.       Coloured jeans:

You might remember I wrote about my obsession with Isabel Marant's coloured jeans earlier in the year, in this post? I am still on the hunt for the perfect pair but for now, feast your eyes on these:

Coloured jeans on the SS 2011 Isabel Marant catwalk

4.       White:

Whites on the catwalk at Dolce e Gabbana from SS 2011

These maxis from the high street make white look glamorous even on a budget:

Left, H&M maxi skirt; and right, Mango maxi dress

My only problem with white is that I am always terrified to sit down anywhere when I'm wearing it - and I always think it looks like just the thing to wear for a picnic at the park - but imagine the grass stains?!!

5.       Colour blocking:

I loved the colour blocking trend that was on so many of the catwalks for this season, from Issa to Jil Sander and Gucci to Prada. If you have been reading my blog this week, you'll know that I'm currently taking part in the Filofax Blogger Style Off and have had my own go at colour blocking! You can read my "How to... Colour Block" post and also see my final outfit for the competition. I would also be very grateful if you would please go to the Filofax Facebook page and "like" my photo. Thank you very much - in advance!

Now, let me ask you: What are the top 5 Summer trends that you are looking forward to wearing this season?


Remember to check out ModlyChic for the other responses to this week's topic and for more information on how to get involved with Friend Friday yourself.

Friend Friday #42: Packing for vacation

Sunset over the sea off Ibiza

Now that summer is in full swing and vacations are coming up, this week we're going to talk about what to pack to take on vacation:

1.      When it comes to packing for vacation what’s your mantra?


Every time it comes to packing for a holiday, I always try to pack light but somehow it never really happens. I do try to work out the outfits I plan to wear each day/evening on holiday and pack accordingly. However, I admit I usually end up over-packing and forgetting something - last summer I forgot to take any shorts with me on holiday which meant that I rather wasted all of the separate tops I brought to go with them!

2.      What are your must packs?


For summer holidays, I always have a pack of wet wipes in my bag - boring but always always useful! They also double up as face wipes if you forget them.


3.      What are you happy to leave behind?


My laptop! And my straighteners! On holiday I am far too busy sight-seeing, catching up with friends or just having fun/relaxing to be on my laptop. And as many times as I take my straighteners with me, I never end up using them, so now just I don't bother.

4.      Any packing secrets that help you get everything into one suitcase?


Try to take items that will double up - do you really need both pairs of shorts or will one be adequate? Do you need three pairs of  plastic flip flops or will you just end up wearing your one favourite pair?

5.      Beach reading… what are you taking with you to read in the sand? 


Two weeks ago when I was in Ibiza I read "I Heart New York". When I'm on holiday I like to read easy-going and light chick lit, which is exactly what this book is. It does have some wonderful descriptions of New York city which made me wish for a return visit very soon.


For further reading on this subject check out these posts:


How To Pack For A Mini Break

How To Make A Hotel Room Feel Like Home

How To Pack Light For 10 Days In The Sun


Remember to check out the other responses to this week's FBFF topic over at ModlyChic. And if you fancy being involved each week, be sure to check out all of the information here.

Friend Friday #41: Hair care

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This week's topic is aaaaall about the hair and everything to do with keeping your hair in tip top condition:




1. How often do you get your hair cut?



I try to have a hair cut every couple of months but it doesn't always seem to work out like that and it's usually something more like every three to four months.

2. Do you go to the same stylist each time, try someone new, go to the cheap hair cutting chains or live it up in a salon?


I go to the same stylist and have done for the past six years. When I lived at home my mother always sent me to the cheapest salon in town for a dry cut but once I moved to university I began to experiment by trying out some of the salons in Cardiff. In my final year I eventually found "the one": Paul at the Blew Room. I don't think I have ever had a bad hair cut from Paul - now that is something to boast, in my opinion!

3. Do you colour your hair? How often? What’s your natural colour?


Yes. I colour my hair every couple of months or so. My natural hair colour is a mid to dark brown with some red/auburn undertones. However as it is naturally quite dark, I already a good few grey hairs, so I like to cover them. I also love the way in which the colour improves the condition of my hair and makes it so gorgeously glossy. I use L'Oréal Casting Crème Gloss which is a semi-permanent colour. I always used to use Dark Chocolate but recently I have opted for Black Cherry which is a rich dark red colour.

4. The one thing you always do to keep your hair looking great is:


Colour it regularly! Whenever my hair starts to look a little dull, I grab a bottle of hair dye and my locks are looking luscious within half an hour.

5. What hair trend do you love and wish you could rock?


Every few years I decide to go short but for some reason it never quite looks right. I would ultimately love to go for a proper pixie crop and dye it platinum blonde - can you image such a wonderfully dramatic change?! Like these ladies:

Carey Muligan; Kate Winslet in Vogue; and Michelle Williams.

What style/cut/colour do you wish you could rock?


Remember to check out the other responses to this week's FBFF topic over at ModlyChic. And if you fancy being involved each week, be sure to check out all of the information here.

Post Swap Friend Friday #40: Blog Pet Peeves

As I am away sunning myself and celebrating my birthday, I have asked a few of my favourite bloggers to guest post for me. Today, France of Oranges and Apples and I have swapped Friend Friday posts - so you can find my post over at Franca's blog. But before you go read mine, make sure to check out Franca's post:

Unrelated photo that came up when I searched
flickr for ‘annoying’ via here.

Hello!

This is Franca from Oranges and Apples. Emily and I are swapping posts today, for Friend Friday, where the topic is top 5 things that annoy us about blogs we read. I’m probably going to come across quite harsh, so I just wanted to say right from the off that none of the things I will be talking about will make me immediately stop reading a particular blog, and I completely understand how and why they happen, but they are things I dislike and will make it less likely that I’ll return. Please excuse any rantiness!

1. Poor grammar, spelling and quality of writing. Writing is hugely important to me and I think any blogger should make the extra effort to make sure that their writing is coherent. I generally try to proofread everything a couple of times before I post. But I appreciate that that’s not always possible and I do post some pretty rushed stuff myself sometimes. I am much less bothered by typos than by mistakes that make me think the author actually doesn’t know any better. Top 3 offenders:

• Would of instead of would have. Where did this madness start, please? It somehow seems to have become acceptable, but it is not. It makes no sense, and it’s not even any shorter. If you can’t be bothered with would have, and even would’ve is too much effort, by all means write wouldve. I use didnt and wasnt occasionally, so I won’t judge. But I will judge people for making up a completely random alternative spelling. Desist.
• Wonder/wander. The world at large (including Mr. Oranges and Apples) seems to not realise wander exist. They’re not even pronounced the same!
• Their/They’re. Obvious.

Ooops, that was quite a lot in a oner! The rest of them are shorter, I promise.

2. Poor photography. You don’t need a great camera to take good pictures, and the internet is awash with outfit photography tips and there’s plenty of easy free editing software out there. Life’s too short for badly lit blurry photos in front of cluttered backgrounds.

3. Pop ups asking me to subscribe to the blog feed before I’ve even read the page. There is nothing that will make it less likely for me to actually subscribe. Follow options should be easily accessible, but pushing yourself onto unsuspecting readers is just rude.

4. No share buttons for posts. I didn’t appreciate just how annoying not having these is until I joined twitter. It drives me mad when I want to tweet a really good blog post, and then I have to go to an URL shortener site, and shorten the link manually, then go to twitter and write the thing. Chances are I won’t bother.

5. Personal bitchiness. I don’t mind people writing about their private life, I really enjoy some highly personal blogs, and neither do I mind people complaining about things (including things people have written on blogs) and having a bit of a rant. But bringing these two together and complaining about a specific person in your life that readers don’t know is just bizarre. It feels like being cornered by a stranger at a party who feels it’s ok to just offload all their weirdness. You have no idea who they’re talking about and you know that what you’re getting only one side of the story, but no idea what they other side might be and it’s just awkward. If you must bitch about specific people, please make it generic enough for other people to relate to. Complaining about people always cancelling plans at the last minute = OK, complaining about a particular friend and how they always let you down = not so much.

And those were my top 5 annoying things! Thanks Emily for having me!

Friend Friday #39: Outside influences

A couple weeks ago we talked about our inspiration when it comes to blogging and so many people said that other fashion bloggers are a huge inspiration. But there are many other factors that influence us.


1. What magazines do you subscribe to?

A pile of just a few of my magazines!

I'm a complete magazine addict and my subscriptions are testament to that - as are the numerous piles of magazines that clutter our apartment, much to the horror of the boyf! I have a subscription to Grazia for my weekly fashion and celebrity gossip fix. My mum bought me a British Vogue subscription for Christmas - because what else do you buy a fashion blogger?! And finally, I have a further subscription to Elle UK which means that I get the special subscriber covers each month. But having these subscriptions doesn't mean that I don't go out and buy more magazines each month - sometimes, I just can't help myself!

2. Do you watch any fashion TV shows?


I love to watch Project Runway and its British counterpart, Project Catwalk - you might remember that I was lucky enough to go backstage at the catwalk show at London Fashion Week for the winner of the first series of Project Catwalk, Jasper Garvida (which you can see here and here):

Jasper Garvida directs a model in one of his creations backstage at LFW AW11

If I had Sky TV I am pretty sure that I would be glued to America's Next Top Model. But, alas, I don't, so I'm not.

3. Beyond blogs, what websites do you frequent for fashion inspiration?


I visit Vogue.co.uk - particularly for its Street Chic section. Apart from that, the other fashion websites I frequent tend to be blogs, whether they be independent fashion blogs or commercial blogs, like Topshop's blog.

4. Advertisements play a huge role in forming public opinion about a product or brand… what ads do you like and why?


I am definitely one to be influenced by adverts. Next adverts always inspire me - particularly last autumn's advertising campaign:




This is one campaign that I truly loved and even inspired me to buy the fabulous aviator jacket (I am an advertiser's dream!):

5. Do you own any fashion books?


I don't have any fashion books... yet! But I do have a ready-made wish list.


What inspires you?

Remember to check out the other responses to this week's FBFF topic over at ModlyChic. And if you fancy being involved each week, be sure to check out all of the information here.

Friend Friday #38: A Woman's Right to Shoes*

Shoes are my "thing". They always were. They always will be. So imagine my delight when this week's Friend Friday discussion was about this very subject! And then imagine my despair when I realised that I didn't have any time - due to work commitments - to write said post. But I couldn't let the opportunity to write it pass me by so I am posting it now, for your reading pleasure:

1.What is your go-to pair of shoes?

Ballet pumps. I love a beautiful pair of heels but in spite of the many pairs that fill the shoe racks around my flat, I am a flats girl. A simple pair of ballet pumps will go with anything; from jeans to dresses to skirts.

2. What goes into your shoe buying decisions?


Not much thought or rationale. Simply love. Or lust, most likely. If I find a pair of shoes I like, they will usually end up coming home with me. Of course, if any have a sale sticker on, they are definitely mine.

3. The majority of the shoes in your closet are what colour?


Probably black. As with my wardrobe, I seem to lean towards the safe neutral colour of black. However, unlike my wardrobe, I do tend to branch out a little more in my choice of footwear colour, including red, pink, yellow and blue:

4. When it comes to design shoes what are your favourite brands and why?


I don't own any designer shoes.... yet! New Look seems to have provided me with many of the shoes on my shoe racks but I confess that I am not particularly loyal to any particular brand and will choose any that takes my fancy on any given day!

5. If price wasn’t an issue, you’d own which shoe?


There are two shoes that I dream of owning:

A pair of classic Louboutin pumps

Carrie Bradshaw's blue Manolo Blahnik's

What is your dream shoe?


Remember to check out the other responses to this week's FBFF topic over at ModlyChic. And if you fancy being involved each week, be sure to check out all of the information here.



*The title of a Sex and the City episode:

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