Blood, Sweat and Heels: personal style

Saturday, 13 December 2014

Belated Blogmas Day 10: Baby It's Cold Outside

White Owl Fur Headband - Oliver Bonas £12

Vintage Fur Jacket - Canterbury Vintage Market - £60

Dogtooth Dress - Primark

Twist Lock Satchel - F&F Tescos £16

Dr Martens Boot - £90

I was definitely well prepared for Prague when it came to clothes. This was on the coldest day where it dropped to -4 degrees. I'm so happy I took my fur coat with me. I worried I'd be overdressed, but almost everyone was wearing something similar.

Teamed with my fluffy headband, my boots, multiple socks and a thermal t-shirt under my dress, I was unbelievably cosy.

I've also fallen in love with my new satchel bag. I needed something small because none of my other bags would be allowed on the plane, so I just grabbed this bag from Tescos last minute, but it's so handy and really quite stylish.

Witchy Winter Walks

Hat - Primark

Choker - Ebay

Coin Choker - Lost at Sea Jewellery

Long Lace Dress - H&M

PU Leather Jacket - Missbehaver.com

Boots - Doc Martens

Bag - Primark

Rings - Antique

Bangles - Camden

Even though it's cold outside, when the sun is shining it's hard to resist going for a stroll.

So on Saturday me and the boyfriend decided to take his Nan's boxer dog Poppy out for a walk in Wat Tyler park in Essex.

With the sun slowly setting, and bare branches all around us, the woods had a Blare Witch Project vibe about them (who are these people leaving intricately built wooden dens lying around? Stop it! It's freaky!) which was quite apt considering my witchy attire.

I saw the dress in H&M a while ago and anything black and lacy I have to have, but I'd been struggling to figure out how to style it. I loved it because it was such a statement, and I think that's what I needed to allow it to be. Keeping it simple with just a silver and black accessories helps the dress speak for itself.

I honestly think the outside world looks it's best this time of year when the Sun's shining, so if you've got time, grab a crazy dog or a friend and get out there.

Jewellery Lust : Lost at Sea

Bags, shoes, hats, scarves etc etc. Everyone has a vice when it comes to fashion. That one thing that they're addicted to and will never stop buying no matter how much they have. Well I have two: shoes and jewellery.

I've already done two Jewellery Lust posts featuring Black Tied and The Rogue and the Wolf , and with my addiction ever growing, it looks like it's going to become a regular feature, so I thought I'd explain what it's all about.

I think it's really important to support new, growing brands, and they're a great place to shop if you're looking for something a little bit different. I'm noting with the high street that you won't have to go far before you bump into someone wearing the same thing as you, and some of the products are a bit over-priced. Online brands are a great way of developing your individual style and spotting new, emerging trends whilst potentially grabbing a bargain, so each of these posts are going to focus on one particular brand.

This week, that brand is Lost at Sea Jewellery. I discovered them through Instagram (which, by the way, is a brilliant place for finding new brands), and adored their style. Selling not only jewellery, but homewares too, this is one of those brands which makes me want to fill my house with they're entire stockroom.

I mentioned in my first Jewellery Lust post that I was noticing an emerging trend in ethereal and spiritually themed jewellery. Now that was back in March and the trend is still going strong. Think hamsas, buddhas, pentagrams, semi-precious stones, cuffs, chokers and amulets.

What I really love about Lost at Sea jewellery is that their products work well with any style. I'm a bit of a grunge fiend, but at the same time I like to look feminine, and Lost at Sea jewellery helps to pull it all together.

I recently ordered their Albirio Coin Collar Necklace in both silver and gold, and I haven't stopped wearing them. They're so dramatic and are timeless statement pieces. At only £12 each I thought it was a steel, especially compared to high street prices.

I'm currently in the throws of redecorating my room, so next on the agenda is some Lost at Sea homewares. It'll be dream catcher galore!

My Liebster Award Nomination

So literally 10 minutes ago I received a Twitter notification telling me that the lovely Kiarna Lewis over at Mama's Journey to Slim 'n' Curvy had nominated me for a Liebster Award.

Since I'm pretty new to the 'blogosphere' I honestly didn't know what this meant, but after a little research I've learnt it's an award given to bloggers by bloggers. Even though I've only been blogging for 4 months, I've learnt to never underestimate the value of networking and meeting other bloggers, so I can't thank you enough Kiarna for not only knowing that my blog exists but for deeming me worthy of a nomination.

The Rules

Link back to the blogger that nominated you
Answer the 11 questions that blogger has asked you
Nominate 11 bloggers with under 200 followers and come up with 11 questions for them.
You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you
You must let your nominees know they've been nominated and provide them with a link to your post so they can learn about the award.

So now the rules are out of the way, I'm gonna get to the interesting part and answer Kiarna's questions:

What do I blog about and why?
My blog is a mixture of fashion, personal style, beauty and lifestyle. It was meant to be purely fashion based as I really knew nothing about make-up, but having received so many beauty products from brands to review, my blog has turned into a mini diary of my journey of beauty discovery. I also love experiencing new things and sharing it with other people so they can be inspired to experience things too.
What's your favourite blog post you've written?
My write ups of Graduate Fashion Week. It was my first runway event as a blogger/press member and I got to take some amazing pictures of the awesome talent that was on display, and I was so happy to be able to give the designers exposure and share what I saw with my viewers.
How often do you blog?
I try to blog two times a week at the moment, but am hoping to up it to three, when I reach the 6 month mark.
Where do you see yourself in a year's time?
I would like to have moved over to Wordpress and have improved my page design, and I'd also like to have expanded the fashion and lifestyle elements of my blog. Outside of blogging, I'd like to think I'd have a graduate/entry level job in the media or PR/Marketing.
What's your most successful blog post?
In terms of the most views, it would have to be my write up of the Cosmopolitan Superblogger Masterclass. Obviously there were a limited number of tickets, and also not all bloggers can travel from far and wide to an event like that. I was lucky enough to be able to go, and thought it would only be fair to share the vital information and advice I received with as many other bloggers as possible.
What have you learned so far about blogging?
I've already mentioned the importance of networking with other bloggers, so attending blogger events and swapping tips and ideas is crucial. I've also learnt that patience is key. Looking at some of your favourite bloggers and how many followers they have and the things they're doing can be seen as motivation to grow, but can also show that for us newbies, we have a long way to go. We're not going to get thousands of followers overnight, and the only way to prove out worth is to keep on at it and enjoy it.
Apart from blogging, what else do you do?
I also write fashion and beauty content for a variety of publications, one being LSN Media, a publication house that produces newspapers covering the three counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Do you enjoy blogging?
Oh god yes. It's the one thing that allows me to explore all my passions without any limitations, and the added bonus is that there are people out there who want to know what I have to say about the things I love.
What are your goals for the next 6 months?
To get more organized with my blogging. I want to have a timetable so that I do particular posts at the same time each month, just so there's an element of consistency to my blogging. I also want to come up with some post ideas that are unique to me.
What social media site do you like the most?
It would have to be Instagram. I think we all respond more enthusiastically to visuals rather than written words, and with a blog about fashion and beauty, images definitely shout louder. I also really enjoy creating a visual documentation of my life.
What's your dream job?
I would love for blogging to be my full-time job, but obviously this is something that is going to take a lot of time. I also love all animals, whether they're big, small, fluffy, slimy or spiny. Any job that enabled me to spend best part of my day with animals would be the all-time best job for me.

My nominations are:

1) peachjin

2)The House That Never Rests

8)Alison in Wonderland

9)My Sparkly Life

10)Style Gamblers

11)Bella La Moda