It's been a while...

How long to be precise? I don't even want to go into it...

However, a lot has happened in the past few months! Having started university in Cardiff studying English literature, I've been faced with so many incredible opportunities both academic and social. I've begun writing for the Cardiff University magazine Quench and have had a piece featured in almost every issue- it's a lot of fun! If you fancy having a read of some of my stuff, they can be found here, here and here. I'm sure those interested would be able to find the rest by having a search around...

Now, back to the matter in hand- clothes. I have had the best luck with the sales this year. That is not an understatement. In total, I saved over £400 and yes, you can argue that I still spent money that I probably didn't need to, but when the bargains are going at that price, who can blame me?!

My best buys include Lux By Sara & Amiee Berman Grandfather Coat, Croc print leather DMs and a real leather Topshop Boutique biker jacket among many, many other things. 

Apologies for the lack of content in this post! I plan to start documenting my outfits as regularly as I used to. Unfortunately, this has to depend on how much work I get set for uni... Boo hoo... I shall leave you with a few shots from the months that I've been AWOL. 

New Years Eve- Me and the Vodka Watermelon

Halloween- I killed Minnie Mouse 

Modelling for Quitters Never Win

Modelling for Quitters Never Win

I had a great day, just to let you know...

I took this photo this morning- as it stands, the countdown is at 3 days, 4 hours and 45 minutes! I'm super excited but as I have such a short amount of time left before I leave for FL, I've been trying to see as many of my friends as possible. Today I headed into town and met up with two of my closest- it was a lovely day but as we're in England, the weather had a little something to say too. It affected my outfit choice marginally but I still think it looked fab (if I do say so myself...)! 

To cope with the constant downpours I decided on my floral print DMs- I've had them for about 18 months now and though the print is beginning to wear away (after some pretty treacherous weather in NYC last year), they're holding up well. I used to think DMs were way too chunky and down right ugly but over the last couple of years I've began a love affair with the brand; one which is likely to never end. I believe that anyone who has anything to say against Doc Martens just needs to give them a try- there are so many styles available; it's impossible that you won't find at least one pair that you like.  

Seeing as I was dressing for the weather, my shoes were the first thing I thought about which meant that the rest of my outfit spiraled from there. The best thing to team with my DMs is tights (not just tights- don't worry) so from there I decided on one of my many pairs of vintage high-waisted Levi's. I went for the plain indigo pair again as I wanted to wear a dark coloured top. The top I chose is a reworked, vintage Tom & Jerry tee from Motel. With the arms cut off to create long slits down the side, it looks great tucked in to anything high-waisted. I love the baggy, tucked in look- it's so casual but creates such a flattering outcome as the shorts cinch in at just the right point. 

To finish the outfit off, I decided on my GAP denim jacket- it's comfy, looks good and baggy enough that I can fit a lightweight black cardigan underneath for warmth in our English summertime. I really love the overall look. For me, I know I've done well when I look at my outfit and think whether or not people would be able to guess where everything was from and the answer is no. Today I feel, was a success! The fact that it was practical was a huge bonus. 

To tie in the bright colours on my boots and my top, I chose my Bobbi Brown lipstick in Cosmic Raspberry- not only does it look beautiful, but it's so long lasting too! Except when it comes to Starbucks time that is...

As I was in town, I of course did a spot of holiday shopping. I picked up some bright pink ankle grazer jeans from Topshop for only £18 (original price £38)! I said to myself as I was trying them on; "if these jeans fit I'd be an absolute idiot to turn them down"- after that and some encouragement from my friends, I left the store with a slightly lighter purse. I also found a really nice tank top by Truly Madly Deeply in Urban Outfitters- it's completely plain, purple, with huge armholes (just how I like them) and a slight pink grain. For £10 it was a complete steal and it goes perfectly with my new jeans and my high waisted Levi collection! I'll post some photos tomorrow...

A few posts ago in "Do we have any Hufflepuffs..?" I mentioned that I had found the perfect thing to customise my already customised dip dyed Levi's. Well, believe it or not, I found this patch at the Warner Brothers Studios Tour (more info in  "Do we have any Hufflepuffs..?") and though I'm personally a Hufflepuff, the colours matched so well with my shorts that I had to buy it! I couldn't resist. I'm also hoping that it helps my case in attracting Tom Felton..? What do you guys think!? I can't wait to wear them when I visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on Monday- I have a feeling they'll attract some attention!

Time for some Zzzzzzs I think- surprise surprise, I have to be up early for work, again... But, tomorrow is my last shift before I jet off to Florida! I can't wait to get it out of the way and begin preparations for Saturday properly. Sleep well everyone!

DOUBLE DENIM

As nights out go, last night was a good one! It was one of my close friend's belated 18th birthday celebrations so, despite my current financial situation, I headed out with everyone. Unfortunately, I only have one photo from the entire evening... This photo is not something to be impressed with so you'll have to rely on my incredibly well-crafted description to conjure up a sufficient mental image of my outfit!

We spent our night at Thekla- a boat come club in the centre of Bristol known for it's more casual approach to going out. I chose to wear some indigo denim high-waisted Levi's- unlike most vintage shorts, they're a great fit as they're relatively short and don't have the typically unflattering folded bottoms. Teamed with my black cropped tee from Topshop, bear legs and indigo denim jacket I was set for dancing the night away. That, and the dark colours of my outfit meant that none of the hundreds of drinks that were inevitably going to be spilt on me would be visible...  Going back to my crop top- I can't get enough of them right now. They're so versatile, in particular the range of them that Topshop have brought out. You can see here that they've covered a colour for every occasion. My favourite part about them; they look great both dressed up and dressed down.

As I just mentioned, I went for double denim. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with double denim- you just have to be prepared to look slightly 90's... Like most things, if you feel like you look good in it you most likely will! Alexa Chung always looks great, but some of the best outfits I've seen her in are when she's  pairing more than one item of denim clothing.

This is in no way my photo! 

If you were interested in seeing my superb drunk photo taking, here it is! You can also see my new earrings- they look lovely but I made the mistake in purchasing them from Claire's... My ears were burning the whole night. Never again. 

My Bobbi Brown lipstick in "Guava" is the best thing I own...

Do we have any Hufflepuffs..?

I am knackered. You aren't supposed to get up at 7am during the summer holidays, are you? Well, today I did. As you saw in my sneak preview post, I spent my day at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour- The Making of Harry Potter. Totally worth the lack of sleep! I had an amazing time; it was so incredible seeing the props, sets and especially the costumes in person.

I finally got to wear my shorts too! I teamed them with a vintage Sea World  oversize tank top (Urban Outfitters; slightly overpriced but I couldn't help myself) and my Gap denim jacket (men's, bought in the sale for £10). I felt so summery with my round Topshop sunglasses too, especially when the sun came out just as we arrived. However, I played it safe and wore tights (even if they were slightly laddered...)- such a shame it wasn't hot enough for bare legs because tights always take away from such outfits! As I knew I would be on my feet all day I opted for my beat up old Vans. Even though they're wrecked, I think that items like that add something to an outfit that you don't find from brand new clothes- no, not a tramp-ish look... Character maybe? With me, I took my H&M pleather bowling bag- I swear to you, it may as well be Mary Poppins bag, good for all occasions!

Here's a few shots of my outfit-

As I mentioned, a lot of what I enjoyed most about the studio tour was the costumes. The detail that goes into them is just incredible! I particularly love the Yule Ball costumes from the Goblet of Fire- I actually think I'd wear Hermione's dress... Or maybe not, but there's no denying that the design is beautiful. And of course, Ron's hand-me-down dress robes. The costume design team seemed to be able to make even the most unattractive outfits look fabulous. If high street stores made clothes this well, we would be replacing outfits so much less!

At lunch time (prepare to be jealous...) I had some butter beer! Okay, so it wasn't my first time trying it as I've been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando but it was definitely a treat being able to have it again, even if it does give you a major sugar rush after a few sips.

Having butter beer made me so excited to go back to Florida next week... 10 DAYS EVERYONE!

Another reason why I love Harry Potter so much (if you hadn't already guessed) is the props. There's so many different things to pick out in the films that it becomes a totally believable world. My favorites; the jewellery which once again, I'd definitely wear in real life! I particularly love Xenophilius Lovegood's Deathly Hallows necklace, it's so similar to something that you'd find in Urban Outfitters right now. They sold a replica in the gift shop for £40... I had to stop myself because as you know, funds are low right now, but once again my creativity prevailed. I found a Deathly Hallows key-ring which I plan to put onto a cheap chain or suede strap; it might not be a perfect copy, but it shall certainly do. I have a feeling it's going to look great with high waisted shorts or my new Motel maxi skirt.

Xenophilius Lovegood prop necklace...

...my (soon to be) necklace!

Besides all the cute (strangely) fashionable things that I found around the Harry Potter studios, I of course snapped the classic props that couldn't be missed. It's a slight deviation from the usual topic of my blog, but I'd love to share them with you all!

And finally...

P.S I found the PERFECT thing to customise my Levi's so watch this space!

Work, bracelets, work, shorts, work, work, work...

It's killing me that I'm working so much right now, but I desperately need the money. Wearing my uniform non-stop is seriously dull and it feels like forever since I've constructed an outfit that I've fallen in love with. Thankfully, I have two days off this week (I'm supposed to be on my summer holidays?!) as well as two nights out with my friends- hopefully they'll give me the chance to get all of the fashion tension out of my system. You can definitely expect some exciting blog posts over the next week because I'm determined to make the most of these opportunities to wear something inventive!

Since dying my shorts yesterday, I've been constantly racking my brain for what to put with them. The Topshop sale has been surprisingly good so far, in particular the jewellery so I picked up a few pieces that were half price to team with my shorts. They're just as bright as the shorts which will mean I'll have room to tone down the outfit with a plain vest. I'm so excited to put it all together- just looking at it all makes me feel summery.

I really love the cute little Mexican Day of the Dead skulls right now!

 I have a feeling my shorts and bracelets will act as great festival clothes too- only 58 days until Reading! Is anyone else heading out to some festivals over the next few months? I would love to hear what sort of outfits you'll be taking. My advice would be one pair of shorts that will last the whole weekend which can be dressed up or down and most importantly go with everything, and of course wellies. I'm also planning on buying a bum bag which will be great not only for festivals, but for my holiday to Florida too. There's so many misconceptions about bum bags (I'm the first to admit I used to be completely against them), but I've recently found some gorgeous ones over at ASOS- the only problem is the extortionate price, so I'll definitely be doing some browsing before I make my purchase.

On the subject of summer purchases, I recently bought a new pair of Hawaiian patterned Vans- they're so different to any other pairs that I've seen before! Though there's a chance that when put with my dip dyed shorts they'll look too much, I'm definitely going to try them out together at some point. It's just too tempting!

My wardrobe is undoubtedly suffering a summer overload right now- I can't wait to see if my clothes rail will still be attached when I return from Florida with $600 worth of new stuff.