Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot, And Never Bought To Mind?

Oh yes, it's that time of year again: saying goodbye to the past year and welcoming in a new year with all its hope and promise. 2010 is officially over and what a year it has been! We could all harp on about the ups and downs. For me personally, there has been plenty of downs, but more importantly, this year has been a year of change - Both personally and professionally. I wont bore you with the details, think most of you probably already know, but to be honest with you, I'll be quite glad to see the back of this year - there has been some 'goods' that I will look back on and smile, but some 'bads' that I will gladly wave off into the sunset.

I've never been one for celebrating New Year - overpriced and over-done is usually my feeling, but this year I will take New Years Eve as what it is: a day. I will spend a small amount of time to reflect on the past goings on, but will also use this 'day as an excuse to let go of all that happened this year - good and bad. I will welcome 2011 with open arms, as I do every year, and look forward to the good that is coming and get ready to battle against the bad - cos lets face it, none of us will ever know what the New Year holds for us, no matter how we welcome the year in. But girls (and boys) lets look forward to whatever it has in store for us.

So come on then, who wants to share New Years Resolutions?? I know, I know, every year we all make lists of them and then by the time February comes, I tend to of lost focus... so, by putting them on here I hope it might spur me on... kinda... maybe..

• I will endeavour to read a book a month and to not buy anymore, until I finish the stack that I already own. I will make a 'wish list' instead

• I will kick-start my healthy eating and exercise campaign and learn to maintain it as a way of life. More for health reasons due to the amount of allergies and stomach complaints I have.

• I will continue to love writing: my blog and look into other forms of freelance writing - doing something I genuinely love, will fill my spare time with the great feeling of putting either pen to paper, fingers to keys and writing whats in my head..

• Travel - one that most people will have on their lists - but this could mean anywhere, both UK and overseas. It's something Ive never really done, I want to go and experience a different way of life, see different things and breathe different air. First choice place to visit: Egypt! Who's coming?

• To think positive and be happy - something I struggle with immensely, and even thought it seems like such an easy thing to do, when it's something you haven't done or been before , you soon realise just how important it is. Karma has a real habit of coming around to bite you on the ass and I believe if you dont give out happiness, you don't get it back.. so here goes

• To continue to grow my hair! Yep, a bit of a shallow one! I have never, in the whole history of my life (all soon to be 27 years of it) had hair longer than my chin. So, I am going to continue on the long and rather arduous journey of attempting to grow out my horrid asymmetric hairstyle into long luscious locks.... eeek

• To learn a new language. Not only will it help in my travels (see above) but I loved learning languages at school so cant wait to get back into it. Starting at French, Spanish second, then finish with Italian - that's enough to keep me going for a year right?!

• To go to the Theatre. I have never ever been before ( I KNOW!) so, even if I don't have anyone to go with, I'm going to see some shows... enough said!

• To laugh more, cry less and no stressing! Says it all......

I think that's all for this year... I'm pretty sure more will come out as the year progresses, but least this gives me something to aim for?! Come tell me yours!

Lastly, I have to sincerely thank all of you for making the latter half of 2010 the best year I've had - continuous support and love from you all, have made me the person that I am now. Thank you! Special thanks to the following:

The Bloggers and Twitter Friends

Jo at Cherry Sorbet and The Scoop

Zoe at Bake-a-Boo

Laura Kate at LMD Vintage

Lisa at Princess and the Pea

Alex at Alex Loves

Rosalyn at Primps and Preens

Katie at London Plinth

Ang at Edible Glitter

Amy at Wolf Whistle

Kate at Fabric of my Life

Mariana at Sketchbook

Lira at Portmanteau and dress designer

Sarah at EssBeeVee

Laura at DaisyChainDream

Catherine at CocoCestChic

Dee at Dee Andrews

Polly at ThePolly

Laura Bithell

Leanne at Leanneeef

Amy at Smeeeff

Kellie at Big Fashionista

Caz at My Stylisms

Every single member of my family - Mum, Dad and my Brother

and my very amazing friend Laura Pyke.

Thank you all for everything....

Stepping out in the Spring Colours......

Times are a changing, and Winter will, hopefully, be long gone. And in it's place will be the effervescent Spring - bounding into our lives with its frivolity, fresh hopefulness and joy. What a fab time of year! Although it is the time to start (slowly) packing away the jumpers, coats and ten million layers we've been living off and start pulling out the more flimsy clothes that had been well and truly packed away!

Now to get those wardrobes and yourself ready, here's my top tips for the colours to be seen in this Spring - Summer 2011, with some ideas on how to wear them! Lets just say 2011 is not gonna be the year to shy away from colour... any colour that is.

Colour Trend One:

Oh yes, Tangerine/Orange is making a huge zingy come back for S/S11. From the positively Fluorescent Oranges to the more lucid tangerine tones - any will do! Granted, orange is not the easiest colour to be wearing - try not to wear it when you're too heavily tanned (fake or non fake) as you could merge into one, try not to dress head-to-toe in orange as well, you could look like a big well, err, orange. But the plus's outweigh the problematic colour - Orange can give you a real 'pop when either teamed with a more neutral colour, can brighten your face and it most definitely gets you seen. This is a personal favourite of mine!

From L-R: FCUK Ankle Boots  £130, Mango Wrap Dress £44.90, Tory Burch (Net-a-porter) Maxi dress £410, Pringle of Scotland printed Shirt Dress (net-a-porter) £595, Matthew Williamson Scarf £198, DVF Della Top (Matches) £188, Illesteva Sunglasses (Matches) £155, DVF 'Love Is Life' Keyring £15

Colour Trend Two:

Pretty in Pink! One of the easiest shades of pink to wear, Fuchsia was seen all over the S/S11 catwalks and was seen heavily throughout Louis Vuitton show. The best thing about this colour is its versatility. During the day, go low-key and team with gold metallic accessories - flat sandals, thin chained bracelets, but in the evening, Fuchsia just begs to be clashed with other unsuspecting colours like turquoise, and purple.

From L-R: Thakoon Printed Silk Dress £440 (net-a-porter), Jull Sander Shorts £280, Michael Kors Plastic Watch £179, Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses £179 (Matches) Silk Zipback tunic dress £25 Topshop, Spendid Jersey Maxi Dress £87.50 (net-a-porter) Marc by Marc Jacobs Cotton Sundress £118, Lepel Bikini (asos) £24 for top £14 for bottoms.

Colour Trend Three:

*Gasp* Yep, White is alright in 2011! Givenchy relied heavily on white in their S/S11 collection and your Spring is going to be no different. Probably the hardest colour to wear, due to the fact it can drain the colour and make you appear slightly heavier than what you are. However, this being the case, does not mean you cant wear it - oh no, if you are on the slightly heavier side, choose figure skimming tunics and loose silk materials in brightest white, which give a real air of sex appeal and class. If you are a petite girl go for the irreplaceable standard skinny white jeans - but only if you are a skinny minnie. My vote is on the loose silk white shirts, mini dresses and tunics and gorgeous white pumps.

From L-R: Monica Vinader Nugget Ring £95, A.L.C Silk Skirt £680, Mulberry Dress £595 (my Wardrobe) Temperley Lace Dress £695, Lutz and Patmos Cardigan £98 (Matches) Christian Louboutin Wedges £325, Equipment Silk Sleeveless Shirt £195, MIH Jeans £145, See by Chloe Pumps £165

Colour Trend Four:

Nope, I'm not talking about getting your glow sticks out, this Neon trend is a more grown up version. A favourite colour scheme showcased by Christopher Kane, Neon is going to be huge this S/S11 Now, I'm not the biggest fan of these colours, but here are some of my favourites. If you do dare to wear, please remember, never attempt to wear any more than one item of neon, at a time. Go for minimal accessories, if any, and try going for a colour pop lipstick shade or nail colour to give this trend a real buzz. These colours will keep you going right through Spring until the end of Summer and will not date! Ideal!

From L-R: Jimmy Choo Acrylic Clutch £330, Herve Leger Dress £1362, Mara Hoffman Maxi Kaftan £231, Felix Ray Clutch £150, Tibi Silk jumpsuit £219, Lotta Stenson Tank top £63, Halston Heritage ruffle dress £255.50, Marc by Marc Jacobs Floral Silk dres £870, Rosa Cha Bikini £100, Versace Dvea Platforms £675

There you have it,  four main trends to get you started for Spring - Summer 2011. Don't go getting shy now...

Until next time....

What I wore... New Years Eve Eve.....

Dress: Next (on Sale £15!)

Tights: Tabio

Shoes: Office

Until next time..

Scribbles Views: Kipling.... Makes Exceedingly Good..... Bags

I love a good cake, but I also love a good bag. Although a 'good' bag is hard to find - a decent, durable and stylish one is usually matched with an extra large price tag! Being on the receiving end of a smaller than normal wage packet does nothing to help with me obtaining a lush bag-for-life. Don't get me wrong, I buy alot of handbags - big, small, compact or roomy. But alot of these bags are not keepers - normally only for that 'season' and wouldnt last much longer anyway....

A while ago, the very gorgeous Alex from Alex Loves had her blog birthday, and to celebrate held a series of competitions that truly did blow everyones mind! Now, never to miss the chance of winning some goodies I entered them all like a woman possessed, in the mere hope that I'd be lucky enough to win! Despite my normal bad run of luck that happens to follow me around constantly, Alex announced me and two others, winners of the Kipling bag competition. I was truly thrilled! This was the answer to all my problems. I finally could get my hands on a bag of my dreams!!

I've always loved Kipling bags, I was one of 'those' girls that would always stare into the shop window, trying not to lick the glass with want, for all the gorgeous leather goodness on show. Kipling, named after the well travelled author, are well thought of, well designed bags and well known. Trendy yet practical, upscale yet reasonably priced, durable yet daring, Kipling bags are the must-have accessories of over 35 million women in more than 60 countries. That’s some SERIOUS monkey business!

After being given the opportunity to pick a handbag of my choice by the equally lovely Lucy Cole from Kipling, I kept true to my roots and style, and decided on the Large Bagel Vintage Leather bag. It came in a choice of colours: Black Fox, Woodwinked, Purple Canvas, Grey Canvas and my choice: Brownie. I fell in love with my Brownie Bagel (That sounds yum) with its soft vintage leather, delicate shape and roomy compartment. It was ideal for me, as it fits A4 sheets, has a zipped pocket, room for my mobile phone and pens and has the most adorable coloured lining. This bag is made from super high quality Italian leather, with a relaxed slouchy style that is cool but super feminine - perfect for me.

Like a kid before Christmas, imagine my thrill having this come for me!

I have to say this bag is my new friend, a partner. It may very well be for life too...... A match made in heaven I'd say?

Thank you Kipling and Thank you Alex!

Until next time...

Scribbles Views: WishWantWear takes me to the ball...No Thanks To The Snow....

You know what happens after Christmas don't you? nope, not the annual race to the gym post-Xmas (although some of us, namely me, could use it!?) New Year is the next 'big' event. That time of year, when we plan and plan what we are going to be doing to see in the New Year and then continuously come up with the resolutions that we just aren't going to keep and we know it! But firstly, comes the big 'what do I wear' to see in this monumental event? Every year has to be better than the last: whether it be to show the object of your affection exactly what he's got or missing, the chance to glam up after gorging yourself on one too many turkey sandwiches, or even if its just a good ol' night out with the girls - what you wear is a necessity.

I have trouble deciding what to wear on a daily basis so whenever there is a 'special occasion' the first thing I tend to do is fret. I fret about my indecisiveness and then secondly I fret about not being able to find something that fits my 'ideal'. Sometimes the high street can be wishy washy and with my habit of leaving everything to the last minute, ordering online doesn't always leave me with an opportunity to find myself something that I like, fits and I get in enough time!

WishWantWear have come to my rescue - as the name suggests, I positively Wished, Wanted and got to Wear. The company WishWantWear are a new, up and coming brand who has been created by three friends who are just like you and me. They are all addicted to fashion, they all come from different spectrum's of life and yet all want the same thing - that endless wardrobe, the type that you find in a dreamworld - with miles and miles of designer gowns just waiting for you to wear! However being just like us normal girls, where the purse strings don't allow us to purchase Halston on a daily basis, they created this new site especially or us.

WishWantWear offer us mere mortals the opportunity to rent these amazing designer dresses for a mere fraction of their retail price. Unlike some similar dress rental sites, the dresses are right bang up to date, and fresh from the magazines and TV Screens and from some of the most sought after designers - DVF, Gucci, Temperley, Matthew Williamson, and Herve Leger. Lets face it, I could never in a million years have the opportunity of owning one of these items.... The concept is simple, and how you do it, is even simpler: Just log on and register with the site, pick your dress and dates needed, pay the very small price for a divine dress -they deliver when asked and Bob's your uncle: you will be the belle of the ball/club/restaurant/kitchen....
Once you have transformed and worn the dress, simple pop it back in the post, in the packet provided - all free of charge and return! Simple huh!?!?

When I was given the opportunity to trial this new site and services, I literally, JUMPED at the chance, well, more like, fell off my chair. The site itself, is seamless to use - easy and accessible, has amazing views and vast collections of the dresses available. You can either sort by size, designer and even by the date you need the dress by - I have to say, I was amazed by how well, and how easy the site is to use. The Dress graphics give you superb views of all the dresses available to you - allowing for garments to be viewed on a body frame and also in close detail. The transaction process was easy as 1-2-3 and the delivery excelled in every way - I received my parcel before 1pm on the delivery date expected! The dress itself was beautifully wrapped up in tissue paper and protected in a box - I felt little like Carrie in SATC when Mr Petrovsky presented Miss Bradshaw with the Oscar De La Renta dress.... Inside my box, was the new man in my life. I admit, it was love at first sight...Herve Leger had well and truly entered my life  

The event I needed my Herve for, was a birthday party - it was due to be an event that I was going to be surrounded by people I hadn't seen for a while and yes, I wanted to look my best - The Herve most certainly did that for me. Unfortunately, due to the ruddy snow, I never did get the chance to show this baby off... the event was cancelled and so was my opportunity to walk 'the' walk in my Herve.

Gorggeous Dress, but not-so gorgeous snow...

Despite this, I adored the dress, but mostly, I adored the WishWantWear experience and will definitely be coming back to finally get the chance to wear something beautiful - next event my 27th birthday, beginning of Feb.

Go check out WishWantWear here and get ready to have you wishes well and truly answered!

Until next time....

Christmas: The way it was...................

Well, Christmas has been and gone, and my, what a merry time it was. This year, however was slightly bitter sweet.... Like most, I go home to my parents for Christmas, and its one of the things I look forward to most about the festive season. This year was a year I was always dreading, the last Christmas in the house where I grew up.

My parents have sold 'our' house and are moving to pastures new, It makes sense since my brother and myself have moved out - there isn't really much else for them to stay here for when they're both retired - moving to Devon was and is, their dream. Spending this Christmas in the family home was so very special, to have my mum, dad and brother around me in the house where I have spent my entire life. I didn't need or want pressies this year, the only thing I wanted this year was to absorb the interior, the smells and memories of the house. It will be hard to say goodbye to the house that was all I ever knew, but 2011 Christmas will be a new experience and hopefully with all new memories to collect.

So how was your Christmas? Hope you all got spoiled rotten and ate alot! I sure as hell know I did! With mince pies, chocolates, and a big ol' turkey, I have well and truly over-indulged this year - both me and my clothes can tell you that one! Everything about 2010 Christmas has made me smile....

From all the decorations...

And the presents.....

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas..... here's to the next...