An Autumnal Mood Board

♥ My beautiful new Neosens floral Rococo ankle boots c/o Spartoo

♥ Silk roses for crafting
♥ I found this pretty cameo brooch in a local charity shop this week
♥ My lovely Juliette et Justine rose print jumperskirt

♥ Mini Lalaloopsy dolls are so adorable and have the prettiest outfits

♥ A Pokémon Eevee toy from when I was little. I never put batteries in her so I don't know if she'd work.

♥ Angelic Pretty's dreamy Chess Chocolate print

Autumn is coming and I'm finally feeling inspired by all the beautiful jewel tones in the shops. These coming months I'd also very much like to add in more juxtapositions of textures within my outfits, inspired by street style photos of the Japanese Mori (forest) Girl and Dolly Kei fashions.
Whether dainty or chunky, Autumn is also the perfect season for a particular shoe weakess of mine- the lace up ankle boot. I especially love historical looking designs and despite already owning the brown Neosens Rococo Prec boots I just couldn't resist the intriguing tapestry effect of my new floral Rococo boot. Neosens' Mazuela Nana ankle boot also perfectly combines practicality and femininity for a beautifully ornate finish with shining ornate buttons up the side.
Which trends or garments are you looking forward to wearing this Autumn?

Ladurée Larks

I had a really wonderful time in London today. Having been invited to the Dune Group press day I arranged to meet up with a lovely friend beforehand and we headed on an adventure to see the BP Portrait Award exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which offers an intriguing mix of artistic styles. Afterwards we set off in search of scrummy refreshment, and maybe it was my Macaron Towers Bodyline skirt but somehow I felt in the mood for Ladurée!
If I'm honest I've been craving the beautiful Saint-Honoré Rose pastry ever since I first tasted its creamy goodness back in March as it is simply divine, then the roasting weather called for ice tea. Meanwhile my delightful companion opted for a salad which we weren't expecting to come in such a generous portion! She also had a rose milkshake and it was extremely yummy- oh I do love Ladurée! Everything they make is both delectable and oh so photogenic.

Little Black Bag: Kate Benjamin Clutch

Kate Benjamin clutch via Accessories Direct, Autograph by Marks and Spencer dress via PDSA charity shop, Miu Miu headband, Dorothy Perkins shoes, H&M tights, Wallis cardigan.

The Little Black Dress is a wardrobe staple that can be transformed for different occasions. I was very lucky and found this one in a charity shop and it suited me so much better than anything else I'd found for the event I first wore it to, making me one very happy shopper. Since then I've worn it to a couple more occasions and I love it.
When Accessories Direct asked me to look at some images of their lovely items and tell them my favourites I was immediately drawn to this bag. I was absolutely delighted when they emailed me back and said I could have it, my first choice, to review! The clutch has that comforting squishy factor that I love but it's also smart and sharp with the very modern clasp structure. It's versatile, elegant aesthetic reminds me very much of the LBD and I'm now calling it my Little Black Bag. 
OK so it's not actually fully black but I think this just makes it more versatile to go with more dresses. Shimmering below the lovely black lace we have a beautiful subtle pale gold fabric. The fabric manipulation is also in this stiffer layer with pleating, whilst the lace sits as a soft layer on top. It's really very cleverly done and can work with modern or classic styles to lots of occasions. I'm definitely impressed when it comes to the construction and quality of this bag.
This Kate Benjamin's black lace clutch bag has the huge bonus of being rather big without being bulky. Sometimes an occasion calls for a charming evening bag but practicality calls also. I like the fact I can fit as much junk as I need in it!
I am so, so pleased with my beautiful new bag and it's one I can foresee turning to again and again. Do you have an item you keep returning to that gives you that little extra confidence for special occasions?

I couldn't resist showing you the deer friends I made during the making of this outfit post- how I love Cannock Chase!

Florrie, Pearl and a Pug

Here's a face that has appeared on my blog a few times before: the lovely Pearl Westwood of Fashion Pearls of Wisdom. I'm really happy to have met her through blogging, and in person when she offered to show me Manchester's best shops.
We met to have a catch up, shop for and plan our Fashion Week wardrobes and generally had a good giggle! Pearl is completely and utterly devoted to Vivienne Westwood and the only non Vivienne Westwood thing I can find in this outfit is her tights! Even the gloves she later put on were from her faithful VW.
My outfit likewise was very 'me' with pink and florals. Here's my outfit rundown: Scope charity shop vintage dress, George at ASDA 300 denier tights, New Look boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, Dorothy Perkins brooch on a H&M scarf, floral H&M snood and animal print purple cardigan, floral Forever 21 scarf (under snood) and Wallis coat.
You may have spotted an extra snazzy accessory in the form of the Pentax camera. I've borrowed it from college and am having fun playing with black and white film. I hope I've created some lovely images, you just never quite know how they're going to turn out! But I'll be sharing them with you as soon as they're printed.
For now I shall leave you with my favourite DSLR shot of Pearl, which oddly reminds me of one of those strange fish you find at the bottom of the ocean...

SoFeminine and the Budget Style Challenge

A little while ago I was invited to take part in a budget style challenge with SoFeminine.co.uk to come up with a fabulous fashion buy for £50 or less. I love seeking out good value, wardrobe staples so I gladly accepted.
My first idea was to find a pair of shoes. I've been wanting to add to my collection of smart and elegant shoes that are perfect for workwear. Depending on brand you'd normally expect to pay £20+ on the high street, and up to around £45 depending on store, for a nice pair of basic courts. I headed to New Look which so often comes up with the most gorgeous footwear, but my local store didn't have much variety in stock and nothing quite right for me. Dorothy Perkins shoes are usually more expensive but thanks to sale reductions I found a sophisticated pair of heels for £18. Classic shoes that make the right impression and I can walk in! I hope the colour will prove versatile too.
I hadn't been round my local shops in great depth for a while so I decided to carry on the the spirit of bargain hunting and complete an outfit. I took myself round Stafford's charity shops, which are good places to find some bargains. In the Katharine House Hospice £1 Shop I found this sweet rose print cardigan which is in really good condition. I also recalled a tea dress I'd tried on when I bought my floral top with a Peter Pan collar from Florence + Fred at Clothing at Tesco and couldn't resist going back for another look. Fortune was in my favour as it was in the sale and only £8.

Outfit foundations laid down, it was time to have fun accessorising. I'd spotted the cutest hat in the River Island sale for £3, and with it going so well with the dress it seemed rude to ignore it further. Something about wearing it makes me want to dance Charleston style.
River Island also had a couple of lovely pale pairs of tights, one plain, one floral in the sale but both in a size suitable for ladies 5'5" or less which is a good few inches shorter than myself. There are way too many black styles around for summer in most shops but New Look has some bright and beautiful colours. This red pair was only £1.50 in the sale. Simply bargainous.
I've been eyeing up the belt in Dorothy Perkins at £6 for quite some time and thought it would be sweet with my new dress. I've also gone back for the orange version which I think will go perfectly with my purple gingham Luella dress which has orange trim. How cute are those ditsy little flowers? I returned to Tesco for a heart print scarf for £5 and found a pair of pale flower earrings in Topshop for another £5.
So there you have it, a whole outfit for £47.50. I do love a good bargain.

Fueling the obsession

I went round the local charity shops today looking for objects to draw interesting still life compositions, but only managed to indulge my pearl and pastel coloured tweed addictions. The skirt was an amazing £1.50 in Oxfam, it's originally from Next and though the waist is a little big at the moment a small while on the sewing machine should fix this.
The faux pearl headband actually fits really well so hopefully no headband-ache from this pretty thing; bought brand new from the British Heart Foundation for 99p. A small while ago I entered Amy of Confessions of a Fashion Editor's blog birthday competition to complete the statement, "If I ruled the fashion world, I would..." with a somewhat long answer. OK, I actually went to bed afterwards and became vexed when I thought of more I could have said! Hmm, I think about these things too much. Anyway, I won! :) And my lovely, quirky prizes provided by Temporary:Secretary Jewelry arrived in the post today, aren't they nice!

Off to the cafe we go

An artist I'm studying for college (Edward Hopper to be precise, I like his compositions they're a bit Degas-esque, though my style is nothing like that of Mr H.) seemed to like painting people in cafes, so to do a modern take on this I've been drawing Emmy here in Starbucks. Isn't her coat a lovely colour, I love the sleeve details too, and the hat was styled by me so she looked extra ladylike for the following art work. I'm thinking of going round all the cafes in my home town, we did two today. :)

Fabulous find

A few days ago I was having a charity shop book spree- giving money to good causes and saving trees- and I could not walk past this gorgeous patterned Laura Ashley top. =D Absolute bargain and good for the environment. It's in wonderful condition and I'm already wearing it lots.

I like the way you can bring out the different colours in it depending on what you put it with.