Happy New Year

Just thought I'd say 'Hiiiiii', Happy 2016, and kick things off for a new year. Whilst I'm not really one for resolutions, if I were to make any, these would be they:

1. Walk More

I'm probably the fattest I've ever been and there's no doubt I used to get from A to B a helluva lot more in recent years on foot. I just can't be arsed lately. And since I got my new car and discovered digital radio I like being in my motor approximately....all the time.

2. Stop Whining

I'm an epic moaner. You probably noticed. It just helps me to whinge. I dunno if it comes from being British, or just being a Naturally Negative Nelly but I find it theraputic. People always think I'm looking for 'solutions' to my 'problems' but I'm not. I just love complaining.

3. Actually Learn More About Photography

I have a kinda of 'camera blindness' that basically means I just point my lens at something and hope it focuses and ends up looking nice. I find ISOs and apertures and all that shit ultra-confusing. How nice would it be to actually understand a camera? (Very). To be fair to myself I never shoot on auto, but I wanna up my game severely.

4. Become A Dot Com

I've been a blogspot foreverrrrrr. I actually enjoy the lo-fi-ness of blogger, especially now everyone's blogs seem to be all singing, all dancing affairs. If I do buy a domain, I'll need help. It'll actually be the fourth time I will have payed someone for a blog make-over. (Yes! Fourth!). And maybe it'll be the moment where I'm actually finally happy with the freakin' thing. I'm resistant though. Squarespace loads super slowly, and Wordpress'll no doubt mash my swede. So, we'll see.

5. Stop Being Bitchy

Nah, ain't gonna happen.

6. Look Boys In The Eye

I avoid boys at all costs. Whilst I'm dateless and utterly, eternally single, this of course makes no sense. The thing is: I don't want boys to look me back in the eye. I don't want them to look at me at all. Because, what if (let's just be wild and reckless here for a second) one of them did actually fancy me? Well, shit. They might actually chat me up, or something weird like that. Which might lead to a date. Which might lead to a bit of, er....oh Jesus. I don't think I better look at any of them. Ever again. As you were.

7. Shred & File

Shredding and filing have got to be the two shittest tasks in the whole wide world. Consequently I dwell in mountains of paper. I even have several 'Would you like a Vogue subscription?' letters from 2011 (and probably from even before that). Need.To.Get.On.It.

8. Enjoy Instagram

Tough one this, as it feels like anything but enjoyable 99% of the time. But it should be fun, shouldn't it?

9. Buy Less Trainers

I'm addicted. I need to stop. I just always like the ones I haven't got.

10. Win A Bloglovin Award

Just kidding.

What have you resolved? Lemmie know x

Instagram Outtakes 2015

Most of my Instagrams never get shared. I either get cold feet, or I just don't think they're all that. (I know, I know- 'What the fuck is she discarding if her IG is full of the ones she's pleased with?!', you're thinking. To which I can only say- 'hearin' you, feelin' you'). This has been the year where I've had constant storage issues with my phone, so it's really quite 'lucky' that I've even got these few dribs n drabs to show. (I've basically had to hit delete more times a day than The Daily Mail has declared that someone is putting on 'a leggy display'). So let's have a quick chinwag about these ones that never made the grade.

Soho Disco

Looking at this shot now, it's not striking me as particularly rubbish. At the time I maybe thought it was just a touch too minimal (say whattt?!) and a bit like 'here's my bag, innit good?' I dunno, I just thought it needed another element.

Boyfriends Are Overrated

This tee struck a bit of a chord, what with me being the most undateable girl in the history of humankind, so I spent shit loads of time in H&M trying to get a good picture of it. I did actually post a cropped, close-up version in the end, but it tanked. Then it struck me it was probably very arrogant of me to go around declaring such things in a 'plastered-across-my-chest' kinda way and that the top was actually aimed at girls with boyfriends. Maybe. And I looked fat.

Tea And Sympathy

I took this snap with the idea of tagging 'CoffeenClothes' and trying to get a regram. (Yes!! I am that cynical/tactical/dreadful!!). Then I realised tea isn't coffee, nor does it look like coffee. And that boyfriend jeans deffo did not go with those snakey H&M mules, and also that the pic was pretty poor quality. Next.

Ballin'

I fell in love with this baseball dress in And Other Stories. I hadn't seen anything else like it anywhere else, and I also thought that it might, just might, make an IG. But when I went to put it on I couldn't actually do the buttons up (hence why my grey sports bra top is showing). It had one of those placket thingies and it was just super-fiddly. Plus, it was hot and the queue of people waiting to get into the changing room was epic,  and in the end I took this one frame then gave up and went to get a smoothie from The Good Life Eatery.

Mr Blue Sky

Remember that one, random, amazingly hot Saturday in September? It was 30 degrees and I was hanging out with my sis on the balcony of her new flat. We just had the nicest time- chatting and bitching- and just generally doing what sisters do. I reallllly wanted to post this shot but in the end I didn't have the balls. I actually like a priddy sky pic or a lush sunset, but bailing seemed like the best option at the time.

Les Culottes

I loved these Topshop denim culottes which made an appearance in the sale at only fifteen quid. Sold! But coz I don't have a decent mirror at home I hung around for ages trying to get a good snap of them to throw onto IG. Whilst I was there making a tit of myself, Faye Ripley the actress, and her daughter wandered into the next changing room and I was utterly distracted ear-wigging on their whole conversation. This one never made it coz again I thought it was a) a touch boring and b) I looked fat.

Cos You Like It

I found myself in Cos one Saturday for a bit of a try-on, as you do. For the fashion-blogger, an Instagram of you in the Cos changing-room is an absolute rite-of-passage. Again, I spent forever in there, sitting down, standing-up, flinging my hair hither and thither, all to no avail. I literally cannot do good selfies and I should probably give up.

Heart Eyes, As Per

I bought these Adidas Racer Lites primarily because I fancied the bloke who served me. He was mixed-race, covered in tattoos and didn't seem utterly repulsed when he asked me what I was doing that evening and I said I was going to see 1D at the O2. Even if he was pretending, props to him for that. I actually really love these sneaks but they are deffo a 'summer trainer' (being all fabriquey and perforated as they are), and they actually went in the sale on at least half a dozen websites the week after I purchased. Gun Emoji. Anyroad. I took a couple of frames of them for IG, and one flatlay worked quite well so I went with that. (It didn't bomb, just so you have full disclosure). This pic was a close runner-up though. And if anyone has any clue who the hot Brummie bloke is who works at Size on Carnaby Street let me know :)

Block Party

It started- as so many things do- with Phoebe Philo. Céline's block-heeled ballet pump kicked off a fashion frenzy for the 'ugly shoe'. They were, and are- utterly spectack (but very uncomfortable appaz). Then the dupes started appearing. First up, Uterque leapt in with a silver version (can't find 'em online, but Oh-Lord-Have-Mercy these are sick). I was actually ready to purchase, but then Cos came hot on their heels (see what I did there) with their grey suede version. My main problem (with both of these) was that I hate shopping online, particularly for shoes. By the time I'd got my ass down to Cos my size had sold out. (That didn't stop me droopily mooching round the shop like Olive Oyl in the one size they did have left- a 40). I could tell they were soft, and ledge and I was completely heartbroken. Then imagine my delight when Topshop hit us with this block-heeled hottie. Sadly, the grey had again sold out in my size, so I went with the black (last pair at Oxford Circus as it goes) and they are seriously amaze. I can't tell you how soft they are, or just quite how much I feel the cat's freakin' whiskers in 'em. I just need a helluva lot more frayed jeans in my life to partner up with these babies. Does this shoe leave you cold? Or are you embracing the whole granny-chic thing? Tell all fash-heads x

Shoes- Topshop//Jeans- Topshop

Watch Me

A while back I bought a freakin' brilliant watch from ASOS. It had a leather strap, looked clean and simple and kept time amazingly well. Plus, it was as cheap as. (Five ticks, basically). But I've Grammed it and worn it to death, so boredom (and Black Friday) naturally led me to buying some new wrist candy. Enter stage-left...the black-faced watch. Now this little cracker hasn't got a leather strap so it's not as comfy, but who cares when it looks this good? If Larsson & Jennings, Daniel Wellington, Cluse, Triwa, Nixon, Shore Projects, The Fifth, Fjord, Deon Dane, Christian Paul, Marc Bale, Kapten (and all the other amazing watch brands out there) are not in your budget or they completely ignore the fact that you're an amazing blogger (cough cough) then look no further than ASOS. What's your fave watch ATM? *See what I did there.

Watch- ASOS//Bangle- ASOS//Jumper- Zara//Jeans- Zara

Christmas Came Early

Ain't gonna lie, I love a bit of self-gifting. In fact, most of my Black Friday purchases were for me myself and I- including this beaut- the Olympus Pen E-PL7. (I'm not a complete weasel though, I do completely trip off giving prezzies to other people too. Just sayin'). So, there I was at midnight last Thursday, all ready to leap into the cheapest deal I could find. My criteria were 1) I wanted to buy from a reputable site, and  2) I didn't wanna pay over £300. You've probably seen the cream version of this camera errrywhere recently, and I although I think it's sicker than yer average, I kinda wanted to go black and silver. Something in my head is telling me is has more aesthetic longevity. We'll see. By ten past twelve the purchase had happened and I was feeling a bit buzzed and a bit sick. I had to watch QVC for half an hour to try and calm the F down. (That actually didn't work as they were selling some amazingly cute Lenovo lappie for silly money and I really wanted to buy that too). So far, I haven't had a single minute to play with this baby. I haven't even charged the battery. And I know it'll probably take me all Christmas to figure out how to work it, but I'm psyched to try.

Do you own a Pen? Do you wanna own a Pen? Tell all camera babes x

Olympus Pen EP-7- The London Camera Exhange//Card- Design Letters//Plant- Ikea