It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I have been so on top of organising Christmas this year that there hasn’t been much call for going into town or rushing around shops. Consequently I have missed all the seasonal sparkle & Christmas tunes. In the past week I have rectified that & now feel thoroughly festive.
Having seen the delights of both Glasgow & Edinburgh’s city centre I set to work on creating my own little joyeux noël. With the tree up, presents wrapped, lights festooned & glitter candles in abundance there was only one thing left to do, Christmas manicure!

This is the first of many festive nail
designs. I’m rather pleased with these, I hope you like them too.

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Edinburgh in all it’s illuminated splendour.

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Glasgow is also putting on a show.

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Last, but not least my xmassy home.

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You’re hot then you’re cold….

I had to take a trip into town on Thursday & was faced with my usual winter problem. Bitterly cold outside & sauna hot in all of the shops. Why can’t shops turn down their heating? They know we’ll all have coats on.
Anyway, I opted for the chunkiest,cosiest best cardigan in the world. I have been dying to try out this fluffy skirt since I bought it, but haven’t been sure what to wear with it. I tried a hard and soft thing with the leather look leggings. I also debuted my shiny patent brogues. I love the colour, but I think they make my feet look really big. What do you think?
We took the pictures at one of my favourite places in Glasgow, The Gallery of Modern Art.

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Chunky Cardi – Primark
Skirt – Primark
Top – Monsoon
Leggings – Primark
Brogues – Primark

I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter…

Saturday was one of those perfect winter days. The air was crisp, no sign of rain & cold enough to wrap up without fear of freezing your arse off. So, when my sister suggested taking her lovely Seb for a walk I jumped at the chance. I have actually been missing the Sebster, so it was nice to get a look at his handsome face. We decided to head to Pollok Country Park, which is an amazing piece of country right in th middle of the city. It’s also home to the Burrell Collection, a herd of highland cattle,Maxwell house as well as dozens of woodland walks. In short it was perfect for Seb to roam free & for us to get some cool blog photos.

This is a new look for me. I’ve always been very self conscious about leggings & worn with either skirts or tunics. This skeleton pair are crying out to have all their bones exposed, so I stepped out of my comfort zone. I mostly wanted to be comfortable and cosy for our walk. With this in mind I teemed the leggings with my Ghostbusters t-shirt (a childhood fav), layered cardigans & a scarf. My trusty sparkly boots stood me in good stead in the mucky park.

I have to say I am chuffed with these pictures. I am loving this fun casual look so much that I may well invest in some more statement leggings.

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Leggings – Asos Curve
T-shirt – New Look
Scarf – Gift
Cardigan – Primark

All within the smallest treasures…

I am led to believe that little treats can make a big difference when you feel rotten. This is a theory I am more than willing to try out. So, this week I indugled myself with some pretty bits and pieces. I wouldn’t say I’m cured, but my purchases have brought mini bursts of pleasure, which can not be a bad thing.
First up was a classic impluse buy. I was queing up in New Look to buy some christmas gifts & there it was looking all vibrant. I’ve actually wanted a matt lipstick for a while. Ever since I first clapped eyes on Lime Crimes Velveteen, matt has been on my list. Unfortunately I keep finding conflicting information on their animal ethics & so can’t in good conscience buy their rich beautiful lippy. Anyway, turns out I don’t need an premium brand as this New Look offering is really excellent & definitely cruelty free. It’s a rich slightly orangey red, which is deliciously smooth. A bargain that feels & looks great, I’m sold.

Next up is another super bargain. A delightful tartan scarf from Primark. Perhaps the cheapness of these items is actually enhancing their charm. There is something to be said for finding something you love for pocket change. Scarfs are a big part of my winter wardobe, I’m all for an extra layer of cosiness and interest. Tartan has been sadly missing from my neck attire. I am very pleased to have recitified that.

My final treasure is a Lush massage bar. Until recently I wasn’t aware that there was such a thing as massage bar, but now I am their number one fan. It’s basically a block of solid body lotion. It melts as you rub it onto your skin & has textured elements to help massage the muscles. I was capitvated by the Wiccy muscle magic. It’s a heady blend of cinnamon, peppermint, cocoa & shea butter with knobbly aduki beans for extra massage power. The smell is incredible. Although it doesn’t appear on the ingredients list, the overwhelming aroma is aniseed & it’s bliss. I have scar tissue, which seems to dry out really easily, this bar is quickly replenishing the moisture in my skin. Lush claim that the peppermint essential oils will soothe tired & achey muscles, i was dubious about this. Well colour me totally wrong, my achey limbs showed significant improvement after a good rub down. Wiccy magic indeed.

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New Look Sunset Red

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Primark

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Lush

Each of these treats cost less than £5.

Mellow yellow…

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my lovely friend Hayley who was visiting Scotland for a few days. I wanted to look good,which led to some serious wardrobe scouring. Buried at the back I found this dress. It’s quite old, but I’ve always rated it. However it was a very tight squeeze the last time i tried to wear it, hence it’s languishing behind the coats. My recent shrinkage meant that it now fits rather well & so, i donned it.

Leopard print in this shade of green is a dream for me. I love the button details & the sheer fabric. In winter I tend to teem it with a black vest & leggings, but as you can see from the picture this still allows a nice silhoutte. I paired my feminine floaty dress with the tough dm type boots for practical reasons & also because i like the contrast. I added the yellow batwing cardi for a pop of colour.

I don’t wear a lot of jewellery, but I do like a ring with a big stone. I have quite the collection of what I refer to as faux enagagement rings. This is one of my favourites. The stone is a gorgeous unusual amber. If someone offered me it whilst down on one knee, I’d probably day yes!
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Dress – H&M
Cardigan – Primark
Ring – Gift

Wishin’ and hopin’….

The festive season is almost upon us & my mind has been pondering the notion of having some fun. Along with the usual seasonal celebrations I also have some important birthdays in December including my fabulous best friend & my darling youngest sibling. My darling sister will be 30 this year & she’s having a big fabulous party. I am determined to go uber luxe for these occasions & with this in mind I have created a party wishlist. Some of these are serious contenders & others are just me dreaming.
I have had hankering for velvet for a while. I’ve always adored it, but it’s popularity has definitely waned in recent years. Wearing velevt never fails to make me feel sexy. It is so tactile & lush. This sleek navy dress screams old school glamour. I have a feeling the side gathering detail will be flattering as hell on my body. I can’t wait to try this on & hopefully strut my gorgeous stuff in it over christmas. I feel a dress this sumptious need some simple show stopping accessories, these Biba earrings certainly fit that bill. Sadly at £1750 they are likely to remain on my wish list.

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Dress – Scarlett & Jo (at Evans)

Ring – M&S

Earrings – Biba

Clutch – River Island

 

Layers do it for me especially if one or more of them are sheer. This evans dress is genuis, sparkly gold, sheer, built in cover up. Three big ticks from me. Similarly this layered Elvi top is so simple, yet striking. Elvi is actually a new find for me, so far, i am impressed.
Irregular choice are pretty much the only shoes I want on my feet & this pair are perfect in every way. They are currently sold out, but i am hoping against hope that they come back. How can anything go wrong when you have unicorns on your feet?

 

 

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Shoes – Irregular choice

Dress – Evans

Box Top – Elvi

Oil Slick Clutch – Asos

 

Faux fur seems like the obvious choice when playing the luxury bitch. Monsoon’s classic shape & colour make their take it on it a winner for me. I’ll definitely need to try before buying as coats are always a tricky fit with my boobs.
I am actually pinching myself over this Lovedrobe flapper style dress. I can’t believe it is so affordable & available in my size. A futher bonus is that this art deco type design is tailer made for a big event I have later in the year. I am snapping this one up immediatey & calling it fate.IMG_1060.JPG

Coat – Monsoon

Dress – Lovedrobe (at Evans)

 

These are my wild cards. They do not fit with my hollywood starlet theme, yet i can’t prevent myself coveting them. The shoes speak for themselves, what woman in her right mind would not want her feet adorned with these masterpieces? If anyone out there wants to have me at their beck and call those shoes are the key. The poodle clutch is so not me. I don’t go in much for cutesy or pastel. However my Mother happens to have to stunning standard poodles who would turn cruella deville into a dog person. Coco & D’artagnan have captured my heart & simultaneously opened it ip to kitch handbags.
Last but not least is another Elvi piece. Whoever thought up the ‘coatigan’ , I owe you a drink. Bright orange cosy coolness are all things i need in my wardrobe.

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Poodle Clutch – Asos

Coatigan – Elvi

Shoes – Irregular choice

 

Watch out for outfits posts as and when i get mitts on these beauties.

 

Wishing And Hoping – Dusty Springfield

 

 

 

 

Twinkle, twinkle…

Today I overcame some spectacular heartburn with the aid of some sparkly boots. I’m now convinced that all manner of things may be achieved when your feet are not only warm & dry, but also just a teeny bit twinkly. I headed out with sister to engage in some party planning & ended up having a really lovely day.

So, after buying many, many balloons & a few less avocado maki we nipped out to river for some photographs. Today’s outfit was a mixture of the old & the new. I’ve gone down two sizes, so I’m now fitting into this lacy vest, which I kind of love mainly because it makes me boobs look perky. I have always been a big fan of the stretchy mini, fling in a busy pattern & I’m sold. Last, but not least is my brand new, super cosy cardigan. It’s a tiny bit starsky & hutch, but oh man is it warm.

 

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Skirt – Primark

Vest – H&M

Cardi – Primark

Sparkly Boots – Primark

 

 

Up on the roof….

I succumbed to cabin fever on Saturday night & took a taxi into town to see a film with my wee sis. I tried my best to get dolled up, but I’m not sure I was entirely successful. Anyway, it felt good to be out .this

I opted for this amazing tassle vest. I adore the electric blue, it gives a real kick to a simple black outfit. I teamed it with this dip hem skirt & a cosy black cardi to keep out the October chill. Our shoot failed to get off the ground due to a down pour, so we headed up in the air to get some photographs. The cineworld in Glasgow is, bizarrely, the tallest cinema in the world, which makes a great back drop for cool chicks in cool dreads.

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Vest – Asos Curve

Skirt – Asos Curve

Cardigan – M&S

Shoes – JustFab

 

 

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Despite some bemused onlookers, I even managed a shimmy. Nothing beats shaking your tassles.

 

Oh & we saw ‘A walk amongst the tombstones’. It wasn’t incredibly original, but I like Liam Neeson & a thriller always pleases me. I’d say it is worth a watch.

 

 

Up on the roof  The Drifters

 

 

Oh flower of Scotland….

It’s been a sombre weekend for many of us in Scotland. I am devastated about the referendum results. I really felt that an independent Scotland was an opportunity to create a fairer society. I believe passionately in the tenants of socialism & I think the yes campaign embodied those ideals.

Disappointment at the result was compounded by the loyalist thugs taking over Glasgow’s city centre on Friday. Add to that MP’S backtracking on their election promises & I was left despondent.

Having said that, I still have hope. Yes voters remain politically engaged. SNP have around 10000 new members. Saturday saw yes voters peacefully gathering in George sq & making donations to food banks. Organisations such as we are the 45% have sprung up & are gaining huge support. It seems the dream is not over. There are like-minded people out there & they are determined to protect the vulnerable & establish a movement for a better Scotland.

So, with all this firing in my mind I felt the best way to express myself was on my nails. So, here you go my first political manicure.

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it was a cold september before the indian summer…

As promised I ventured out this week. It wasn’t the wildest of outings, but it still felt good to put on a dress & a lick of mascara. My sister I resumed out little cinema club, but first we headed to the gorgeous Blythswood sq for some blog photos.

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September is being very kind to this year, which allowed me to give this little sun dress another outing. I picked this & another similar dress up in Primark earlier this summer. I love the colour combo & the patchyworky print. I love that my boobs fit happily into this bandeau style. I often have trouble in that area with no plus size labels. I felt very cute in this dress, which can only be a good thing.

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Cinema club kicked off again with, Before I go to sleep. I read the book that it’s based on a few years ago & enjoyed it. I really liked the film; it perfectly captured the suspense of the novel. I’d recommend checking out both the book & the movie.

Finally. this week’s nail looked like this

 

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You can check out my sister’s side of the photo shoot here.

 

 

Stereophonics Indian Summer