It Must Have Been Love

For as long as I can remember, I've been dying to get my hands on a brown polka dot dress, just like the infamous frock Julia Roberts wore to the races in Pretty Woman. Show me a woman who didn't want that dress at one time or another!

This Summer I finally found my perfect brown polka dot dress; a swing dress by Lindy Bop, which I was able to snap up with some birthday money back in July. The fabric was far too thick and heavy for Summer, so I've had to wait until now to wear it, but it was definitely worth the wait.

The dress is beautiful, the quality is amazing, and it's so comfortable to wear. I feel great in it! The only way this dress could be better is if it was custom made to my measurements, but now I'm just being greedy!

I would have loved to have styled it like Vivian, but I don't own a boater hat, thick brown waist belt, or white shoes, and I've not owned a pair of white gloves since my first communion in 1992, so that was never going to happen. It also wouldn't have been very 'me'. This isn't the eighties anymore.

My first thought was to turn to some simple white pieces, since I'm lacking in colours which compliment brown. The dress came with the white belt, and I dug out an old cropped cardigan from New Look, which I think look okay together. Looking at these photos, I don't think the yellow polka dot ballet pumps or necklaces look great with the dress at all, but you win some, you lose some. I only chucked it together for a walk around the garden.

I need to invest in some black and tan shoes this Autumn (I have none!), and I'd like to hunt down some rust, mustard, and chocolate cardigans, jackets, and accessories to wear with this dress this Autumn and Winter. It's the perfect dress for AW because the fabric is about as thick as a medium-weight pair of jeans and it's lined, so it should keep me warm when it's freezing cold outside.

It's also wearable for every day, without looking ridiculously over-dressed, but it could be dressed up for a special occasion with a big tulle petticoat, heels, and some red lippy! I'd love to wear it with a petticoat every day, but I think I'd get a lot of odd glances in suburban Oxfordshire!

The Audrey dress comes in a huge selection of colours and patterns in sizes 8-26 for just £29.99! They are fantastically priced! I recently blogged about the red gingham and red polka dot Audreys in outfit posts, if you'd like to see them.

Outfit Details

Dress (inc. belt)- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // 

Shoes- New Look (Wide Fit) // Necklace- Rachel's giveaway

Sunday Favourites #101

I'm back with another batch of my favourite images and links of the week, and this week I have some great things to share with you!

In case you're wondering, I've decided to drop the name "Serendipity Sunday" for this feature. It's a name I came up with a couple of years ago and every time I write it / see it, it makes me cringe, and I've felt that way for a while. I've finally found the time to go back and rename my previous posts, and from now on it will be known simply as my "Sunday favourites"- but don't worry, the name is the only part of the feature that will change. The style of the post and content I share will remain the same!

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It wouldn't be a Sunday Favourites post without some of Sasha Unisex's work! Aren't her watercolour peonies gorgeous?

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Some adorable little joeys!

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I love the shade of this lady's hair, and her freckles are so pretty, too.

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These photos of the Aurora Borealis are stunning.

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Crissy from the Dainty Fawn has such beautiful hair and style.

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This is beautiful.

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Yes; it would work better than any painkiller! And I also wish I had health insurance! Haha!

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This is brilliant!

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This photo is stunning.

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I came across this December Manifesto on Pinterest, and I personally think that the idea would work well all year round. You could write a manifesto every month or season and feel really accomplished when you manage to cross each one off.

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I love the simplicity of this little space.

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Inspiring!

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Kaylah's embroidery is gorgeous.

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I love Keiko Lynn's blue eye make up tutorial.

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These two cute kitties are photographed all over Japan to show tourists what to expect and entice them to visit! Well, I'm sold! What about you?

Louise's Lovely Links

♥ Vicky wrote an interesting piece about unconscious fat shaming.

♥ I related to Becky's post on being an introvert. 

♥ Sammi did a round-up post of her Summer outfits. The girl has amazing style!

♥ Betty Pamper wrote about feminism and turning our little girls in to riot grrls.

♥ Leah talked about mesothelioma, a rare, preventable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

♥ Sera asked "what are style rules?"

♥ I enjoyed taking a peek at Sophia's make up storage.

♥ Things you only know if you're a fat girl on the Internet.

♥ The complications of being a fat girl and still loving fashion.

♥ Why read fashion and beauty blogs anymore? 

♥ 22 fashion infographics you need in your life

♥ The story of two little kittens that were found abandoned in the snow. Stories like this really make me hate people, but thank goodness these two kittens had a happy ending.

♥ 24 dogs who have no idea what happened. You couldn't stay mad at them for long!

♥ 28 very naughty cats being cat-shamed.

♥ These 38 abandoned places are eerily beautiful.

and finally,

♥ The 40 most breath taking abandoned places in the world.

Thanks for reading!

Ciaté Mini Mani Nail Polish Advent Calendars 2014

With just over two months to go until the countdown to Christmas officially begins, the advent calendars are already starting to appear online and in store.

British nail care brand Ciaté have launched a new advent calendar for 2014, which is sure to send any nail polish fan's heart all aflutter; The Mini Mani Manor.

Ciaté Mini Mani Manor

The beautiful packaging has been designed to look like a dolls house, and behind the twenty-four windows are seventeen mini nail colours, five exclusive textured polishes, one full size paint pot, and one set of nail transfers. Be still my heart!

It would make a lovely indulgent treat for any nail polish enthusiast, and it's practically guaranteed to keep your nails looking  their best during the entire festive season- and far in to the New Year.

The Mini Mani Manor is exclusive to Selfridges and is available in three designs, currently retailing for £49. 

A little out of your price range? Keep reading...

I've been admiring Ciaté's advent calendars each Christmas for the last few years, but with so many presents to buy leading up to Christmas, I've never been able to justify spending so much on myself during the festive season. It's been difficult to restrain myself at times because I'm a bit of a nail polish enthusiast, and Ciaté's polishes are some of the best around, so when I found what I'm about to show you, it didn't take me long to snap one up!

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The website All Beauty have some of Ciate's mini mani advent calendars from previous Christmases on sale for bargain prices starting at £16.95!

Sure, they're not the newest editions; they're not filled with up-to-date colours and new exclusives, but they're still filled with Ciaté's fantastic, high-quality nail polishes in beautiful colours.

As they're a year or two old, I'm not sure what the condition of the polishes will be, but I think if they've been stored in a cool, dry place away from too much sunlight, they should be perfectly fine. For £16.95, I decided it was worth the risk of finding out, so I purchased one of last year's calendars (number 1) the other night, saving about £33! I saved another £1 by shopping through Quidco, and the delivery was free! My order was dispatched yesterday and I'm looking forward to finding out if the nail polishes are still usable, which I'm sure they are.

I can't wait for advent to begin so I wake up to a new nail polish every day and count down to Christmas with beautiful nails!

Will you be buying a Ciaté advent calendar this year?

Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys!

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do a wish list this week, but thankfully I have my laptop back now and it no longer sounds like a washing machine on the spin cycle, so business can resume as normal! I've got my eye on so many new pieces this week, so this wish list is quite a long one..

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Lady Vintage have had a bunch of new dresses in recently. These black and purple floral dresses are all so beautiful. I'd say 1 and 4 are probably my favourites. Sizes start from an 8 and each dress goes up to a 22, with some catering up to a size 26/28. Some of Lady V's dresses also go up to a 32/34, but sadly not these four.

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Aren't these tea cups and cupcakes tea dresses amazing? I can't help thinking how cute they'd be for wearing to afternoon tea dates with girlfriends, although I'd just wear them everywhere. Sadly most sizes are already sold out, but I'm hoping they'll get restocked so I can buy one. Or both.

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Lady V have restocked some of their polka dot swing dresses, and introduced a few new colours. I can't decide which colour I like best, but I want them all! They come in sizes 8- 26/28!

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Just look at these amazing glittery heels from Irregular Choice! I don't know what is is about glittery shoes, but I've always been crazy about them. It's probably down to growing up watching The Wizard of Oz. I'd love to get my hands on a pair of the ruby red, which obviously remind me of Dorothy's slippers. I think all three colours would be perfect for festive season, which let's face it, isn't far away now.

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Lindy Bop have introduced some cute shrugs, which would be ideal for the party season, or for any special occasion that you need to dress up for. They're perfect for covering your arms, without hiding your dress or top under bulky fabric, like a cardigan or jacket. I really like the lace design.

I also love the new Tina swing dress, which would look so pretty with the lace shrug.

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These two Lindy Bop Ophelia bird print swing dresses are absolutely gorgeous. They're covered in blue tits, red cardinals, and other pretty little birds, with a leaf print in the background.

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I love the colour of these two Lindy Bop Audrey swing dresses. It's fair to say I've become a little obsessed with their Audrey frocks; the shape and style is perfect!

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I'm smitten with these two skater dresses from Dorothy Perkins. I love the colours and the patterns. I really need the navy gingham dress in my life.

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ASOS have some lovely new pieces at the moment. The ASOS Curve off-shoulder hummingbird print dress is so pretty, and the lace-sleeved jumper is gorgeous. I also love the set of fine bracelets, and the tartan hair clip would finish off so many AW outfits perfectly.

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I adore these two green satchels from River Island. I have a thing for River Island satchels and already own several, but not in mint or racing green, which are two of my favourite colours. I may have ordered these last night with some money I made selling old stuff, and a handy discount code.

The UK edition of Elle Magazine comes with a River Island gift card this month, with 20% off online or in store. I managed to save a tenner on these two bags! If you're planning to make a big RI purchase any time before October 5th, grab yourself a copy of Elle to save a few quid!

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And finally, I really like this selection of blue rose hairbands from Crown and Glory. The only problem is, I can't decide which one I love best. I'm torn between 1 and 3.

What's on your wish list this week? Which of these are your favourites?

Seasons Change But People Don't

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons to dress for. 

Sure, I adore the Summer brights, Spring pastels, light, floaty fabrics and cheerful prints of the warmer seasons, but as the nights start drawing in I always look forward to wearing the decadent jewel colours of Autumn. I think rich colours like teal, emerald, forest green, wine, raspberry, and dark magenta suit my complexion best, but mainly, I just find them all too gorgeous to resist! I'd fill my wardrobe with these colours if I could!

I've already started wearing rich colours this September, even if it is unseasonably warm and too hot to start digging out my Winter wardrobe just yet. I'll start with dresses and the winter knits can follow later!

Last week, I put this simple look together for, err... a walk around the garden. I used the garden like a hamster wheel and did a couple of laps for physio, I don't feel strong enough to stray from home on my own, but walking back and forth from the tripod for outfit photos soon adds up, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and took some photos, while I was in the garden.

I've been looking forward to wearing this beautiful skater dress since I bought it last month from Dorothy Perkins. I was drawn in by the gorgeous colour, which is somewhere between dark magenta and raspberry. I have a few dresses in this colour, and it's definitely one of my favourite colours to wear.

What I love about this dress is that it's made from textured fabric- which features a floral print- and it adds some interest to an otherwise simple skater dress. It's not too light or too heavy, and the short sleeves are perfect for transitioning in to Autumn. Or if you hate baring your upper arms but don't want to cover up with a cardi.

The dress sits just above the knee and it has some stretch, so your usual size should be fine. It retails for just £20, and if purple isn't your thing, it also comes in baby blue, black, and nude.

I wore mine with black leggings and forest green studded ankle boots. As soon as I tried on the dress for the first time, I knew the green boots would go perfectly with it. The boots were from Simply Be last Winter, but they do have the same boots in black and purple this season, in E and EEE fittings. I have these boots in three colours and they are the most comfortable ankle boots I've ever owned. 

The colour of the dress is much darker than it looks in this photo, but it was the best close up I took. I kept it in so you could see the texture.

You've seen me wearing this necklace many times before, but I love it so much I can't stop wearing it. I won it in Rachel's giveaway last year, and I've barely taken it off since!

Outfit Details

Dress- Dorothy Perkins // Boots- Simply Be // Glasses- Roxy

Leggings- New Look // Necklace- I won in Rachel's giveaway

Have you began embracing Autumn fashion yet this season? What colours do you love to wear at this time of year?