6 style struggles every girl has going into autumn...

Even though I haven’t been in education for a few years now, every time that September rolls around, I still get that dread of going back to school. Yep, summer is done and dusted for yet another year and autumn is rearing it’s head again, those awkward dilemmas of what to wear during this trasitional period appear once again.

1.) Layer it up like a Mary Berry cake

 This is especially true if you live in that there Big Smoke of London. It’s still stupidly hot on the tube due to there being about 200 people packed into a carriage about the size of a sardine tin. But the sun’s not making an appearance as often and it’s getting chillier with each day you walk to work. You wanna wear something breezy for the commute but wrap up warm for everything else. Cue you wearing more layers than a cake in the Bake Off, and you dressing and undressing more times in a day than you care to wish to.

2.) Right, so how long can you hang onto that tan you got on holiday?

You've caught a bit of the sun and now you’re feeling like a bronzed goddess from your summer holiday. The sun’s fading, but you don’t want your tan to be as well! So you do everything with all your might to stay golden while the skies turn grey. You wear loads of white to flaunt it - while you’ve still got it and everything. You invest in some of that after-sun that has a bit of fake tan in it and your bedding ends up smelling of biscuits. But in the end, you just had to do like Elsa from Frozen and just Let it Go. You’re going to be so wrapped up soon anyway, that you won’t see any skin, never mind a tan.

3.) I love and hate tights simultaneously.

As a loyal skirt wearer, they are an essential in my wardrobe as soon as those leaves start falling - I don’t know how i’d live without them! But my god, I love strutting around with bare legs. And the fact that they have to be prisoned once more by an 80-denier prison makes me so sad. Let’s also not forget that those little menaces ladder like crazy, you have to buy so many pairs that it ends up costing more than your rent, are just so unattractive. You will never feel more unattractive than the split moment you catch yourself in the mirror as your getting ready and you’ve just got your bra on, and a pair of tights pulled all the way to your bellybutton.

4.) Dust off those jackets and coats boy and girls.

Once upon a time, you could leave the house and go the whole day with just the top on your back. But those days are over my friend. Even your trusty denim jacket that goes with everything won’t even suffice now. Nop. You’re going to have to slowly step away from the jackets and infiltrate some big, snuggly coats back into your life.

5.) Better say seyonara to your sandals!

There’s no way that your little tootsies can withstand the ever declinging climates without being snuggled up in a pair of socks in the comfort of a pair of closed toe shoes. On the rare occasion you get ready in the morning and the sun’s peeking through and you think you can get away with one more appearance from your fave summer sandals, by midday you’ll realise what a grave mistake you’ve made

6.) Who knew you had such a GREAT winter wadrobe eh?!

Yes i know it’s sad to say farewell to those flirty and floaty skirts and sassy and strappy tops. But the upshot of all of this is that all of a sudden you feel like you have a completely new wardrobe to play dress up with. More jazzy jumpers, snuggly scarves and bangin’ boots that you can shake a stick at.

Until next time!

A.x

Alright there August?

August has been busy with a capital 'B', but that's not a problem when you've got bright and breezy pyjamas to chill out and recharge your batteries in. Whether they be laced with pom-poms all along the edge or printed with punchy pineapples, you're no doubt in for a lazy Sunday. 

And why so busy you ask? (you probably didn't ask that really) Well, let me tell you anyway boys and girls.
Technically at the very back end of July, but overlapping into August, one of my dearest, closest and loveliest people I know, got married.

I love a wedding. Any excuse to drink, be happy and dress up am I right? So i put on my brightest and boldest maxi dress and snazziest, metallic dancing shoes on for the big day ahead. But c'mon, we all know I can't do sensible and sophiscated all the way, hence the chill pill bag. Very on-brand.

But when I'm not crying tears of happiness over my friends saying 'I do', you won't be that suprised to know that you'll often find me in a pair of dungarees, or something with straps that I'm buckled up in.

Suede, green, chiffon, pink - it's got it all! 

See. Dungarees aren't just for 5-year-olds. Neither is Barbie - don't believe me?

For once in the UK, the summer has actually felt like, well, summer! But with the summer heat PLUS the tube, all clothes have to be floaty please.

That includes strapless pink dresses that make you feel like a pretty pig...
 
...pleated gold collutes that even MC Hammer would be jealous of, and silky flared pants that are so jazzy that you feel a bit like Princess Jazz-mine.

And if you happen to head to the beach, why not dress like a piece of Brighton rock to fit in?

or some simples stripes will do. And when I say 'simple' I mean the mullet version of the skirt word, paired with an equally as simplistic sheer, sparkly shirt with a sassy slogan. 

Even though, hot damn, it's summer in the city (5 points if you get that reference), I still like to be one with nature with cactus on a pair of prickly pants. Oh, and lace and florals? A match-made in heaven surely.

Or step into the jungle, with some leopard print - whether that be in the normal or snow variety. And you know there's fun and games don't you know? Games that belong on a Sega Megadrive, worthy of a Sega Megababe. 

At times, life gets so dreamy that you want to wear an equally as dreamy marbled shirt.

Not everything's been rosy though, but when times are tough, you put your gold crown and put your game face on like a Queen because it'll all be fine in the end. Because it always is.

Month by Numbers: broken & lifted

7 faves...

1.) One of the most important people in my life had received from pretty life-changing news, and had to have some equally as life-changing surgery. What we thought was a success and left us feeling relieved, quickly and suddenly changed and turned into heartbreak, uncertainty and a lot of waiting around. Thankfully, the NHS are amazing, as if my tiny but tough mum. I've never been so emotionally and physically drained and tired, and also so proud and happy how close and loving my family are. 

2.) Well, when it rains sometimes it really likes to fucking pour it down doesn't it? Within the same month with the absolute shit-show that happened with my mum, I had a second shit-show of a break up. Which happened pretty suddenly, pretty much out of my control and ironically, after a bit of a turning point of us as a couple. No, we weren't together for that long. No, I'm not heartbroken, just left with a bit of a heavy heart. But I don't think he or anyone but I will ever really know how much it actually took my to let my guard down and commit my feelings to someone. But I am - as I knew I will be - fine! Because, you always am in the end aren't you?

3.) And you know part of the reason I know I'll always be right as rain eventually? Because I have amazing and caring people in my life that I'm lucky enough to call my friends. Friends who know you're having a pretty fucking rubbish time that's dampened even your usual Disney-esque optimistic persona. And they send you surprise presents in the post and meet up with you with roses to keep your life rosy and remind you to be brave, even if sometimes you don't feel it.

4.) Apart from the major ups and downs, there's still the constant love and support of my amazing family and friends, who turned what could have been an August spent moping around, into a month filled with new memories that'll make me smile.

5.) I love books. No biggie, I know. But if you know how much I resented reading, you'll get what a big deal it is for me that I've tapped into my love of reading. I tend to find myself reading a lot of non-fiction from American comedians and my absolute goddess, Caitlin Moran. But I completely fell in love with the characters and story of The Rosie Project. I gasped, I rooted for them, I was invested and I whizzed through that book and was sad when I realised I'd reached the end. But never fear! The sequel, The Rosie Effect, is on it's way in the post already, and I can't wait to be obsessed once more.

6.) As much as I love London, growing up in suburbia and being from that there up North, I really bloody miss some greenery. And yeah i know, there's parks and fields upon fields in The Big Smoke as well, but it usually involves a significant amount of travel. Enter, what is essential a big-ass greenhouse filled with enough plants until your heart's content. Both in central London, if you're aching for some leaves and nature, head to The Barbican Conservatory or The Sky Garden. You can thank me later.

7.) I'm a BIG Friends fan (who isn't eh?) so, wondering around Monica's apartment discussing Nestle tollhouse recipes, singing Smelly Cat at Central Perk and flipping up the barca-loungers in Joey and Chandler's was enough to make my little fangirl heart flutter. And if that wasn't enough, with cocktails named 'Pivot', well, what more could you ask for eh? 

5 tweets...

1.) It's been the longest weekend & emotionally draining. But the Lo family assemble, get through it & ofc eat lots ❤️

2.) Recovering from laughing in stitches from a meeting where we & my editor ended up doing renditions of X Factor songs...I love my job 🎤

3.) Can retailers stop rolling out AW16 pieces already please? I'm not ready for knitwear & my legs to be prisoned by tights again, NOT YET! 🙅🏻🍂

4.) Can more commuters dance to their music? It'd make my low-key bodyrolls & subtle shoulder shimmies more acceptable💃🏻

5.) My body this morning: "Here! Have some hiccups along with your hangover so you think you could potentially vom every 5 seconds!" 😷 

3 songs...

1.) Becky Hill - False Alarm

This makes me fell all a bit emosh - especially when I'm talking to the station early in the moring - and i can't quite put my finger onto why that is. It makes me feel like anything could be round th corner and anything's possible if you just give it a chance. Ironic really, given that I got into this song during mentioned break-up, when the lyrics are all about finding someone when you didn't expect to...

2.) Tom Odell - Concrete

This song makes me feels things that I didn't know were possible by a song. It makes me feel nostalgic, a yearning, sadness, hope and almost even, dare I say it, aroused?! all at once. Oh and that build up in intensity towards the end? I don't know how you do it Mr. Odell, but hates off to you sir. 

3.) Imani Williams- Don't Need No Money 

Ok, enough of all the lovey dovey songs, with an upcoming holiday with the girls, with lots of dancing and drinks planned, a party tune and needed and this fitted the criteria perfectly. Cue the killer moves.