September Round Up

So that's that.
The end of September is here and so is my first monthly round up.
Overall I've had a good month.

Top 10 events:

1. Sending out save the dates for our wedding
2. My Wednesday nights in with my bestest girl, Steph.
Spice Girl's movie + Onsies + Straburst + wine = 2 happy girls!
3. Me & the Mr Moving out of our first flat we had as a couple...
4. Starting this blog!
5. Visiting Donnington Grove wedding event.
6. My future father-in-law meeting my parents.
7. Re-stocking my huge wardrobe!
8. Playing with Finn more!
9. Being able to walk further than I have for the last 5 months.
10. Starting my diet!

OOTD: Meeting the In-laws

My future Father-in-law lives in the US and only visits once, maybe twice a year if we're lucky. Some years visiting once isn't even possible.

But on Monday he stepped foot back onto the British Isles for a fortnight vacation to see friends and family.

I think I have only met him 5 times in person, but since being engaged to his youngest son, we have both made more of an effort to talk via Facebook, Skype and Whatsapp.

This weekend however was different and special because, for the first time my parent's would meet my fiancé's dad. It's one of those occasions where you feel excited, apprehensive, nervous all at the same time, just hoping they hit it off.

Of course my parents thought he was lovely, really laid back and easy to talk to and could definitely see the similarities between him and my man. I am yet to find out what he thought of my parents in return but I'm confident that he liked them too.

Today got me thinking though... what on earth do you wear when meeting your partner's parents for the first time?

It may not be the first time I have met him, but it's still always nice to make a good impression.

My advice is to make an effort, even just a small one.. try to look classy, no low cut tops or hot pants...keep those boobies covered girls! You're meeting the parents...not auditioning for a lap dancing club. You're not Katie Price.

Keep hair and make up simple and natural so they can see YOU and not your can of hairspray and a ton of eye liner. You are not Amy Winehouse either.

I mean when I was younger (lets say around 14 years old) and I met my boyfriend's parents for the first time, I was probably in a pair of bootleg jeans that were frayed around the hems, a t-shirt, trainers and some sort of hoody...Fetching. Oh did I mention the thick black eye liner, huge hooped earrings and hair slicked back into a pony tail? The word 'CHAV' springs to mind. Or Lady Sovereign. UGH.

 

But when you get to being 18+ that kind of outfit may not always be suitable.
(I'm referring to jeans and t-shirt of course. looking like a chav is never acceptable so why I chose to dress like that is beyond me.)

The last few times I have gone out for dinner, or just out anywhere with this man who will be my children's Oupa one day, I have ALWAYS been in jeans and a t-shirt! 

Here's me worriedly thinking - 'He must think I am going to walk down the aisle like that!'

UH. NOT TODAY. 

Instead I opted for something that was casual, feminine, natural... and with no jeans or t-shirts in sight!

What I'm wearing: Tassel open knit jumper - Warehouse (Utility Range), Floral Play-suit - Republic, Tan Brogues - Primark, Tan bowler bag - Asos.

(I look really tired and the picture isn't that brilliant because it was taken outside the restaurant on my fiancé's phone.)

So what did you wear the first time you met your partner's parents? Did you dress up or keep it casual?

Hailie

xo

10 Reasons Why Cheap Leggings Should Be Banned.

This is a real pet hate of mine. 

Women and girls who wear thin, cheap leggings as trousers. Yeah, okay, I have on occasion worn my leggings out with a top as if they were trousers - BUT the difference is that either my top covers my bum or I have checked that  my underwear can't be seen through them and I don't look like a sausage that's about to burst out of it's skin.

So here are the top 10 reasons why cheap leggings should just be banned:

1. They are inferior material and don't last that long. 
2. They shrink if they make it past 10 washes.
3. They go baggy at the knees after 20 minutes of being worn.
4. The baggy knees never go away so you look ridiculous wearing them.
5. They are usually worn five sizes too small by women who think it looks sexy to recreate the look of a hamster that's stuffed it's face.
   
   
   
6. They are incredibly prone to giving you a camel toe. A look that is best left to camels.
   
   
   
7. They feel cheap and nasty when you touch them on the hanger - why would you WANT to wear them!?
8. They are closer related to tights than trousers, yet some people seem to have forgotten this and wear them to job interviews, which in turn makes you look like an idiot and you will not be given the job no matter how smart you are.
9. They have started to have rhinestones, slashes, studs, animal print, etc stuck to them making them totally chav-tastic!
10. THEY ARE SEE-THROUGH! It doesn't matter if you wear 2 pairs together...you can tell you are wearing 2 pairs together because THEY ARE SEE THROUGH!

Her knickers read:

'I GET AROUND'

That's one way to get some attention...

If you are guilty of these heinous fashion crimes then get yourself to Warehouse or Zara for some decent Leggings! You get what you pay for so invest in some quality clothes!

What's your fashion pet hate?

Hailie

xo

What a Hair Raiser!

In recent years, long flowing wavy locks have been the coveted hairstyle for many women, and in a chain reaction, the sales of hair extensions went through the roof.

But after years of straightening and not wanting to pay a fortune for a trim, many of us just do not have hair that is really worth growing out to start with. 

When I was at college studying a National Certificate in Hairdressing, I noticed that not one girl out of the 14 in my class actually had nice hair upon inspection - my self included.

Imagine if you will a variety of styles, lengths and colours on a variety of girls with a variety of backgrounds all sharing the frizzy, over processed, brillo-pad, tell-tale signs of neglected hair... training to make YOURS look nice.

Would I really trust someone with horrible hair touch mine with the promise I'll look gorgeous at the end? Hell no! And you shouldn't even consider it either!

It made me think twice about what I was doing to my own hair day in, day out - and the effect it would have on my image as a professional.

So I listened intently at every hair science lesson we had, taking into account the genetic make up of each hair follicle and strand and how you must love each and every one. I watched and learnt how to comb and brush hair the CORRECT way and the environmental factors that ultimately ruin your tresses.

I learnt that out there, a lot of women - and men - suffer with far worse hair related problems, than my fluffy wavy hair I had been complaining about since I was 12 years old. So what if it got a little frizzy in the rain? At least I didn't have alopecia, or trichotillomania, or hypertrichosis.

I had a full head of medium thickness, wavy hair, and a lot of it. I had gorgeous hair as a child, so why did I feel in my teens I needed to alter that?

Now don't get me wrong, after learning all that wonderful information and advice I still thought I knew my own hair best and that those 'rules' did not apply to me. In fact I still curled and straightened my hair every day and I still bleached and coloured it at every opportunity - until chunks started to SNAP OFF when I was washing my hair.

I hadn't had a decent hair cut in months, resulting in my fringe splitting and snapping off and chunks of the rest of my hair following suit...I loved my blonde hair but my hair did not love being blonde...

I dyed it about a week after these photos were taken to a reddy brown colour and found i didn't need to dye my hair no where as often.

Over those next two years I still didn't listen to my own advice and carried on down the same road with the same results...making it 3 years that my hair had stayed the same length because it was so neglected it refused to grown any longer.

 So just 2 days before my 20th birthday, I chopped all my hair off into a chin skimming bob - and I loved it! Not only did it feel better, I felt sexy and I looked my age for The first time in a long time!

Okay, after that:

I left my hair to grow out for 18 months without dying it, 

I gave up straighteners for Lent,

 I shaved the side of my head,

 I went back to dying it for a while - but not like I used to, 

I let my hair air-dry more often,

 I cut it short again, 

then grew it out again,

 I bleached my fringe,

 then cut it short again,

 coloured over the bleach, 

cut it short again,

 coloured it again,

 Got Engaged so started growing it out, 

cut it short again, 

coloured it red, 

stripped out the colour beginning of this year, 

then re-coloured it a few weeks ago and that's were we are today.

My hair is as healthy as it could be, its growing, it's thick, it's had more regular hair cuts and people are starting to be jealous of my hair!

• I do conditioning treatments once a fortnight.
• I blow dry on a cool setting and straighten my hair once a week if I can be bothered, same goes for using curling tongs.
• I invested in rollers instead of using curling tongs all the time and Chopsticks instead of hair ties. 
  
   
  
  
  
• I do use a wide tooth comb to comb through my conditioner & again when my hair is wet.
• I don't rub my wet hair into a towel - I wrap the towel around it and squeeze the water out gently.
• I don't wash my hair every day - maybe once or twice a week or if I'm going out somewhere fancy I'll wash it the night before
• I do take cod liver oil tablets and drink more water than I used to.
• I do massage my scalp several times a week.
• I don't use my fingernails to lather up shampoo, I use the pads of my fingers instead in a gentle circular motion.
• I don't back-comb my hair if I can help it.
• I do use dry shampoo a lot!
• I do let my hair do it's own natural thing time to time.
• I do tie my hair into a loose plait for bed.
• I don't brush wet hair - EVER!
• I try to get regular trims (though it's more difficult with my back injury.)

What's your hair routine like? Do you follow all the rules? Do you wish you took better care of it in the past? Do you get your hairdresser to cut it with proper scissors or do you do it your self with the 'sharp' kitchen scissors?

Hailie 

xo

OOTD: Bargain Hunter

Today I had a pretty lazy day. 
All my friends are back in Basingstoke, My Fiancé is at work and my mum has just had an operation on her hand, there was nothing on TV and I can't do much unpacking by myself with a bad back.

So, I was a bit lost for things to do today... until my mum suggested a little trip into the next village to have a look around and I thought 'why not?'.
(the outskirts of Southampton City Centre are actually made up of several small villages that are right on top of each other!)

What I Wore: Black leather jacket - Warehouse, Black Camisole - H&M, Nude Bandage Skirt - By Topshop but it's an eBay Bargain, Shoes and Birdcage necklace - both Primark, Nude Feather Earrings - Matalan, Tan Leather Bowler Bag - Asos

My Dad dropped us up there while he went to the gym and mum and I had a quick look in a couple of the charity shops there...

The first one, I didn't find much in there I was willing to pay for, I know it sounds stingy but in my opinion £5 for a second hand top from Primark is excessive for a charity shop. Especially as the top probably cost less than that brand new!

So we popped into the second one and at first I was a bit disheartened that there really wasn't much in my size but I kept hunting through.

I was really happy when I came across these lovely grey tweed style shorts from H&M that looked almost new in my size! 

I tried them on and it was like they were made for me! - and at a bargain price too!

So I had another look through the rails and found this beautiful light grey blazer with mother of pearl effect buttons also in my size! It really was a lovely jacket!

So I picked it up to check the price - another bargain - but instead i notice the make.

Calvin Klein.

Yup.

Calvin Klein...in a charity shop...for just over a fiver.

So, if you thought charity shops were just a place old ladies donate their flower painted cat ornaments - you're wrong.

I have found: Hollister, Laura Ashley, Fred Perry, Ted Baker, Ralph Lauren,  French Connection, Karen Millen and GUCCI in various charity shops in the last YEAR!

(I once found a brand new French Connection top in a charity shop marked up for ONE POUND!)

And now some advice from me to you:

DON'T BE A SNOB. 

Go in and take a look in every charity shop you see, you may not find anything designer or amazing on your first visit, but the more you look, the more you find! Charity shops are a hidden gold mine for the modern fashionista whose bank balance doesn't quite match their wishlists! You don't have to shop there because you're poor or on benefits either! That's pure rubbish! 

So tell me...What's been your best bargain buy? Was it from a charity shop, thrift store, car boot sale?

Tell us as we're dying to know!

Hailie

xo

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.

'Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.' - Marilyn Monroe

Obviously, no girl has yet to conquer the world. And why? Because she obviously hasn't found the right shoes yet!

And that is the best answer any girl can give the next time someone says:
'You have a lot of shoes already - why do you need more?!'

I realised after writing my first few entries with my OOTD that it may look as though I only own one pair of shoes...and I laughed for quite a while at that thought!

In fact when I was in my 3rd & 4th years at college, my friend Rowan nicknamed me Caligula - or Kiggy for short.

Those of you who aren't so brushed up on history I'll give a quick explanation - 

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. 

The young Gaius earned the nickname Caligula (meaning "little soldier's boot" or "Little Boots".) the diminutive form of caliga.

Ok so History is done for today...back to shoes...

I have tiny size 3 Feet (UK) and back at college I managed to go 3 weeks wearing a different pair of boots every day.

That's right - at one time in my life I owned 15 pairs of boots. 

All shapes & colours! Now most of those have fallen apart, and I haven't quite got round to replacing all of them (yet!)

But I do have a pretty impressive shoe collection for someone with small feet, and lucky for you I am willing to share it - even the not so glamorous ones!

Iter Progressus!!

(Forward March!!)

 Pink Suede Gold Studs - Primark

 Teal Suede with rhinestones - Primark

 Blue & White Tiger Stripe Patent -  Asos

 Black & white houndstooth with pink platform - River Island

 Taupe Suede & Patent - New Look

 Purple Suede & Patent Platform sling Backs - Office

 Satin Strappy Bows - Brantanos

 High Heel Gem Gladiators - Aldo

 Taupe Suede & Patent Lace up Wedges - New Look

 Satin Slingbacks - New Look

 Black Suede Gold Zip Wedges - New Look

 Suede Effect Wedge Plimsoles - New Look

 Rhinestone Mesh Black Zip ups - Jane Norman

 Beige Suede Effect Buckle Ankle Boots - F&F

 White cut out Canvas Wedges - Primark

 Taupe Lace Up Calf High Boots - French Connection

 High Heel Biker Boots - My Friend's Mum gave these to me, they don't have a brand name in them

 That's All  of the 17 pairs of  high heels done... onto the Flats!

 Tan Brouges - Primark

 Chain Bow Leopard Print Ballerinas - Primark

 Black Suede effect silpper shoes - Primark

Grey Jersey Lace up pumps - George

 Brown Leather Ballerinas - George

 Iovry Beaded slipper shoes - A Boutique in a Turkish bazaar

Gold and turquoise DC - Qube 

 Red converse All stars - eBay bargain!

 Adidas Trainers - Some Sport shop! 

 Black canvas espadrilles - New Look

 Magenta T-Bar Buckle up Ballerinas - Miss Selfridge

 Lace & Bow Gem Ballerinas - TU

 Taupe Studded Slipper Shoes - A Birthday Present - New Look

 White embroidered Ballerinas - A Present from my Mum - not sure what store

 Floral Ballerinas - Same as above & sorry about the photo quality - not sure what happened there!

 Buckle up Flip flops with flowers - TU

 Brown Leather slipper shoes - Faith - they used to have these dangley things across the top but they broke off!

 White embellished zip up flip flops - George

 Gold flip flops - Primark

Knee high zip up suede, stud & tassel gladiators - Warehouse

 My Beautiful Pull out shoe rack only holds 16 pairs...

 Slouchy Weekend boots - brown ones from TU have been chewed on by a friend's chihuahua so, ultimately demoted to dog friendly shoes!

Grey ones are from primark 

 Tan cowboy boots with stars and outsize zip - eBay bargain!

 Dark brown cowboy boots - eBay bargain!

Tan cowboy/ slouch boots - eBay bargain!

Ok so here's my confession... there may be 40+ Pairs of shoes and boots there...

That's not all of my shoes and boots.... The rest are packed up somewhere in my boxes!

But I promise as soon as I dig them out, I will update you!

Anything you can't stop yourself buying? Do you have a huge shoe collection too?

Is it bad that I still want MORE!?

(Purely so I can conquer the world...)

Hailie

xo