Starry Eyed



After a night at Camden Proud, raising money for the Haiti earthquake with facepaint
(excuse the nose)

I'm starting to worry slightly about my sparkly obsession. I blogged the other day about the metallic trend and since writing an article on gold, I've been drawn to all things glittery...though I haven't quite reached the point of completely covering my face in gold foil! 

Vivienne Westwood Red Label A/W 2011 Collection

It may even overtake my love for animal print but with sparkle comes the dangerous risk of looking like a drag queen. Here's my article anyway

http://www.handbagfairy.co.uk/blog/fashion/golden-rules-to-sparkling-successfully/

Enjoy xx

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Pleats Please

H&M Pleated Black Bolero-£19.99

River Island Maxi Skirt-£35

So I finally took the plunge with a maxi skirt and am rather enjoying not seeing my legs for a bit! I love the shape this pleated, little cardigan gives and it's perfect for evening glamour as well xx

Hey, Ho, Silver Lining

Honey decided to join me so I appreciated her a little bit too

I am currently experiencing an extreme wardrobe malfunction. Unfortunately, it is more about the actual wardrobe than any styling issues, though I have, had many of those too. I literally cannot open the sliding doors! It’s infuriating when you are in a rush (if you leave things to the last minute as your’s truly does) and reaching a cardigan becomes a military operation!

On top of that, I woke up with a mixed sense of intense guilt and rebellious excitement for becoming one day overdue on my library loans (a true law-abiding geek if ever there was one). Whilst it may be the nearest I get to living on the edge, apart from crossing the road without the green man, I cannot bear the idea of disappointing the shy, mousey librarian stereotype I have in my head. A sweet, little lady who keeps having to push her glasses up her nose and classes a book as an accessory.

However, since really thinking about the title of my blog, I am learning to see the positives in situations and appreciate the little things! So whilst I may owe £1.50 and a plank of non-sliding wood separates me from my entire wardrobe, I managed to be grateful for the beauty nature brings.

We have these flowers growing in the garden at the moment; they look as if they have been made from tissue paper and are equally as delicate. They managed to bring a smile to my face quite easily but still not as much as the £30 I found in my purse did! 



It's like winning the lottery; you hear about it happening to other people; a tenner in their jeans pocket but it never happens to you. Admittedly, you would expect to find money in a purse but I still have no idea how it got in there in the first place! Not that I am complaining of course. Plus, it is definitely my purse.

In my opinion? This is someone rewarding me for staying positive because I know it is not the easiest thing to do. We'll all have issues that reach beyond clothes and having your profile picture pinned to the 'Do Not Serve' board in libraries but after the rain comes the sun right. Okay perhaps not in Britain but the rain will stop at some point and water helps the flowers grow :)

Anyway, here is me enjoying the simple pleasures in my garden and wearing what I could reach in the wardrobe.





Testing the Tartan Trousers

Despite being a quarter Scottish and loving Vivienne Westwood, I've always had an issue with anything checked. My bestfriend wears his plaid like a true lumberjack but I was just a little apprehensive to see the abundance of tartan on the Autumn/ Winter runways.



Burberry Prorsum



House of Holland





However, today I have attempted to embrace checks AND not just any checks, checked trousers-possibly my biggest fear after wasps, clowns and monobrows (I apologise to anyone sporting a single brow by the way, it really is an irrational fear).



I know exactly where my tartan trouser phobia comes from though...my mother’s wardrobe. She happens to own a pair of checked trousers, which were probably her pride and joy in the eighties but really should have stayed in that decade. The woman still chooses to wear them to walk the dog though; good on misty days when we can still see the purple and pink checks a mile off but, in ordinary light, an insult to the eyes.

Mistakenly, I allowed my mum to leave the house looking like a Scottish clown because we live in a very rural village and assumed only sheep would have to see her. I didn’t foresee the entire school Duke of Edinburgh team trekking the fields on their camping weekend! It was probably only the rucksacks full of baked beans and tent equipment which kept them from running a mile. Suffice to say she had been spotted and the purple checked trousers were noted, complete with mustard yellow jumper (from the last time around that mustard yellow was in fashion...sometime in the seventies).

I shall end this post before I get too settled in the psychiatrist’s chair and move onto the frequent waves of anxiety I have about tights sagging at the ankles.

Let me know what you think of this look. Bright colours were often paired with checks on the catwalk (take a look at House of Holland and Burberry Prorsum) but I can’t help feeling a little bit like the rejected band member of Slade.



Can you tell the difference?





Jacket-H&M-£29.99

Lace Blouse-H&M-£14.99

Trousers-River Island-£30

Pumps-Primark

You can find my latest article on checks at http://www.handbagfairy.co.uk/blog/fashion/the-plaid-parade-2/ xx

Light as a Feather

I've been making the most of not being rained on and becoming one with nature as any good hippie does.  Feathers, prints, fur, you name it, anything animal is set to be big for winter! I'm enjoying the end of summer by hiding in trees and attempting to achieve seventies boho in this Topshop feather maxi.

Topshop Multi Feather Print One Shoulder Maxi Dress-£68

Red Alert

Clockwise from top left:

Oasis Workwear Shoulder Bag-£40

Miss Selfridge Crochet Maxi Dress-£40

Topshop Burnt Orange Panel Bodycon Pencil Skirt-£28

River Island Red Tuck Stitch Belted Cardigan-£38

New Look Patent Platform Court-£27.99

Miss Selfridge Red Sleeveless Pussycat Dress-£28

Once again, I have been slogging away researching High Street pieces...ok I've been shopping, it's a hard life. It may be the fact Vogue referred to it as 'boozy colours' but I'm really quite enjoying the wine reds and burgundy on offer right now. Perfect shades for winter and won't leave you with a hangover! xx