My name is Hazel and I have a confession.
I have cheated on my 12 Piece Challenge. Sort of.
I had two items in my final 12 (a LBD and a leather jacket) that I had not yet worn. Whilst selecting my 12 pieces it was still chilly outside, to the point where I was a little worried that a chunky cardigan and a leather jacket would not be enough to keep me warm. Since then the weather has taken an unexpected, unseasonal turn towards the glorious. Which is brilliant. Unless you are limited to jeans and long sleeve t-shirts!
So, I made a decision - my LBD became a long blue maxi dress (so technically still a LBD) and the leather jacket morphed into a loose fitting sequin t-shirt.
I have cheated on my 12 Piece Challenge. Sort of.
I had two items in my final 12 (a LBD and a leather jacket) that I had not yet worn. Whilst selecting my 12 pieces it was still chilly outside, to the point where I was a little worried that a chunky cardigan and a leather jacket would not be enough to keep me warm. Since then the weather has taken an unexpected, unseasonal turn towards the glorious. Which is brilliant. Unless you are limited to jeans and long sleeve t-shirts!
So, I made a decision - my LBD became a long blue maxi dress (so technically still a LBD) and the leather jacket morphed into a loose fitting sequin t-shirt.
Day 18
Day 19
The first day of a four day weekend - very warm indeed.
A morning spent pottering in the garden, trip to Speedway and a long overdue catch up with my BF. In all a pretty fantastic day!
A morning spent pottering in the garden, trip to Speedway and a long overdue catch up with my BF. In all a pretty fantastic day!
Day 20 - HALF WAY!
I had one of those fab moments when you discover something you had long forgotten you owned... embellished clutch bag from Accessorize. Perfect with my navy stripe jumper.
Day 21 - 'The Switch'
I was so tempted to stay in my cool summer PJs today that I just knew something had to be done, I couldn't help it, the sun was shining and I needed something light and cool (and, yes, I really am THAT pale).
Day 22 - this is a leather jacket really...
This t-shirt was a firm favourite of mine last year. It's really comfortable and cool to wear and I love wearing sequins casually - the combination of sequins, flip flops and faded denim amuses me, why save them for dressing up!
Day 23
Back to work after a fabulous weekend, it felt a lot longer than just four days. OH and I seemed to pack in so much without feeling like we were running from one thing to another.
Wearing my studded sandals from Matalan again, they're fast becoming my new favourite thing...
I've had a few questions from Caroline regarding my challenge;
Are you finding that you have to do the laundry more often and planning in advance more?
Well, I am doing laundry more often, I'm just grateful that my super little washing machine knows how much I put in there and only uses the right amount of water for the size of the load. Clever little thing. The sun is helping to get everything dry quickly too!
As for planning, it's not something I've ever really been good at and as all of my tops go perfectly well with any of the jeans I don't need to plan too much. It's the accessories that change more than anything and they can be thrown on at the last minute so it's not to challenging from that point of view...
Do you think you would do a challenge like this?
Hope you all enjoy your long weekend!
Wearing my studded sandals from Matalan again, they're fast becoming my new favourite thing...
I've had a few questions from Caroline regarding my challenge;
Are you finding that you have to do the laundry more often and planning in advance more?
Well, I am doing laundry more often, I'm just grateful that my super little washing machine knows how much I put in there and only uses the right amount of water for the size of the load. Clever little thing. The sun is helping to get everything dry quickly too!
As for planning, it's not something I've ever really been good at and as all of my tops go perfectly well with any of the jeans I don't need to plan too much. It's the accessories that change more than anything and they can be thrown on at the last minute so it's not to challenging from that point of view...
Do you think you would do a challenge like this?
Hope you all enjoy your long weekend!
Sometime after a my post To Tattoo or Not To... I woke up one morning and decided 'today is the day'.
I went along to a local tattooist, Skinwear, recommend to me by a friend.
I asked and I received.
I love it.
It didn't hurt - I felt nothing more than an odd scratching sensation. The tattooist, Janey, told me that it was really going to hurt and assuming that I was having it for a guy told me 'I hope he's worth it lovely'.
It's very subtle and not many people have noticed that I even have it, but then I didn't have it for anyone else. I've always wanted a tattoo (albeit a teeny tiny one) and this seemed perfect to me. It isn't for 'a guy' - well, not entirely. It's more about me (its all about me darling!) and the journey I have been on. It is about self love, not in a narcissistic way, but as a reminder to be kind to myself. To remind myself that it is ok not to have travelled the same path as those around me. To go my own way, make my own choices.
It's been helluva journey.
I went along to a local tattooist, Skinwear, recommend to me by a friend.
I asked and I received.
I love it.
It didn't hurt - I felt nothing more than an odd scratching sensation. The tattooist, Janey, told me that it was really going to hurt and assuming that I was having it for a guy told me 'I hope he's worth it lovely'.
It's very subtle and not many people have noticed that I even have it, but then I didn't have it for anyone else. I've always wanted a tattoo (albeit a teeny tiny one) and this seemed perfect to me. It isn't for 'a guy' - well, not entirely. It's more about me (its all about me darling!) and the journey I have been on. It is about self love, not in a narcissistic way, but as a reminder to be kind to myself. To remind myself that it is ok not to have travelled the same path as those around me. To go my own way, make my own choices.
It's been helluva journey.
The challenge continues...
I'm beginning to wonder if this was such a sane idea. I am hankering after so many other items in my wardrobe, I'm not even half way though and can't wait to have free reign again!
This challenge has totally curbed my spending though (which was my ultimate goal), I figure there is no point in buying anything new if I can't wear it the moment it arrives (does anyone else insist on wearing a new item around the house the moment it crosses the threshold?).
I have to wonder how tempted I will be by the lure of a new purchase as the end of this challenge approaches?
Day 15 - a bit of a scruff!
Day 16 - Spa Day
Using a Wahanda voucher I won in a blog giveaway I had hot stone massage and an 'All About Me' facial at Ufford Park Spa today... just because. It was divine.
Day 17
It's getting hotter again! I hate to complain but with skirts, shorts and maxi dresses are off limits I'm beginning to feel sorry for myself and besides the Great British Farmer needs some precipitation. So, COME ON RAIN!So here we are - a little more up-to-date with my challenge.
I've got loads of pics from the Easter weekend to share with you in my next post... and a confession too.
The sun is shining, a sleepy bee has kept me company at my desk all morning...
(I think he was attracted to my lovely Nails Inc. Limited Edition Porchester Place nail polish, and why wouldn't he be? It's gorgeous. He did tickle a little though)
...and now I discover that I have been tagged with a Sunshine Award by Caroline and her Butterfly Brain - all this and we're on the cusp of a four day weekend too! Thank you Caroline!
The rules are:
1) Thank the person who gave you the award;
2) Write a post about it;
3) Pass it on to 12 blogs that you think really deserve it;
4) Insert the link to their blog;
5) Send them a message to tell them about it
Only a few days ago I was tagged by Sophie in Ten Things I Love. I do enjoy these sorts of things, I like to read the little known facts about bloggers and it never fails to introduce me to some new blogs to follow.
So, here is my list of 12 - apologies Ladies if you have been tagged recently.
01 A New Found Love
02 Sarah Betty UK
03 Is This Real Life 2
04 Charli...
05 little bird fashion
06 Modern Girls Guide To
07 Time Enough For Drums
08 Pop Champagne
09 Two Birds Boutique
10 Hivenn
11 A Daisy Chain Dream
12 Running In Platforms
Have a great weekend!
(I think he was attracted to my lovely Nails Inc. Limited Edition Porchester Place nail polish, and why wouldn't he be? It's gorgeous. He did tickle a little though)
...and now I discover that I have been tagged with a Sunshine Award by Caroline and her Butterfly Brain - all this and we're on the cusp of a four day weekend too! Thank you Caroline!
The rules are:
1) Thank the person who gave you the award;
2) Write a post about it;
3) Pass it on to 12 blogs that you think really deserve it;
4) Insert the link to their blog;
5) Send them a message to tell them about it
Only a few days ago I was tagged by Sophie in Ten Things I Love. I do enjoy these sorts of things, I like to read the little known facts about bloggers and it never fails to introduce me to some new blogs to follow.
So, here is my list of 12 - apologies Ladies if you have been tagged recently.
01 A New Found Love
02 Sarah Betty UK
03 Is This Real Life 2
04 Charli...
05 little bird fashion
06 Modern Girls Guide To
07 Time Enough For Drums
08 Pop Champagne
09 Two Birds Boutique
10 Hivenn
11 A Daisy Chain Dream
12 Running In Platforms
Have a great weekend!
Right, a long post today, full of photos to bring you (almost) up-to-date with my 12 Piece Challenge.
Day 8
New specs! I'm sure I am allowed these as a new purchase during my challenge - they are prescription... I'm not blind without them but I get headaches and then I get grumpy - and that's just not at all pretty.The ring was in Dorothy Perkin's sale, it's not my normal 'thing' but it spoke to me (or rather screamed 'buy me!') It just seems to work - some rings just look wrong when you put them on but not this one.
Day 9
Another warm, bright day today - so gladiator sandals, turn ups and my beloved stripe top. I really like this outfit. I like the simplicity. You know how some outfits make you feel 'just so'...?
Day 10 & 11
The warm weather continues...
Day 12
An overcast day - which can be the only explanation as to why I completely forgot take a photograph... so I wore my black skinny jeans, three stripe top and a pair of boots a bit like these, but not these...
Day 13
I wear Crocs. There I said it. But if I'm honest they aren't real Crocs, they're cheap fakes. Today I spent the entire day in the garden hence my be-croc'd feet. The rest of my outfit was befitting of my days activity - grey t-shirt and jeans, nothing too exciting.
Day 14
Hot, hot day today and for the first time I began to wonder if the weather was going to thwart my challenge. I did hanker after a long, floaty maxi or a pair of leg cooling shorts. Surely it's not cheating if I take a pair of scissors to some jeans...?The last time I wore these jelly shoes was on a beach in Zanzibar... not quite the same but it felt almost as hot! I purchased them from Very.co.uk, the first time I tried to order them they were out of stock in my size (damnandblastit!). However, I re-visited the site the next day - just in case - and managed to order a pair, after that they disappeared from the website altogether. It was meant to be.
Almost half way through the challenge...
With a love of the cute and the kitsch I have been noticing a number of these fruit themed pendants popping up here and there. Very summery and there is something to suit every purse too.
These final two really are a joy to behold... they just couldn't be any more perfectly formed. They also stock cherries, strawberries and pineapples... a fruit salad in jewellery form - delicious!
Which is your favourite? I love them all!
Just one word of warning though... don't type 'pear necklace' into Google. It's assumes that it is a typo.
which is also available in gold...
I love these enamel pendants, they look like sweeties!
These final two really are a joy to behold... they just couldn't be any more perfectly formed. They also stock cherries, strawberries and pineapples... a fruit salad in jewellery form - delicious!
Which is your favourite? I love them all!
Just one word of warning though... don't type 'pear necklace' into Google. It's assumes that it is a typo.
Day 5
Day 6
The day of the bazaar - a great success and loads of fun that raised £1,280 for a local charity. It's just a shame that someone later stole the wristbands that the charity had produced to sell. There is always one...I love this outfit and always feel fab when wearing it. The ballet pumps, from New Look, are literally going to be worn until they fall apart - I wear them with practically everything. The top was purchased from Very.co.uk last year. I have two just in case one should come a cropper!
Day 7
A day to relax (yep, I spend all my days off relaxing on a John Deere). First day of the year for flip flops but I have to be honest it is still a bit on the cool side for them really. V. cold toes indeed.Hope you all enjoy your weekend, lets hope the sun comes out again!
The Rules:
1) State who gave you this award in your post
2) State 10 things that you love
3) Tag 10 other bloggers, listing them at the end of the post, and notify them
2) State 10 things that you love
3) Tag 10 other bloggers, listing them at the end of the post, and notify them
Thanks to the lovely Sophie - Country Girl for tagging me for 10 things I love
Here goes...
And now for my ten bloggers
1. Firstly, Caroline and her Butterfly Brain to welcome her to the blogosphere and get to know her a little better.
2. The catalyst for my tattoo, Sofia - sofiasjournal
3. Pearl for her fashion pearls of wisdom
4. The lovely Sherin - HiFashion
5. dannithegirl - never wears trousers and always pays attention to the details
6. Alycia and the curious pug I love her love of lists
7. Eri at Pretty Portobello for her tales of the market and street styles (I LOVE street style pics - maybe I should have mentioned that above?)
(I feel like I am accepting an award)
8. Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks for having the best blog name ever
9. Josie with a wink and a smile - an endless source of inspiration
And finally... Big Fashionista great blog with attitude and a generous use of a pic of Paul Rudd - naked.
Here goes...
And now for my ten bloggers
1. Firstly, Caroline and her Butterfly Brain to welcome her to the blogosphere and get to know her a little better.
2. The catalyst for my tattoo, Sofia - sofiasjournal
3. Pearl for her fashion pearls of wisdom
4. The lovely Sherin - HiFashion
5. dannithegirl - never wears trousers and always pays attention to the details
6. Alycia and the curious pug I love her love of lists
7. Eri at Pretty Portobello for her tales of the market and street styles (I LOVE street style pics - maybe I should have mentioned that above?)
(I feel like I am accepting an award)
8. Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks for having the best blog name ever
9. Josie with a wink and a smile - an endless source of inspiration
And finally... Big Fashionista great blog with attitude and a generous use of a pic of Paul Rudd - naked.
My 12 Piece Challenge is now 8 days in with 32 to go. I take full responsibility for the good weather we have been having. I can safely say that the sun has been shining because I can only wear jeans until the middle of May! The dress I have included in my 12 is too short (and my legs are too pale) for me to wear without tights so my one and only non-denim item is also not suited to the heat either.
Anyway, the challenge so far...
Anyway, the challenge so far...
At the start of the challenge it was still long sleeves and jacket weather and day 2 was a grey day so I opted for a long sleeve sweater, KG wedge ankle boots and bootcut jeans - all extremities covered.
Pendant from H& M
Day 3
New Shoes - the first outing of my burgundy platform loafers from New Look. Granted it is not easy to walk across grass in them but they look fab so I carried on regardless. My studded cuff from Debenhams also had it's first outing and I loved the contrast between this and the fine knit jumper.
Day 4A sunny day is the perfect day to wear yellow but generally it is not a colour I can wear. Blue, grey and yellow stripes proved a sneaky way to get yellow into my wardrobe. I decided to be kind to my feet today in a pair of trusty brogues (£7 in the Dorothy Perkins January sales!). I did discover that this top needed to be worn with a strapless bra as the slash neck meant I had straps on show for most of the day (a pet hate of mine). Next time I will be wearing my strapless Wonderbra which is by far the best I have ever tried.
The primary reason for this challenge was to curb my spending... but ASOS, Very, Dorothy Perkins and New Look have all emailed me today with details of their sales. No one said this was going to be easy...
More pics to follow soon.
In a moment of madness...
...I decided to give up retail therapy for lent.
I hadn't been doing as well as I'd hoped - in fact I failed miserably.
So, I decided that a new wardrobe challenge was needed to stop me spending and help me focus on what I already have at my disposal. I have to say that by limiting my clothing choice for my last challenge, I had an easier time deciding what to wear and found I had to be more imaginative with what was available to me.
This time I've taken 12 items to wear for the next 40 days.
01. Bootcut jeans, Oasis
02. Black skinny jeans, ASOS
03. Distressed skinny jeans, Next
04. Stripe t-shirt, Very
05. Multi stripe t-shirt, H&M
06. Grey short sleeve t-shirt, H&M
07. Floral shirt, H&M
08. Fine knit jumper, H&M
09. Stripe fine knit jumper, Primark
10. Chunky grey belted cardigan, Very
11. Leather jacket, Very
12. LBD, Warehouse
I'm teaming these with any bags, shoes and accessories I own and hoping that the weather doesn't become unseasonably hot before my 40 days are up!
Day 1 of 40...
I wore a chain and fabric necklace that matched my t-shirt, even though it was camouflaged rather well I did have moments where I felt a little like B.A. Baracus, despite this I love it!
Have you ever tried a wardrobe challenge? What did you do and would you do it again?
Looking forward to the next 39!
...I decided to give up retail therapy for lent.
I hadn't been doing as well as I'd hoped - in fact I failed miserably.
So, I decided that a new wardrobe challenge was needed to stop me spending and help me focus on what I already have at my disposal. I have to say that by limiting my clothing choice for my last challenge, I had an easier time deciding what to wear and found I had to be more imaginative with what was available to me.
This time I've taken 12 items to wear for the next 40 days.
01. Bootcut jeans, Oasis
02. Black skinny jeans, ASOS
03. Distressed skinny jeans, Next
04. Stripe t-shirt, Very
05. Multi stripe t-shirt, H&M
06. Grey short sleeve t-shirt, H&M
07. Floral shirt, H&M
08. Fine knit jumper, H&M
09. Stripe fine knit jumper, Primark
10. Chunky grey belted cardigan, Very
11. Leather jacket, Very
12. LBD, Warehouse
I'm teaming these with any bags, shoes and accessories I own and hoping that the weather doesn't become unseasonably hot before my 40 days are up!
Day 1 of 40...
It is without doubt that I chose this pic because Socks made an appearance.
Despite the sun it was a tad chilly so the my grey wrap cardigan was the only option with a short sleeve t-shirt. I was hoping for a rather more stylish start to my challenge but the weather (and my need to be warm) triumphed over style.I wore a chain and fabric necklace that matched my t-shirt, even though it was camouflaged rather well I did have moments where I felt a little like B.A. Baracus, despite this I love it!
Have you ever tried a wardrobe challenge? What did you do and would you do it again?
Looking forward to the next 39!
Knowing that we will be moving soon I have been day dreaming about how we will evolve our house into our home.
I've discovered a number of interior blogs that fuel my thirst for inspiration, I find one, which leads me to another, to another and I devour them all!
O so D - Obsessive Compulsive Design
I drool over this site... I doubt my home will ever look this elegant but the blog captures everything I love in interiors.
Home and Harmony (simple style • peaceful living)
The same goes for this one - clean, open, light filled spaces full of classic pieces tastefully mixed with old and new. It is divine.
Camilla at Home
Ditto.
loving living small
A great source for living in small spaces. Where the others fall down this one triumphs, after all it is only the lucky few that dwell in fabulously spacious homes.
Slumber Designs
A mixture of home and fashion and the odd quote or two. This blog frequently raises a smile.
I've discovered a number of interior blogs that fuel my thirst for inspiration, I find one, which leads me to another, to another and I devour them all!
O so D - Obsessive Compulsive Design
I drool over this site... I doubt my home will ever look this elegant but the blog captures everything I love in interiors.
Home and Harmony (simple style • peaceful living)
The same goes for this one - clean, open, light filled spaces full of classic pieces tastefully mixed with old and new. It is divine.
Camilla at Home
Ditto.
loving living small
A great source for living in small spaces. Where the others fall down this one triumphs, after all it is only the lucky few that dwell in fabulously spacious homes.
Slumber Designs
A mixture of home and fashion and the odd quote or two. This blog frequently raises a smile.
If you are not acquainted with them, go take a look... I guarantee you will love them.
My wish list is long and just keeps growing, I can't wait to move in and make a start.