I'm feeling more like my normal self today. Less tired, more energetic, and although I have to be careful not to over do it, I've been feeling the need to do more than sit around, watching crappy daytime TV (although I refused to even contemplate watching Jeremy Kyle no-matter-what).

I've been taking the time to catch up on some blog reading (on the subject of reading, can you believe I haven't picked up a book in over three weeks!?).

One post I read was by Vix, talking about how a day without dressing up is a day wasted. I've never seen anyone look so glamorous whilst buying cat food, or attending an optician appointment. But she has a point, and I've always said that a great outfit can lift your spirits and do wonders for your confidence.

I've been living in PJs and anything I can find with a high comfort factor, which ironically includes my maternity jeans. It's understandable to crave comfort over style when feeling below par, but I woke up this morning and felt like making a bit more of an effort, brushing my hair and even popping on a little make up.

I wanted colour and comfort so my green skirt was the obvious choice. It's been mended since tripping on it whilst getting undressed and tearing the zip. It's not an invisible mend but it's on the back and I can't see it...

Granted this isn't so much getting dressed up as it is simply getting dressed, but I think it counts, and it's my blog, so... yeah.

To 'autumn it up' I layered long sleeves under a jumper and wore thick tights and boots, although I have to confess, these have now been swapped for a pair of tatty knitted slipper boots.

I have my eye on a particularly lovely pair of preloved burgundy boots on ebay, that I think will look fab with this skirt (and my gingham maxi dress), so keep your fingers crossed for me.

To cheer it up a bit I wore a red scarf, because a cheery red can not fail to brighten anyone's day.

Thank you for all your kind comments on my previous post. I'm feeling physically stronger, and now emotions are slowly starting to bubble up to the surface. I know Andy and I still have a way to go, but I know that together we'll be fine.

One positive of all of this is that we've have retained our ability to laugh, albeit oftentimes inappropriately. But then there have been numerous occasions when joking was the only option open to us, other than breaking down completely. I love that we've been able to share moments of silliness in this awful situation, however inappropriate they might have seemed.

On our wedding day, during my speech, I told Andy's parents that they'd raised an amazing man, and he's proved me right many times since then, but never more so than over the past few weeks.

He's been my constant companion, he didn't leave me when I was in hospital, sleeping on the floor for four nights. Nothing has been too much, he's been there to help, no matter what I've needed. Without him this situation would've been unbearable. I'm incredibly lucky.

It was a six months ago now, but for our first anniversary we headed back to the scene of the crime - spending the night in the hotel where we were married.

Apparently it's not socially acceptable to wear your wedding dress in public the after the wedding day itself, so I had to make do with my 'day after' dress instead.

No matter what I knew I was going to wear this dress on our anniversary, even if we'd spent the evening in front of the TV (actually that's not true, if we'd done that I totally would've worn my wedding dress).

Anyway, I went with black shoes, a silver beaded bag, and a dark red pashmina, and painted my nails in my 'wedding red'. I wore the earrings I would've worn on our wedding day if Andy hadn't surprised me with pearl studs (and necklace) on the eve of our wedding.


Andy arranged for private dining in the McCallum Room where our ceremony was held. I had no idea we were eating in there and might have cried a tiny bit when I realised.

We sat opposite each other on a long table, with candles, a vase of red roses, and a white table cloth scattered with rose petals and tealights.

Our meal was delicious! The stunning medieval building and the excellent food were the main reasons we picked The Swan as our wedding venue. We've always been impressed with the food and quality of service, and Lavenham is such a beautiful village - worth a visit if you're ever in Suffolk.


The hotel bought back so many lovely memories - even the smell of the place took me back to our wedding day. The food was outstanding, the gin was crisp and cold, and the company wasn't bad either.

It was a super way to celebrate our first anniversary, and it felt nice to be wearing my day after dress again. Only six months until our second...

When I say youth, I mean my childhood. I wore dungarees a lot when I was little, I loved them.

However, after the age of ten, when my Mum made me wear a hand-me-down pair of red dungarees with small ice creams all over them to a party (a party!!), I refused to step into another pair ever again.

Until now.

These khaki lovelies were a recent ebay win. They arrived, I ironed them, I wore them. And I'll wear them tomorrow, and possibly the day after.

Have a great weekend!

Not to be confused with phrases such as running for my life or begging for my life, this is far less dramatic. I'm talking about creating a wardrobe to match my lifestyle.

Since leaving an office environment (nearly three years ago now!), and since we now have a less hectic social life, I came to realise that my wardrobe was full of items that no longer fit. And I don't mean fit me, I mean my life.

Recently I took a good look at the clothes I wear most often, and then had a pretty hefty sort out and donated several bags of clothes I no longer wear.

I rarely wear dresses or skirts, and yet I had so many hanging in my wardrobe. At this time of year my daily outfit consists of jeans and a jumper. I like a good pair of leather boots and a chunky scarf, a warm coat and mittens. And layers, definitely layers.

Heels and frocks just don't fit with my life of working from home in a cold farmhouse, furry cats, muddy driveways, and cosy nights in. Never-the-less I've kept my absolute favourite dresses and skirts, because I don't think I'll ever lose the urge to don a dress or strut around in fabulous shoes. I've simply made a promise to wear the remaining items at the merest hint of an appropriate occasion.


I'm going out tonight, and declared it the perfect opportunity to wear my thrifted Monsoon skirt and my not-worn-nearly-enough Louche cat jumper. I love the combination of a dressy skirt with a slightly geeky jumper.

Do you shop for the life you lead?

It's becoming very apparent that my love for white dresses isn't going to be waning anytime soon.

I mentioned that I'd ordered a victoriana style white dress recently, and when I popped that into my basket I might've also added this lace maxi dress as well.

Turns out the neckline on the victoriana dress didn't suit me, not even a little bit. But as I stepped into the maxi dress, well that was a different story. It was love at first wear. It's my new favourite thing.

It reminds me of a dress I wanted when I was 11, I'd seen it in Tammy Girl and pestered my Mum for weeks to try it on. By the time we went into the shop the only one they had left was too small for me. It was so similar, drop waist, pleated skirt, a band of embellishment down the front. Perhaps this is what drew me to it when I saw it on ASOS?

After trying it on I hung it up and wondered when I'd wear it, would I have to wait for the first mild day of spring 2016?

It seemed daft to spend £45 on a dress and then wait months to wear it, so I put in on again and went about making it weather appropriate. Whilst the sun was shining, it was on the cool side, with a bit of a chilly breeze.

I pulled on a pair of footless tights, added a cardy and found this skinny scarf. Which isn't actually a scarf but a belt from a skirt that I gave away months and months ago. I'd been admiring these skinny scarves that I've seen popping up here and there, I rather fancied one. But I'd promised myself that I wouldn't buy any new scarves this year. Problem solved! No one needs to know my new scarf is actually a belt, 'k?

I finished the outfit with ankle boots and my lovely Custards Designs pink bag, I felt pleased that I'd taken the opportunity to wear my dress, and I've set myself a little challenge to make in work for any season...

I can't wait for the first hot day of summer, when I can pop it on with just a pair of sandals and some sunglasses and be good to go. That's how this dress should be worn, but with so few days out of the year when that will be possible I want to make the most of it.

How would you style this dress?

A major discarding session in my wardrobe recently led me to realise that I was in need of a navy top, something simple to pair with a few things left without partners in my wardrobe. A quick look and a few clicks on the Next website and this navy boat neck sweater (similar here) was on it's way to me.

Of course it makes a lovely simple outfit with jeans but...

... it also gives me something to wear with these lovely/ugly trousers.


And means I can wear this skirt...

... and these Zara wide leg trousers. Did you notice they have pockets? Pockets :)

A simple £15.00 purchase means I can now wear three items that I previously couldn't. That's what I call a bargain.

 (Day 37 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

You know that I like a good mooch around the charity shops and there's not much that beats finding something that I love, and it's even better when I end up wearing it time and again. I just know that some of my recent finds will be worn a lot. I recently found some great jumpers for the autumn.

Sadly a few of my favourite items are about to be put away until it warms up again but I wanted to share with you what I'd found.


Mango Shirt
I picked this up for only a few quid on a quick charity shop hunt with Sophie in Norwich. I just knew I'd love this shirt, when I put it on it feel very 'me'. I love the soft fabric, ditsy print and lace detailing, but what I like about it the most is that the print isn't in girly girl colours. Navy, green, orange and mustard make this shirt a winner for me.


Monsoon Skirt
Even though this Monsoon skirt is a size larger than I normally wear, I knew I wasn't going to be leaving it behind. I simply wear it on my hips instead of my waist.


It was a bargain at £4.49 and I adore the grown up ra-ra style. The t-shirt  in the outfit on the left is also a charity shop find from last year, as are the bag and necklace in the outfit on the right.

I've never feel more 'Carrie Bradshaw in Paris' than I do when wearing this skirt. I'm desperate to find an excuse to wear it again!

White Dress
Found on our bloggers hike around Ipswich, it was a no-brainer to buy this when I saw it in the British Heart Foundation for £7.49. It's already had made two appearances on the blog, here and here.

It's been something that I've worn a lot over the summer, and amazingly I managed not to spill anything on it. It lives to see another summer - yay!

The locket isn't a charity shop find but a birthday gift from my Mum. Isn't it the cutest? Inside it has a map showing the village we live in.


Since getting married I've been drawn to white dresses. I keep meaning to share with you the dress I wore the day after our wedding, I didn't want to revert back to normal clothes immediately, so I picked out an off white dress from ASOS and flounced around in it all day, feeling as close to bridal as I was going to get without wearing my actual wedding dress.

Of course not everything I find quite hits the mark (and Sophie is this for you). I recently found this raincoat. I thought it was simply splendid. I usually avoid this colour like the plague but the soft fabric and big buttons spoke to me, convincing me to buy it. In fact to begin with I put it back on the rail and left the shop, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I hurried back in just before closing time and snapped it up.


I shouldn't have bothered*.

What's your favourite charity shop find? Anything you should've left on the rail?

*But it has given me what I think are my best outfit shots to date.




(Day 34 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

I rarely go charity shopping with buying something specific in mind, I like to have a good rummage and see what I can find, but with the weather turning cooler I've started to think about (my lack of) jumpers.

A quick whiz around my local charity shops turned up two woollen lovelies. I was very restrained, only buying jumpers and leaving behind a skirt, a dress, and a tote bag.
This TU jumper cost me just £4.00 from Cancer Research. It looks brand new and is super soft.
I really like the cable detail, and the super slouchy neck doesn't get in the way of my shorter hair too much.




I'll soon have to put these ballet flats away until it warms up again but I'll keep wearing them for as long as the weather allows.

This Sisley jumper was £3.99 from the RSPCA shop, although I think thick jumpers with 3/4 sleeves are a bit pointless, I really liked the colour and the shape and so bought it home with me anyway. I'm planning on a stripe top underneath for cooler days. And a statement necklace for when I want to dress it up a bit.

These brogues are a recent wardrobe rediscovery. I've had them ages and I'd forgotten all about them.

I'm pleased that I managed to find some jumpers, I think I'll head out on another hunt in a few weeks to see what I can find. I have a jumper wish list on ASOS that comes to well over £250 so let's hope I can find enough to keep me from a woollen splurge!

Hopefully these will last a while before falling victim to the same fate that all my jumpers eventually fall to - that of the cat claws!

Are you ready for autumn?

(Day 23 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

//  A year ago today I was saying 'hello' to autumn with a new peach cheek tint and a berry lip  //

When sorting through some old jewellery I found this butterfly necklace. I've only worn it once or twice even though I've had it for years. I thought that it looked a little bit like a tiny bow tie, and an idea started to form...

This is an outfit that I would most certainly wear any day of the week but adding the necklace transformed it into an outfit perfect for Tardis Tuesday. Can you tell which Dr this outfit is based on?


It's my take on The Eleventh Doctor, aka Matt Smith - 'bow tie', tweed jacket, skinny jeans and brogues, all I'm missing are the braces and floppy fringe.

I have to say I wasn't really taken with him when he was first announced as the next Dr Who, but of the episodes I've seen, I thought he was rather good.


I took the Which Doctor Are You? test and came out as No.11 and I didn't even try to sway the results (which has everything to do with me not knowing enough about the Doctors to do so).

"You are a bouncy, child-like Doctor with lots of social quirks and an inexplicable passion for fezes. But when left alone you tend to plunge into self-criticism, so it’s lucky that you have a strong social network to help keep your pecker up".

Linking up with Kezzie and Maricel for Tardis Tuesday.

(Day 17 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

When I bought this dress in a charity shop a few weeks ago I didn't realise quite how short it was. I think I was blinded by the fact that it has pockets. Pockets! I love pockets on a dress!

The shortness relegated this to the can-only-wear-with-hosiery category, so when today turned out to be slightly overcast I decided it was time to give it it's first outing. Once dressed it occurred to me that it was a little bit like a Clara Oswold outfit.

Now I'm not a huge Dr Who fan, I enjoy the odd episode if it happens to come on TV, I normally see the end of the Christmas specials, I always have an opinion in the debate on whether the new Dr Who will be as good as the last (loved David Tennant, was dubious about Matt Smith at first, and always expected Peter Capaldi to launch into a string of expletives), but I'm most regularly reminded of Dr Who by a self-professed Dr Who geek, Kezzie and her Tardis Tuesday posts.

The idea is to wear something inspired by Dr Who, the characters or the colour of the Tardis itself. Anything goes. So, here I am linking up with Kezzie and My Closet Catalogue in a Clara-ish outfit.

I took the 'Which Doctor Who Companion Are You?' test. And I came out as Clara!

"You’re caring, curious, and clever. You’re good with kids and you have a big heart, but you’re by no means a pushover! Hello, impossible girl!"

My Mum sometimes used to say I was impossible ;)

Back in February I posted about looking back at old blog posts and set about styling up some of the older items in my wardrobe, that have previously featured on the blog, in three different ways. It's taken me a while!

Jeans - always the easiest of things to style up, but I have to be exactly in the right mood to wear this particular pair, they're very wide and I have to wear heels with them which just doesn't always appeal. But I do feel these are smarter than my ordinary jeans so they remain in my wardrobe.

The outfit on the left is a recreation of how I've worn these before. The top, shoes and bag are different as I no longer have the originals, but it pleases me that they've been replaced with pre-loved items that I wear / use regularly.


Obviously these where taken at very different times of year. The outfit in the middle (above) is the recreated version. Last time I only paired these boots with blue jeans, it hadn't occurred to me that I could wear boots in the warmer months but I think the tan boots work just fine (as long as it's not too hot), it's nice to wear them with something other than jeans and they cover my pale little leggies!


Black patent knee high boots aren't the easiest of things to style up in a heatwave so I leave these for cooler days (hence one of them being inside - rain). I couldn't / wouldn't wear these with bare legs - ever - which is probably why I wear them so much in the winter. The outfit on the right is how I wear these boots most often.

The outfit on the left is the recreated version, everything is the same except for the skirt which has been replaced by a pre-loved bargain skirt - only £2!


I have always loved this pink bag from Custard Designs but so rarely use it, it's a bit of a tricky colour but I won't be parted from it.

In all honesty, if it wasn't for this post I probably wouldn't have reached for this bag at all. So, hurrah! for that. My blog is (sometimes) about using everything in your wardrobe, or, at the very least, trying to.

This was the first outing for these trousers (middle), I picked them up whilst shopping with Sophie and Kezzie. They're a bit awful but I like them, the only reason they haven't been worn yet is because I don't have the right tops to wear with them. I don't like this particular pairing but it'll do for now *adds pretty navy top to shopping list*.

I next used it when wearing my go to dress for this summer (left). My navy drop waist ASOS dress (first seen here), I'm loving this dress, it's all kinds of easy to wear in the heat that we've been having. And it doesn't need ironing - bonus!

Lastly, I paired it with one of my July Favourite Three - my refound Next dress.

So there you have it, old stuff worn in new ways.

How often to do you 'shop your wardrobe'?

Last month I started what could possibly be a new series on World of Joy - Favourite Three. This isn't three new things discovered over the month, rather three old things rediscovered.

This month's absolute favourite has to be a Next shirt dress. This has been sitting in a pile ready to be taken to a car boot sale for ages. Before that it was sitting in a suitcase under my bed for eons. October 2011 is the last time I remember wearing it, for my first Wearing It All challenge.


I was off to Latitude and I wanted something easy to wear, easy to layer up in the evenings and something suitable for the warm weather that had been forecast, this dress was perfect! Luckily we had amazing weather and I feel in love with this dress all over again.


Next up, I found this necklace, made back in July 2012. It's one of those items that hangs on my necklace rail, ignored time after time, in preference for one of the three necklaces I seem to wear in rotation. But having made a decision to either use the things I own or get rid (huge decluttering going on over here), I gave this another outing.


And lastly, I refound my Toms. When I first saw Toms I though 'Yuck, they look like bandages for your feet'. After a while I got to liking them, so back in 2013 I bought myself a pair and wore them practically non stop for that summer.

Last year they barely saw the light of day.

So, I dragged them out for Latitude and fell in love with them all over again. They've been on my feet almost permanently ever since.

Do you ever rediscover long forgotten items in your wardrobe?