My white dress obsession is set to continue into Autumn, I thought that it might wane once the nice weather began to disappear, but nope! I can still be found wasting spending time on ASOS browsing the dresses. Thanks to Janet I am now an ASOS Premier customer so I get free next day delivery, so this has become my go-to place to shop online.

I might've just added this River Island Victoriana Lace Dress to my basket.


And I probably would've added this Fashion Union Crochet Dress too if they'd had anything but a size 6.

I can see the victoriana dress worn with black opaque tights and boots, topped with a long chunky knit cardigan (I will not use the term coatigan, it's not a word), and a leather tote bag, possibly a pink one? But in the warmer months I can pop on a pair of light brown ankle boots or sandals and go merrily on my way. Is it wrong to want it to be summer again when it's still not entirely over yet?

Just a quick cheaty post today, work is manic but I didn't want to fail on my 40 day challenge so close to the end! I'll be back tomorrow and the day after, hopefully with better / longer / more interesting / all of the above posts.

(Day 38 of blogging everyday for 40 days).

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)

Andy and I have been married for six months (and a day) today, granted it's not a full year and not generally celebrated and in some ways it still feels like only yesterday, but I've been feeling super nostalgic and more than a little soppy about it.

The day after our wedding my new sister-in-law arranged a family lunch for us in a local village hall.

It was lovely to get everyone together again and spend some time with them, we didn't get to spend much time with anyone the day before so it was nice to have some time to chat and catch up.

Andy and I were both really emotional, after such an amazing wedding day, which was long and tiring but all the fun, we were both feeling more than a little overwhelmed.

When we arrived at the hall the first thing we saw were three photographs of us from the day before in frames, surrounded by our wedding flowers. It was so sweet and so thoughtful. I became very teary and needed a moment to compose myself before greeting everyone.

The hall was decked out in miles of bunting made by my new sister and mother-in-law, flowers were everywhere and everyone looked so happy. There was a mountain of food and yet more champagne, and more cheesecake than I've ever seen in one place.


At 3pm Andy looked at me and said 'we've been married for 24 hours' and I lost it, tears of happiness flowed and there was nothing I could do to stop them. We giggled our way out of it. Which is what we (OK, it was mostly me) spent the rest of the day doing. Crying, giggling, crying, giggling...


Our bridesmaid wore her dress again and I have to say I was a tiny bit jealous that I couldn't wear mine. I knew that I'd feel all kinds of ordinary if I didn't wear something special. I picked out this off-white True Decadance dress from ASOS and my love affair with white dresses began. I flounced and swished my way though the day feeling every bit as close to a bride as I could get.

I later fell asleep wearing it on the sofa, I woke up and ate wedding cake in it, read our wedding cards and opened gifts with Andy, sipping champagne. And you know what, I don't think it would've felt the same if I'd been wearing jeans. For me the dress added a little extra something to the day.

I felt ridiculously happy, and amazing, and special, and loved. And whilst I can't put my wedding dress back on to relive the day, I can put this dress on and remember all those amazing feelings.

And when I put it on again, to go to supper on the last night of our honeymoon, I had the most excellent realisation. I can wear a coloured petticoat underneath to make it even swishier!

(Day 36 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

A year ago today I published this post about the fact Andy hadn't proposed to me on my 39th birthday.

It was by far the most personal post I've ever published. I received many kind and thoughtful comments, and all had a general message of 'talk to him'. Which I did. Sort of.

One evening Andy made yet another quip about marriage being rubbish and I looked at him in a deflated sort of way that demonstrated I didn't find it funny. I told him that I really wanted us to be married, that it was important to me.

He looked at me and nodded his head, and it was all I needed to know he'd heard me.

Little did I know that he'd already set things in motion. He'd been going to my Dad's house, on the off-chance of finding him at home, for a few months. Andy is a traditional sort of fellow and he wanted to ask my Dad's permission before he proposed.

The sod of it is that my Dad is rarely at home, and Andy doesn't often get the opportunity to go visiting. It wasn't until a few days before Christmas that he was there when Andy knocked on his door.

They sat down, had a cup of tea and chatted about this and that (farming mostly), they had another cup of tea, and it wasn't until Andy was standing at the front door again, ready to leave, that he finally asked the question.

I'm told that my Dad just smiled and said 'Yes, I think that would be a very good idea'.

On Christmas Day Andy surprised me and got down on one knee, asking me to spend the rest of my life with him.

Today we've been married for six months, life feels exactly the same as it did before marriage, and yet it also feels so completely different.

I can now finally put my finger on why I felt the need to get married. I feel like I belong more than I ever have before. We're together, and that's all there is to it.

(Day 35 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

Photo by Katie Drouet Photography

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've had many daydreams over the past decade about visiting the Sahara, sleeping under the stars and riding a camel in the desert. It's hard to believe that in two weeks I'll be getting on a plane to make them all come true!

Of course I've been pondering what to pack since Andy booked the trip for me in August. I know what I'm wearing will be the furthest thing from my mind when I'm there but planning what to pack will always be part of the build up for me.

The weather be warm in October but will cool off a little in the evenings. It's best to dress modestly in Morocco so I'll keep arms and legs covered. Nothing makes me cringe more than a tourist dressed inappropriately for the country they're in.

I'll bid Andy farewell and take a taxi to the airport. I wish he was coming with me but it's not his cup of tea at all, and he'll still be really busy on the farm.

My days will look a little like this...


Thursday
Travel day. I'm not worried about being hot when I arrive as we're not landing until the early hours of Friday morning, so I'll be fine in jeans. I don't normally travel in jeans but these are really stretchy and feel more like leggings.


Friday
Up bright an early I'll pop on the only thing I purchased especially for this trip - some ASOS khaki trousers. I've had some on my wish list for ages and now seemed like a good opportunity to treat myself. They're comfy and lightweight, perfect for hopping into a 4x4 and being driven into the desert.


When we set up camp for the night I'll have a sweatshirt to keep me warm as I sit back to watch the sunset and then admire the starry night sky. I just hope that after arriving in the early hours, and having an early start to the day, I can stay awake long enough to enjoy it!

I'll take a scarf or two with me - I always do, they come in so handy when traveling, not only do they keep you warm, they can be used as a cover up, a towel, a pillow, a blanket. They also act as a reminder of my travels when I return home. My red scarf is Prague, my pink one Budapest, my fringed patterned one Zanzibar... you get the picture.

Saturday
This is the day I'll wake up in the Sahara. I'd love to watch the sunrise but I have to sleep at some point! Wouldn't it be magical though? I just Googled 'sunrise in Sahara' and it came up with 7.45am which is later than I thought... perhaps it will be possible? The same search threw up this YouTube video of a time lapse sunrise


It made my heart beat faster and filled my tummy with an excited flutter!

It goes without saying washing facilities will be limited. We've been advised to take wet wipes and I also have the Pump It Up Dry Shower Body Wash that I took to Latitude. These and a generous application of body spray will have to suffice.

The dry body wash was actually pretty good. I did feel fresher after using it, it's no shower substitute but it'll be good enough.

Sunday
I know by this point I'll be thinking that it's all gone too quickly, and I'll be in need of a hot shower. We'll be saying goodbye to the Sahara and heading back to the hotel this afternoon. If there's time we might be able to explore Ouarzazate before heading off to bed. I already feel like I want more time there.

Last time I was in Morocco was over a decade ago for my friend's 30th birthday. We stayed in Marrakesh and I was captivated. I felt so relaxed there and it was this trip that sparked my desire to go into the desert.


Monday
Travel day. Up early again today, we need to be at the airport for 6:30am so it'll be a quick shower and then back into my jeans for the flight. We'll have a lengthy stop over in Fez airport before boarding our final flight home. I don't know if we'll be able to go into Fez at all but it would be nice, if only for a short while. If not I'll have plenty of time to do some reading.

When I say 'we' I'm referring to the other travelers in the group. There are eight of us, six of us are traveling solo. This will be my first time traveling alone (although I'm not alone alone). I'm nervous and excited. All I know about the others is that there are five women (I make six), and two men. The age range is pretty evenly spread between 20 and 60. I find a strange comfort at being in the middle of the age range.

In three weeks I'll be home and boring you all silly with endless picture of sand. Won't that be nice? ;)

(Day 33 of blogging everyday for 40 days)