A year away.....

They say time flies and in my case in the world of blogging it certainly has! I have been away from my Mac now for just over a year since I last published a blog post, and although at times I have missed the scheduling of posts, its also been great to have a break and not be so stressed with trying to get posts out at certain times to attract a good number of readers.

    However, I've decided now is the time to come back and share with you guys what I have been up to. So if you follow my instagram you will already know we have two new, very cute, additions added to our family. One being a beautiful bouncy baby boy and a fluffy, cuddly, yet hyper girl cockapoo which fill quite a lot of my picture space up! Now as you can imagine life is rather quite busy and full with two boys, my husband and a dog, none the less I've still missed this part of my life.

   So make sure you follow all my links below to stay in contact as I'm now backkkkk!!!


Have a great week!

Vicki xoxo

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Next January Sale Haul....

Once Christmas day is over with the next biggest excitement is the January sales. I love how retailers compete with one another for who will have the best reductions on the best products, all giving extra discount to try and entice you to buy the products you probably don't need but will always think you do purely due to the price! Working at Next allows me to have a sneak peak of whats going on sale before it actually goes live on boxing day!
     Come boxing day my bags are filled to the brim with goodies! This year we moved to a new home so I got more home buys than clothes! Heres what I got......

This hurricane ombre vase was only £3 reduced down from £8.  I love how dark the bottom of the vase is, to how it goes clear at the top. 

 In keeping with my red theme in my living room I picked up these love heart tea light holders for £1 each, originally being £4 each! These will look really cute with little candles in at night time to light up around my fire place.

These two mini vases cost £3 each reduced down from £6 each! I will place these in my bookcase to add some feminine touches to what is my husbands book filled domain at the moment.

As you can see I do love a faux flower, and this bunch was a real bargain! Its original price of £18 was in store for the last current season, and I just couldn't decided where I would actually place it, however when I saw it reduced down to only £7 I made sure to find a place!

Not only do I love floral things around the house, but I also love smells everywhere, so this bronze bowl will hold some lovely pot pourri, and at £3 how could I resist?

This year I want to do a new colour scheme in my room, I have had pinks and greens for so long now, Im just getting bored of it. So to start off the new look of my room, I have chosen this cushion which will take centre place on my bed, once I have decided on what new bedding to get.

I got two pictures from the sale, this first one was reduced down to £12 from £35. I especially love the colours and the texture here, and this will fit perfectly into my already green kitchen.

This picture will go nicely in my new bedroom. Ive looked at grey and lilac for so long so this picture will fit nicely in with the theme. The picture originally was £25 and I got it in the sale for £9!

 Did you get any bargains in the Next sale?

Let me know in the comments!

Vicki xoxo

Some bunny to love....

Todays post is a little different to what I usually blog about but I love the idea so much I just had to share.  I have teamed up with Connected Generation to introduce to you their fantastic way of combining shopping and giving back to the community at the same time! Ok so this may sound a little unusual the two coming together in such a way that I feel you need to get excited about this, but trust me you do. If you head over to the Connected Generation website you will see an abundance of funky style tshirts to suit everyone! Whether your taste be anything from cute girly pics, to boys toys or retro prints there is something you will love! So I know by now you will probably be wondering what makes this website more special than your typical t-shirt selling company. Well here it is, THEY GIVE BACK. Yep, thats right! They give back! For every t-shirt you buy five whole pounds will be donated to your chosen story!

Whats a "Story" ?

"Connected Generation is all about the stories. Stories connect the buyer, the designer and the projects they are supporting. Stories enable us to keep you updated on your chosen project so you can see the impact of your gift."

Connected Generation currently work with two main charities Coco and Kids Company (click on company names for direct links to their websites), as they feel passionate about working with them to support underprivileged younger people.

Here comes the hard part.... choosing a design!!! Connected Generation offer hundreds of different designs on t-shirts from various different artists. You can choose from either an artist you know, or a theme or just be crazy and pick a lucky dip with who knows what cool design you will get! If you love designing yourself or have a picture that you can never find on a tee then you also get the opportunity to upload it and create your very own!You will then choose you style and fit to make it custom to your own body type!
Once all these details have been selected and added to your basket, you will then select the story you want to help support on its journey to helping its future. Each story has its own brief description to help you choose the perfect one for you! When the order is complete you get your own unique Story ID so that you can keep up to date and to let others know you have donated too!


My Way

Introducing the Hoxton Rabbit!

Cute, stylish and fun, this bunny reminds me of the rabbit from Alice In Wonderland. A quirky style sure to look great teamed with a skirt or skinnies!

I choose the story "Provide A Smile" from Kids Company, whose aim is "to try to build happy memories of childhood." They work with children whose parents are unable to care for them and often the role of child and parent can often be reversed. For me this particular story stood out as I have a little boy and I feel that every child deserves happiness in his or her life!

Have you checked out or purchased a tee from Connected Generation?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Website   www.connectedgeneration.org

Twitter    www.twitter.com/_ConnectedGen

Facebook www.facebook.com/connectedgen

Thanks for reading!

Vicki xoxo

A Step Back In Time

It was the Saturday we had all been waiting for! The 10th of January was the evening when my friend Mandy was having her hen night! Around thirty of us were decked out in 1940s dress and there was no rationings on style that night!

    Having completed a short shift at work earlier in the day I couldn't wait to get my glad rags on! I purchased a vintage style dress from We Are Cow in Birmingham and teamed it with some nude heels and a spotty bow headband!

All dressed and ready to go, we got in a taxi and headed to the Blitz Tea Room And Jazz Lounge in Kettering for the start of the evening! Located along Sheep street in the town, this quirky building really takes you back in time! Having heard amazing things about the Blitz Tea Room I couldn't wait to get inside! And I wasn't disappointed! Walking in, we were greeted by Mandy and all the other "hens" as well as the fabulous staff who were also decked out in uniforms from the War period! The room itself was an exact replica to how you would imagine a war time living room to be, with everything from its floral wallpaper to its open fire place! This really was a treat! Once we ordered our drinks, I chose my favourite cocktail Woowoo, we all sat down and was ready for the fun night ahead!

     A selection of food was set on our tables, which included lots of sandwiches, cakes and some scrumptious scones with jam and cream!

With the drinks in full flow and lots of laughter to be heard it was then time for some music. Blues and Jazz singer Luna Nightingale took centre stage, singing an arrangement of songs, some we knew and some we didn't but it didn't matter as her voice was perfect! 

Two sets of songs complete and some funky magic from the owner the night had come to an end! It truly was the perfect evening as so much fun was had throughout! This is definitely one for the memory books!

Don't forget to check out The Blitz Tea Room and Jazz Lounge over at www.the-blitz.com 

Vicki xoxo

A Time Worthy Event

A few weeks back now, me and my boyfriend went down to London, to visit the SalonQP event at the Saatchi Gallery. We stayed at the Plaza Hotel on Vauxhall Road and had a lovely suite with views of some very pretty houses. With Leighs work commitments we arrived later than expected and therefor had to get our glad rags on rather quickly!

I wore a black body con dress from Next (696-483),  black stilettos also from Next (699-461),  and this gorgeous watch that Leigh brought me especially for the event!

The event was every bit as glamorous as I had imagined! With the brights lights lighting up the walk way to the event, to the awaiting photographers as we entered the building! Champagne in one hand and a goodie bag in the other it was time to explore the much anticipated watch event of the year. 

The galleries were full with beautiful different time keeping pieces, from watches to pocket watches, to clocks of all sizes imaginable! A wide selection of brands were on hand to showcase their impressive latest designs, from the likes of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Tag Heuer, Hermes, Chopard, Mont Blanc and Cartier to name but a few. We were treated to not only seeing next years collections from the brands but also a few watch makers building movements and showing the amount of skill and precision required to build the beautiful works of art.

We were lucky enough to get up close and see the fantastic MB&F machine, it was amazing and for me shows real experimentation and a real talk point. I just need to mortgage the house now to get one!

The best display of the evening undoubtedly went to Hermes. They had intricate displays which included scenes from Paris, London and even King Kongs hand. The watches themselves were very delicate and small compared to others on the night, but the elegance of each piece within the scene was simply breath taking!

The SalonQP event was a watch lovers dream and anyone interested in horology should visit next years event without a doubt! A fab evening had by all!

Vicki xoxo

It totally was a FABB Event!

This sunday I was invited to attend a FABB event in Birmingham! It was my very first blogger event and I was rather excited although didn't know what to expect. I met up with fellow blogger Sarah, (seriouslyshallow.co.uk) at the Chanel counter in Selfridges and from there we headed to meet another two bloggers before going to the event, Naomi ( stylefacebeauty.com ) and Laura (unlovedbutton.blogspot.com ).
    The event itself was held in the ever so trendy Custard Factory , which co-incidently I had also never been to before either. It's known as Birminghams "creative quarter" , with a mixture of shops, galleries, food places and entertainment. Somewhere where I will definitely be going back to again especially as it had Cocktail Cosmetics, which sells brands such as Sugarpill, NYX and Limecrime to name but a few. Sarah introduced me to this, and after browsing the website I fully understood her excitement with the event being held a few doors down from this. Although disappointment set in as on sundays they are closed, which just gives me a reason to go back and visit again!

My outfit for the day consisted of this little black dress from Dorothy Perkins!
Statement Necklace from Next.
Leather Jacket from Miss Selfridge
Shoe/Boots from Topshop
Bag Marc Jacobs.

Entering Alfie Birds, a queue had already formed of bloggers waiting to go into the event. Once you had signed in and shown your ticket a rather full goody bag was given and we headed upstairs to to where different brands from fashion to beauty where spaced out. Going round to each and everyone of them we were given lots of information about their products, and even better still we were handed goodie bags to trial the products as well! The generosity from this event was overwhelming!

Heres some pics from the day. Some of the products I will be reviewing in later posts, so this is just to get an insight of what the day was like!

Charmed Ivy

Charmed Ivy was the first brand I came across at the event, showcasing their range of trendy jewellery from necklaces, bracelets to head chains in great designs and colours.

MeMeMe Cosmetics

Before the event I was contacted by the lovely Tia from MeMeMe, explaining how she would be at the event, so browsing their website I was excited to see her there! MeMeMe Cosmetics sell a wide range of make up from light up lipsticks, to eye shadows to foundations in a variety of colours! On the day we were given a large bag full of goodies to try, which I will do a separate post on.

Style Edit

If you're a fan of fashion, and keeping up to date then you must check out Style Edit's website, on the day we got to see some samples of what you could buy, and the quality was just great!


Style Skin

I love faux fur, and the pieces that Style Skin had on show were fabulous. They sell a range of box style coats, gilets, fur collars and bags!


Bee Good

Bee Good showed us their wide range of skin care which uses honey from their own hives near to their home!


Stylfile

Ok, so if your a fan of The Apprentice, then you will know of Tom Pellereau already. For those of you that don't watch the show, he basically won in 2011 and now has a range of products on the market. He was really lovely to speak to, and explained his products thoroughly with demonstrations on each. I chose the S-Ped and Clipper and will review these in the next couple of weeks.

StageLine Makeup

Stage Line Cosmetics showed us their range of theatrical make up, which is especially perfect for this time of the year as everyone wheres more dramatic make up in the winter months!

Bodhi&Birch

Founder Elijah Choo was at the event showcasing the range of eco-luxury bath, body and skin care. These were a real treat, and we were able to take away samples with us!!


Anovia

We received this goodie bag from Anovia which contained, a BB cream, shower gel, shampoo and fake tan that sprays on to your legs. The prices of the products start from as little as a pound each and are currently selling out in Tescos! I can't wait to try these products, especially the BB cream, as where else will you find a cream for that amazing price!!!

Also at the event you were able to have your hair styled for free by Toni and Guy, a facial by Crystal Clear skincare and enter competitions by uploading selfies and tagging in the relevant brands.

Overall with it being my first bloggers event I was over the moon to be invited and had such a great time, Im already looking forward to the next one!!!

Vicki xoxo

Manchesters Fashion And Lifestyle Exhibition

My anticipation for this event grew more and more as time drew near to the actual day itself I couldn't wait to go! Working on the saturday meant I couldn't go to the first day, so me and my friend travelled up saturday evening to stay over in a hotel for the second day of the event! The event itself was dubbed as the "new clothes show of the north", so as you could imagine we couldn't wait for sunday to come! And I love being in manchester!

Heres Sunday's outfit

Dress is Henry Holland
Shoes Topshop
Earrings Next

The venue was only twenty mins away from our hotel which was perfect for debating on outfit choices! This Henry Holland is definitely a favourite of mine as its so easy to wear and i love the bright print.
    We were given press passes for the event, and as there was no queue we walked straight in, after being given a floor plan we went to explore. Ok, so this is where it gets a little crazy! If you have ever been to the Birmingham  Clothes Show, you know the layout and its a major deal the whole event, with loads of stalls featuring some great brands and independent companies. Well lets just say that this was very lacking in this area, there was a few stalls, and when I say a few, I mean it took us less than ten minutes to walk around. Now what you have to bear in mind, it takes a good couple of hours from where we live to travel to Manchester and then there was the cost of the hotel on top. So coming to an event like this was rather disappointing. To make good out of the situation, we decided to walk back round the stalls and speak to some of the companies! Being a blogger its always good to make connections, even out of strange circumstances.

The first stall I spoke to was a company called Hopeless Youth Clothing . Hopeless Youth sells unisex items such as tees and sweaters that are easy to wear for everyday. Whether you want a casual, easy look, or want to style a leather skirt with a sweater for an edgier look than this is the place to shop! Here are some of my fave pieces that they were selling on the day!!

The quality of the products is great and the prices are even better!
You can also check out their instagram for more fashion inspo here!

The next stall which caught my eye was Ooz Clothing which sells ladies, mens and kids fashion! Now as I have a three year old this rather excited me, as I love dressing him in cool, trendy clothes!

Ooz Clothing is strongly becoming popular with celebs already wearing the logo and showcasing it on tv! Celebrities such as Jake Quickenden from this series of the Xfactor, Cheyenne Davide MTV and Vevo presenter as well as Shereen from popular girl band Neon Jungle. So, really, do you need any other excuse to dress yourself or your kids in this cool brand?

And the last stall which I wanted to share from the event is Wolf & Moon, which is a jewellery brand from Hackney, London! I already followed the brand on instagram so was very pleased too see them there! The jewellery has great designs with funky shapes that would really add to any outfit!Check out their website here.
 Here are some of my fave pieces from the event!

With the event not being an all day affair, the Trafford centre was only a stone throw away, so we headed there for something to eat and to do some retail therapy! If you have never been to the centre before now lets just say it huge!!!! With all the shops being huge!!!! It really is every shopoholics dream to have sooo many brands under one roof! On the way to get something to eat we came across the ITVbes stand which were giving away free diet cokes, and the chance to be featured on one of their ads by taking a selfie with your friend! So if you already follow me on instagram, (here) then you will know I'm a fan of a selfie or two!  Heres our pic!

We really did have a great day out! Manchester is definitely one of my fave cities ever!

Vicki xoxo