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

A Mac Purchase....

                                                             Happy New Year!!!!!

A new year can only mean one thing, a new brand to try! Well for me Mac is a new brand, as I have always steered clear of their counters due to their ever growing queues at till points! But on a rather early thursday morning there was no one shopping on the department so I headed over to see what the fuss was all about! Many of my friends use Mac makeup and I have read reviews after reviews of the brand with bloggers expressing their love for it, so it was time I got a piece of the action as they say! I decided to opt for a new lipstick and lip liner. Having used the same Maxfactor "Angel Pink" for what feels like years I wanted a new bold lip, something completely different and completely not me. After browsing the rows after rows of lipsticks I was approached by a very helpful Mac artist who picked out several different colours to try on!

Heres what I chose......

The lipstick is Dark Side Amplified, and the liner is called Nightmoth, and I absolutely love the look they create when wearing them!

Its true what they say, a bold lip is a game changer!

Whats your favourite Mac lipstick and liner?

Follow my Instagram for more pictures on my latest looks!!!


Vicki xoxo

Winter Hair With Vivid!

I have been rather m.i.a recently, due to a crazy year of getting married, moving home and my four year old starting school, so the blog has taken a little back seat with every day life being rather busy. To get back into the swing of things, I thought I would share with you my recent visit to the hair extensions specialists Vivid, which are based in Northampton. If you are a follower of my blog then you will know I have used Vivid before and absolutely loved my results every time.
     With the weather not being very kind to my fine locks I felt it was time to add some volume and get rid of the static that the winter wind seems to create. And who doesn't love to have "big" hair for the party season!

To see how much of a difference extensions can make, Vivid took a before and after picture of my hair!

As you can see I have gone from very fine, limp hair, to big bouncy curls, all down to the fabulous Jason at Vivid! The lighter blonde was growing out of my hair, so Hannah coloured matched the extensions to my natural colour of dark blonde with some lighter blonde going through to match the ends! I really couldn't be happier with my new hair!!!

For more info about Vivid and the different treatments they offer, visit their webiste at
www.vividhairandbeauty.com

Check out their Instagram at www.instagram.com/vividhairextensions/ .

And keep up to date via twitter at twitter.com/vividxhair

As well as their Facebook page Facebook.com/Vividhair1

Hope you enjoyed this mini post!

Vicki xoxo

The Monsoon Collection

Tanya Coelho, the designer of Zefyr Eco Jewels, has just recently launched her much anticipated new Monsoon Collection. After great success from her first line I was particularly interested to see where Tanya's travels would take her and where the collection would go to next. For me it isn't just about the pieces itself its also about the whole packaging, even the name. The definition of the word Monsoon, "a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and South East Asia, blowing from the south-west between May and September and bringing rain, (the wet monsoon), or from the north east between October and April, (the dry monsoon). Having learnt how much of an impact a "monsoon" can have I had great expectations as to what the line would look like, especially as it was called one.

Tanya took inspiration from her time in Northern Laos, where she spent time with the Hmong Hill-tribe people. This inspiration led to the Monsoon Collection which even features the Lao symbol for "mountain" in every piece.

Here are some of the marketing pictures from the press release which I wanted to share with you to show that this collection lives up to its name "Monsoon" as it definitely doesn't disappoint.

I absolutely love the simplicity of the pieces, with the intricate pattern details so they just stand out enough for you to appreciate their beauty . 

  As I have recently got married, I'm now wearing gold jewellery to match my bridal set and my favourite pieces from the collection has to be the Bokeo bangle in gold with matching Bokeo necklace.

Head over to www.zefyrjewels.com.au/monsoon to see the full collection!

Or follow Zefyr on instragram at instagram.com/zefyr_jewels

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Have a great day!

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

Fanatic About Hats

It's come round to that time of year again, where outfits are becoming smaller, bags becoming larger and hats are back in force! Fashion is at its peak with online retailers competing with the highstreet to bring you the latest trends with the coolest styles at fabulous prices! Social media is playing a massive part in our day to day lives in how we view these trends and see our favourite celebrities wearing them! At the touch of your fingertips you can now shop their outfit choices like never before!
 One particular trend that comes into fashion every summer is sports luxe. Now for some this can be a scary trend, unknowing how to create the perfect look for daytime without looking like you are heading to the gym!

I was inspired by Fanatics to create the perfect "Sports Luxe" look featuring some of their hats from the webpage! Browsing through the multiple choices I settled on a Nike New York Yankees Dri-Fit Classic Adjustable Performance Hat in blue. The reason for this is I like the shape of the hat with it having a curved peak and in all fairness I love New York!

Heres the fun part, the styling of the outfit! 

This first look, is a classic bloggers every day look which I would personally wear. I love the simplicity of a casual tshirt dress teamed with the very popular Stan Smith trainers and the use of a gold double chain necklace to give an edgier look.

 Taking inspiration from the much publicised Kim Kardashian West is this second look I created with the choice of double denim and a sportier trainer to show a dressed down look.

The last of my outfits is a mix of "Sports Luxe"and "Nautical" in this stripe piece! This is the most "dressed" up look of the three as I chose Tory Burch pumps to finish the look! 

I have chosen three very different outfits as I wanted to show how versatile a baseball cap can be!
And if my outfit choices aren't convincing enough then maybe these celebrities can persuade you further into this trend!

Who said a baseball cap couldn't be hot?
Head over to www.fanatics.com to see some great styles and have fun with your fashion choices!
And if you want to see in particular their cool hat range then head over to www.fanatics.com/MLB_Hats 

Vicki xoxo

Fashion Findings.....

Do you ever have one of those shopping trips where you aren't really looking for anything in particular but end up spending most of your money in that one shop?  Well this happened to me, a few days ago in H&M. Now I don't know about you, but H&M is one of those stores where I really have to be in the mood for a good rummage. The rails are always merchandised with, for me, a few too many lines, so it's never easy to see the clothes as you always have to pull at them. I much prefer the ease of one item to a bar so I know exactly what I'm getting!
   However when I visited the H&M store in Leicester I had no problem in picking up loads to try on! For me H&M at the minute are so on point with trends, its probably some of the best collections I've seen them do! The price points are great as well, as you don't have to break the bank account in there to get a full outfit! Heres what I purchased on my visit.........

Im bit of an obsessive fan of khaki right now, and this maxi style dress is no exception! The dress cost me £29.99, which I think is really good for the quality of the material. It has a sheer fabric overlay with a cotton slip underneath so that it isn't see through. The different layers at the hem of the dress is really flattering against my legs, as I'm not very tall, so anything either too short or too long can look totally wrong on me! I also like breast pockets to give it a military vibe and the waistline is perfect, especially for those with wider hips. I can't wait to team this with some gladiator sandals and layers of statement gold jewellery for the ultimate summer look!

 Now this may look like an ordinary cami, but its on a whole new level! With thin spaghetti straps, a deep v neckline and a layered hem this truly is a perfect top! Its shorter than my usual cami tops, I would say its actually rather cropped, which is a look I never go for, but team it with my high waisted ripped Jamie Jeans from Topshop then all of a sudden I have a hot outfit on my hands! The best thing about this top is the price! Its a steal at only £9.99!

 Ok this print is pretty out there, and dare I say it, but maybe a little "mumsy". You really have to trust me on this when I say it looks amazing on. I mean A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! The waist gets cinched in just at the right place to make you look tiny, the v-neckline gives you a cleavage and the hem is once again different lengths so is very flattering! If that hasn't sold you already then the price tag will, as its a bargain at £14.99! I know crazy right! Thats cheaper than Primark!

A stripe t-shirt is a must in any wardrobe. Why? Its simple, versatile and very classic! When you look on Pinterest/Instagram/Blogger you will see a stripe tee in most peoples outfit of the day as they are so easy to wear all year round. From doing the monochrome stripes to the nautical look, it really is a great look to freshen up an outfit. Now wait for the price,yep you guessed it another great bargain, this time its as little as £7.99!

 Last of my purchases was this smock style dress for £19.99. Im forever wearing dresses as I find them easy to wear, style and most importantly very comfortable. I really liked the rust orange colour on this dress along with the geo style print! Its perfect for the transitional months and I can wear it again in the autumn with opaque tights and ankle boots!


Hope you like my picks!
Let me know what you have been buying from H&M recently!

Vicki xoxo