Reading Glasses Trauma & Sneaky Shopping

Many of you will have seen that I've been making a few sneaky purchases lately.  I can't resist my own personal stocking fillers at this time of the year.

There is the sparkly cat sweatshirt from H&M, a snip at only £14.99.

There are a few cheeky items from Primark last Monday - I was on a training course, so while I wasn't paying for my own train ticket it made sense to pop in on the way there.  What I didn't realise was that Primark must have opened at 8am or something, as I walked by Piccadilly Gardens at around 08.30 and saw the doors were open.  My course was only a ten minute walk away and didn't start until 09.30 so I had time to kill!

Now, I don't know if any of you are 'getting to a certain age', but once you've hit 40 everyone starts to remind you that your eyesight is going to turn to mush.  At the ripe old age of 44 I had to relent and get reading glasses.  I have a really posh pair for work, proper prescription with computer screen filters, which cost me a lot of money.  But I worry that I will leave them somewhere, so found that Primark do a great range of reading glasses and the prices vary from £1.50 to about £4, with most styles coming with their own case.

I have various pairs dotted around the house - I don't know if any of you do this, too, but there is nothing frustrating than trying to read cooking instructions in the kitchen then realising you have to walk halfway round your house to find the glasses in order to read them!

When I was in Italy earlier this year, the other thing I realised was that I had to remove my sunglasses and switch to reading glasses to look at maps, menus and wotnot.  None of the glasses I had brought with me had UV filters, so I still couldn't see because I was squinting.  Well fear not, Primark did a pair for £3 - they will be going in my case for the next holiday.

If anyone else has any funny eyesight stories to share, please feel free to comment - I'd love to hear if any of you are as daft as me!

In the meantime, for those celebrating Christmas, I hope your preparations are going well.

Catch you all soon.

Haircut Time

I don't really talk much about my hair, tending to focus on fashion more than anything else.

I've always had a unique relationship with my hair.  When I grew up it was fairly blonde, but by the time I was a teenager it had darkened to a greyish brown mouses colour.  It never looked very exciting.

At 14, when I got a paid paper round and was earning my own money, I bought some Sun In, which simply sprayed into your hair and helped the sun to make it go blonder.  It helped, but only a little.  Once I got into my twenties I could afford to go to the hairdresser and had a lot of highlights.  But once I hit my thirties, there was a sea change in my hair colour, with it regularly switching between red, purple and black.

Now I am working to blonde it up again and things are going very well.  My hairdresser, Emma, is on a mission!  It's a crappy photo, but hopefully you can see how blonde it is going.

I go to the Gregory Roe salon in Nantwich - click on the link if you're South Cheshire based and want to know more. https://www.facebook.com/gregory.r.hair/ 

Inspiration: True Romance

Well, I know they say fashion takes inspiration from everywhere, but I was intrigued by an article I saw in the Guardian newspaper about the next fashion trend.

True Romance was a great film, coming out in the early nineties during the Tarantino film peak.  I remember Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction were also cult movies of this time.  There was also the early creeps of the fondly remembered Britpop era - oh, how I reminisce about my misspent youth.....

True Romance features the story of Clarence and Alabama, played by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, and their embroilment with drugs.  It is an 18, so be prepared for the usual Tarantino guns, violence and drug taking if you've yet to see it.

There are some very quirky fashions on show throughout the film, including Alabama's love of animal prints.  I can totally relate to this, as I have a bit of a fixation with such prints, although the colours are usually a touch more subtle.

I mean, pink animal print!! It just wouldn't suit my weird personality.  I love the Bardot off shoulder top that she wears here, though.  It's a great sunshine look.  I love the way her hair is styled and I am due a haircut soon - I might go for a restyle, what do you think?

As for Clarence, his Hawaiian shirt and loose fit jeans combo is a quality staple for the men in our lives. In fact, my husband is already pulling off a similar look with a subtle version.  I will have to sneak a photo of him one day, just to prove it!

Check out the full article to read more.

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/nov/17/true-romance-fashion-film-christian-slater-hawaiian-jeans-patricia-arquette-leopard-faux-fur-bardot. 

Photos - taken from the guardian site.

Trafford Centre Haul

Hi everyone,

I've had a busy week this week. I took a couple of days off work and went to Blackpool to see the lights on Wednesday.  Thursday saw me visit the Trafford Centre on the outskirts of Manchester, where I purchased a few winter wardrobe staples.  I also picked up a fabulous dress ready for my Dad's wedding blessing in a couple of weeks time.  He was married in the US back in September and decided to go for a special celebration back here in the UK, which I am sure will be pretty awesome.



Let's start with the key purchase - this fabulous little back dress I picked up in Warehouse.  At £75, it wasn't the cheapest dress available but it does look stunning on me.  My Instagram has a picture of me wearing it, plus some close ups of the lace and stud detailing.  I will make sure I get some pictures of me wearing it on the big day, so you have an idea of styling it. 



 A shopping trip isn't complete without footwear, let's face it.  On the left are a fabulous pair of over the knee boots I picked up in Primark and they were only £20!  There is a small Primark in Selfridges (just head to the first floor).  I love this store because they make the effort to put the outfits together, unlike the larger stores where you have to go to one part of the store for dresses and another for jeans.  The shoes on the right are from Marks and Spencer and the pattern is a patent croc print.  These were a snip at only £35 and I promise to post close ups at some point.



 Next up are these 2 pairs of 'modern' slim fit trousers, also from Marks & Spencers and £35 a pair.  One pair has a subtle animal print and the other pair has lace detailing.  The great thing about them is that the detailing hides any accidental VPL!



 I also managed to pick up some accessories.  The suede effect gives are furry on the inside and were only £8 - another Primark bargain.  I popped into Accessorize and picked up some new earrings in sterling silver (I am allergic to costume jewellery, but earrings only for some reason).  I also got a sterling silver ring and a cute little dragonfly - everything was 30% off jewellery so the total bill was only £27.20.



I also picked up these little numbers while in Primark - don't you love the colour?  They were £12 and £8 respectively and will look great with a long line jacket, or sticking out from a little jumper.

 

 

There was a trip to H&M for some basics.  I have a couple of their skinny wool jumpers as I nickname them, as you often need another shirt underneath to keep the chill out.  This year there's one in black and one in animal print, both £14 each.  The long sleeve tee was only £7.

I was wandering around Debenhams and ended up in Wallis, where I picked up these two tops.  The white blouse was half price at £20 and the animal print top had 33% off it at £17.

Finally we come to the final two pieces, again from Warehouse.  The jumper was £35 and I loved the little stud details over the shoulders.  I nice way to smarten up a skinny jeans and jumper combo, would you agree?  I also picked up this lovely jacket.  It was only £50 and looks like it should be suede, it feels really soft as well.  This is going to look great with a pencil skirt, or with those trousers I purchased above.

I am very much looking forward to styling all of these up for you.  Please let me know what you think of my purchases in the meantime.

I'm also getting my UKTRAVELCHICKY site ready, so I can share with you my holidays and days out.  I will pop some photos of Blackpool on there, as well as showcase my recent holiday to Italy.

Until next time.

Falling Back To The Cold

It's the 25th October and the clocks have gone back by an hour today.  Gosh, it's going to go dark so early.

This time of year sees me reaching for some trusty style favourites, plus I always manage to sneak some new items into the wardrobe.  One example being the leather effect coat from River Island which arrived last Wednesday.  It had an orangey-tan fur collar on it, which was a bit mad.  I've swapped it for the black one off my shorter leather jacket.  It was easy to switch them as they were detachable and the buttons were a good match up.

I have to admit that I am a sucker for a rock chick come biker look.  It's a legacy from my teens, when I had biker neighbours and my musical taste was in the rock, metal and goth arenas (it still is!).

I am hoping to get to a major shopping centre in the next couple of weeks.  I need a dress for my dad's blessing (he remarried in September in the US) and there's a couple I have seen that might fit the bill.  I can see Miss Selfridge, Zara and Primark will be top of my visit list.  If I get the right style, it can double up for Christmas parties as well.

Happy Halloween to you all - the next big holiday for me will be Christmas, so I am sure a blog about that will be on the cards before long!

It's All Gone Bonkers!

Gosh, sorry it's been so long since my last post.  As my Insta-followers know, I just spent 9 nights in Italy, travelling around the Bay Of Naples and the Amalfi Coast.  The holiday was amazing and the sunshine has made me feel on top of the world.  I promise to sort my photos and blog all the highlights soon (thinking uktravelchicky could be my holiday alter-blog?)

Since being home, I have faced the ongoing building work in my home - yes, I bought a brand new house and I'm already breaking it! We're having a conservatory built and knocked the wall out so the kitchen can be expanded.  The space will look fantastic, but sorting out the building work and cleaning up every night eats into my time.  I promise to be back with you at full strength in a couple of weeks and I promise to read all the blogs I have stacked up ready.

But something I did manage - car was in for a service, so what's a girl to do when she has a couple of hours on her hands.....? Well, there was the cute breakfast I had in Frankie & Benny's for a start, then there was a quick trip to the retail park where I ended up in Next and bought some new socks and boots.  I also can lay claim to buying my first Christmas present! My niece will love these doggy bed socks.

Watch out on Instagram for my next post, along with an option to read about my holidays once I get round to things! Catch you soon.

Packing - How Do You Do Yours?

Next week it is my annual holiday with my friend, which we have gracefully nicknamed 'Grumpy Girls On Tour'.  This year, we're off to the Amalfi Coast and plan to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius.  We'll be staying in both Sorrento and Amalfi, so there'll be lots of walking to be had, too.

Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm a 'lister' so I am always making lists of things I need to remember; passport, tickets, money, knickers!!!!  Î have my suitcase out for almost a week, then I plan all my outfits and photograph them so I remember what goes with what.  I've found outfit planning to be invaluable, often I end up with items that don't match by the end of the week which is very poor form indeed.

I also love the mini travel versions of my favourite products.  It also gives me a chance to try new items to see if I like them.  I end up wrapping them in lots of little carrier bags so they don't leak in my case.

The there's the tricky decisions of what to do while on the plane.  I have music on my iPad, plus I get a bit obsessed with Tetris.  It keeps me busy but sends my eyes square.  I have a couple of puzzle books to while away the time.  I'm a sucker for crosswords.

So, when I go away my Instagram feed will be quiet but hoping for lots of opportunities for my friend to take photos of my outfits while I am standing next to awesome sights and scenery.  Until I return, be safe xxx

What Goes Around Comes Around!

One thing my fellow instagrammers will have seen is my recent purchase of some lace up flat shoes.  Well, funnily enough these were the height of fashion back in the eighties (and were probably a resurgence from an earlier period!).

I found a picture of me back in 1988 with my version of the shoes, as a snappy twanged 18 year old.  The picture is a little grainy, but you can make the laces out.  I loved them so much that I had 2 pairs.  They used to make up my summer goth metal look!

Next to them are my Zara versions, which I think have a rock chick throwback vibe.

Let me know if you've ever had a similar throwback situation occur in your wardrobe - I'd love to hear about it.

Zoe xxx

Cheshire Oaks Haul

On Monday 24 August I had a day off work and headed down to Cheshire Oaks, an outlet village on the outskirts of Chester.  The Blue Planet Aquarium is next door, there is also the Coliseum shopping area, plus Vue Cinema, a range of eateries and a large Marks & Spencer.  You could easily spend all day here if you felt inclined!

The stores I had the most success in were Gap, Karen Millen and M&S.  I almost bought a new handbag in Fossil, but they didn't have a good neutral colour.  In Gap, I picked up a couple of vest tops, a long sleeve tee and a casual cardi.

In Karen Millen, I picked up the most amazing animal tshirt, plus a beautiful pleated skirt that will look great at a wedding, I reckon, or a smart work look.

In M&S I got a pack of 2 bras and a couple of pairs of cool shades.  I can't decide what I like more, the shades or the little pockets that come with them!

I wandered over to the Coliseum and into Debenhams, where I picked up a cute little bag.  Then I wandered into Outfit and grabbed some shorts for my holiday, plus a lovely shawl from Miss Selfridge.  The photo doesn't do it justice, plus I can't share with you it's lovely soft chenille feel.

I did see some lovely items in H&M but by then I had blown my budget, so they will have to wait until next time (boo).

http://www.mcarthurglen.com/uk/cheshire-oaks-designer-outlet/en/ 

Catch you soon!

Good News & Bad

This week I am returning to exercise at full pace.  I've been running, spinning, lifting a few weights and doing some yoga.  It's amazing how refreshing you feel after exercise, isn't it?  Ok, after the shower you feel amazing!!!!

I do most of my training at home.  There is a gym at work, but I tend to find I like to run when the weather is good so I'm not a member.  I should join really as it's only £12 a month and there are free classes included in that price.

Thè DVDs you see here are from a range called Spinervals (easily found on Google) and I love them because they are focussed on developing you as a mini athlete! They focus on triathlon style training, so you can do running, weights and yoga.

I have to temper the good news with a little bit of sad news.  My beloved little boy cat, Scooby, was taken from us last Friday.  He had suffered a stroke and lost sight in his left eye, after a 24 hour assessment he started to lose feeling in his left side.  He was 17, so he had had a long and hopefully happy life.  My husband and I miss his presence dearly. Bo kept looking for him and looked sad that she can no longer find him.  He has pride of place in the garden, where the summer house will be, as we know he would have loved to survey his domain from the rooftop.

My Verdict On Shampoo & Conditioner For Blonde Hair -John Frieda Range

Anyone who follows my Instagram feed is aware of my recent hair colour change.  After years of being varying shades of black, purple and red, I decided it was time to head back to Blonde.

This creates the usual conundrum - how to keep blonde hair in good condition?  I've decided to try a shampoo and conditioner dedicated to this quest.

The John Frieda Sheer Blonde range had an alarmingly large range of products for blonde hair, I didn't really know where to start!  After a good scour of the shelves in Boots, I came across the highlighting shampoo and conditioner, which I thought would help make my highlights stand out. 

To be fair, the first wash was excellent and my hair feels lovely and soft.  I applied a Euro/Pound sized blob of shampoo, mixing it into a mild lather, then washed out.  I then applied a similar amount of conditioner, but concentrated on the ends of my hair more than the top.  I left the conditioner in while I showered, then rinsed it out.  After loosely drying my hair, I left it towel dried for around 30 minutes, then applied the styling oil and blow dried the hair.

At this point in time I am very happy with these products.  The blonde highlights look as wonderful as day one and my hair is very soft to the touch.  I will monitor the situation over the coming 4-6 weeks and report back if the situation changes, so you can decide for yourself if this product is worth pursuing.

You'll note that the photo shows some Imperial Leather shower gels - unfortunately I haven't tested them yet as I'm using up my Original Source Mint gel.  It's almost empty, so I can let you know about this product when I have started to use it, just let me know!

Thank you for reading my blog today, have a lovely rest of your day and catch up with you all soon.

@ukstylechicky #ukstylechicky

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More Photo Experiments

Wow, I now have over 1200 followers on Instagram, with a good 300 or so regularly liking my photos.  I am doing my best to keep up with it all.

It's given me an opportunity to experiment with some photography.  The jeans pile was only photographed and posted earlier in the week.  I was trying to emulate some other photos where they do similar things, but I think they cheat and use proper studios (how dare they?!!)

I will attempt some more photo trickery over the coming days.  Ideas in mind include a pile of belts, plus a close up of some items in a square.  If you have any other thoughts or tips on how to present a good photo shot, feel free to comment.

I've also squeezed in a few foodporn shots, so if you want to see more let me know that as well.

I've been asked a question about how I amassed so many followers in such a short space of time.  My tips for being a good instagrammer are;-

If you say you like for like or follow for follow, follow up on those promises

Keep an eye on the likes you get, if you're getting more likes for certain types of photos, then your followers clearly want more of them

Try and post comments for photos you really love. It can be tough when you're pressed for time.  If I see something that is truly exceptional I do my absolute best to comment.

Don't panic if you can't post every day, your followers and likers will soon remember where you are

Ditch unfollowers quickly as they're just trying to look popular, you don't need those selfish half wits in your life

            Xxx #ukstylechicky is also available on Facebook - look me up!

Back To The Matrix

For those of you who have been following me over the last few months, you'll be aware that I have an adoration for science fiction.  I went to see Star Wars when I was 7 and I was totally taken with outer space.  One day we will travel to the stars, I was clearly born too early for this to be the day to day norm.

One of the most iconic films of its time is The Matrix.  Not only does it get you thinking about your very existence, but there's also some great music and sound effects.  I absolutely love this film, especially for the music.  I have a great surround system which helps.

There was also some iconic fashion, with the long leather jackets and cool shades.  Grunge was huge at the time and I remember having some similar items in my own wardrobe.  The most iconic fashion items were the shades (sunglasses for the uninitiated).  The boots were also a big fashion item at the time and I've noticed a recent theme for Autumn 2015 where some of these fashion items are making a come back.

It's a real shame that films 2 and 3 went a bit off track.

Just remember - there is no spoon.

If You Can't Find What You Need, Compromise

One thing I've found difficult to find this year has been a decent length of shorts.  Being in my forties means I'm not so keen on the current bum skimmers that are in the shops.  I also like to do a lot of sight seeing when I go away, so the balance of comfort over fashion must also be considered.

After having little or no joy in finding anything I liked, the only solution left was to make my own.  I headed over to Primark and picked up 4 pairs of jeggings, that were only £6.50 a pair.  That way, if I didn't quite get this right, I wasn't going to cry too much over the lost cash.

The first pair I attacked were white, I worked out where I needed to cut, then used these as a template for the remaining pairs.

Once cut, they were folded and tried on, to check the length was where I wanted them.

This process was then repeated on the navy, black and sandy beige jeggings.

The final step in the process was to fold the hems up and sew them in place.

I wonder if anyone else ever resorts to doing this as well?  They're far better than the nasty chino styles you get out there, too.  

I don't know about you, but when you get older, yes, comfort is good, but so is style.  There's a lot of stuff out there that's plain awful!

Shoes will be my next rant, I'm sure!!!!!!! Until next time.......

It's My Birthday!

So today is my birthday.  I found out today that it was also John Pertwee's birthday before he passed on, meaning I shared my birthday with Dr Who - now that really does show off my inner geek.

It is also the 10th anniversary of the London bombings today, where bombs were let off on the underground and on a bus.  My thoughts are with those who were impacted on that day.  I am sure there will be many inspiring stories heard today from those who survived as well.

Now I don't know whether this is good luck or poor judgement on my part, but today I have a job interview.  As I went to Manchester with my sister yesterday, we thought we'd have a quick trawl through the sales for an interview outfit.  I can normally cobble something together from my existing wardrobe, but since our office moved to a full casual dress code, the number of smart outfits I have has dwindled rapidly.

So I popped into Mango and was able to pick up this beautiful skirt, reduced to £17.49.  The little top was a snip at £4.99.  Then, after a rummage in a couple of other shops, I ended up in H & M and picked up this cute jacket for only £19.99.  I am pretty sure this is going to be a knock out success, whether I perform as well as I look will remain to be seen!

By the way, I don't know if I am going to wear the shoes that I've teamed them with.  I might go for some kitten heels instead.

Until next time.

Primark Is An Addiction

How does Primark do it?  On Tuesday, I had a business date with my work colleagues in Manchester.  This is not my usual working location, so I find myself easily drawn in to the town centre, which is about 5 minutes from the office, past the tram station.  Firstly, I popped to Greggs for some lunch and ended up with a yummy slice of Spicy Chicken pizza.  Then, as Primark was just across the road, I just had to pop in through those automatic doors and take a quick peep.

If you go in through the side entrance on Mosley Street, you are met with beautiful swimwear - bikinis and kaftans in all colours, shapes and sizes.  It really puts you in a holiday mood, that's for sure!  The Manchester store has a Costa Coffee on the first floor, so as you head up the escalator there is this heady aroma of coffee and cake (mmmmmmmm)

This time I purchased some jeggings, jeans, a new top, a hair accessory and some bangles.  I love bangles and they're often featured in my style-ups.  The grand total of this haul was only £63! How do they do this?!?!

Have a lovely few days ahead and I look forward to sharing more stuff with you soon x

Who stole summer?!

Well, North West England is still a few degrees shy of summer and it's not helping that these dark grey rain clouds keep appearing.  At least the new grass is getting a good watering in.

Today I popped out with my hubby to buy a few bits and pieces for the house and, typically, ended up in a food shop.  But not any old food shop! Marks & Spencer was calling me, luring me in with their Dine In For £10 offer.  Today I have some marinated chicken, salad, white wine and a Peach Melba dessert.  Shame I have to share, really.  I am sure hubby won't notice if I eat it all myself?

I've also made some more purchases to make the most of the hot and sunny weather in some part of the world.  This time I was lured in by the Joe Browns catalogue and picked up a couple of new skirts and some cute cardies.  They'll be styled up and shot for my Instagram account in due course.

I was musing the other day about my holidays.  I have a couple planned already.  A long weekend to Yorkshire is on the cards soon.  My friend is celebrating her 50th this year, so we have a lovely trip to Italy planned.  I have been to quite a few places over the years and was wondering if anyone was interested in me blogging about them?  Let me know if so by dropping a comment below.

Thanks for reading.

Summer Wardrobe Preparations By H&M

Summer has definitely been taking its time to reach North West England, although the last 2 days have seen temperatures make it up to 18 Celcius.  It's not exactly flag cracking weather.  Today, we'll be lucky to see 14 Celcius.  It makes me so jealous to see all the photos of my fellow Instagrammers wearing shorts, when I am struggling to contemplate the idea of a short sleeved tee.

Weather aside, i decided to order some summer basics, including three different short sleeved tees, a long sleeved tee with an animal print themed pattern and a summer jacket to fend off the cooler evenings.  

The jacket has a lovely palm print on it and will look great with so many items in my wardrobe.  Styling this up shouldn't be a problem!  Prices are available on my Facebook, search for www.facebook.com\ukstylechicky for details.

Looking ahead, I am planning a long weekend to Yorkshire soon.  I'll be taking in the amazing sights in and around Whitby, looking at the beautiful Yorkshire moors, checking out the beautiful beaches and, of course, mooching round the Abbey, pretending I've been shipwrecked on the same boat as Dracula.  

The Dracula story is a long enduring one.  Imagine if it were true?

One Month On

So...... It's been one whole month now since I transitioned all my accounts to the new name of UKStyleChicky and I'm amazed at how many followers have joined me on Instagram already - over 400 fellow fashionistas 😻

This week I was feeling a little inspired by other postings I have seen on Instagram and I'm currently in love with flatlays.  I have tried a few flatlay pictures before, using mostly my accessories, but this time I was experimenting and I hope you like the result.

The magazine was the main focus of my inspiration.  I had also spoilt my home by buying a bunch of flowers from the local supermarket (£3 from Aldi - last of the big spenders, I know!!).  There was also a packet of Fondant Fancies lying around in the cupboard looking all unloved and unappreciated.  They were definitely very appreciated after their photo call.  

Any hints and tips on how to make a great flatlay photo using only an I-pad would be really appreciated.

So the only thing left for me now is to hope that summer arrives here in the UK soon.  It's the Spring Bank Holiday weekend here and it's been a chilly 12 Celcius (54F).  The forecast for the coming week doesn't look very inspiring.  When will I get to wear my sandals without my toes freezing off?  Place your bets here.

Until next time.