Head Space

Sorry for the lack of posts this week lovelies, it's been a strange one.

I found myself feeling quite discontent earlier on in the week which led to me questioning a lot of things about myself, in particular my identity. So I decided to head on a walk up one of the local canal paths to try and get a bit of clarity back in my thoughts and it definitely worked. I managed to take a couple of lovely snaps of the scenery and the ducks too!

Sitting and just taking stock of everything definitely made me feel a little bit better about things and I remembered that I do have a sense of direction, there is a purpose to my life and there are things I'm aiming for. It's easy to forget that the smaller things all amount to the more monumental life decisions, and it's rare that people break records every day of their lives.

Sometimes, it's enough to just be, just appreciate the moment and accept that things are exactly the way that they should be.

Hope you're all okay.

Em x

Summertime sadness.

There's something really nostalgic about summer. It might just be me but I find the hazy long light days always remind me of previous summers, and the temperatures rising mean I always feel a little more energised, a little more adventurous and a whole lot more positive. I find myself being much more appreciative of the smaller things in life, I've only recently discovered that there really is beauty everywhere if you look hard enough so this afternoon I spent a bit of time sorting out the flowerbeds in the garden, it's a relatively boring task and not one I particularly enjoy but I love being able to sit and reflect in the garden surrounded by pretty flowers so in the long run it's definitely worthwhile.

Today's outfit, I'm not ashamed to say, is completely from F&F - minus the hat and DM's. I have so much love for the F&F line, it's fast fashion at it's finest and they're also great for staple buys. Gone are the days of supermarket snobbery in my eyes, I remember going to see John Bishop a few years ago and remember him joking about only parents buying their clothes in a supermarket. Wrong. I'll sometimes specifically go to Tesco to look at the clothes, the skirt in this post is one I've featured before but I love it. There's something really whimsical about it and I love the fact it can be styled up or down. And the tee speaks for itself and the slogan lends itself well to the way summertime sparks the adventurer in me. Take me somewhere exciting, filled with pretty sights and iconic buildings and I'll love you forever.

Would you ever buy your clothes from a supermarket? And how does summertime make you feel?

Hope you lovelies have all had a good Monday!

Em x

Little House on the Prairie

Happy Sunday!

Today I've decided to give my new shirt an outing. I absolutely love it even though the neckline and the embroidery and two things that would usually put me right off.

Shirt and Jeans: Topshop, Birkenstock-a-likes: F&F at Tesco

I bought a size 6 in this shirt as it said it was oversized, I wasn't expecting it to be quite so big though but I really like it because it hides a multitude of sins! The fabric is really lightweight so it's wearable on sunny days without being constrictive and I can still move about as much as I want. I feel like the embroidery makes what would otherwise be a simple shirt into something quite exquisite. I really love the whole billowing feel, and the prim design, like the title of this post suggests it does feel a bit like something you'd see on Little House of the Prairie. I'm planning to pair this with some black skinnies, black boots and a trilby for my trip down to London because comfort is important to me when I have a two hour train ride!

Can I also just say how much I love these Birkenstock lookalikes from F&F at Tesco. I have so much love for the ugly sandal trend at the minute and whilst I would really love some actual Birkenstocks these are just as good as the real thing and they're metallic. They accidentally fell into my shopping trolley the other day I needed them and I think for £10 they're an absolute bargain and really, really versatile.

What do you all think of this shirt and the sandals? Would you wear something oversized or are you like me a little scared of the insinuated bulk that isn't really there but could be. I think I'm over that fear where this shirt is concerned, it's too pretty not to feel confident in!

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

Em x

Swans and Breton Stripes

Today I had a really fun conversation with one of my friends about free will and why we wear what we wear. How much of it is defined by the media's influence and how much is decided by what we feel comfortable in?
For me, it's definitely more about what I feel looks good on me, and suits my shape and body type rather than being purely trend led. I'm loving vintage buys at the moment and they don't tend to be as trend led as some of the high street 'off-the-peg' items.  Today was definitely a comfort over style day, I had a few errands to run and then met up with my friend for a Costa which was lovely. It's always nice to catch up with someone when you haven't seen them for a while!

Today's outfit was a kind of throw-on-and-hope-it-looks-okay affair. I feel quite comfortable in it and I love the almost vintage feel of the skirt! A breton tee is a simple addition to any outfit and I personally think they can be paired with almost anything because they're such a staple item.

Top: Topshop, Skirt: Co-operative at Urban Outfitters, Brogues: Topshop, Bag: Chiltern.

I wore my Topshop weave brogues with this for a really casual look, and 'borrowed' my Mum's mini Chiltern two tone satchel. I love this bag, the only problem I have is that it's too small to fit all of my crap that I cart around with me in, which means I have to be organised and very, very selective. I also realised after taking these pictures that I really, really should have ironed the skirt before I wore it (oops!) that's the hazards of throwing on an outfit I suppose!

Obviously going to Costa meant I had to snap the drinks I bought. It was quite a sunny day so I got one of their new Iced Caramel Lattes first of all, but we were there a while so I also indulged in a Cafe Caramella which is hands down my favourite on the menu.

I love a good coffee!

What have you all been up to today? Do you have many plans for the weekend? Also, I'm interested in what you think about the whole style thing, do you tend to buy what's on-trend or do you go for what appeals to your own tastes? Let me know in the comments.

Em x