FASHION'S REALLY BIG NIGHT OUT

From what I remember Vogue Fashion's Night Out was pretty spectacular; from the incredible views and numerous bottles of champagne at the Valentino suite at the Radisson Blu (fun fact: the hotel used to be the Free Trade Hall, playing host to legendary music acts like Bob Dylan and Louis Armstrong) to being drunkenly lairy at Kate Phelan, to befriending Felix from the Maccabees and bullying him into charging my phone. Probably the most drunk I've been since I was a teenager.. no regrets though. It's not often in life you get chance to rub shoulders with (and ultimately be rude to) people you respect and admire.

So many photos for you to feast your eyes on, with many more that didn't make the cut due to being way blurry/shameful. This blog is going on hiatus for a little while, so enjoy and I will see you soon.

I'm wearing:

Minkpink blazer & bag

Urban Outfitters t-shirt

Ette bell bottoms

MAC Cyber lipstick

Photos featuring Maria, Lucy, Sheree, Penny, & Zabrina, plus some fashionable FNO-goers who caught my eye

SLIME GREEN HALLOWEEN

When Halloween comes around, it's normally pumpkin orange I'm drawn to, but this season I'm right the way across the colour wheel.. with slimey snotty green!

It all started when I saw a customer at work wearing lime green-to-black ombréd Nike Air Max. Like, I'd barely even looked at a pair of Air Max, let alone liked them. But that's where my obsessions come from: absolutely nowhere, just a glimpse of inspiration. Most of these obsessions don't even make it as far as my wardrobe!

So.. since I completed a first draft of a uni assignment today I treated myself to some procrastination this evening in the form of a vibes collage. A very slime green collage, with my current fashspiration, Slimer the ectoplasm dude. Unsurprisingly snot is not the most popular colour for most retailer and I've not managed to find the ombré Nikes but I did find a few bits, though I'd really love a slime-coloured fluffy jumper. I trawled eBay last night thinking it'd be something I'd have to get vintage but nothing, but good old Topshop has come up trumps with pretty much the perfect one. Score.

Above:
Topshop fluffy knit
Bad Vibes Olive Juice leggings
Below:
Casio watch
Nike Air Max
UNIF tank




ALSO who remembers when people got gunged on TV??? Why was that even bad? I wanna be gunged!!

ANSWER THE CALL

Sometimes, I just get The Calling: an enigmatic desire to go to the charity shops. Do you ever get that? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love poking round the chazzas any time, but sometimes I get pulled there by an unseen force, and usually there is something so special and precious waiting for me that it all somehow makes sense.

Take Wednesday, for example. I had the day off, and the evening before I started getting the urge to go charity shopping, specificially to South Manchester, despite being recommended some other locations. I first hit Chorlton, then Didsbury; I'd picked up a few nice things (patchouli incense, Me Without You, paisley fabric) but nothing that would really explain how I had been drawn out.

I left the penultimate shop on my circuit, wondering whether I could be bothered going to the last - it was across a busy road, after all - and something reminded me about the calling I'd felt. And of course.. in the last shop, there it was. Brand new with tags, Minkpink, burnout velvet blazer. For £7.50. Seven fifty! I felt like I was robbing the poor charity, but I didn't complain out loud; I just grabbed it and paid for it straight away, without trying it on or looking at anything else. To me the worst part is that it's the old Minkpink tag, and it's not a piece in my memory.. so it's been sat around in somebody's wardrobe for years, most likely. Sad!

In one fell swoop, I have the foundation block for my autumn/winter wardrobe for less than a tenner. What can I say? Just gotta answer the calling.




He always has to get involved, doesn't he?
PS. We've launched a YouTube channel at work and we made our first video yesterday when I wore this outfit. Check it out and recall that I am a Northerner who is too lazy to say her "t"s!

THAT'S MIINT!

I'm wearing:

Minkpink Stolen Moment dress

Pamela Mann tights

Topshop bag

Jeffrey Campbell shoes

River Island hand chain

A fashion blogger walks into a room.. and immediately scopes out the best spot for outfit snaps. Am I right, or am I right? I was pretty pleased to find that the bed & breakfast I stayed in over the weekend in Grasmere put these curtains up precisely for photographic purposes. They're so kind! But I really would've preferred something that coordinated with my outfit a little better. Maybe pink and white stripes. Or holographic silver. Or galaxy print...

I was in Cumbria for the wedding of one of Chris's university friends (it was a blast - especially with Ceilidh band Thistle playing), which meant it was finally time to debut my Minkpink Stolen Moment dress. This dress fills me with such joy - especially the colour, which is as rich and sumptuous as it looks in the photos. My only issue is that it shows up lumps and bumps, so underwear has to be chosen carefully; this is unusual considering it's thick velvet but is a small price to pay for such a beautiful dress!

I bought my dress from Urban Outfitters but have recently discovered Miinto, where this dress is also available. Miinto pull together the best of indespendent stores across the UK (including those very local to me, like Eternal Envy), meaning you can shop boutique brands right from your sofa. Miinto have given a proper miint £50 to spend on the site for one of my lucky readers - if I were you I'd put it towards a piece of Wildfox or snap up a cute Gentle Fawn kimono.

Follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below to be in with a chance. The giveaway runs until midnight on January 2nd - so if Santa didn't quite bring what you were hankering after, you can treat yourself in the New Year!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PAISLEY VELVET URGES

Today is the birthday of my most avid blog reader and my biggest fan.. yep, you guessed it. My mum. Seeing as I can't be with her today (as you read this I will be at work. The magic of technology, eh?) it's only right that I wish her a very happy birthday right here.

My dad and I helped her celebrate on Wednesday, when we went to Cheshire Emporium (read: a junk shop) near their house. The weather was freezing, the antiques average; however the cafe was absolutely amazing and we couldn't eat enough. Worth a trip back for the lime and coconut cake alone.. Perhaps not for the Geri doll, though.

I sorta felt I had to single the top I'm wearing out for a solo picture on the bed - it took a good few gin and tonics and a pep talk before it was willing, let me tell you - as although in most of the photos it looks like I'm wearing a black top, it's actually a subtle paisley print within the velvet. Yep.. paisley and velvet. What's not to love? I snapped it up from the charity shop it was residing in extra fast as not only had it clearly never been worn but it also reminded me of an April, May top I'd spotted in Bottega just days before - on a similar tea and cake mission as Wednesday's, actually. Now I'd just like to find something similar to the dress version, please, then surely my paisley velvet urges will be well and truly satisfied.

I'm wearing:

H&M via charity shop coat (similar here)

Charity shop top (here's the best likeness I can find)

Vintage scarf

TU cardigan

Oasis waxed jeans

Office boots

Wonderhaus necklace