Coral and a Polka-dot Scarf (&Link up for Passion For Fashion)

 So we are 25 days in to the #100dayshoppingban and i have to say, so far i am feeling strong and dare i say, it seems to be getting slightly easier.  Even saying that out loud feels like i'm tempting fate, but i have made it past another milestone for me..payday! Payday normally means a little treat, whether that be a new dress or bag or both, but so far nothing. And it feels pretty damn good! 75 days to go and feeling good. I think i will struggle when (if) the weather changes and spring rears it's pretty little head come March time as new season clothing and sunny days will definitely make me want to purchase a few new things, especially as spring last year i was 2 stone heavier (i can't believe how big i look here! funny how i didn't even realise at the time!!) and took the summer to loose the weight, so my spring/summer wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired. But, i'm sure i can make do till April 15th, which will be the day i go out and literally shop till i drop,hahaha!
Don't forget it's not too late to join us if you want to curb your shopping enthusiasm;)
We have our twitter group #100dayshoppingban, join Donna, Debbie,Lena, Angie and Ashlea.

 The one thing i am loving (but not buying) right now is coral and all the pretty pastel shades. With a refund/exchange for an unwanted sales item from River Island a few weeks ago, i bagged these pretty earrings, instantly updating this old outfit into the the new monochromatic-pastel trend hitting the shops right now. Plus i hear statement earrings are the new big thing? Question, for you though on that one; how do you stop them from hurting your ears? As pretty as these bad boys are, my god they are heavy!
Know what else i'm loving right now? THIS SCARF!! HOW PRETTY! and how aptly on trend. Its monochromatic polkadot goodness is just amazing. My lovely fellow shopping-ban buddy Debbie sent it to me from her fabulous shop Duck And Duffel to curb my spending, (did i mention how lovely she is?) And it was love at first site. Her shop has the most amazing hand selected pieces, i mean, how absolutely amazing is this Rabbit Sweater (actually a Hare, but Hare shmare, its all bunnies to me.)
Be sure to check out the Blog too, she has some great tutorials for some crafty goodness.

 Fashion is for everyone. 

Whether you're single in the city or a stay at home mum from the country...
we all have a passion for fashion!

Every Friday Lena & I will be co-hosting a fashion free-for-all linkup!

Anything fashion goes!

Link up your outfit posts, a fashion recap, a fashion wishlist, get your kids or hubby in on the fun... if you've got a passion for fashion, this is the place to be!

Celebrate your style with us every Friday!

We'll be pinning our favourite looks to our Passion for Fashion boards on Pinterest!
You can find the board HERE 

Follow both hosts Lena and  Me so we can come visit you!
If you could link back to us via text link or button and help spread the 
Passion For Fashion word. 
The more ladies the merrier!

Then go visit, blog hop, follow and comment on all the fabulous ladies you are meeting!

{this linkup is very NEW we would love for you to help us spread the word! }

 Tweet us / instagram us with the hashtag #PassionForFashion

 with your outfits, 

Lets spread the Passion For Fashion word, the more the merrier!

get everyone involved!!

Ps dont forget still a few days left to enter the Brit Pack £100 ASOS voucher GIVEAWAY!!
Click the image to enter

Clearing the Mind

Sorry for the radio silence around here lately folks, i feel like a juggler with lots of balls in the air right now and i am about to drop one at any time.. i am a rubbish juggler, but such is life. Plus my hubby (photographer) is away on business so no outfit photos. But i did find these lovely photos on my laptop from a couple of weeks ago. Ogmore by Sea... its such a great place. Here i love donning a silly (but warm) bobble hat (which incidentally is my sons!) and blowing the cobwebs away. I miss dry days. Its been so wet and rainy here of late i long for nice walks and sunshine.

I find there's nothing like a lovely long walk to clear the mind. 

Whats your favorite way to gain some inner peace? Do you have a favourite spot?

Ps how'd you like the new blog design? I was craving simplicity.. i have to say I'm pretty smitten with it. Hope you like it too!

Pleather quilted skirt and Mustard Shirt (&Passion For Fashion Link Up!)

Pleather skirts make me feel sassy. That is all.

Shop The Look:

 Fashion is for everyone. 

Whether you're single in the city or a stay at home mum from the country...
we all have a passion for fashion!

Every Friday Lena & I will be co-hosting a fashion free-for-all linkup!

Anything fashion goes!

Link up your outfit posts, a fashion recap, a fashion wishlist, get your kids or hubby in on the fun... if you've got a passion for fashion, this is the place to be!

Celebrate your style with us every Friday!

We'll be pinning our favourite looks to our Passion for Fashion boards on Pinterest!
You can find the board HERE 

Follow both hosts Lena and  Me so we can come visit you!
If you could link back to us via text link or button and help spread the 
Passion For Fashion word. 
The more ladies the merrier!

Then go visit, blog hop, follow and comment on all the fabulous ladies you are meeting!

{this linkup is very NEW we would love for you to help us spread the word! }

 Tweet us / instagram us with the hashtag #PassionForFashion

 with your outfits, 

Lets spread the Passion For Fashion word, the more the merrier!

get everyone involved!!

FYI Still time to enter £100 ASOS GIFT VOUCHER

Holey Sweater

First things first ladies, have you seen the totally amazing £100 Asos voucher giveaway? Me and 9  gorgeous Brit bloggers are so pleased to be bringing you this wonderful opportunity. Make sure you go enter, not to only be in with the chance to win a fabulous shopping spree at asos, but to also meet some amazing British bloggers. They are 9 wonderful ladies with amazing style. I just know you're going to love them as much as i do! So go enter now :)

 So, this winter i have been wearing lots and lots of simple jeans, sweaters and boots combos. Just something easy to throw on and be comfy in when battling the school run or running some errands. What i like about this outfit is the peculiarity of the sweater.. its holey... i love it. A adds a twist on a regular sweater, with holes and two different colour sleeves, its just my thing and adds interest to my go-to outfit choice of jeans, sweater and boots.

 It was a little however, a little drafty in the hole area, it was like my boobies weren't used to so much fresh air, haha! But that aside, i love my new sweater. I've been patiently awaiting for it to arrive from the awesome Chicnova and i was not disappointed when it arrived. think paired with my coated skinny jeans and some heels this could make a nice dinner outfit too, warm but dressy, which is what is needed when its 1 degree Celsius out.

Do you have a uniform this winter?

Sweater: c/o Chicnova

Jeans & Boots : New Look

Hat: Matalan

Parker: Internacionale

Brit Pack Gives Back **£100 ASOS GIVEAWAY**

Today I'm happy to be co hosting an-amazing 'bloggers give back' give-away hosted 

by myself Rachel The Hat and what we are affectionately calling ourselves...

The Brit Pack...

Meet:

 L-R Rachel The Hat, The Story of The Girl Who Lives Above Her Means, A Million Dresses, 

Fat Frocks, Not Dressed As Lamb

L-R Frills And Spills, What Peggy Said, Kimi And Me, Polkadot Pink and Being Erica

10 Fabulous British Bloggers have all rounded up together to give one lucky winner a spending spree at ASOS with a £100 gift voucher. Its our way of starting the 2014 off with a bang, and also as a big THANK YOU to all of you who read and follow and comment on our blogs week after week.

The Brit Pack are some of Britain's finest bloggers. Every single one is worth getting to know! So in good old fashioned Blighty style, grab a cup of tea and take a moment to check out their links, find some new favourites, and enter away!

GOOD LUCK!!!

The competition will run for 14 days and is open internationally. Winner will be emailed an asos gift voucher with an e-code worth £100 (approx $160 at current exchange rate) and announced on the rafflecopter widget.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Passion for Fashion (Link Up) & Hot Pink Coat, Leopard Print And Stripes

HAPPY FRIDAY LOVELIES! 

I am starting my weekend early and have some grand plans for the next couple of days :) It's my weekend off from work and hubbys birthday tomorrow, so i am thoroughly looking forward to that. Today im starting with coffees with the bestie and then tomorrow we are going to do a photoshoot outdoors with the kids (weather permitting), plus some party fun for my aforementioned besties son. fun fun fun:) :) :)

I thought i would give you a little update on the #100 day shopping ban!(if you don't know what we're doing be sure to check that link, and then feel free to call me crazy!!) , my friday PFF co-host Lena and then Donna, Debbie and me have formed a great little twitter group to support and count down together. Theres still time to join us if you so dare, today is a great day, we are at day 89! 11 down 89 to go...
Thoughts so far? Well being January i am well and truly poor until payday rolls around, so i don't think i could have bought anything anyway so far this month, but i have been doing a lot less web window shopping, i haven't been reading any of the tons and tons of 'shop now' emails (accept the New Look ones, 'cos i like to keep and eye on the trends mostly) and i feel ok. Don't get me wrong there is already a ton of stuff i would love to buy, and i am making a list for in 89 days time for me to hit the shops with, but its ok.. right now , not shopping feels ok. It might sound silly, but because i am in a good place so far this year, i haven't felt the need to shop. I shop when i'm stressed, depressed or down. Kinda like cake or chocolate to some, shopping for pretty dresses was my thing, my anti depressant.
Being happy so far has helped. But the road is never smooth so i shall keep you posted on it all, the highs and lows. But as for the past 10 days, i think we can say:
In Rachel V's Shopping...Rachel won this round;)

This is my winning face, paahahaha!

On another note, i have been *trying* to experiment with a little bit of a variety of make up this past month, this is my pinky look that i'm loving right now! I wish i'd done an eyes shut shot so you guys could see more detail! I am no pro at make up but if you would like to know what i did/used then just drop me a comment and i'll be sure to get that posted here.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Coat: Marks And Spencer

Boots: Ebay

Hat: Matalan

 Show the world what you've got, flaunt your style ladies!

 Fashion is for everyone. 

Whether you're single in the city or a stay at home mum from the country...
we all have a passion for fashion!

Every Friday Lena & I will be co-hosting a fashion free-for-all linkup!

Anything fashion goes!

Link up your outfit posts, a fashion recap, a fashion wishlist, get your kids or hubby in on the fun... if you've got a passion for fashion, this is the place to be!

Celebrate your style with us every Friday!

We'll be pinning our favourite looks to our Passion for Fashion boards on Pinterest!
You can find the board HERE 

Follow both hosts Lena and  Me so we can come visit you!
If you could link back to us via text link or button and help spread the 
Passion For Fashion word. 
The more ladies the merrier!

Then go visit, blog hop, follow and comment on all the fabulous ladies you are meeting!

{this linkup is very NEW we would love for you to help us spread the word! }

 Tweet us / instagram us with the hashtag #PassionForFashion

 with your outfits, 

Lets spread the Passion For Fashion word, the more the merrier!

get everyone involved!!

30 Before 30

So this December i turn the big 3-0. At 29 i don't feel like hitting 3-0 will be a problem, or a downer or infact not much different to how i feel at 29 i imagine. I'm really ok with it.
I have a done a lot in my twenties;
I started and closed a business, i got engaged and married, helped raise two step children who taught me how to be a mum, experienced pregnancy and giving birth and raising my son. So all in all im pretty proud and pleased with the woman i have become thanks to my twenties.
What i am hoping to achieve in my 30's is; more confidence in my body and my mind, pushing myself to get past my own boundaries and to deal with stress better than i previously have.
They may sound obvious but they are the crux of the matters. The things i truly want to change and how i want to grow as a person.
But i thought now might be a good time to finally put a fun 30 before 30 in place to push myself on all levels. Fun and interesting things that i've wanted to do or just material things that i have wanted to change but never get round to doing. 30 before 30 can hold me accountable, which is good.. i need a gentle prod in the right direction sometimes.
So without further a do here it is:

1. Be positive

2.Take a surf lesson

3.Go on a city break with hubby 

(paris, bruge or amsterdam maybe)

4.Up my blogging game

5.Visit Stratford-Upon-avon, 

home of Shakespeare

6.Go Storm Chasing

7.Take kids to Legoland

8.Start an exercise routine and stick to it

9. Complete 100 day shopping ban

10. Take more photos daily

11. Go to 2 concerts this year

12.Take hubby to Alton Towers

 13.Try more new restaurants instead of 

going to the same each time

14.Be better at my day job 

 15.Photography business with hubby

 16.Go to Harry Potter Studios

 17. Invest in nice lingerie and wear daily 

 18. Shop less, buy more classic pieces

 19. Invest in 1 designer bag 

(and get rid of most of others)

20. Cook 1 new recipe a month

21. Get outdoors more; Ogmore beach, 

Porthkerry Park, Southerndown etc

 22. Visit and take photos in all 

 Castles in south Wales

23. Get better at make-up!

24. Do a series of vlogs

25. Finish decorating my bedroom 

(ie buy new furniture)

26. Read more thought provoking books 

(instead of all chick lit fluff)

27. Arrange/attend a south wales blogger event

28. research/do an online course or attend college

29. Be more sociable as a couple 

(im dragging hubby in this now too)

30. Go to Disneyland Paris