That time Catherine and I were in Woman & Home Magazine (!!!) (&behind the scenes)

You know when something happens in life and it kind of feels amazing but slightly surreal? Well thats what happened to me on the 28th March.
Why? Well on that Friday i got to have the meet the most wonderful lady and have a fantastic experience at the same time.
You all know the amazing Catherine right? (if not..where have you been?) Well over the past 3 ish years we have become firm blogging buddies. What started with blog comments and appreciation soon turned to tweets and then emails back and fourth. Catherine has been a constant source of style, photography and general blog inspiration to me and i just felt that from the beginning she just got me..which was so nice.
So when she put or names forward for a friendship article in Woman & Home Magazine I was thrilled.
Woman & Home picked up our story and there we were on 28th March meeting in real life for the very first time and on top of that wonderfulness, we were having our hair and makeup done, getting to play dress up in fancy designer clothes and have a fun photoshoot.

When i first actually met Catherine i couldn't believe how absolutely radiant she was. Obviously you can tell by her photos on her blog, she is one stunning lady. But there is something that doesn't quite transcend in to photos , a certain glow or presence perhaps, as in real life she is even more beautiful and graceful and softly spoken. As soon as we met (i was SO nervous) we chatted and chatted about our families, our journey to London that day and then laughed at how similar our blogging routines are and our funny little ways we have with our blogging.
At one point we were having a drink and Catherine spilled a little and she said "I spilled, i Spilled at Woman & Home" a la Carrie at Vogue (remember that scene?), which made me crack up as i was thinking the EXACT same thing lol!
I really didn't want to leave once the photoshoot was over, i just wanted to sit and chat more about blogging and life with this wonderful lady, but sadly I had to shoot off and get back home to Wales.

 Want to see some behind the scenes of a Woman & Home shoot? (I hope you said yes)

As an avid magazine reader i didn't even think of how much effort went in to photo-shoots and getting the 'money shot'. Each person on set (which was the most amazing beautiful London House) had a job and an input into getting the best out of the shoot.
As you can see above, i originally started in a white blouse, which was lovely, but made me look like a floating head haha! So with the stylist we switched it up and i  wore the beautiful blue blouse, statement necklace and amazing Kurt Geiger Orange heels (which i wanted to take home with me haha!)

 Rows and rows of shoes clothes... (guess which ones were on my feet hahah!)

 ...and stacks of jewellery!! It was like a fashion mecca. Catherine and I were in heaven , we kinda just wanted to play dress up all day in all the pretty clothes.

 Checking the shots and seeing what worked, changing, re angling and adjustments were then made.

And the photo-shoot? Well of course that was amazing.  Everyone from Woman & Home were so lovely and accommodating, they just made us feel at ease straight away. My husband came with me (as i would have gotten lost in London..seriously, i get lost around Cardiff) and they were lovely to him too, chatting about photography and supplying us all with yummy food and drinks.
The photographer Trevor Leighton was superb (check his website and see the calibre of his work...he has photographed some of my most fave celebs!!), I was so nervous having my photo taken by someone other than my husband. Weirdly i actually hate being in front of the camera, i know that's bizarre as i post photos of myself 3 times a week here on the blog, but Salvatore (my husband) is the only person i actually relax enough with to take a half decent photo. So needless to say i was SUPER NERVOUS, but it was wonderful and such a fantastic experience.

It's funny isn't it how blogging can make such a difference to your life.
It was a wonderful day i will never forget but the one thing that will stay with me i hope for many many years to come is the friendship I have built with Catherine. I never even imagined i would meet such a beautiful person (inside and out) when i first started out on this blogging road, but my gosh, i am so glad i have.

A big thanks you to my wonderful friend and also to Woman & Home for bringing us together to meet

Maxi Skirts and Messy Hair

 I've been longing for a lovely spring day to wear a maxi skirt, which to me is just one of the easiest spring items to gently bear your legs to the elements. On Sunday we had a pretty warm day so i took my chances. FYI.. i was cold. Not quite Spring temperatures just yet, plus I'm a complete baby when it comes to being cold.
This maxi skirt has been with me about 4 years, a cheap purchase from Primark but surprisingly has lasted me well and i continue to love it each year. Without fail each year i will wear a Breton top and do a nautical-type ensemble with it, but today i went for a casual tied grey tee and a fail safe denim jacket (another must have spring piece for me).
I'm also attempting to straighten my hair less in hopes of it growing a little faster. I normally have very fast growing hair, but right now its so dry and brittle i need to show it a little TLC, so its messy bed head and messy buns for me as much as possible at the moment. Which is a-ok with me, hair has never been my strong point, having a huge frizzy mane has had me stumped on way too many occasions. But messy? Messy i can do! heehee!

Maxi Skirt: Primark(very old)
Tee, necklace & Denim Jacket: F&F Tesco
Shoes: I forget...?
Bag: Primark
Ray-bans: c/o Sunglasses Shop

So tell me do you love a maxi at Spring or do you keep your legs in hibernation until actual warmth arrives?

Like the outfit? Want similar? Here's a few things that might tickle your tatsebuds

A Bardot Breton and White Jeans

 For years i haven't permitted myself a new pair of white jeans. Having a baby, then a toddler meant i would be just plain silly to wear such a colour. I would have just been asking for stains and little hand prints. But my little man is growing up and I have taken the plunge and invested in a new pair of classic white jeans. Now all I have to contend with is my own clumsy ways (Have i ever mentioned; Clumsiest Person EVER! Its a condition i tell you.) I feel like i have to be super super cautious when I'm in white, like nobody can stand within 5 feet of me and I can't poor myself a drink or eat spaghetti, haha! But not eating or drinking in them is worth it as the white jeans are just the epitome of spring and summer to me. With lots of remixability options i hope to keep these ankle grazer beauties stain free all summer and on constant rotation (eh, wish me luck on the no stain thang...!)

I had been eyeing up this top on-line for a few weeks, but with my size out of stock i gave up. To my astonishment when i actually went in River Island yesterday there it was in all its glory, i grabbed it , paid and left a happy lady. A little off the shoulder action can look so elegant on a lady, showcasing one of the slimmest parts (the collarbone) and shoulders can be tres flattering. The Bardot cut is a classic and i am smitten with the Breton stripes too. I went with full on monochromatic here which is unlike me; normally i like to add a punch of colour with some bright shoes or bag. This time i just felt very classic and unfussy so went with all black and white. 

I'm really enjoying some classics in my wardrobe lately and this top and these jeans have just become a staple.

The Sunglasses Shop kindly allowed me to pick a pair of sunglasses last week and i chose the most amazing tinted Rayban aviators, giving my old cheapies the boot and  these beauties taking pride of place on my face. Having bought cheap sunglasses for years i was so surprised at the quality. They are made to perfection. They feel heavier than my old cheapies and the lenses are so crisp and clear. The Sunglasses shop were quick and professional and i will definitely be using them again. In fact Hubby also loves them and we have been fighting over them, haha...Looks like i'll be investing in another pair soon so i don't have to race him to the sunglasses every day;)

Jeans & Necklace: F&F
Bardot Top: River Island
Shoes& Clutch: Matalan
Blazer: Primark



Do you have any thing in your wardrobe you class as a classic?



Want to shop the look? Here are some similar/same Classic items I've found

Floral Dresses and Biker Jackets (& Passion4Fashion LinkUp!)

When i walked down in to the living room and husband saw me in this outfit his words to me were:
"Wow, you look really pretty today, its like your old style"
to which i replied
"So you prefer how i used to dress?
Aaand then he made a remark about how i over think things and can't i just accept a compliment.
But by that point I kinda felt like it was a back handed compliment. Old style vs New Style, hhhmm.
What i think he meant was that it reminded him of when i used to where floral dresses all.the.time.
Which it would now appear he liked.
And apparently i still can't totally walk past a pretty floral dress as this one jumped in to my trolley at Tesco when it was on super sale for just £7.00. With its long but light sleeves and pretty pink and purple print its been making a great transitional dress. I kinda think i've brought it into a more 'Current me' style with the biker jacket (which is my beloved item that the wonderful Erica posted back to me super swiftly after it did the rounds for #frockswapuk).
The canvas tote bag is a £1 special from Primark emblazoned with the letter R, i just couldn't refuse an initialled bag.
Apparently i can't refuse much lately... I guess old habits do die hard ;-)

Dress & Scarf: F&F Tesco

Jackt: c/o George at Asda

Shoes: Matalan

Bag: Primark

So tell me, is there a 'thing' you just can't quit, whether it's florals, or scarves or bags or shoes..

or all of the above (like me, again apparently;)

Just a wee sidenote from me, i'm currently away in Cornwall on a family holiday completely without wifi or any internet, which i'm either probably loving or running around  like a mad woman, climbing the walls holding my phone to the sky to just get one bar of signal/3g/any internet at all.
 Either way i hope you're having a lovely week and i really really look forward to coming back to you as soon as i'm home.
xxx

On Apr 24, 2014 12:00 PM, "