A little Leopard Print Dress

Hurrah for the First outfit of 2016!
How is the new year treating you so far?
Mine has been filled with anxiety and stress.. brilliant way to start a year, i know.
But life lesson learned.. chill the heck out.
I've been winding myself up about something that hadn't even happened yet. And d'you know what, when the situation did finally arise, it wasn't even half as bad i thought it was going to be.
Like literally, i had wound myself up all for nothing.
Why would any woman in her right mind do that? Possibly because i am not a woman in her right mind. Never have been. I'm still searching for that right mind of mine, and i hope this lesson so early on in the new year will help me to stop getting all crazy emo over things that are
a. Out of my control
and
b. Not even happened yet.
Five days in to January and i think there is a resolution there that i need to add to my list!(talking all things 'resolutions' have you seen?)

Anyway, crazy-emo stage over (for now) and i am loving ma dress.
Don't you just love a mood enhancing dress?
I wore this  for NYE and then safely deposited myself back in to my fleecy pj's way before the clock struck 12, but effort was made for a little while at least.
This is the dress i recently picked up in the sales after having my beady eye on it for some time. Its now only £18 too and what a bargain. I've made it a little dressy here but this is one of those gems that can be dressed up or down, and i know i bang on about that all the time, and you're probably shouting change the bloody record Rachel, but to gain a place in my sacred wardrobe, you have to be a team player with the other pieces. And this i can sure see being remixed and loved.

I originally thought of putting my biker jacket with it, which in future i may well do, but this time i went with the military little jacket and heeled booties.
I want to see if i can layer a black jumper over the dress in future and maybe wear with some knee high boots too. Options are always good.
And i loved wearing it, the little tie waist detail is excellent distraction from the food baby situation.

Outfit Details:
Boots
Dress
Military Jacket
Clutch
Beetle Bug Earrings

Do you have any new dresses that have made you happy lately?

Ps Yosa has a gigantic sale on right now! 
Earrings and bracelets start from £2.00
Necklaces from £4.00
Scarves from £4.00

There are some real beauties that need new homes, so do go have a look.. and besides, its the first proper week in January, you deserve a treat *winks*
Shop the sale here

Making Plans..

I'm gonna start by saying i am pretty rubbish at sticking to 'resolutions', and i use air quotes because i think  it is slightly clichéd and often useless to start something on a set Date that is the general consensus time to start.
Will power was never my strong point, but as i get older i do feel my will power growing stronger (i'm making it sound like a super power here, just call Me WillPowerWoman) and making plans and sticking to them is more obtainable.
Its worth noting here, from personal experience i have most definitely found that you can only achieve goals when you are ready.
January 1st will make no difference to you if mentally you are not ready to do something.
Three years ago i knew i wanted to loose weight, only to start a crash diet on jan 1st with a super health kick and detox, only to epicly fail by Jan 6th..which is a total bummer mentally.
I don't give out much advice on here, but the one thing i would say is:
Start when you are ready.
Not Jan 1st, not when someone tells you, but when you are mentally in that place.
I started Slimming world in April 2013 just because i finally felt like i could commit. It was like a switch flicked in my head and i was ready. And with that i stuck to my healthy lifestyle and lost a total of 3 stone (of which I've piled back on about 10 lbs this winter..my boyfriend jeans are now skinny jeans god damn it!)
SO with that in mind, these aren't your typical new years resolutions but things i will be aiming to achieve this year, as and when i am ready.

Life

Weight

Photos from both my lightest and heaviest (ohmagod) stages

As i mentioned above, i lost a total of 3 stone on Slimming World. It worked for me better than any crash course diet. Its a healthy eating lifestyle that is forever. And with that in mind i'm putting myself back on it. Its so easy to fall back in to bad habits (fajitas and nachos are my weakness.. in-fact all Mexican food, i think i was Mexican in a previous life, just pass me my  sombrero)
I truly believe everything is in moderation, so I'm not going to completely cut myself of from that delirious spicy cuisine, but i am going to eat a better diet with treats saved for one day a week.
I need to loose about 7 lbs to get back to my happy weight. And with a little more activity in my life i will hopefully attain this, which leads me to:

Exercise

Ugh.. is it wrong that this is something i totally dread? Like the thought of physical activity makes me shudder to my core. This is something i need to seriously work on. And i know a complete mental shift on this is not going to be easy..I need to find an exercise i enjoy, that will keep me wanting to do it, something I'm yet to discover.  If you have any exercise suggestions for a complete couch potato i would love to hear.

Savings

This  is something Salvatore and i started doing last year, but alas Christmas, children's birthdays and car problems pretty much ate in to what we had saved.
It is imperative this year that we save, save, save. I won't go in to too many details, but if you've been with me here for a long time (3+ years) you will know the ordeal we went through when we lost everything and said goodbye to our business. It was hellish, awful and the worst time ever. We've come so far but there's still a long road ahead of us. Saving £££ is part of our long road.

Home

Negating from the savings, because y'know, needs must, I have a couple of plans for this home of ours this year. My son and step son share a bedroom, its small, and post-christmas i couldn't even see the floor for a carpet of toys. It was ridiculous. So binbags in hand Salv and i took to tackling the monstosity that was their bedroom. A full day later and about 20 bags for charity, they now have a new room complete with Marvel wallpaper, wall mounted TV with gaming area and all they need now is some funky new beds. My boys are so lovely, they don't ask for anything and i would give them the world if i could, so to do this for them in the not so distant future would be a real happy moment.


And for me? A new sofa.. I hate my sofa with a passion (i know strong words for a sofa, but honestly the thing is the bane of my life with its stupid scatter cushions and annoyingly rough texture!) I would love to replace this old thing with something that comfortably seats the whole family for our film nights.

This looks perfect for our large family, comfy, cosy and functional. With there being so many of us here sometimes (we're a big happy 'Blended' family) its imperative we have an accommodating sofa. I'm working on Salvatore, at the moment he's not convinced (see the savings point.. god damn it!)

Personal

I've been harbouring some inner dreams for years. One is Yosa which i am trying my very best to make a success and I have some new ideas and plans for Yosa in 2016, which I'm sure I'll share with you lovely lot at some point (probably when i know what it is exactly myself.. needless to say, I'm not quite there yet)
But there is another ambition i have been dreaming of for years.
I would love to improve my writing skills. This blog has always been a release, but sometimes talking of just my outfit gives me complete writers block.
I was an A* English student, and whilst i was absolute rubbish at maths (still am.. that's what calculators are for!) English writing was always my forte. My grammer and punctuation is somewhat to be desired, but 2016 is the year I'm putting it out there.
I would love to do a creative writing course and improve my skills. The dream, one day, to write a book... Its scary to even type and makes me feel more than a little vulnerable. Why? Because i hate failing. And to admit something out loud is a little daunting and holds be accountable somewhat.
I'm hoping to elaborate on this over the coming weeks, but yep. ..
Its out there now. I want to write... what i'll be writing who knows, but its a skill set that i feel will be invaluable to me.

Blog

SO blogging for 4 and a half years.. is just CRAY CRAY.. How did that happen? I am still loving it, infact i probably love it more now than when i first started. I've found my own natural rhythm and don't stress (too much) if i don't get things out on the exact schedule. A lot of you have been with me for some time, and i know you will forgive me and bear with me when needs must, so a huge thank you for sticking around.
This year i don't have huge plans.. i would love to grow my readership of course, but i would also like to get to know you more. I want to be more social, which is something I've lacked over the past year. I want to start joining in more on twitter conversations, i most definitely want to start replying to all comments (shall be working on that one asap) and visiting blogs more.
#Passion4Fashion will continue to run every Friday and I'm super happy with the new Blog look.
Post wise i am aiming for my twice weekly outfit posts, monthly Insta-outfits and then some shopping posts in-between, things I've spotted, trends i like/ things i don't like. I want to start creating more fashion posts that aren't based around outfit photos.

Style

Looking back through the ol' archives to dig out pics for this post i couldn't help but notice the style change of the past 4 years. I have made some MAJOR changes to my style.
There's a pattern. Each year i am simplifying more and more. And this year will be the same. I'm drawn to a very simple colour palette of black, white, navy, grey and khaki. I love the odd dash of cobalt blue and a pop of red. But generally the aforementioned are where I'm at.
I'm excited to see if this year takes me to even simpler outfits. I'm really tempted to do give the whole capsule-36 items- thing a go, but alas, one thing i know about myself is that i am fickle. Mrs Fickle infact, and if i changed my mind i know i would be disappointed in myself.
But simpler, yes.
Currently i only want to add black and white(and cream) things to my wardrobe.
Its a great way of making me stop and think before i buy anything and limiting my options is a good thing for the gimme-all-the-stuff side of my brain.
I'm looking at different textures and remix-ability for wardrobe staples. And of course i still have a ton of colourful pieces already that i can add in when needs be.
I'm actually giving myself a strict budget of £50.00 a month to shop with, kinda like pocket money. If i want something that is more, then i will have to save for it. There's already two things on my list which are both way over my budget, but yes.. so far so good (she says and its only the 4th Jan.. ask me again next week)


And thats it. World changing things they are not, but for me they are life changing to some degree of another. I hope you will keep me accountable and i'm excited to get started  on my plans.

What are your plans for 2016? I'd love to have a chat about this in the comments!

My Favourite Fashion Brands of 2015 & #Passion4Fashion Linkup is Back!

I was planning on writing the obligatory 2015 recap month by month featuring some of my favourites, but instead i thought i'd mix it up a little. I was either going to do Top 5 Favourite Items, clothing wise, from 2015 or Favourite Fashion Brands this year. The latter won out, as i was scanning the last years blog posts there is a definite trend as to my favourite places to shop.
Some are new favourites, some are oldies but still goodies.

So here we have my Favourite fashion Brands from 2015

Starting with

Whistles

I've had a bit of a love affair with Whistles this past year.
I went from owning no pieces to about 10 in 12 months.
Each item i add to my wardrobe is a piece i absolutely love. The price tag of each always makes me really question before each purchase, how much i will wear it and if i will continue to love it way after the first couple of wears. Which i have to say really makes me a more conscious shopper, rather than the crazy buy-all-the-stuff shopper i have been known to be previously.
Here's a few of my favourites from the past year

 My Go-To dress this summer

 The Perfect dress for a Summer Wedding (that would be chanel lipstick on my boob.. i smooshed my  wine glass up against my chest whilst intoxicated.. thankfully it came out but i had to walk around for the entire evening with lipstick on my dress.. typical me really!)

 Jewel Tones in a Whistles Blouse

The Power Blouse

I already have my eye on two pieces for 2016. I absolutely adore The Lola dress in both Abstract and in the navy. I would wear those babies A LOT.

Warehouse

Warehouse has been my clothing weapon of choice for years. In need of a dress? I know i will always find one i love at Warehouse. This year i had a friends birthday to attend, had nothing to wear so simply popped to Outfit and found instant love with not but one two perfect dresses. Needed something nice for my birthday, found the white knit dress below. I find that they always carry some gorgeous prints in the summer months that are never too chintzy or twee. The cut always fits my height well and this year i even mastered the awkward midi length thanks to their gorgeous dresses.

 Winter Whites

|The Best Midi Dress on the Market

 Tropical Shirt Dress

 Summer Look for Under £50

The Classic Summer Wrap dress

I've just bagged another dress in the sale that i'd had my eye on (coming soon) I also love this one. I do love their sales. Its not all last seasons tat, its usually the things that I've lusted after for prior weeks. And if you're in the market for a gorgeous coat, try this.. it looks divine. Alas i do not need another green coat. You and I both now that never stopped me before (step awaaay from the green coat Rachel :(...)

Hush

Hush is one of those gorgeous brands that i literally lust after everything in their Lookbook's. It's a tall statement, but if i had to choose just one brand to dress myself in for the rest of time, I strongly think it would be Hush. And because i can't buy every single item they sell, i will often taken inspo from their catalogue and do a little re-create as best i can with what i have.
This year, i've treated myself to a couple of dresses including the Annabelle below, a bright yellow jumper (not pictured), the quilted Jo dress and the gorgeous Nessa Cardigan (which is on sale to £88.00 ..But on Jan 5th at midnight their mega sale hits and i have information that it will be going down to £75.00!) Now paying over £100 may seem excessive for a cardi, but the quality is beautiful, the craftsman ship and the fabric are sublime. And also because it was a large chunk of cash, it makes me want to get my wears worth out of it. It is the cardigan i find myself reaching for every week. Since i got it in Autumn i don't think a week has passed when i haven't worn it at some point.. even if it is just as an extra layer at my desk when it gets chilly.
Its something i will be looking at a lot more in the New Year: Investment pieces and are they worth the outlay.

 One navy Dress styled 2 ways

 Instaoutfits

Great Plains

Great Plains (French Connection's sister company) has been on my radar for a couple of years. I love their timeless, modest silhouettes that always appear chic and effortless.  The other thing i love about their clothing is the comfort levels. Its like each piece is designed to be worn by real women. You know, no teeny tiny short skirts, no crotch riders, just practical wears but stylishly done. I wore the Intergalactic dress on Christmas day this year as its sublimely comfy, but makes me feel like a lady too, which is always nice;) The checked trousers are also up on my favourites list this year, perfect for those days when you just don't want to wear jeans.
Also on my ever growing striped clothing front.. i added the Red & Navy stripe top and the grey stripe dress which is my casual go-to dress for sure. All these pieces are now on sale, so some absolute bargains available.

 A Break from Jeans

 Stripes & Bobble Hats

Intergalactic dress

Boden

Boden shoes got me good this year. With my first pair being the navy lille lace up flats. These shoes were like butter. I wore them so much that i decided to get them in the orange also. 
I then splashed out on the Alice heels for an evening out and finished the year with the Boden Embellished jumper. 
This is another catalogue i just love to peruse and be inspired. Very much looking forward to the next seasons offerings! 

Navy Trench With Navy Shoes 

Camel Embellished Jumper

Heels that Steal the Show

Jumpsuit and Orange Lille Lace ups

That sums up 2015.. another year done and dusted, can you believe it? 

I would just like to so say a huge thank you for visiting, becoming friends and supporting this blog. I love doing this and it just wouldn't be the same without you (kind of like a crazy lady just babbling about pretty shoes to herself.. they've committed people for less i believe)

A big thank you for making me not look like a total crazy lady.

Wishing you and yours all the very best for 2016!

Here's to a fantastic year!

An InLinkz Link-up