Rachel the Hat

Monday, 19 June 2017

Moonlighting at Laura Ashley, Come Join Me!

Good Morning you gorgeous bunch, i just wanted to pop and invite you over to the Laura Ashley blog where they very kindly let me guest post for them on the best Garden Party attire ( Spoiler.. it may be this dress 😁). But it feels an absolute privilege to be able to be posting for such a wonderful brand. They are also some of the nicest photos i've possibly ever taken in my blogging history.

So do come have a nosey and a read ,
full post here:

http://www.lauraashley.com/blog/in-the-wardrobe/dressing-for-a-garden-party/

Happy Monday to you all, wishing you the most wonderful week!

xxx

Denim Maxi Skirt (& #Passion4Fashion Linkup!)

If there's ever a day where i don't post my daily outfit on Instagram, you can pretty much lay money on me wearing this.. literally on constant repeat. Granted i may change the tshirt up a little, occasionally adding in a slogan or some stripes, but yep, this skirt, as my 11 year old step son would say, is life.

The skirt is from the brand Dr Denim and after hunting for a denim maxi skirt, i found this one in a magazine, but then had to hunt it down as it was then sold out on Asos. But like a dog with a scent i tracked this baby down and its been on this backside right here almost constantly since.

The reasons i love it are threefold:

Firstly the length is impeccably perfect, it doesn't drag on the floor and it doesn't trip me up, i can walk up stairs and not stand on it too which is awesome, as i am clumsy enough without having to add more constrictions.

Secondly, on days when its not too warm, its the perfect item for when you don't want to wear jeans. Yes it lets in more of a breeze but the denim is sturdy and acts as a wind break, but also makes me feel like its still a bit summery.

Thirdly, and being British this doesn't come easy for me to say, but i feel bloody brilliant in it.

It hugs and emphasises my curves and makes me feel womanly (its also a little bit '80's mum style which i kind of like, lol!, and that is a nice thing to feel in ones clothes.

Its become a complete wardrobe staple and remixing it is plain and easy, but when you enjoy wearing something, then it's great to just have it on constant repeat.

Im looking forward to wearing this come autumn too (not to wish the summer away of course), and adding in some roll neck sweaters and knee high boots.

What have you enjoyed wearing lately and why?

Outfit Details
Skirt
Tshirt
Red trainers
Straw Basket bag

An InLinkz Link-up

Interiors: Bedroom Details

I think (I don't remember.. that's terrible isn't it) I mentioned a few months back that we've been slowly decorating our bedroom. Slowly because neither of us has much inclination when it comes to interiors most of the time. Take me clothes shopping for anyone and i will happily put outfits together all day long, but put me in charge of interiors and suddenly i feel a bit lost.
That's not to say i don't enjoy a nice, well decorated room, far from it in-fact. As our bedroom slowly takes shape I find myself loving it more and more.
My taste varies from room to room it seems, downstairs in our lounge you have eclectic pieces and colours, and walls filled with pictures and plaques and quirky ornaments.
However as a contrast upstairs in our bedroom, it is all muted white, clean lines and minimal fuss. I think what makes this work for me is that this is my room to sleep, and the less busy it is the better rested i am.

So yes, the bedroom is my sanctuary (and not my laundry dumping ground!.. see the chair below, that is never covered in clean clothes.. ever.. maybe;) and doing it up slowly but surely has been a pleasure.
This month we treated ourselves to a new bed. Something that was well overdue.
Our old bed was making us feel like 80 year olds every morning with crippling back pain and exhausted from too many un-rested nights sleep.
We went to Dreams and bought the Cooper Ottomon storage bed. Its grey upholstered and has the most amazing storage underneath (perfect for this small house filled with people and stuff and this shoe hoarder!) and then we chose a medium firmness mattress. Its a sheer delight to go to bed now.
I can't even explain how wonderful it is to wake up each day and not have back ache.

I have soft furnishing pretty much covered but a few more cushions from Matalan would finish things off well (their cushions, by the way, are fantastic, great quality and small price tag, the pink one above is from there and the quality is far far better than the H&M ones i've previously bought.

So there's a couple more things i want to tackle to get this room to the place of completion:

Lighting

I really need to update the lighting situation in here as it is terrible! This tends to be the room i get ready so needs to be good for makeup etc. I am also considering starting up my Youtube channel again, and this would be where i film, so lighting needs to be light and bright. At the minute it is dull and yellow which really detracts from the nice white calmness i've been trying to instil in this room.

So Lighting inspiration comes Lampcommerce who have a huge array of fancy, practical and down right amazing light solutions

I really like the idea of having a feature lampshade as a focal point in the room. Something a bit unusual but that also lights the room well.

Artemide has some great lamps solutions. The gold lamp below is by Artemide and is MY FAVOURITE! I love the idea of throwing in a little mustard colour with the grey and pink, its an odd pairing that just works so incredibly well and, again, adds a little more interest without being fussy.

The second addition is

Artwork

I have a small collection above the bed, but there is another wall that is still pretty empty and as much

My step Daughter recently introduced me to Society Six and they have an amazing selection at really reasonable prices and in all sorts of different shapes, sizes and designs. I'm really impressed with their site so far!

Once i finalise these last few bits I think I will finally be happy with the room. And i have to say through the process of decorating I think i may be a little more converted to interiors than i originally was. By taking my time with the process it's helped me to find pieces i really like and therefore made me really happy with the room.
Next up is my halls stairs and landing.. which is going to be a slightly epic job!

Are you doing any interior decorating in the near future?

Khaki Jumpsuits: Worth the purchase

I first delved in to the jumpsuit trend about 2 years ago, and its been an on/off relationship since. I think the key is in finding a great jumpsuit is:
a. Comfy
b. Fits well
c. Doesn't ride up (constant wedgie inducing)
d. a great colour that will remix well

So i have dabbled with a few over the past couple of years, and finally i have found one that i absolutely adore and ticks all of the above boxes for me.
Meet my new khaki jumpsuit!
Khaki Utility Jumpsuit from Tu at Sainsbury's

I think, as i mentioned last week, the jumpsuit is perfect in-between weather attire. We are still not blessed with sunshine in the UK, so the jumpsuit allows a spring feeling, but still covered and not freezing.

Outfit details:
Jumpsuit
Mules: Options: Oasis Mules or Gap Mules,
Leopard clutch
Red Tassel earrings

I've scoured tinternet for some similar and great looking khaki jumpsuit options for you and these are all looking pretty great!

First up, along the same vein as mine above, the utility style