unplanned leave

Hi everyone!

Huge apologies for my unexplained absence; the past month has flown by so quickly that I didn't realise so much time had passed. I promise to everything more fully in a more detailed post over the weekend but just as a quick update...

Since my last entry I have left my job in retail to finally pursue my dream of a career in journalism. It's a huge risk, and everything I'm writing for so far is completely unpaid, which means that once the remainder of my last pay check has gone I will be on a complete shopping ban! (Although, I might make an exception for charity shop bargains?!). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that being penniless will pay off eventually, as having some time at home to freelance means that I will finally be able to start building up a respectable portfolio.

I have also been decorating my bedroom which has meant that my laptop and all my belongings are scattered all over the house, and I have had no space to sit down and type a cohesive and interesting entry! The last coat of paint went on this evening, however, which means I should have my room back in the next couple of days to really concentrate on some quality blogging!

I spotted a couple of lovely pieces in River Island recently;

Grey print peter pan collar smock top; £26.99

Cream belted lace skirt; £24.99

This photograph of the top, from the River Island website, doesn't really do it justice! In reality, the three little buttons are sparkly and bright and the ditsy print has a real vintage feel. The mid length of the skirt is really on trend, and would be perfect for making the transition from winter to spring; this piece would look equally good with thick tights and chunky boots as with bare legs and leather loafers in the warmer months. The heavy lining also gives the skirt a nice weight, making it both practical and luxurious.

forward thinking

I managed to survive my first week back at work, after a lovely break at the start of the new year, and I've actually had a pretty positive few days! Somebody from You magazine (a supplement that comes free in the Daily Mail on weekends) got in touch with me to offer me some work experience later in the year which I'm really excited about; as a weekly publication it will be great to see how a magazine is produced from start to finish. I also have an interview on Monday for an internship at an events website based in Islington. I will fill you in on the details next week, as I don't want to jinx it! I have already had to submit a music review and some examples of my writing, so I'm hoping its just a case of whether they like me or not on the day! Fingers crossed.

My number one piece of good news, though, has to be the purchase of these BEAUTIFUL shoes!

I snapped these up in the Topshop sale for a bargainous £10, reduced from an original price of £70!!I have to admit that I am definitely not a natural in high heels, but these have a really chunky block heel which should help keep me upright! The suede finish and gold trim gives them a slightly retro look too, while the scalloped front means they will look great with thick opaque tights in the cold weather.

A quick heads up for anyone interested in fashion journalism, although I'm sure those of you with your finger on the fashion pulse will already be aware of this; ELLE.com have launched a competition looking for a fashion intern to join their team for six months! It sounds like a great opportunity, and I'm planning to spend the rest of the weekend working on my entry. You can find all the details on the website here; http://intern.elleuk.com/.

blog of the month

Hi everyone!

I've been nominated for Blog of the Month on the British Style Bloggers website! I would really appreciate your votes, as I'm up against thirteen other fantastic fashion writers.

Click here to vote and to check out the other nominees! http://www.britishstylebloggers.org.uk/Blog-Month-Poll-13---Jan-2011-13178143

Thankyou!

x

late sunday evening

I've been at home all day today, enjoying a wonderfully lazy Sunday with the family. My mum cooked a lovely shepherds pie and apple crumble for lunch, (comfort food at its best!), and I've spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Sigur Ros in my bedroom and flicking through the February issues of Elle and Vogue magazines.

I love the 'Take The Plunge' fashion feature in Elle, which showcases a beautiful collection of long length skirts; the popularity of the longer hemline looks set to rise this season with the flowing maxi skirt sure to be a staple for Spring/Summer 2011.

(Apologies for the picture quality; I took a quick snap with my digital as I couldn't find the spread anywhere on the ELLEuk website. Original photographs by David Vasiljevic).

The pleated detail on both of these skirts is gorgeous; I am particularly in love with the bold green maxi by Michael Kors. I am, however, always slightly wary of anything in a maxi length as I've always associated it with a more mature image. The simplicity of these skirts suggests, to me anyway, sophistication; a concept which doesn't sit comfortably with my mix and match style of dressing!

I found this Kors inspired skirt on Topshop.com, and think it would make a perfect compromise! It still features the on-trend pleated finish, but in a much more wearable midi length; and with a £38 price tag. I'm planning to snap this up tomorrow on a trip to Oxford Street. I'm also hoping to track down a specialist photography shop where I can get the film processed from my Diana Mini camera, and admire toy cameras.

so this is the new year

Happy 2011 everybody!

Okay, it is eight days into January already but it's better late than never! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year.

I've had a few days off work so I've been writing and e-mailing all the magazines I can think of in an attempt to secure an internship somewhere! I am desperate to get some work experience in an editorial department, so if anyone has any ideas of how to do so then please let me know! I've got my fingers crossed that there will be at least once nice editor out there who is willing to do me a favour!

Anyway, on a more fashion related note, I have just returned home after a lovely shopping trip with my mum and sister where I purchased a few bits in the sale. I am definitely not one to turn down a bargain! I bought a lovely leopard print skirt from River Island which was reduced to £10. I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of River Island in general as I dislike the way the plaster their name all over the garments and add unnecessary sequins and jewels to everything; but the pleated detail of this skirt, and the way it sits just on the knee, gives it a slightly vintage look which I love! I also picked up a beautiful faux fur collar and velvet lined snood in Claire's Accessories, thanks to the advice of my ten year old sister! The collar was a bargain at £8, and is identical to one I had my eye on in Topshop before Christmas!

I also treated myself to a couple of cosmetics; the new Max Factor lip tint pen which looks and works exactly like a felt tip, and a gorgeous Yves Saint Laurent lipstick in a bright coral colour.

Over the past few months I have become obsessed with rings; the bigger, the better! I was delighted to snap up two beauties in the Accessorize sale for 70% off! One is a gold cat's head covered in diamantes and with sparkly green gems for eyes, and the other is a jade green stone set in a chunky burnished gold ring with feather detail.

(You can see a couple of my other recent additions in this photograph! The gold owl in specs was a Christmas present from my boyfriend, and the bird with green eyes was from Freedom @ Topshop).

In other news, I have finally joined the world of Twitter! There should be a link to my account on the right side of the page. My username is mica_57. I currently have no idea how to use it, but in my bid to break into journalism I decided that I should really stay up to date with modern forms of communication! Having said that, I am currently on a facebook detox for the month. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with technology; I dislike the self promotional aspect of social networking, whilst somewhat enjoying the self reflexive side of it. Hypocritical, I know. I havn't suffered from any terrible withdrawal symptoms yet, but I shall let you know more as the month continues!

domestic goddess

Okay, so my baking skills might not exactly be up to Nigella's standards but I happen to think that my mince pies look pretty good! (Nothing that a bit of strategically sprinkled icing sugar couldn't hide anyway!) They went down a treat last night with the family; a perfect snack for a cosy night in front of the telly.

With only twelve days left until Christmas, and despite a tonne of present shopping left to do, I've had my eye on all things sparkly in the shops. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my friends this weekend, and I want something pretty to wear while dancing the night away in Camden on Saturday.

This cream knitted sequin cardigan, from Topshop, is perfect for going from day to night and I love the soft nude colour. However, I've got my fingers crossed that this beauty will hit the January sales as my bank account certainly doesn't have £85 to spare at the moment!

I'm also searching for the perfect pair of black flats as I am fed up of living in boots. I have no stylistic preferences, but I want them to be comfortable enough to work in all day and dance in all night!

I have fallen in love with the 'Dale' suede shoe from Office; a quirky blend of brogue and loafer with cute fringing detail across the front. (Also available in tan, and a lovely green colour). These shoes would look great with my daily uniform of opaque black tights and vintage playsuits.

I am also besotted with these Topshop Premium velvet platform sandal), which are perfect for the party season! (Although they are most certainly not flat!) Unfortunately, as the name suggests, these shoes carry a premium price tag.

Would £100 be too much to spend on an early Christmas present for myself...?

black velvet

I have discovered that the perfect way to spend time recovering from a cold is to take to bed with hot water and lemon, and waste countless hours browsing fashion websites and glossy magazines for 'grunge glam' inspiration. I will upload my own take on the trend later; when my nose is less red and streaming, and my hair less frizzy (although the latter is a constant problem in my life, and therefore not directly related to sickness).

The resurrection of the 1990's grunge trend is, of course, nothing new for this season. We have seen high street hysteria over leather, velvet and lace in previous year's autumn/winter collections. However, this year's grunge is different; it is chic, it is effortless, it is chiffon and fine knits, it is less teen angst and more grown up playfulness.

Topshop, as always, were spot on with their take on the trend; 'Dark Nouveau' has plenty of leather and lace, alongside softer layers, chiffon and sparkles.

Their 'Heavy Duty' make-up collection, launched recently, also nods a head to the trend. Being a sucker for a new beauty product, I was quick to snap up the kohl dust and lip marker in an attempt to pull off the morning-after look that only the offspring of rockstars can truly achieve.

(Note: Okay, so this isn't exactly a 'morning after' look, especially not for the Geldof sisters, but I love Pixie's dark eyes and berry stained lips here.)