When the clock strikes 12

Outfit:
Black dipped hem vest top: Topshop
Black skinny jeans: Primark
Faux fur leopard print collarless coat: Next
Red woolly scarf: New Look
Black diamond slipper shoes : Topshop

I can't believe that Christmas is over for yet another year - it seems to have gone in the blink of an eye. I had an amazing few days and was very spoilt by my nearest and dearest. Lots of new things to use! This faux fur coat is a firm favourite and was brought for a bargain price of £25 in the Next sale a good few years ago. It always makes me feel very glam! I'm so glad I brought this cosy scarf - it had to be snapped up at only £4. Red and leopard print is one of my favourite combos to put togther.

2012 has been a year of many highs and lows. It was the year where I finally got my first proper job in the media industry after three long years at Uni, saved up enough cash to buy my dream bag of a Mulberry Bayswater and lost over a stone on Weightwatchers - let's forget i've nearly put it all back on... Sadly it was also the year where my nan passed away. Watching my nan slowly waste away was one of the hardest things i've ever had to see in my life. I wouldn't even wish it upon my worst enemy in the world. But that period proved that when the going really does get tough there's no one else you can rely on apart from your family and my family are made of solid gold. It's made me even more grateful to the family members who are still here.

I'm very much looking forward to 2013 and fingers crossed it's going to be a good one. I'm aiming to see much more of the UK with the boyfriend - nothing beats an impromptu road trip at the weekend - , save up for a red KitchenAid to embrace my inner baking goddess, lose a stone and half so I look smoking hot and plough much more of my time into blogging. I really do enjoying blogging but real life has a sneaky way of taking over sometimes.

I'm looking forward to seeing friends and having a dance tonight. I'm off to a Disney-themed fancy dress party and am going as Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Still not entirely sure with my outft but it's a bit too late to change my mind. My boyfriend is going as Jack Skellington so hopefully we'll look good together!

What are your plans for NYE?

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All I want for Christmas



Here are just a few snapshots of Christmas consisting of mainly food and very generous gifts!



This year we spent Christmas at my aunts house and it summed up exactly what Christmas is about. Family, lots of food, many laughs, endless glasses of alcohol and more food. I was seriously considering making myself sick to get rid of the full feeling, I felt in agony! I really do have one of the best families in the world - roll on next year!

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2012 outfits

Well 2012 has been an amazing year for my blog. I've somehow  managed to gain 429 followers - you're all mad but I'm very honoured -, gatecrashed many brilliant events with some fab opportunities and made some absolutely amazing friends (Dream Team forevs). Here's hoping 2013 will bring bigger and better things.

On a side note I never realised how much weight I lost until I went back to the beginning of the year! Hopefully this will give me the motivation to keep it up (plus lose what i've put back on) in the New Year.

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Camo

Outfit:
Camo jacket - Topshop
White (very) oversized t-shirt: Asos
Black skinny jeans: Primark
Black heeled leather boots: Topshop
Black gem statement necklace: New Look
Red plastic watch: Toywatch
Black Bayswater bag: Mulberry
Black scarf: Stolen from my mum

Sorry the pictures are a little dark - I did use a flash but they looked awful! Darn the rainy weather.

Finally got round to wearing this camo jacket around three months after buying it. Maybe that's a sign I should shop less? I brought it with some Topshop vouchers I was given when I left Next - they're a very kind lot! This necklace hardly seems to ever leave my neck even prompting my friend to ask me if I only owned one necklace! It seems to jazz up every outfit so is a firm favourite. I really liked this outfit today even though my dad asked me why I was dressed "urban" when I went in to speak to him. Maybe someone has been watching a little too much Tulisa on the X Factor haha! It was the ideal outfit to spend trying to navigate town to get some last minute Christmas bits and of course treat myself to a few things!

I'm off out for a pub crawl - i'm already about 2 hours late - today and then for an Indian to finish off the night which should be fun. I haven't had an Indian in quite a while so looking forward to some keema naan! I really cannot believe it's Christmas on Tuesday. This month really seems to have flown and I feel like I haven't done anything I wanted to. Always the way eh?

I'm aiming to have a post up on Christmas Eve but if I don't I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and Father Christmas brings you everything you want!

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Weightwatcher Ambassador

Long time readers of my blog will know that i've been on Weightwatchers since Feburary. I've always struggling with my weight - and I honestly think I always will - simply because I like my food. There's no two ways about it. I really enjoy eating and often stuff my face until I can't move. As you can imagine this does nothing to help my waistline.

I was doing so well - I'd lost 16 pounds - until around May and then my nan became ill and sadly died. It really threw me off track for about two months. We were nursing her at home and my eating pattern was all over the place and then we'd regularly visit my grandad after she passed away. You can't feed a 70 year old man 'rabbit food'! I've been desperate to get back on track but my mojo has been long gone. I've been in a constant battle of gaining 2lbs and then losing 2lbs, stuck in a stalemate.

This is why I was so estatic when I was contacted by Weightwatchers and asked if i'd like to become one of their blogger ambassadors. It's safe to say I jumped at the chance and think this is just the motivation I need to stop making excuses and become the skinny minnie I long to be.

I'll be very lucky to recieve hampers of food to help keep me on track and will gain access to the valuable e-source. Along the way i'll be instagramming my food diary and posting yummy recipes on my blog to prove being healthy doesn't have to be boring. I'll also be introducing the new approach. You don't have to deprive yourself of anything, just eat in moderation. Cliche but true! I'll be tracking my progress along the way as well as being honest about when I fall off the wagon. Let's be honest - that glass of wine can sometimes be hard to say no too.

Wish me luck! I'm getting back in the game!

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Christmas party glad rags

I don't know about you but I put a lot of thought into buying a Christmas party dress. To be honest I don't actually need any excuse to buy a new dress but it makes me feel less guilty. I've put together a little wishlist of what i'd love to swish about during the festive period.

001. This is a bit of a cheat as I actually brought this asos peplum yesterday and it turned out to be quite the bargain. It was already reduced to £38.50 and I had a Yourvine voucher to use up too. I think this will be earmarked for the boys Christmas party as long as it doesn't make me look like an elephant!

002. I love the gothic feel of this Topshop dress and the midi length has my name written all over it. The sheer back helps to adds a little sexiness.

003. This Zara beauty will be mine come payday. I'm not quite confident to wear it just yet but come the end of next month when i've lost some weight i'll be rocking it with a huge statement necklace. It just looks so elegant but I don't think it'll be very forgiving!

004. The price point of this dress is slightly painful but then Topshop has never been kind on the purse. It looks so elegant and perfect for those special occasions.

005. Much to my boyfriends disgust I have an unhealthy obsession with leather. I've got a pair of trousers, two skirts and a dress so far. And counting. This is my ideal shape dress and the colour of this Asos beauty is gorgeous. Please be mine under the Christmas tree.

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How to get party perfect hair

Now that the festive season is nearly upon us - how did it creep up so quick?! - it's time start thinking about party perfect hairstyles. Luckily Argos very kindly sent me a hair styler and came to the rescue. I'd been lusting after Babyliss Wave Envy for a while so was extremely pleased i'd been given the opportunity to try it out. I always find hair is easier to style the day after it's been washed or if you do wash it the same day, try not to use conditioner as it will make your hair too soft

001: I find it's a lot easier to curl your hair - especially if you have a huge mane like mine - if you divide it into sections. You can do this using clips or hairbands.

002:My personal favourite style is a headfull of curls and the great thing about this hair styler is that no two curls will be the same - giving you a unique style each time. Start at the very top and work your way down. Hold the styler in each place for about 20 seconds. You can do a shorter time but the curl won't be a pronounced.

003:Run your hands through the curls to loosen them up and give your head a little shake to seperate them.

004: Find a decent can of hairspray, - I swear by Vo5 Extra Strong Hold Weather Resistant as recommended by Lucy - hold your nose and spray like it's going out of fashion. Make sure you cover your whole head and spray underneath to stop it from dropping.

005. Ta-da! To help jazz it up you can choose a clip to pin a section away from your face or just leave your wild mane free and let the curls do the talking.

The great news is the curls stay in even after you have slept in them. I was very impressed I could have mermaid-esque hair for two days running - everyone commented on it!

Have you ever tried these hair stylers? Seen anything you fancy on the Argos website?

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Rose tinted glasses

 

As a regular glasses wearer since the age of 11 - you have no idea how blind without glasses - I jumped at the chance to review a pair of glasses from Firmo.

 

I was a little bit nervous ordering online but it turned out my fears were unnecessary as I couldn't be happier with the ones i've chosen. They fit my face perfectly and are just as comfortable as my other pairs. I love the pop of colour the red arms add and it makes them a little more jazzier than normal black ones. I always think what's the point of wearing glasses if you don't try to make a little bit of a fashion statement? I loved the fact they came in a hard case too as i'm always chucking things in my bag so this keeps unwanted accidents from happening. I'm already thinking about added another pair from the site to my collection.

 

You too can have the chance to recieve your own pair of free glasses - you just have to pay for shipping! What a bargain eh? Even if you don't wear perscription glasses it's still possible for you to get a pair of plain lenses. One word of warning. There's such a huge brilliant selection on the site, you could be browsing for quite some time!

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Phase Eight S/S 13 preview

After getting embarrassingly lost a few weeks ago I finally made it to the Phase Eight press day with around ten minutes to spare - yes I was one of those dreaded people who comes right at the end! I'm very glad I did finally make it! My favourite pieces were the beautiful floral blazer and paisley printed trousers. I can just imagine them being the perfect statement pieces for the warmer months that currently seem a distant memory. The detailing on the floral dress also secured a special place in my heart - it will be an amazing choice for a day at the races. The tweed cropped blazer will be a great cover up when it gets chilly in the evening. Hopefully i'll be at either Newmarket or Ascot races this year! I was very kindly gifted a pair of sunglasses that have already gone in my summer drawer ready to be worn when we get our *ahem* heatwave next June - fingers crossed. I had to wrestle my mum for them though!

Which piece sets your heart aflutter?

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Christmas Motel Rocks style

I was luckily enough to be invited along to the Motel bloggers Christmas party and they know how to have a good time. The amazing venue tucked away in Shoreditch - I worked a stones throw away for 6 months and didn't even realise it was there - put on AMAZING cocktails which tasted exactly like apple pie. My all time favourite dessert.

As I arrived early I was excitably allowed to choose a dress to take home in the form of a gorgeous gold maxi dress. I can't wait to show it off during the festive season! Unfortunately I didn't get my hair done by Lee Stafford  but I took full advantage of having my make expertly done by MyFace and came away with fluttering eyelashes from Eyelure.

It was so lovely to catch up with blogger babes such as Hannah, Lily, Elodie, Michelle,  Aisling, Lauren, Kim and Joanna. I wanted to sneak the leather jacket above in my bag - amazing isn't it?! It's safe to say I was very excited to recieve my first Christmas present of the year - a Lee Stafford chopstick curling tong. Thanks so much Motel, I had a fantastic evening!

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