The Liebster Blog Award!

The Liebster blog award is an award for blog with under 200 followers. It's awarded to bloggers by bloggers; therefore I would like to give a massive thank you to Megan from A British Muse & Annalise from Pastel Bokeh for both nominating me, it's a great feeling to know people do follow your blog and appreciate what your'e doing!

"When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person(s) who nominated you. You pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions. You are not allowed to nominate the blog(s) who nominated you!

So Here it goes!

11 Random Facts About Me...

1) I have a weird accent, a mix of south east london with northen hints.
2) I love house & electro music
3) I can't bend the toes on my left foot
4) On average I drink 10 cups of tea a day
5) I have to listen to meditation app on my phone to sleep
6) I detest Flo Rida
7) I haven't grown since I was 14
8) I have a grumpy little dog called Alfie
9) I'm afraid of the dark
10) If I can wear any kind of heel on a daily basis, I will.
11) I got my nose pierced because I was too scared to get a tattoo.



Questions from Megan:
1) What's your favourite A/W12 trend? Definitely Leather! I have a stupid amount of faux leather garments, and am continuously collecting more!
2) What's your least favourite A/W12 trend?  Baroque
3) What's your favourite high street store? At the moment Zara, purely for the amount of leather garments I have purchased from there this season. My latest buy was similar to THIS faux leather top.
4) Who is your favourite designer? Acne, Balmain, Marios Schwab, Jil Sander to name a few...
5) What was your favourite A/W12 show? My favourite show was probably 3.1 Phillip Lim
6) What is your wildest dream? To do all of the worlds Creamfields Festivals in one year.
7) If you could travel anywhere where would you go? I am actually hoping to go travelling at the end of next year to south east asia! So excited!
8) If you could live anywhere where would it be? Anywhere sunny. Probably a Greek island. Obsessed with the food!
9) Who is your style crush? Swedish Female blogger Victoria Tornegren. Love her simple style so much.
10) Who is most important to you? Cliche, but my family. Best friends and Boyfriend.
11) What's your dream career? Oh gosh! working for i-D, Wonderland, AnOther, Dazed+Confused, the list goes on. Love to work in the fashion/art department creating content for the magazine.

Questions from Annalise

1) If you could do any job in the world, what would it be? Run my own fashion magazine! Or present on Top Gear!

2) Are you right handed or left handed? Right

3) Winter clothes or Summer clothes? Summer

4) Which is your favourite type of music? House & Electro

5) Who is your celebrity crush? Justin Timberlake

6) Cats or Dogs? Dogs

7) Which countries have you travelled to? America (new york), Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Antigua, next year i'm going travelling to south east asia!

8) If you were given one million in cash, how would you spend them? Half I would give to my parents. Then travelling, then a house with my boyfriend!

9) What is your must have beauty item? Mascara!

10) Name the 3 most important things/people in your life: Family, Boyfriend, Laptop!

11) Which is your favourite clothing brand? Designers are 3.1 Phillip Lim, Lanvin, Acne, Jill Sander, Maris Schwab, Balmain to name a few... Highstreet is Zara and H&M

I have nominated: flairmavens // fashion emcee // Fashion'Fanatique // Ha[u]te Me Not  // Hooting Miss Owl // Naomi Sian // Oh Seven Days // P-ashion // Style Crescent // Boots and Birds // http://living-in-a-fashion-world.blogspot.co.uk/

Questions to the blogs I nominate:

1) What is your favourite Print Magazine?

2) What is your favourite Online Fashion Website?

3) What is your all time favourite fashion blog?

4) Who is your favourite designer?

5) What is your favourite highstreet brand?

6) Who is you female style icon?

7) Who is your male style icon?

8) Monochrome or Colourful Outfits?

9) Shoes or Bags?

10) Matching or Clashing Outfits?

11) Most worn garment/accessory?

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Today's Outfit

This Cross Belt I created myself. For anyone wanting to re-create it, check out my tutorial on how to Here. Let me know what you think!

Skirt, Forever 21, £16. Leather Jacket, Primark, £12. Wedged Desert Boots, New Look, £24. DIY Cross Belt.


I'm loving my new skirt. Although I feel the 'Dip Hem' or 'Mullet' skirts and dresses have been completely worn out and over done by the highstreet, I love this pleated style and neutral colour as it fits in with the rest of my wardrobe perfectly. I couldn't resist this purchase as these skirts are easy to dress up or dress down, also this style can take you from this A/W right into S/S 2013.

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This Month's Online Store: Romwe.com

Sick of the same highstreet styles? I know I am. If you haven't already, you MUST visit Romwe.com.

An amazing online store based on all of the latest world wide street style looks, here you can buy garments and a range of styles as seen on the hottest bloggers around!

Here are my top A/W 2012 Romwe.com Style Picks:

1. All Over Spike Cap, £21.08.
The accessory of the moment, seen on all of the top bloggers. Get it Here

2. Batwing Puff Sleeve, £24.84.
Perfect for pairing with leather trousers, and keeping warm as the weather is cooling. Get it Here

3. Oversized Eagle Print Pullover, £30.55. 
With the animal motif jumpers being a must have highstreet trend this season, this is an edgy alternative to the trend. Get it Here

4. Black Tassel Bag, £58.41. 
I've been wanting one of these for ages now. A brilliant buy as this style of bag comes back year after year. Get it Here

5. Anomalous Large Lapel Coat, £49.68. 
A brilliant versatile item for A/W, perfect for layering. Get it Here

6. Chunk Heel Boots, £68.48. 
My personal favourite, these boots are great for taking you from day into night. Get them Here


I'm looking forward to payday, purely for the reasons above. It isn't the cheapest online store, but you're certain to find garments to suit your style. What I love the most about ROMWE, they ship to a lot of countries, and even better, you're less likely to see other people wearing the pieces you've brought, as they're NOT from the highstreet. Definite Plus!

Holly x

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DIY Tutorial: Ombre Nails

This is my first picture tutorial post, on how to recreate my Grey to Glitter Ombre Nail Art.

There are lots of these tutorials out there, but this is my interpretation. Please do let me know if you find it helpful, and I'm always open to advice on how to improve!

Oh and definitely send me links to pictures if anyone tries this, or has done this before!

Holly x

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Today's Outfit

Today i'm doing freelance work for JAKE Design Studio. I'm NOT a fan of black tights at all, but it's honestly a horrid day in London - and as i'm small I don't produce much body heat - being warm is a must for me!
Anyway, here's my take on a 'smart office outfit'. I cannot be doing with polyester suits, (which noone wears at JAKE anyway, but you have to be reasonably smart) so I opted for my peplum leather skirt, baggy boyfriend tank and skull scarf. Smart enough...?
Shock horror i'm wearing flats AND I have my hair up. Unusual for me!

Holly x

 

Boyfriend Tank, Topshop, £12. Peplum Leather Skirt, Lipsy, £45. Skull Scarf, Primark, £6. Studded Bow, Matalan, £2.50.

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This Month's Must-See London Exhibitions

Tim Walker: Story Teller (supported by Mulberry)

18 October 2012 - 27 January 2013
Daily 10.00-18.00, Until 21.00 on Thurs 8, 29 Nov & 6, 13, 20 Dec
Somerset House, East Wing Galleries, East Wing
Free admission

Tim Walker is one of the most innovative and visually exciting fashion photographers in today's industry. Lavish in scale and ambition, whos style is recognisable in an instant, Walker's photography bring fairytale themes to life, with colourful sets and underlying humour. He has shot for magazine's such as French, British, Italian and American Vogue, W, Vanity Faire and The New Yorker, to name just a few. In the exhibition at Somerset House, you will find installations and a selection of unbelievable props and models on show: an almost life-size replica of a spitfire plane, and gaint dolls for Italian Vogue.

'A Private World' - By Tim Walker

The Little Black Jacket
Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York's HQ
King's Road
London, SW3 4RY
Friday 12th October to Sunday 28th October 2012.

CHANEL's photographic exhibition dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld's latest book, 'The Little Black Jacket: CHANEL's classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld', is now on at the Saatchi Gallery in London. The public will discover the imelessness and versatility of the iconic CHANEL jacket through Karl Lagerfeld's 113 photographs, modelled on a range of friends of the House, with each personality adapting the garment to reflect their own style.
Running along side with the exhibition, window displays in CHANEL's Bond Street, Sloane Street and Brompton Cross boutiques will present a selection of jackets from the latest collections. 

'The Little Black Jacket: CHANEL's classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld,'* will be available worldwide in bookshops this autumn. 

thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com 

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Today's Outfit

Hat, £12, Fux Leather Jacket, £16 both Primark (Last Year). Dip Hem Top, £8, H&M. Waisted Leggings, Topshop. Boots, £24.99, H&M. Spike Bracelet, £12, Aldo. Plated Bracelet, £40, Pandora. Cross Necklace, £12, Topman. Rings, Portobello Market.

A casual outfit for interning this week. I'm on a photoshoot tomorrow, and hoping to snap some 'behind the scenes' images. More posts scheduled for whilst i'm working away, so keep checking back!

Holly x

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Calling all Fashion Interns: Here's practical (but fashionable!) solutions to carrying our 'intern essentials'

Since I've been running around London with my bag full of intern essentials (half of which aren't essential at all, mostly 'just incase' items) I've completely butchered my beloved BATOKO bag (the one you see stuck to my shoulder in most posts). So i've been looking around for a non-bank breaking option (very important), perfect for any fashion intern!

I'm personally looking for a bag thats of course in black, preferably with silver details. With this as my 'requirements' these are the options I have so far:

The Rucksack

Let's face it, i've already walked into Jimmy Choo on my first day interning look like a drowned rat, i'm sure i'm not the only one, so a practical bag - even if it isn't as fashionable as the rest, isn't the end of the world, as we're usually sweaty, tired and rubbing our 'fashionable bag shoulder' by the end of the day.

The great thing about the backpack is you can pretty much forget that it's there, especially when you have 20 bags to return to different PR companies over London, any shoulder/hand/arm free is a blessing! Here are two reasonably fashionable but different options I have found that won't empty your bank account:

1. The Leather Backpack, ASOS.com, £55.

When it comes to bags i'm quite girly, so this is an unusual option for me.

Pros: It's Leather meaning better, longer lasting quality. Slouchy design with triangle, flap-over front, drawstring closure mean my 'intern essentials' are safe from pesky London pick-pockets. Adjustable shoulder straps are a definite plus. Practical.

Cons: Not my preferred style of bag.

Find it here: Leather Backpack

2. Mini Black Quilted Rucksack, River Island, £30.

Pros: A more feminine style of rucksack, with Chanel style quilting. Preferred details. Good Price.

Cons: Smallest of the bags, therefore not as practical. Not as good quality fabric.

Find it here: Black Quilted Rucksack

The Tote

The brilliant thing about the Tote is how large and how much they can fit inside them. Especially for days when i'm interning and need my laptop. Unlike the rucksack though, it has to be carried on the shoulder, and although they look a lot nicer, they aren't as practical (think massive Tote when trying to get off a packed tube during rushhour...not a great combo as it usually gets wedged in between the business men!)

3. Studded Slouchy Shoulder Bag, Miss Selfridge, £39.

Pros: Visually pleasing and suits a range of styles/outfits well. Large and able to fit a lot inside.

Cons: It doesn't zip up, so belongings aren't as protected. One strap - It may sound silly but is it going to be prone to falling off the shoulder and generally getting in the way? (This is one major issue i've had with my other Tote. Anyone else?)

Find it here: Studded Slouchy Shoulder Bag

4. Bucket Bag with Zips, ZARA, £39.99

Pros: External zips allow to extend bag size. Large enough to carry essentials and Laptop. Good Price.

Cons: Very large, it might get in the way.

Find it here: Zara Bucket Bag

Overall I can see all of these bags have pros and cons, but practicality is probably the most important factor, a bag that's comfortable, doesn't really get in the way, holds everything you need, whilst still looking great. I'm being swayed toward the Leather Rucksack by ASOS, but I have to wait for payday before I make my investment.

This obviously gives more time to research more bags, and if anyone knows of any more options you think make the 'Perfectly Practical Bag for a Fashion Intern' Please do let me know! In the mean time, i'll keep looking for the perfect intern bag!

Holly x

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One of my new followers? This is for you!

As big headed as the title of this blog post is - i'm honestly doing it for anyone checking out my blog for the first time! It's a pain having to click the 'Older Posts' button again and again just to gather a sense of the bloggers style - so I thought i'd make it a little easier...

Since joining IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers) website - i've been overwhelmed with the support from all the communities bloggers! I've found some amazing blogs, and can't wait to discover more.
So for all of those new people to my blog - and future bloggers checking it out, here's some of my past outfit posts (So you don't have to click the dreaded older post button!).

I hope you like and enjoy my outfits, any comments are more than welcome. Some of these outfits/items I might not even wear now - but that's what I love about personal style blogs, you can really get a sense of how your style and tastes have developed over time! I definitely don't have an outrageous style that's fashion forward or 'hasn't been done', but I definitely do know what I like and don't like - I love simple items that are versatile, that I can style differently and as you can see I love a lot of black and white!
So thanks to my older followers, hi and thanks to my new followers, and hello to future bloggers that my be reading this - I hope you enjoy!

Holly x

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Laptop full of fashion images? Here's a DIY solution!

I do not own any of these images

Don't you just hate folders on your laptop full of fashion images that you love, but have to spend hours searching through them for inspiration? Create a moodboard, have similar images in one place and free up some space!

I love making Moodboards. It kind of reflects who I am; Organised Kaos. They've become a part of my weekly routine (when I get a second), and have been part of my school, collage, university and working/interning life since I was 13. We all have our different ways of compiling inspiration (whether through social media; pinterest, tumblr etc) but I find creating a moodboard of a particular style or trend is the easiest way for myself to gather together images i've found that I love, and am then easily able to reference back to. Best of all, once you've created your moodboard, you can them just delete the original single jpeg files from your computer!

I've not shared any of my moodboards on my blog before, so why not start now! And if you haven't tried it before, I recommend it. You don't really have to be a dab-hand at photoshop, it doesn't necessarily have to be 'pretty' - it's just supposed to represent a theme or style - but im sure you probably already knew that.

Let me know what you think - If you create any moodboards, or other interesting ways of compiling images please send me a link to your blog below!

Holly x

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Want your blog to look neater? Here's one solution!

For a while now i've been pondering over what it is that I still don't like about my blog. It wasn't neat enough for me, there was something about the appearance that I felt didn't flow well.
Then I came across a forum on IFB about the width of your blog photographs. This was the solution. If my photograph widths are all the same whether landscape of portrait, my blog will look cleaner and neater.
I tried many different ways to make my photograph widths the same, and didnt manage to do it through editing the HTML coding I'm not web wizz myself, so no worries if you haven't a clue what I mean, i'm about to give you an easy solution!

This will make sure all your post images are the same width. It automatically works out the proportions of the original image so it won't be distorted.

In Blogger go to Dashboard>Template>Customise>Advance>Add CSS

Copy the code below into the Add CSS box:

 

.post-body img {

width: 550px;

height: auto;

}

 

.post table.tr-caption-container img {

width: 550px;

height: auto;

}

The images on my blog are a width of 550px, but replace the 550 with the desired default width you’d like for your photos. Then press the ‘apply to blog’ button and all your images will change to the desired size!

This isn't the most interesting post, however I found it VERY helpful.

This easy quick fix I found on http://girldoesgeek.com/2012/02/how-to-make-all-images-the-same-size-automatically-on-blogger.html

by the powers of google search!

Holly x

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Review: Autumn/Winter Ankle Boots

Come winter time every girl needs a good pair of boots. This year has seen the come back of the leather (or fux leather) ankle boot. Personally this boot is one of my favourite styles, and seen across many of my personal favourite style blogs.
Like many of you out there, lack in disposable income is a major factor affecting my winter wardrobe buys. Instead of being able to spend spend spend on any garment that catches my eye, i'm spending my money wisely on just a few key items, that are versatile.

Original Choice: Topshop's 'MIGHTY BLACK LEATHER ZIP BOOTS'.
A reasonable price at £40 these boots are 100% Leather, with silver zip detail, and perfect sized heel for many at 2.5 inches. A boot you can wear from day through to night.
Pros: Leather - harder wearing, better quality and investment for future seasons.
Cons: Personally prefer a higher heel.

The Contender: H&M's Boots.
A very similar version by H&M at a cheaper price of £24.99. They are imitation leather (better for those out there thatprefer to avoid leather) with pretty much the exact zip detail, but with a higher heel at 4.5 inches.
Pros: Price (for pretty much exactly the same design), higher heel.
Cons: Imitation leather - lesser quality.

The Decision: After trying both boots on, I decided to go with the H&M option. In terms of quality, the Topshop boot is probably the one to go for, but the H&M boot is nearly half the price for pretty much the same design. This will be different for many of you, but what swayed me was the heel height (i'm only 5'2" so everyday reasonable sized heels are just part of my wardrobe!), and of course the price...

If I'd had more money, I probably would have gone with the Topshop boot, as many of you are probably thinking, for a leather boot £40 is a reasonable price. Overall i'm extremely happy with my purchase, especially as I wear them so often, with jeans, chiffon skirts, silk shorts - the options are endless. Either of these boots are a brilliant Autumn/Winter wardrobe staple, that will take you all the way through to spring!
Let me know if this helped, or if you've found any other brilliant boots!

Holly x

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Fashion Internship - Day 1

A little long awaited but heres my outfit I wore for my first day interning for photographer Andy Eaton (Last wednesday).
I had a brill first day, researching international magazine's and stylists for his archive.
A chance also to increase my knowledge of international fashion magazine styles. The studios are based in Hoxton. Hopefully i'll keep interning there (as im up against two other interns at the moment) and learn loads more as i'm enjoying it so far!

Leopard Print Playsuit - Topshop. Tuxedo Blazer - Miss Selfridge. Loose Knit Jumper - Topshop. Ankle Boots - H&M. Bag - Batoko.com

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London Town

So it's my two year anniversary this week and I took the boyfriend out for a trip around London.
Im a bit of a space geek so firstly I took him to the Greenwich Royal Observatory Planetarium. Then we took a boat down the river Thames, onto a cute tapas/moroccan place in Soho for food, then for drinks and then to the Comedy Store in Piccadilly. Overall it was a really lovely day!

Hat and boots - H&M. Shirt - Zara. Bag - Batoko.com. Leather Jacket - Primark

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