What I got for Christmas 2016

Hello again. Everyone in my family somehow managed to be ill during this Christmas time and as a result I ended up having rather a quiet time, also due to working more or less throughout the holiday. I literally had two days off, which was a bit rubbish but life always goes on, so. I got some really lovely gifts and most them were fairly unexpected. My mum got my the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which I absolutely adore, seeing as I've loved the Harry Potter series since I was a child. I began reading the books aged 7 and have been obsessed ever since. I got Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for my birthday and the two of them are so beautifully illustrated, I love them. This wasn't a surprise as I had a feeling that I would be receiving this (I'd been hinting for ages). It didn't disappoint and I can't wait to slowly collect the whole illustrated series once they're released.

 

Alongside this book, I also received the Cath Kidston floral colouring book which was a fun present as I enjoy colouring and I've always loved Cath Kidston patterns. Some of the more general but equally as useful presents were several pairs of fluffy socks (fantastic for looking after my forever sore feet), some money, a set of body creams, a blanket, a candle and some pyjamas. At the moment I'm obsessed with the smell of Yankee Candles Red Raspberry and have been burning it literally every day, its such a beautiful smell. When I was younger I used to pick fruits in summer and it definitely reminds me of those long summer days. I'm feeling like I want more candles in a range of scents now so that I can mix up the smells a little, just like I do with perfumes. 

 

 

My boyfriend bought me a perfume I've been lusting after for literally years, Valentino Valentina Acqua Floreale. I had a tiny tester bottle of this that I got at a Marie Clare event in Selfridges back in 2013; I adored the smell as soon as I opened the tester bottle. The 50ml bottle that I received is really pretty, a clear, circular shape with a white rose with two leaves hanging underneath sitting at an angle by the neck of the bottle. The neck of the bottle is gold with Valentino engraved with a black circular spritzer. The scent is incredibly light and floral, smelling of bergamot, orange blossom, neroli, mimosa, tuberose, jasmine, amber and patchouli. It's described as oriental and floral, most likely to the sweet mixture of citrus fruits and floral woodland. The box that it came in was spectacularly gorgeous with a pale pink aesthetic with embossed silver lettering and roses.

 

I've been collecting Pandora charms since my 20th birthday, so it wasn't a massive surprise that I received two new charms this Christmas from my parents; I got the retired Pandora Christmas pudding and gingerbread man dangles. Very fitting charms for Christmas and I loved them both as soon as I saw them. I used to be avid collector but I'm not so desperate for charms now as I prefer having more meaningful ones that I get given as gifts. As you can see from the photograph, my bracelet is almost full... I think my next step in terms of Pandora is to invest in a safety chain to keep my charms and bracelet more safe and secure. I'm grateful for all of the presents that I got and I hope that I gave good presents too. Did you get a lot of smaller presents of a few larger presents? Let me know in the comments :)

 

Christmas Present Ideas For Her

- iPhone - Pandora - The Body Shop - Jack Wills - Cath Kidston - Instax - Orla Kiely - Clarks - Radley -

 

Every year, various members of my family complain that I'm 'so difficult to buy for', whereas I would say I'm quite easy to buy for. I don't have the most expensive taste, considering my favourite present from last year was a pair of fluffy socks that came with a foot cream; but I did get some lovely other things as well. For the present ideas pictured above, I tried to think of things that would last some time; for example Radley purses are so worth the money, they have multiple compartments and do look nice, with the pretty dog based patterns. Would be a perfect gift for a dog lover and they do seem hard wearing. Mine is two years old and still going strong.

An iPhone, or some kind of every electrical item is an obvious choice if you have the money to spend. I have an iPhone 6s and I love the iPhone system, although I know others don't. I've pictured the iPhone 7, but I'm sure about it not having a place for headphones. If a phone is outside of your budget, then a phone case is always a fantastic alternative and there are so many to choose from. I personally like the Jack Wills cases as they're incredibly durable, come in a variety of different patterns and are priced affordably. Cath Kidston cases are also lovely as they're always beautiful patterns and very strong but they are priced higher so only consider if your budget is a bit higher. Instant cameras have had a sudden resurge in popularity and so they're another good option to buy any age group; instax or instax mini are the easiest versions to find and are fairly reasonably priced. Although that said, the films aren't so reasonable as they work out £1 each, but they are fun and make nice memories too.

A watch suite a traditional Christmas present and there are so many different brands, shapes, patterns to choose from. The Orla Kiely range is definitely one most will be lusting after because they're so chic. The geometric, multicoloured prints really stand out on the wrist and the leather straps show the quality of the watches; they'll last for a good couple of years and not go out of fashion as they're all classic designs. Cath Kidston makes similarly beautiful prints and the bags have definitely increased in quality in the past few years. The 'busy bag' looks so versatile and has so many pockets and compartments it would be great for work, school or travelling. Plus, having a nice pattern on your bag on a dull day really brightens up your day sometimes. Clarks shoes are so comfortable and last well because they're so well made. Brogues are always in fashion and go with so many different outfits that you can't go wrong rally, especially in classic tan or black shades.

Another obvious choice is a gift set as so many people like beauty related items whether that's a body cream, shower gel, deodorant or make up. The Body Shop have some lovely scented creams and gels that are packaged so nicely. If you suffer from sensitive skin they're such a good option, and for the price are excellent value for money. Make up or travel bags are also great, as well as stationary, perfumes or pajamas. Anything that would make for a good girlie pamper on a rainy day when life feels like it's too much. I actually love choosing presents for other people at Christmas and always have all my shopping done before December even arrives... A little crazy, yes but it does mean I don't stress when it's too late! Hopefully this post will be helpful for someone. See you soon :)

A month in Instagram photos! • SEPTEMBER!

Hi everyone!

It's been quite a while since my last post (again) but in my defence a LOT has happened during that time and so I'm kicking off October with a late month of instagram photos, which I hope you'll enjoy. My instagram name is @artaccessoriesattireblog do give me a follow if you can, I'll really appreciate it ;) During September, I started my final year at university (hurrah!) and indulged in the Pandora free bracelet promotion which was naughty but a nice treat.

As you can see, many of these photographs feature my puppy, Star and she's also featured in a couple of other posts on here; sadly, on the 26th of September she died in the night, in my nanas arms. She was a beautiful little girl, full of life and love. She made every person in my house love, laugh, cry and live and without her the house feels empty. She was so special but everyday I smile more as I remember her, my pet and my selfie buddy.

Chocolate also features in this post, thanks a lovely set of friends who gave me flowers and chocolate as well as an evening of their lives to help me relax and grieve which was amazing and so thoughtful. So overall, September definitely had some highs and lows, but I can look back at all of the photographs with happiness knowing that at least I have happy memories. Heres to a new month and hard work ahead of me, eeeeek final year I'm dreading it all already! Wish me luck and see you all soon, Rach x x x

Summer Loving!

Hello everyone, apologies it has been a while once again since my last post! This features an element of my love/hate relationship with summer. I love the flowers and my garden but at the same time the humidity consistently gets to me and I'm simply one of those people that gets really flustered and overheated. These photographs were all taken in my garden, of my garden and featuring my baby dog Star...!

For the hot weather I can't help but dig out a pair of cool hippy pants in varying colours and patterns and a plain black or white t-shirt for a relaxed look. Make-up wise, I do rely on concealer, eyebrow pencil, blusher, eyeliner, mascara and an SPF lipstick for a bit of coverage and obviously sunglasses are a must. I bought these lovely Birkenstocks at a bargain price from my local TKMaxx and I was a convert literally straightaway, I love the bright pop of colour too, and they are study and stylish. Although this outfit isn't the most beautiful or stylish, I felt really confident, cool and comfortable in it, and for me, that's what summer dressing is really about.

I do appreciate a beautiful flower/plant although I must admit I'm not keen on the long watering/caring for plants at the end of the day but its annoying seeing Star rip up/play with/eat various plants that my nana grows! Talking of my nana, she made me these gorgeous camera earrings for my 21st birthday and I've worn them so so often ever since, they seem to work with everything and add a bit of my personality to everything I wear, they're a little quirky too which I adore. Do any of you have a specific piece of jewellery or outfit you immediately run to when you need a quick inspiration fix? Let me what you thought of this post via the comments too! See you soon, Rach x x x

[Sunglasses - ASOS; Crop T-Shirt - ASOS Petite; Hippy Pants - Doodah at Greenbelt Festival; Sandals - Birkenstocks @ TKMaxx; Leather Bracelet - Pandora; Earrings - Handmade by my nana.]

Outfit of the Week! ~ 1960s wannabe!

Hey sweeties! This is this weeks outfit of the week, apologies again for the bad picture quality as I didn't use my DSLR like I had planned, which was silly of me. However I'm super proud of the look overall, especially the hair as it's the first time that I've ever done a hairstyle like that! I used a small donut from Primark and pushed my hair along over it before securing it with 4 kirby grips at the back of my head just behind it. Voilà!   The lighting was pretty bad on the day though, it was really overcast which didn't help the overall photos either, boo.

I wanted to create a 1960's style outfit, but it was created on a budget, it cost £38 altogether and yet I felt pretty sophisticated and glamourous, mostly due to the hairstyle, hah! The make-up was pale skin and lips with a large, sweeping flicked liquid eyeliner and perfectly groomed brows. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress, the appliquéd lace bodice is simply beautiful, and the blush colour really works against any skin tone. My legs aren't my favourite feature, so it's a little short for my liking, but I can put up with that for the nice cut and flow of the organza skirt.

The shoes were a complete bargain from Primark, and a whim purchase but I'm really excited that I found them, as they go with almost every outfit being that lovely warm tan colour. Tan shoes and bags are a big weakness of mine, as you'll see as the year goes on and I blog more and more regularly. Let me know what you think of this week's outfit! Rach x x x

[Shoes - Primark; Cardigan - H&M; Dress - ASOS; Tights - Primark; Bracelets - Pandora; Rings - Pandora, Greenwich Market, The Jewellery Channel, eBay, family; Kirby Grips and Hair Donut - Primark]

January 2014 - A month of Instagram photos!

So this has been my January 2014 through instagram - I've just started a new account for blogging etc. [@artaccessoriesattireblog] and this is first result… Its not gone too badly I don't think, as you can probably see its been so cold, literally all of my outfits have been completely covered up with thick coats and scarves, definitely my winter staples. 

Quite a lot of random images too, my iPod mini, getting on the Jubilee line and couple of backside images taken whilst walking to the Tate Modern from London Bridge, plus a cheeky McDonald's breakfast aha! Plus my rings, new Pandora Fleur Watch, my Nikon DSLR, my two Pandora bracelets, a Nando's takeaways for my nana's birthday and several shameless selflies, including one at work.

Hopefully my blog is getting a little better… I hope so, I'm trying to keep posting regularly and I've got a few ideas for my next blogpost or two, its just a shame that the weather is being so rubbish right now, the lighting is awful for photography! But give me a follow, I'm happy to hear any tips or advice! Rach x x x x