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A lighter look for spring

It’s no secret that I love winter fashion. Coats, scarves, boots and accessories are all elements I love featuring in my looks!

Now the weather has started to get a little bit warmer, it’s time to ditch some of the layers in favour of more streamlined looks.

Although I will miss my more complete outfits, I admit it’s refreshing to be able to step out with just a jacket on.

The focus of the outfit shifts from outerwear to the base garments and accessories become lighter and more decorative.

Aesthetic contradiction Manchester blogger all saints balfern jacket

A few days ago it was my birthday and I had a day out with my family to celebrate. It was a beautiful sunny day but also slightly windy so I opted for my trusty All Saints “Balfern” jacket. This jacket has become a staple in my wardrobe because of its versatility and style. It looks great styled with both casual and slightly smarter outfits and is the perfect weight for spring.

Spring fashion look navy jumpsuit leather jacket

For this blog post, I was lucky enough to partner with fashionworld.co.uk who provided the main part of my outfit. They allowed me to select a couple of items from their range that I would love to create an outfit with and I chose a gorgeous navy jumpsuit and a pair of cute and comfortable heels from Monsoon.

Navy Monsoon jumpsuit and guitar bag strap

I think jumpsuits are a great choice for a day out. They are practical and stylish and you can just put one on and be ready to go, without having to spend any time coordinating an outfit. This one was perfect for the occasion as the fabric is comfortable but not too thin. I also love the adjustable wrap over detail. It creates a beautiful silhouette by cinching the garment in at the waist but mostly hugs the upper part of the body and can easily be loosened after a large meal, if necessary.

Aesthetic contradiction spring look

Navy monsoon jumpsuit Rebecca Minkoff bag

I decided to pair the jumpsuit with a metallic gold mini mac bag from Rebecca Minkoff. I recently got this embroidered guitar style strap for it and I love the way that it looks. These straps are available in a variety of designs and can be attached to any bag with removable straps.

Rebecca Minkoff mini mac bag

Another element of this outfit I was pleasantly surprised by are the shoes. The heel is just the right height to look stylish but still be comfortable to walk around in. The suede is soft and comfortable and the ankle strap helps keep the foot in place. I think these will be my go-to shoes for summer weddings and parties where there is dancing involved. Although I love the look of tall heels, they aren’t always practical for events.

Aesthetic contradiction edgy fashion blogger

This year I have decided to change things up a bit by adding gold jewellery to my collection. I’ve noticed that certain outfits are complemented by the warmer tones and I wanted the chance to experiment with something different.

grey monsoon courts

Overall I had a great birthday and I was very happy with my outfit. How have you been enjoying spring so far?

edgy spring style

 

OUTFIT:

Jacket: All Saints

Jumpsuit: Monsoon

Heels: Monsoon

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Bag strap: Rebecca Minkoff

Earrings: Dixi

Sunglasses: Specsavers

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Bedroom decor update

Now that winter is coming to an end, I wanted to refresh my bedroom decor and make the whole space a bit more open, bright and airy.

I moved my makeup into my dressing room a few months ago and wanted to keep just my every-day essentials in the bedroom as it already has a few large pieces of furniture in it. I wanted to make the bed a focal point by adding some print and texture.

bedside table with jo Malone candle, floral bedding

I added some finishing touches, such as plants and beautiful smelling candles to enhance the atmosphere. The bold shapes complement the delicate, pencil-drawing-like print of the bedding.

maine coon clean herself on bed

Nymeria loves the smell of fresh bedding as much as I do and always comes to sit on it after I’ve changed it.

white bedroom with four poster bed

Against the window, I positioned the chest of drawers with with a plant and a vintage birdcage on it. I hope to get an other piece of furniture to put the vivarium on soon, so I can add some more plants.

white baroque mirror, Ikea botanical curtains

Next to the chest of drawers, I added a small ottoman stool, covered with a throw and some cushions to add some softness and texture.

ragdoll cat of floral JD Williams bed set

The monochrome, floral bedding adds a delicate, feminine touch, while still fitting in with the mood of the room and the charcoal throw, matches the bed frame. This bed set is reversible and features a larger print of the same flowers on beige on the reverse.

monochrome clothes on clothing rail, mother-in-law's tongue plant

On the side by the door, I have my clothing rail where I hang my most worn everyday clothing. These are definitely not my most displayable garments but they are the ones I reach for the most and having them in front of me when I get up in the morning helps me get dressed quickly. Next to the rail is my laundry basket and a mother-in-law’s tongue plant.

Silver Maine coon cat on bed with floral bedding from JD Williams

I don’t usually use the bedroom during the day, so it’s a good opportunity for the cats to enjoy it!

black satchel bag on grey tassel throw next to baroque mirror bedroom decor

I love these Ikea curtains that feature insects and botanical illustrations! They were originally pretty see-through so I sewed a blackout backing onto them. The same can also be done using iron-on bonding take if you would like to try something similar but don’t sew!

grey bog notebook, beauty products, succulent plant

On my bedside table, I decided to just keep my essential, every-day beauty products, a notebook for scribbling ideas while I’m in bed, a candle, a potted plant and a coaster for my glass of water.

Next to the clothing rail and laundry basket, stands one of our fish tanks. I always wanted one in the bedroom and this one has been here for a while now. I find watching the fish swimming around very relaxing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look great in bright light but it is definitely much more of a feature at night! I’m currently on the look out for some pieces of artwork to complete this wall! I’m thinking line drawings in black frames, something monochrome or maybe with a touch of green.

 

FEATURED ITEMS:

Anything featured in this post that is still available will be linked below:

Reversible duvet set

Quilted throw

Marble coasters

Mongolian cushion

Clothing rack

Plants

Wardrobe

Jo malone candle

Round cushion (similar)

Tassel throw

 

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Autumn pamper routine

As the weather starts getting colder and the nights darker and longer, there is nothing more comforting than taking time out of your busy schedule to unwind and pamper yourself. This year, I’ve realised the importance of looking after your body and have worked on perfecting my pamper routine.

I have been extremely lucky to have the opportunity to partner with Simply Be on this post and share some of my favourite products.

simply be slippers and pyjamas

An essential part of any pamper routine is the feeling of comfort. These cosy flannel pyjamas and mule slippers from simply be are perfect to slip on while you run your bath and put on your facemask and also afterwards, to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate (my current favourite is the peanut butter hot chocolate from Whittards).

style and grace botanique spa gift set

How beautiful is this “Botanique” Spa set from Style & grace? I wasn’t anticipating it would be quite so big when I ordered it. The products are great sizes, the box and illustrations are beautiful and includes all the pamper essentials, I actually think this would make a fantastic Christmas or birthday gift.

cowshed shampoo and conditioner

Looking after my hair is an important part of my routine and in recent years, I have tried to move towards haircare brands that share my values, rather than just buying whatever is on offer at my local supermarket.  Cowshed is one of my favourite brands, they are natural, cruelty-free, SLS and paraben free and made in England. They also offer a fantastic range of products in natural scents and beautiful packaging, that look great on the side of the bath and leave my hair feeling wonderful.

beauty blogger bathroom with plants

I have recently added a few more plants to the bathroom. I find greenery relaxing and aesthetically pleasing so having more plants around has really helped improve my bath-time experience.

style and grace spa

Another way of enhancing the bath-time (or any) experience is with scent. Bergamot, ylang-ylang, lily & sandalwood are some of my favourite scents and their combination is delightful.

oh K! k-beauty and cowshed

I was really excited to try my first K-beauty product, the Oh K! revitalising black sesame hydrogel mask. I hadn’t tried a gel mask before and it felt very cooling and nourishing.

 

8t85

The mask was in two parts so as to fit different face shapes and the remaining gel was massaged into the skin after removal to further revitalise the skin.

bath with candles and plants

Before running my bath, I always make sure to light all my candles, I love the warm glow against the white tiles.

Finally, I get out my body washing products out. These are the body wash and scrub from the style & grace spa set, with the same amazing scent as the other products.

style &grace spa collection body lotion

After my bath, I always make sure to slather myself in plenty of body lotion, I definitely find that moisturising makes a difference to my skin.

slippers from simply be

As a final step in my routine, I put on my cosy pyjamas and slippers and go to dry my hair. I hope you enjoyed an insight into my pamper routine, if you have any great steps you think I should add to it, comment below to let me know.

Stacey x

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Fedora and pleated maxi skirt

Going for lunch at my parents’ house gave me a fun opportunity to walk the dogs in a maxi skirt and heels, which certainly amused the other dog-walkers we passed on the way. Luckily my Dr. martens heeled boots have a sturdy and can withstand a bit of gravel and mud.

This was also my first time trying out my new Armani exchange jacket. This is quite different to the styles I usually wear but I wanted to add a spring jacket to my wardrobe that wasn’t a blazer or made of leather and I think I quite like it.
dark fashion blogger in fedora

fashion blogger in armani exchange jacket 3dark fashion blogger with fedora 2DARK FASHION FEDORA 1style blogger in maxi skirt and fedora 5

 

 

 

style blogger silver hair armani jacket 6style blogger with wolf dog

Jacket: Armani Exchange

Fedora: Asos

Skirt: Ebay

Boots: Dr. Martens

Necklace: Richard Ayres

Top: Topshop

Images by Richard Ayres Photography 

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2016, goals and improvements

It’s finally the new year and we have to start getting used to writing 2016 after all our dates, something that always takes me ages!

It’s a bit of a cliche to to write down new year’s resolutions and it hasn’t been something I was ever particularly into when I was younger but since I became a business owner and then a blogger, I definitely saw how it could be helpful.

Last year, I didn’t write down goals as our dogs had puppies, which totally took over my life and I noticed that my year had less structure, so I wanted to get back on that again this year.

The first thing I did was write a list of all the months and outline my main collections, projects and photoshoots for the year, including adequate preparation times. There is no point releasing a wonderful themed photo-set, perfect for a certain occasion or season when that is already upon us coming to an end: This has happened to me before and I know it is something small companies often struggle with but I’m going to try my hardest to release everything early this year.

Seeing the whole year outlined in one little list actually makes it seem quite short and I feel like breaking it up into sections is helping me set realistic time-frames for achieving each project. When I think I’m not sure what to work on first, I often waste time trying to decide and end up falling behind.

You don’t have to run a business to make a monthly plan of the year, you could include your holidays and social calendar so you can start budgeting in advance or know which months you will have extra cash for luxuries, or you could include goals to achieve in your work or hobbies.

details2016

 I have also made a bullet point goal list:

2016 GOALS

  • Make a more conscious effort to use cruelty free products. This is something I was already interested in and have done for most of my beauty and household products but I’m still sometimes surprised by the types of products are tested on animals so I’m going to make a bigger effort.
  • Only buy clothes I really love, support more independent designers, invest in designer items or make things myself. I have always hated fast fashion but sometimes I run out of time or money and decide to go for the easy option. I want to fight against that this year but ebay will still happen sometimes. 
  • Go out to eat and drink in more interesting places. My boyfriend and I can both cook, so we hardly ever go out to eat, but I’d like to be less of a hermit this year and explore the new places that have opened in Manchester, there are so many I’ve heard good things about.
  • Be more active on social media! This may surprise you, but I don’t like to be glued to my phone like a lot of people. I particularly enjoy instagram and pinterest at the moment but I could really use some encouragement, if you’re on there give me a follow and say hi! 
  • Go to America. I think I’ve said I wanted to do this for the last 5 years and I’m still sitting here writing this with an empty bank account but hopefully some magic will happen this year. 
  • Manage my daily tasks and still have some time for myself. This sounds pretty vague but my entire existence is like a juggling act and I’m always striving to complete it without dropping any of the balls. My appearance is always the first thing to go and I want to take more pride in that this year (while also having a clean house, successful business and well-behaved dogs).
  • Feature more beauty products on here. This follows on from my decision to take more care of myself. I’ve been getting more into beauty and skincare over the last year after a bit of a break in my “don’t buy anything that isn’t for the business” years and I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourites. 
  • Start doing videos. I thought I might as well write this one down to see if it motivates me further to do something about it. From how to put on strappy harnesses or latex leggings to house/studio tours and tutorials, I think it would be pointful and fun to make videos. I have wanted to do this for about 3 years now and I go through phases of trying to make a start but it getting it to the stage where it can be released just seems daunting. 
  • Post regularly. This year I’m taking a step back, planning only two posts and week and trying my hardest to keep up. If I can do that till May, I’ll think about adding something extra. 

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