i wish i could drive away to the sunset..

as requested, before and after pictures from the grand wardrobe clearout - i ended up donating six bags of clothes to the charity shops, and have another two bags of dresses to list on ebay next time i get chance to take some photographs and get them listed..

this is what the room turned out like after a day of clearing out, folding, hanging and outsorting things to be mended..and also after alex did battle with an ikea clothes rail, and managed to get it together - i think i need another one though.and i have a lot of ironing to do, which isn't a bad thing as i love ironing :)

maybe i need a skirt challenge to help me get through the heap as well, although i think i will go with a shoe challenge for april, i have several pairs i have never worn or featured on here so that will be good..i am very pleased with what we managed to achieve, as i had worried that alex would turn up and be put off by the monstrous task!

changing the subject slightly, i want to say thanks for all the lovely and cheering comments received; i'm really sorry to be so down what seems like all the time, but this is a new month, and a new start and start to take control of things..i went out last night, and no, it didn't make me forget about everything, but it did make me realise that i could still laugh and have a good time with people, and my friends made me promise to talk to them instead of worrying about being a burden to them, which was good..i don't drink anyway, so it wasn't difficult to get up for my appt to the docs at 7am this morning, and i have talked over some options with them based on my other existing meds, and think that the method we've decided on will help..

this evening i'm off to meet with a woman who has offered to help me progress with my dressmaking skills, which i am using for the skill section of my Queen's Guide award..i am determined not to fall behind with that, as i think it is something i would be disappointed with myself if i gave it up..and other than that i have plenty of sorting out of clothes, ebay listing, and sewing commissions to keep me occupied..

also i have noticed that i have reached more than 100 followers, and just wanted to say thanks for sticking by me, i'm amazed that anyone wants to take the time to read what i have to write, so thanks very much! i will plan a giveaway soon..i need to think of somethign to make for an easter-themed swap as well..i've never done a proper blog swap before, so will have to find some inspiration!

you make me wanna die.

very little point elaborating on the title..the person it's aimed at will know it's them when / if they see it..having an unbelievably shit day, the amount of time i have spent at my desk crying is stupid..i know that i have to sort my life out, but at the moment the list seems to get longer by the day, not really making any progress..i'm feeling bad that i seem to be letting a lot of people down, and also conscious that i don't want to be a constant whingey bore, or rely too much on my friends to make me feel better..ugh!
i've been asked out for drinks this evening, and am in two minds about whether or not i should go, i don't want to go just so that everyone can feel sorry for me, and i don't want to be a burden - at the same time i rarely see these people and i know they get sick and tired of me always cancelling on them..feel a little bit like i am going to faint :( oh well, doctor's in the morning..

i don't very much feel like outfit posting at the moment..partly because i feel so shit that i'm convinced i also look it.. and also because i'm not feeling at all inspired, so the last few days have just gone for the same kinds of outfits which have been posted in the past...

i think i need a challenge - something to focus on for april? am thinking a different pair of shoes each day so that i can wear some of the ones which have lived in their boxes all their lives..any suggestions would be appreciated...

the blogging hiatus continues. really sorry. i am in the process of trying to draw a line under the last four years or so and start afresh and i'm not finding it very easy. but it means i don't have a lot else to say, as it's the only thing i can seem to think about, so i won't bore you all.

i hope to be back soon.

this is your last second chance..

no real post from me today, i basically can't get to the computer, as i may be stuck in this mountain of clothes..i have officially run out of storage space (about a yr ago) and the whole room is getting full..nightmare..

luckily, super-alex has come to save the day, and she's promised not to make me throw anything out..fingers crossed!

in the heat of the summer sunshine..

it's taken me a while,  but here is the second dress of my recentish laura ashley spree..i absolutely love some of their new collections at the moment, there are several more dresses on my list for payday, or whenever i win the lottery ...
also, frustrating but predictable, as soon as i had worn both the dresses, the website / store had a 25% off event..grr! always the way..i still love them both, though and am going to try hard to avoid doing my usual trick of wearing something once and then forgetting about it..

i wasn't all that sure about the shoes with the dress, as the stripes are more coral not the red of the heels and platforms on this pair, but i think the stripes are similar enough to make it all ok! :) i've had this pair of 'really high platforms' from office for years, and dig them out everytime there is a sniff of a naultical trend..they're remarkably comfortable and must have paid for themselves ten times over, which is impressive as i seem to recalll they were q expensive !

am really enjoying the cheerful summer weather at the moment tooo..long may it last ;)

cause i saved a few and i keep them in a jar..

i have been meaning to feature my camp blanket for ages, but as it's a constant work in progress, i have been putting it off until it's 'more finished'..
i think that camp blankets may be my favourite guiding tradition..i'm not really one for uniform (i wear it to formal events only, under duress!) and i can't say i'm particularly great at singing, or knots, but there's something great about collecting, earning and swapping badges which then remind you of different places, events or people..here is the blanket i started when i was 14..



at the end of last year's summer camp, i had the grand idea (not) of unpicking every badge, primarily so that i could wash the blanket properly, and also because i wasn't all that happy with the wa y everythign had been set out, and i sort of thought i wanted more order to it..which i have done now that i have got them all back on (only taken 8months!) i'm still not happy with some parts, and will probably re-do one 'section' at least..i also need to teach myself to blanket-stitch, so that i can finish off the head hole, and then i want to cut out some large felt letters so that i can put my name on in some of the remaining space!

let's hear it in the herd and on the wing

ootd:
first, this is the boater hat i managed to win from ebay last week, in advance of the mary poppins thing..it's too small for my giant head, i'm not sure how to make it stay on - hair grips strategically placed maybe?!

i dug out this pair of coral pumps from the plastic drawers where i keep some of my unboxed shoes, and it doesn't look like they have fared very well over the last few months, there isn't much room in the drawers - but i have now straightened them out and they seem fine..

this dress is a new look one, i thought originally it was a concession one, but it had new look tags so i'm guessing not..i saw it on the website when they were running a free delivery promo a few wks ago, and deemed it the only thing i would order on the whole site, but i wasn't overly sure if it would be 'too white'..i saw it on the lovely Sarah's blog, here, and decided it was quite lovely after all and that i'd look out for it next time i went to the shops..it has a rather nice bow detail on the back which i haven't really managd to show very well here..though under the cardi i'm concerned i may look a little bit "hunchback of notre dame"! it's a little short for my usual liking, hence the flats..

dress - new look, pumps and cardigan - primark

other things which are happening this week..

• i am worried about the state of one of the fish from my work tank, i think it has fish TB so have set up a separate tank for it, but i don't think it will get better..
• i have been unsuccessfully trying to track down this bird print peter pan shirt from miss selfridge after seeing in a blog post, but it's not available in any of the stores near me, so if anyone sees one anywhere, let me know :)
• i have lost 1lb so far without really starting to 'up the ante' when it comes to my weight loss / fitness..i have been motivated by the Where are my Knees? girls, who are great and full of tips and recipes..
• I have been realising just how uncoordinated i am, through playing the Just Dance Broadway game on the Wii which i was given last week..i'm not good, but i'm not really sure how it can figure out how good or otherwise you are..
• i'm falling behind with my sewing commissions..i would like another day in the week please!

i am not a robot..

this week is certainly turning out a lot better than last week so far..the sun is shining, and i have that 'new shoes' feeling..i'm on top of all my admin for the mary poppins trip, and have had the first of my queen's guide sections signed off..all is good! now all i need to do is get around to reading the book for gem's boook club, and losing the two stone or so i want to before summer, and i really will be on track :)

new shoes feeling, even though it's been a couple of years since i bought these shoes, i've only just got around to wearing them!

i remember seeing this pair on the display in schuh when they were new, and being rather excited - i love robots and couldn't resist the print, and more so the little robot on the ankle strap..i'm not sure of the reason for the delay in wearing them really, i think i need to do an inventory of my shoes, so that i know what i have..i chose them to go with the dress i picked out of the wardrobe as being 'least in need of an iron'  - oh the shame! the dress is by fever designs, which is a website i love to browse - in particular the ruby belle range, which i think collaborated with evans at one point ?  - i do find that they can start off a little pricey, though the sales are generally good.. but i managed to find this one on ebay for a fairly low price!

i'd catch a grenade for you...

I received this tag from two lovely fellow bloggers - Elise (Foof & Faff), and Nicci (Giddy Little Miss)..



it's to be passed on to fellow small-scale bloggers (under 300 followers i think), and i'm not sure how many i have to pick but i would like to pass it on to the following people..

Gem from Fat Frocks who passed the handwriting tag on to me, has a lovely dress collection, and is setting up a penpal exchange which i for one am quite excited about...

Lauren from Gotta Love a Trier who does some fabulous nail art, and who i envy for being able to stick to her current spending ban..

Vicky from LadyBugSays.. which i love, check out her '100 things' posts, and i challenge you not to smile at them :)

Gemma at Pink Haired Princess who has fabulous dresses, shoes and an amazingly enviable collection of animal jewellery, and also posts on her other blog Shoe Girl Diaries, where she tries to wear a different pair each day!

and of course Alex who i rely on to make me giggle on an almost daily basis - and who also does well to talk me out of buying silly things, or spending all my food budget on pretty clothes.. <3

your smile fades in the summer..

i wasn't feeling very inspired over the last week or so, and ended up wearing things which have been worn before, and not that long ago, which seems a little silly when you own a roomful of wardrobes, all bursting to the brim (and maybe a few secret little piles of clothes too, hidden away!) but i decided to wear this river island dress again at the weekend, and i think i like it just as much styled this way as the first time...i added the animal print waist belt as i'm  not such a fan of my midsection at the moment (something i am gradually working on)..and then a duck print scarf, bought from topshop last year with vouchers and promptly forgotten about..the silver cardi is an ancient h&m one, and the silver shoes are some fairly ancient irregular choice favourites, but are getting quite tatty :(

your voice was the soundtrack of my summer..

hello and happy monday..i'm hoping this week is going to much better than my last one, the weather is already starting to help with that (i'm sure that now i've mentioned it, and worn a sleeveless top, it'll change, but still).. i had a rather frustrating weekend..won't go into details, but a friend annoyed me, so i headed for a wander round the shops, to try and take advantage of the 25% off event at laura ashley - which would have been great except they didn't have my next dress from there in stock..so onto the rest of the shops, i was fairly restrained in primark; this skirt is the same style and shape as the beautiful poppy print one i got last month, i think it must have beeen a return as i only saw this one, and it was luckily a 12 - yay :)
the yellow knitted tank top drew me to it in h&m, i love the bright colour, the photo doesn't really do the shade justice, and i wasn't too sure about the long, baggy shape of it to start with, but i think it needs that as it's a relatively loose knit, so i'm not sure tight and vaguely see-through are a great combination..i added my accessorize russian doll pendant necklace as the colours are similar to the skirt, and some yellow gingham irregular choice heels as i always find heels make me feel less frumpy in a baggy top / outfit..

there'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on..

well this week had been pretty crappy to start with, i had a few very sad days, but this event went a little way to making me feel a little more cheerful!
on wednesday evening, our guide unit teamed up wth the other one in the area to take part in a night-walk, and a three-legged race to raise money for comic relief..sadly i can't post any of the pics from the evening..but i can post a pic or two of just how covered in mud i managed to get..

the whole evening was rather hilarious, and i wore the red dress i had worn to work all day, which i added some leggings and a pair of sparkly converse to..

all I thought I had to do was smile..

monday evening is guides evening in my diary, and this week we had an 'oscars' themed party, arranged entirely by one of the patrols as part of their 'go for it' challenge this term..they set out a red carpet, and asked everyone if they would come to the meeting dressed up as one of their favourite film stars, or film characters..we ended up with maverick from top gun, dumbledore, and various st trinians girls, 'bella' from twilight, harry hill, minnie mouse, and various others donned their gladrags..
i decided that i'd just dress up as someone off to the oscars (i'm utterly hopeless when it comes to even choosing who my fave actor / actress is!) so i figured why not dig out one of the numerous vintage frocks which have never seen the light of day due to not having the opportunity..think this one was a fab £8 from ebay, i'm not sure of the make but i love the crunchiness, and the colour! and then i added plenty of sequins, as inspired by christina here..the shoes are primark ones, and the sequin jacket came from the river island sale yrs ago with no idea of what i would wear it for!

i read your letter, the one you left when you broke into my house..

so at the weekend the very lovely Gem from Fat Frocks, set me this handwriting challenge..

i love looking at other people's handwriting (i think i am just nosy!) and therefore jumped at the chance to have a go, the rules were just to write the following:

1. name and blog name

2. url

3. write 'a quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog'

4. favourite quote

5. favourite song

6. favourite band(s), artist(s)

7. anything else you wish to say..

so here goes, and my writing is more messy than i had thought when i actually look back at it!

i would like to invite the following bloggers to have a go:

alex - odd socks and pretty frocks

laura - adaisychaindream

tasha - tasha's treasure  trove

nicci - giddy little miss

and if you haven't seen it already, Gem and some other bloggers have come together for a new project - please check out WhereAreMyKnees? if you haven't done so already; the girls are already inspiring me to get running to keep up with their success !! :)

forever feels like home..

quick outfit post today, as i've spent my entire day interviewing, being unsuccessful in my visits to the electronics stores at lunch with one simple request (and also being made to feel sad by the person who is supposed to be able to make me happier, not sadder - again - which is becoming the norm)..
this dress and i think the same shoes have been featured before, the shoes were a new look pair i'd spied on the website, and then had much fun trying to track down, involving the large store in liverpool trying to find a number to call another local store to see if they had them, much to the annoyance of the growing queue behind me..eventually i managed to order them in the sale online, and i have certainly had my £10-worth of wear from them! i was particularly drawn to the bow, and the height of the heel, as i feel that medium heels make my already pretty huge feet look even more clownlike! dress- matalan, blazer - peacocks

talk to me, i'm throwing myself in front of you..

ok so as is evident from the fact i am wearing the same cardi as yesterday, i wasn't feeling hugely inspired today..the weather has reverted back to cold and grey, and i am frantically trying to rearrange the planned holiday for my guides, as i got a phone call this morning to tell me there had been a double booking and i'd have to rearrange or cancel - nightmare! wish i'd known yesterday, as i only sent the forms out to everyone yesterday :(

oh well, dress is a primark one from last year, which i tend to try and wear with flats as it's rather short..these patent yellow flats are new look via ebay, quite some yrs ago now i think..i love the bow detail and the cheerful colour, but they have a tiny little heel which it's easy to slip around on, esp on the wooden floor at my office!

i still belive you when you say, it's another perfect day..

just a rather speedy ootd post today, still recovering from the weekend, which was very successful albeit a little tiring..the girls all did plenty for their filmlover badges, and all seemed to enjoy the food, so i guess i did my job ok ! this is the dress i spent a little (ok, a lot) of last week fretting about, i ordered it, and then the next day it disappeared from the website..i resigned myself to being grumpy about the fact that it would probably not make it to me, and then was pleasantly suprised when it arrived to brighten up my day! i love the shape, it's very similar to the paris print one i have from river island, so much so in fact that it has the same back detail..and the print i felt was nice and bright for a 'not-quite-spring' day..i thought i'd clash the print with this croc-print clutch from topshop a few yrs back (not a mulberry - tweeters may get that reference!) and add this yellow cardi from george via a charity shop..

i'm hoping the week is set to get better, my cold is getting worse so far, and the one person i thought would make me feel better / cared about is instead treating me like crap. again.

as usual i seem to have a lot to do, so hopefully that will keep me busy enough to take my mind off that!!

i wish nothing but the best for you too..

still feeling under the weather, so here is last saturday's mooching into town / around the house outfit as i currently look (even) rough(er)..
i know i've shown this dress before, i'm quite pleased with the way it turned out, although i erred a little too much on the caution side of things, and it's probably a bit too big..luckily the tie at the front can be used to cinch it in quite a bit..i love the material, it's a kind of flannel feel to it, which makes it lovely and warm (definitely needed on a chilly saturday, which it was!) 
speaking of my dressmaking skills (disclaimer - term 'skills' used in the loosest possible sense of the word..) i'm rather excited - as part of my Queen's Guide award, i'm planning to improve my skills at dressmaking, and have been in contact with a lovely woman who is planning to help me with this - i have to go and meet her with something i have made, and see how i can set up some 'targets' to show my progression and improvement over a year..
back to the outfit - i totally love these comfortable red boots as well, i think that for quality, Office usually do seem to make shoes which last very well - my favourite nautical platforms have put up with days and days of heavy wear and the heel tips aren't even showing any damage..these boots are leather and were a fantastic ebay bargain at £31, and even better they are ridiculously comfortable - i'd choose them over a pair of uggs any day...the rest of the outfit was fairly boring, black cardi, new look lace tights in cream..roll on feeling better and getting more adventurous :)
hope that everyone is having a lovely weekend, i'm spending mine catering for 20 girls at my friends' guide unit holiday..we will be doing our 'filmlover' badge..apologies for being such a guidey-geek at the moment .... :)

i'm far from lonely and it's all that i've got..

last weekend i popped into town, solely to take some books back to avoid another library fine, and for a bit of a wander..i decided to head into boots to try and track down some nail art pens, but they don't stock them (will have to do an order online i think..) so i decided to use some of my advantage card points on the  2 for £5 offer they had on barry m nail paints..it took me a little while to choose, i have quite a few of the colours, and had to remember what i needed, but decided to go for one of the 'crackle effect' as it was a good deal with the offer, since it's usually 3.99..i went with mushroom as well, and tried them out together..i really like the mushroom shade, i'm not entirely sure about the crackle stuff though..it was quite fun to watch it working it's 'magic', but i'm not that excited about the overall effect..maybe i should try it over some different shades, to be sure, but it could be that my sister will end up with it!

you can cut your split ends, you can't cut your roots..

not sure what i was doing to end up with all these slouchy, ridiculous poses, but never mind..this was my frumpy outfit when my cold hit me and i felt like crap on wednesday evening..my friend and i had planned to go bowling, and one of my biggest moans is when certain 'friends' cancel plans with about a half hour to go..it drives me mad (especially if they are coming over and bringing food or something!) so i didn't want to cancel my plans and be one of those people, and a hypocrite..

i'm really not a trousers person, but i was feeling a bit under the weather, and also couldn't stop shivering, so i layered them up over a pair of tights, for a little bit of extra warmth..hilarious story about when i purchased this pair of trousers; we were in cheshire oaks warehouse retail store, and i was in the queue with them, when a girl joined the queue behind us with her bf and holding a pair of the same..she then saw that i had them, said to the guy she was with "oh i'm not getting them after all, she's getting a pair - i don't want to look like her!"..i can't even remember what i was wearing, but clearly it was something offensive to look at..i was kinda amused, perhaps i should have been offended?! ah well..i love the owl print on this jumper, i saw it on beautiful vicki's blog a little while ago but hadn't realised where it was from, but when i saw it in matalan a few weeks back i just had to have it, so i promised myself that if i had managed to do all my food shopping for the event i was catering for one evening, before the shop shut, i would pop to matalan and pick it up - which i managed, with about 5mins to spare (i had to beg the security man to let me in, as he was letting the barriers down on the door!) in all honesty, i'm not sure it's the most flattering shape on me, i think this whole outfit makes me look fantastically frumpy, but i opted for comfort over style to head out to the bowling alley..

my insides are copper, and i'd kill to make them gold..

so yesterday afternoon i was hit by another repeat stage of my cold, which really took it out of me yesterday evening, and by this morning i feel to be back in the full throes of a cold again, just when i thought it was on it's way out..oh well..it meant that this morning, i felt like dressing in something a bit more cheerful..i think i may be a little bit in love with this dress, the shape, the postcard print, and the tie waist all screamed out to me when i was wandering past the window of laura ashley last weekend, and there was no way i could leave without it, after trying it on..as with most of their dresses, it has a couple of layers of underskirt (i love the fact that one of them is gingham fabric - not shown in the pics, and is fully lined)..i know some people think laura ashley has a mumsy connotation, but i am a total fan, and having seen some of the other things in their new collections, i have to say my faith in them has been reaffirmed..see this, for example, which i think is rather gorgeous..i bought another of their dresses too, which i'm sure will feature soon, although i am rather kicking myself to have missed out on nectar points if i had purchased online (i've signed up to the nectar-card toolbar, and have been earning points on my searches, and also they come up with little reminder bars if you are on a website which would offer you nectar points, to make sure you don't miss out!)

i wasn't sure whether the print of these primark heels would be too much with a printed dress but i think the fact that they have both coral and blue tones means that they draw the rest of the outfit together a little..i'm happy with this outfit, which is the first time in quite a while that i have thought that!

dress: laura ashley; cardigan and shoes: primark

never mind i'll find someone like you..

do excuse the fact that the beret is on at a ridiculous angle..i have been trying to make the most of the rare weather this week by driving around with the roof off on my car, hence the beret which was added for extra warmth on monday evening..

this is monday's outfit, because i currently am so tired i could cry, and the photos from this morning show that, so i'm leaving them out..i love this dress, i have both of the colours, and figured i could get away with it for the office if i dressed it up with this cropped blazer..weirdly, i realised when i was reading jen's blog the other day, that i only have this cropped version of a blazer..it got me wondering if i needed to invest in a real-length one..i do like that this can be added to an outfit and dress it up a little more..i also like these tights, which are nice and warm, from new look..the only trouble with them is that they look far too big around the ankles..all my tights seem to do this, is it because i machine wash them? of the fact that i'm not proportionately tall enough for the size of my thighs and bum area?!