**random act of kindness swap partners list**

thank you to everyone who signed up to take part in the swap..i have now paired everyone up and will place all of the pairs below as links to the blogs..i'll also be emailing everyone with the details their partners have left, and then it's up to you to contact each other for postal addresses, and to get an idea of the sort of thing your partner would like to receive...

the pairs are as follows:

Liz + Leanne

Vicky + Lucy

Kathryn + Sophie

Trayci + Caroline

Danni + Hazel

Sophie + Helen

Laura + Rosie

Chloe + Katy

Rai + Elise

Grace + Rosie



parcels should be sent by 14th feb, and if you could let me know when you've posted and received yours, that'd be helpful in keeping track - just a dm or a tweet or something would be lovely..happy swapping! :)

and it was all yellow..

dress + tights: primark

cardi + blouse: h&m

belt: clothing at tesco

i have a night walk planned this evening with my guides, so took that into consideration as i was getting ready this morning; i piled on some layers, and have taken some more with me to add this evening..

i decided to start with the thermal tights - if you haven't yet invested in a pair of these from primark, i would totally recommend them; i've never known any other tights to be so warm! everything else was added to kind of go together..i even have my favourite pair of shorts on under the dress, for extra warmth..

not much other news really, still feeling ill with my cold and have had a fairly uneventful, but productive weekend in terms of spring cleaning and having a sort-out..

little princess in a terrible mess..

coat: oasis (christmas gift)



brooch: vintage shop in liverpool's bluecoat building





dress: miso (republic)



brogues: henry holland via ebay

another outfit post from earlier in the week - i feel as though i've hardly posted any outfits for ages - i don't seem to have taken very many photos recently anyway!

one trend i wasn't all that convinced with was brogues..i'm usually a fan of a much more girly shoe, and since the whole point of brogues seems to be to give a nod to the mannish-footwear trend, you can imagine they've never been top of my 'need' list..but recently i've had to part with a couple of my most trusty pairs of flat shoes, having worn them out in fairly critical places, so that, plus the fact that this pair was going for a few pounds on ebay, made me think i'd bite the bullet and place a bid..i won them for £5.50 all in, and i think they've been worth that already..

having never had a pair of henry holland shoes before, i wasn't sure how they would fit, but i've had no problems with the comfort of these, and have worn them for two full days recently without any rubbing or anything - the mark of a good shoe in my book!

here i decided to pair them with a wool dress which i bought years ago from republic, drawn to the princess and the unicorn print, no doubt..i'd tried it on and decided it was probably too short to get away with wearing with heels, and have always been a fan of mixing pink and grey, so it was brogues to the rescue..

and the newest addition to my fab pink coat; this triceratops brooch was just £5 in a tiny vintage shop which myself, alex and helen popped into after our trip to the tate last week..i literally could not leave the shop without it..



just like the clouds, my eyes will do the same if you walk away..



skirt + vest: primark



cardigan: h+m



tights + shoes: new look



as the rain looks to be pretty much set in for the weekend, i'm glad i haven't got much planned..i'm still feeling under the weather, and the spring cleanin bug has hit, so i have plenty to keep me occupied in clearing out wardrobes, cupboards and space under the bed..

i also have plenty of letters to write, and parcels to respond to - this was a lovely sight to greet me on my doormat the other day though; i do love to receive nice post, such a change from the boring bills and suchlike..

outfit from earlier in the week as i suspect most of my weekend will be spent in various sets of pjs..i love these heels and have worn them so much after tracking them down in new look..after all the wear, combined with some weight loss, they are a little too big for my feet now; does anyone have any insole suggestions, as i would like to keep wearing them if i can but noticed they had gotten a bit loose..

the skirt was a recent £3 primark sale-rail pick, which i am quite pleased with..it's colour lends itself rather nicely to the palette of my all-time favourite ever cardigan, a h&m beauty which on a cost-per-wear value must work out at one of the best items i've ever purchased!

anyone else set for a weekend of 'life laundry'?

friday favourites 009..

teacup bracelet, £40

floral key necklace, £29

today's friday favourites post is a little different, inspired by the beautiful lookbook which landed on my doormat earlier in the week from hannah zakari, a website where you can find all kind of cute pieces at a price to suit your budget..

it was full of pretty pictures and some of the gorgeous pieces which are available on the site at the moment and i've picked out a few of my favourites here, but it was tough to choose these out of so many lovely and varied items..the lego necklaces excited me, and i would happily find a home for every single item in the 'french fancies' range (including the macaron ring below), and i think my ears are just crying out for a pair of the tiny tart earrings..cute, or what?!  

as for the ones i have pictured, i would love to wear an actual section of a vintage teacup on my wrist - recycling at it's best if you ask me..i figure one of these will probably be winging it's way to me shortly after payday...

what is your favourite piece on the site?

macaron ring, £18

hello new shoes, bye bye them blues..

Since i first heard about the sarenza ambassador competition, i've been trying to find the words to explain, but I really can't pinpoint when my love of shoes first made itself known..For as long as i can recall, i've always been a 'shoes person'; expensive, designer handbags have never been my cup of tea, I'd opt for a pretty pair of shoes every time! When I was little, I used to long for a pair of jelly sandals with the cute little heels and glitter, and would dress up in my mums heels pretending I was a princess..

Anyone who knows me knows this love is no secret - at the last count I had enough pairs of shoes  to wear a different pair every day of the year, and the collection is still growing..Come to think of it, even those people who don't know me that well at all, refer to me as "the girl with the shoes"..I like to take this as a compliment, as I'm quite proud of my collection..As someone who has often struggled with self-confidence, I can confirm that there is nothing else like the feeling of confidence you get from walking into a room with a pair of heels on..Often people don't think that they could make such a difference, but they do!

Irregular Choice have always been one of my favourite brands, and come payday I can often be found scouring the web for more pairs from the perpetual wishlist of all of the styles I would love to own..This pair of Burlesque Beauty is top of my current list - the mix of patterns and colours grabs your attention, and yet they keep to a rather restrained palette of blues, which i think makes them perfectly acceptable office-wear..The corsage detail on the front, along with the floral print fabric make me think spring is on it's way, and of course the trademark printed sole is eye-wateringly beautiful..

I know they'll be an absolute dream to wear; Irregular Choice have gone for a tried-and-tested courtesan style which they've been using for years (much to my delight, I can wear a pair for hours with no bother at all, and they are such a flattering shape!). Add to that fact that they are currently on the Sarenza sale with 10% and the bargain-hunting section of my brain is trying to tell the rest of it to stop writing this post and click over to the 'add to basket' button..!

Yes, maybe I do have enough shoes to wear a different pair every day for a year, but isn't 2012 a leap year?!

brb

i was trying to get a post done for today at least, but have woken to my cold being so much worse that it was yesterday..my head is spinning, so i'm hoping to go home before i'm sick (again)..i'll be back when i'm feeling a bit better and will hopefully catch up on my 'to read' list then..apologies..

run rabbit run..

 i have worn this top fairly recently, but when i received these topshop velvet sandals for christmas from my sister it was the first thing which sprung to my mind to wear them with..i picked this robot necklace up in the sale in topshop at the weekend, too..

rabbit print top,  cardigan: h&m

pencil skirt: dorothy perkins

velvet sandals: topshop

robot necklace: topshop sale

don't tell me you love me, and act like you don't..

casual days seem to be happening more and more frequently as a result of the recent weather - when i get up and it's a horrible cold morning; one of those where you know you are going to have to scrape the ice from the windscreen before you can see anything, i seem to feel more inclined to layer up some thick tights and a jumper, and (crazily enough) some shorts..i definitely find that i have worn more shorts over the autumn / winter than i would do in the summer, but i wonder if that'll change this summer, now that my love for them seems to have grown..

this poodle jumper was something i picked up in a vintage shop in london, but was always a little bit snug; probably not the most wise purchase at the time, but i felt a lot more comfortable in it when i wore it here..

jumper: vintage shop in seven dials // shorts: clothing at tesco // tights: new look

**versatile blogger tag**

i was recently awarded this versatile blogger award from helen, who blogs at half the world away and is lovely, and also from the fabulous hazel from tales of a little hazzelnut , so thank you both for tagging me !

after thanking the people who sent it my way, the rules state i have to share seven facts about myself, so here goes..

• i can't stand cucumber, or melon - if i eat either of them, they make me physically sick..
• i love to be by the seaside, even if it's crappy weather there's something about it which makes me feel so relaxed..
• i would love a tortoise - i've wanted one for as long as i can remember
• i like writing and receiving letters, well anything nice through the post really, and have made many penpal friends through blogging - if anyone else would like to exchange post, get in touch! :)
• my favourite colour is currently mustard, although it changes a lot..
• i can speak french and spanish fairly well..
• i can't go to sleep without the window open - even if it's -6 outside..

i know that i'm quite late to the parade with this one, so instead of tagging anyone specifically, i will leave it open to anyone who hasn't yet been tagged, and look forward to finding out more about you!

where the eagles fly, on a mountain high..

striped oversized tee: primark

mustard heels: primark

pencil skirt: primark ( £1)

eagle ring: topshop sale

an almost entirely primark outfit today..not sure about the fit of the tshirt, i know it's meant to be over-sized, but there's something about this kind of fit which always makes me feel a bit elephantine..and i was worried that the faded stripes could end up looking a little bit casual, so i added a pencil skirt and heels to pick out some of the colours, and popped off to the office with my new little feathered friend gracing my finger..

any exciting weekend plans about..? i'm looking forward to a lovely couple of days in liverpool to take my mind off this week's stresses...

also, if you're feeling lucky, dee is holding a lovely giveaway over at her blog, pearls, lace and ruffles, so head on over and enter...

**random act of kindness swap**

following a twitter conversation a few days ago, i've agreed to arrange a 'RAK' swap here at t*rexes and tiaras..if you'd like an idea of how it works, Leanne arranged one over on her blog a little while ago..basically everyone who signs up to take part will be paired up with another blogger, and send them a parcel of kindness..if you'd like to sign up, please either leave a comment, or, if you prefer, email me with the following details:

Full name:
Age:
Country of Residence:
Favourite colour:
Favourite make-up brand:
Hobbies:
Email address:
Blog URL:
Twitter name:

the closing date for signing up will be 29th january, and i'll pair you up by 31st jan and let you know who you're partners are..then you need to get in contact, check out their blogs and decide what you'll be sending, and get your parcels off to them by 14th feb please..

the spend limit for your parcels is £10, (this doesn't include the postage)..please let me know when you have sent your parcel, and when you have received it..

but rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for..



dress: new look



top, belt. tights, socks: primark



well the tiredness doesn't seem to be getting any better, i had very little sleep last night as my back seems to be aching a lot at the moment and i was struggling to get comfortable, although i did manage to crack on with quite a few of the things on my to-do list..i seem to function much better with a list!

this was an outfit from my weekend, another nod towards my love of all things mustard - i can't seem to get enough of these socks, and then something reminded me of this top i picked up recently, which is a cobweb style knit..i thought i could layer it over this floral dress from new look, and added a new belt as i thought it needed cinching in a bit..

anyone else in a total spring cleaning mood already? i have my sights set on getting some of my stuff cleared out in readiness for a car boot sale in a couple of weeks' time..

  

the hardest part is letting go of your dreams..

floral vest, turtle necklace + skirt: primark // cardigan: new look // leggings: h+m

another typical weekend outfit; a little more clashy and a little more crazy than during the week, although not really that different i guess..

apologies for the lack of wordiness, i seem to be ridiculously tired, courtesy of  a couple of nights of next-to-no sleep, and a never-ending to-do list following a rather frustrating morning of heavy meeting content, but i hope to be back to my usual rambly self asap !

**500th post giveaway winner**

thank you all for entering, (and for taking the time to read what i have to say on here)..
congratulations to... Alice from An Alien World and i will get your pirzes to you asap :)

everybody wants to be a cat..

 cat print blouse: primark

skirt: matalan

heels: office

i was talking to a friend a while ago, and she suggested i probably had enough animal print clothes to open up a wardrobe zoo, which amused me..this is the friend who i bought rollerskates for for christmas, so as you get an idea of our mental ages..

but here is one of the shirts she pointed out when we last went to the shops, which she suggested i should add to my wardrobe zoo! i rather like it.

my giveaway finishes in the morning, don't forget to enter..

  

saturday wait, and sunday always comes too late..

shorts: red herring at debenhams

top: zara

cardigan, tights : new look

gosh, doesn't the weekend roll around quickly..well this one seems to have to me, anyway..maybe because i've been looking forward to it after a few annoying days at work..

i'm looking forward to a weekend of swimming, fabric-shopping and seeing friends, and have little else planned - i'm trying hard to cut my work worries down to week-days only this year!

this was my outfit from last saturday, i bought the top from zara years ago (one of my very few purchases ever from zara, i tend to find it hard to spot anything i like!) but have hardly ever worn it as i wasn't really all that confident with sheer fabrics, but i'm getting a bit better now..

these cord shorts were one of the few 'sales' purchases i have made this year; from the red herring section in debenhams as i had a voucher which ran out before new year..i wasn't sure whether to go for a size up, but decided not to and i'm not sure if i feel a bit fat in them..

hope everyone has lovely weekend activities planned..

nothing but a hound dog..

cardigan: river island (jan 2011)

necklace: dorothy perkins

pencil skirt: primark sale (£1)



blouse and heels: matalan

 even though it wasn't in the sale, i couldn't resist this blouse on my last trip to matalan..sheer, but not to sheer to need another layer underneath, and a cute little sausage dog print - what's not to love?!

i paired it with a pencil skirt i picked up from the sale rail in primark on my way to the till last time i was in there, which rung up at £1 - bargain! yes it's basic, but it fits and i thought it would do to pair with some of my more quirky prints..

also added the shoes i picked up from matalan at the same time as the blouse, and a river island sale purchase cardigan from last year, for a typical day at the office..

have you entered my giveaway yet? it runs 'til monday and you could win a penguin necklace just like this one..

there's a million other girls who do it just like you..



dress: oasis



cardigan: laura ashley



heels: primark

   i was told by my mum yesterday that this is a 'typical char' outfit..(i think she's been a bit concerned at the sheer quantity of shorts-outfits i've been coming out with recently, suprised she hasn't checked to see if i had a temperature!)..

i suppose she's right; floral dress, cardigan and some pretty shoes are the components of my fall-back outfit..i love all of these particular components and there's just something about an outfit you are happy with, which seems to make the day go a little better, or is that just me..?

also, you have until monday to enter my giveaway, if you haven't already..