2017
Somehow, we're at the end of another year and it's that time where everyones had a bit of down time, some time away from work, and we're all now thinking of the ways we want to do better in the new year. It's not all about setting unrealistic resolutions and piling pressure on ourselves, but more about just reflecting and improving. 2016 has been a weird year - in some ways it's been terrible, but in other ways it's been quite a great year for me. I got a new job, started to share my blog with irl people (lol), and went on my first holiday in 6(!!) years. So I might not have achieved some things that I wanted to, but I've achieved others that I didn't plan to and most importantly, I've moved forward. And that's why I've set some ~achievable goals for the next 12 months.
Self-love
I think we could all do with a little more self-loving in our lives, but really, I need to stop being so hard on myself. I should be proud of the small accomplishments, because a step forward is still forwards no matter how small, right? And tbh, just something as silly as actually celebrating my birthday for once would be a really big step for me.
Travel
As I mentioned above, I actually went on my first holiday in 6 years this month. And I loved it, but the anxiety I had was through the roof. I'm never gonna be one of those bloggers jetting off to new destinations every week, doing "12 countries in 12 months" challenges, but I just want to push myself a little more to get out and see more places. I already have a trip to Dublin booked for May with my family, but another trip with friends would be ideal.
Blogging
This time last year I set myself the same goal, but I want to get more ~social when it comes to blogging. Sharing my posts on social media has helped, and I got involved with one twitter chat, but I just find it hard. It's silly I know, everyone is new at some point, but I just struggle putting myself out there and not being too concerned with every tweet.
Healthy lifestyle
I have no goals in terms of losing a set amount of weight, or cutting out certain food groups (I have enough restrictions with IBS and being vegetarian) but I just want to eat a bit better, y'know? Stop having quorn nuggets and chips for tea when I can't be bothered to cook and actually plan meals in advance kind of thing. Also, stop with the chocolate every afternoon at work!
Saving
I'm not the worst when it comes to saving, but I definitely could be better. Especially when it comes to sales shopping, I'm so weak! But I'm at that point where I want to start seriously saving, because I can't live at home with my parents forever, no matter the bonuses! And I've still not got around to actually opening a new savings account which needs to happen.
Wearing: Dress, Forever 21 - Boots, River Island (old) - Jacket, Vintage
What are you goals for 2017?
Loves. Emma.
Girls Rock
So when this post goes live, I'll actually be in Paris which is super exciting! I haven't been on a holiday for like, 5 years? How mad is that! I was thinking of all the outfit photos I could get while I'm there until I realised it's December and I'm gonna be wrapped up in cosy layers because I'm always cold. (I have really bad circulation.) But hopefully I'll still get some good content for a Paris post when I'm back!
But talking about layers, this outfit is layering in a little more chic, less cosy way. I've seen the fishnet tights under jeans trend quite a bit lately and am loving it! I didn't have the right kind of jeans to do it, so got creative with a pair of scissors and a cheese grater (actually, lol). And I love the way it's turned out! I think the contrast of such light jeans against the tights really adds to it.
So I went through a bit of a phase a couple of years back, wearing checkered shirts like this one all of the time. I had so many different colours and styles! I haven't really worn many recently, but I saw this one and just had to have it because we all know, that girls really do rock. I keep venturing into Debenhams more lately when I go shopping and it's not really somewhere I've ever really shopped, but the H! by Henry Holland range is absolutely everything right now. It's so unique and quite a wide variety of styles tbh. I have a few sweaters and an amazing faux leather jacket from the range, it's such good quality and very reasonably priced. 10/10 would recommend.
Wearing: Shirt, H! by Henry Holland - Tee, Primark - Jeans, Next (customised) - Tights, Primark - Shoes, Topshop (no longer available)
Loves. Emma.
Taking Breaks
So we're into December and this is the first outfit post featuring a faux fur coat! A bit crazy considering I've been wearing all kinds of cosy coats lately, especially since we've had two bouts of snow already, but I actually shot these photos a couple of weeks ago and have just been struggling to put a post together. I went through the photos, edited them, got them all ready to go but they've been sat in a draft post ever since. So if you've noticed my absence lately, ain't nothing wrong, I just hit a bit of a rut and was feeling kinda unmotivated. I've been super busy with other things in my life which I had to prioritise, which in itself has now given me inspiration for this post.
Blogging is hard. When I started blogging a year ago, I had just finished university and wasn't working so could dedicate all the time I wanted to getting the right photos (I didn't, they were terrible looking back, but we live and learn hey). But with blogging, time is everything. Now, I work a full-time 9-5 and especially in winter when it gets dark at 4pm, and the weather is (almost always) terrible, finding the time to get half decent photographs can be a struggle, never mind the time to brainstorm ideas, write posts, compile them, schedule social media posts, etc. etc. I can never find enough time to read all the amazing blogs I follow!
This is certainly not a ~woe is me post at all, I choose to blog, I enjoy it and I don't want to dedicate my time to anything else right now. This is just me getting things of my chest and saying 'it's ok to take a break'. If things get too much, if you're really busy with personal things/health issues/work stress, just stop. Don't force yourself to stay up late to finish that post because it will wait. It will still be there to publish tomorrow, next week, at the end of the month. The kind of people who you want reading your blog will still be there. Put your laptop away, put the face mask on and get in the bath with that lush bath bomb you've been saving for a special occasion. Me time is the most important time.
I picked up this coat in the January sales at the start of this year and it's the softest faux fur I own! Being a cape, it's maybe not the most practical for winter with the bare arms and all, but I love it! It's that spotted kind of leopard print that's just a touch different and I loved the idea of putting it against another pattern, just a simple one like the striped top. And who doesn't love a pair of rose gold boots?! I lusted after these for so long and when I spotted them in the sale a few weeks back had to get them!
Loves. Emma.
Blush Pink
If there's one colour that is everywhere this season, it has to be, without a doubt, blush pink. Whether it's t-shirts, jumpers, coats, boots, you can't avoid it and I wouldn't even want to. I've never been a very girly girl, certainly never a big fan of wearing any pink, but something about this trend just draws me in. I do feel a bit like an imposter, I'm not the type of girl who wears pink, but I just love this shade right now so I'm rolling with it. Hence why I thought I'd dedicate a whole post to showing you some of my recent pink purchases!
I've picked up three little pink tops on three different trips to Primark. The first is my most recent buy, and I love micro-pleat trousers so why not try a t-shirt? Super comfy and stylish at the same time. The velvet turtle neck and the suede effect cami are both perfect layering pieces, and I've been getting quite experimental with my layering lately, past the basic jumper over a vest, so I'm loving these two!
I included this jumper in my knitwear lustlist a couple of weeks back and it was in my ASOS saved items for weeks prior to that! The choker is another trend that's been everywhere too, so a cosy blush pink jumper that incorporates this is perfect, no? It's super soft too!
I got this L.Credi bag back in July thinking the colour was perfect for summer, but it's fitting in pretty well for Autumn and will transition well into Winter too! It's a bit more of a musky shade, but it's such a cute bucket bag style and super structured. It goes with practically anything too!
I do love me some fancy underwear, much like most girls, and this set (top & bottoms) is just so different to any that I own! I saw it on the ASOS instagram account and ordered it instantly. I'm all about pretty lace barrettes and this is just that little bit *more*. Velvet, lace and blush pink? What more could I possibly want, lets be honest.
When it's cold and rainy and dark when you get home, oversized hoodies are the only thing you want to wear, right? So oversized hoodies that are blush pink, dress length and have distressed detailing are next level. Add black faux leather over the knee boots for that super extra look because A/W fashion is the best time to be extra if you ask me. (This one is from Missguided but has sold out atm).
My newest purchase is these dreamy suede effect ankle boots. Writing this and looking at the snow out of my window I realise they're not the most practical for this time of year, but who cares when they're this pretty? I went onto ASOS last week to order a Christmas present, got distracted and ended up with these. TREAT YO'SELF.
I actually have some pink velvet thigh high boots which I completely forgot to include here, but they've featured on my Instagram a couple of times and are from ASOS if you want to be next level extra.
Enjoying the blush pink trend?
Loves. Emma.
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Hold Up
Although the title of this post may suggest so, this isn't in homage to the Beyonce song. But it is a great song. I was just thinking about my blog and that whole 'what is your niche' and my blogging style and how I like to be quite chatty and personal in a lot of my posts. But then I was like, what do my ~readers even know about me? I've never done an 'about me' or a 'get to know me' kind of post, and the 'about' section on my blog is so brief it's quite pointless really isn't it? But that's just me and my love for minimalism tbh.
So I don't want this to come across all annoying or big-headed like 'she loves talking about herself' because actually, talking about myself is my least favourite thing to do, but I just want there to be more of ~me on the blog and for it to be a more personal place, if you get me? I don't really expect people to have been waiting to read about me or anything like that, obviously, I'm not exciting in the least, and I'm just rambling a bit now aren't I? This is just a post I wanted to put out there, so I am, basically.
I'm Emma and I have a shopping/spending problem. I've mentioned this a lot, most notably in this post and I don't want to say it's an addiction, that's not something to be said lightly, but I do have very low self-restraint. It's not always been like this, I used to be so good at saving, but I went through a pretty rough time where I had very little money to spend on myself, so now that I'm in a better place and have a full-time job, obviously I'm gonna have a lot of 'treat yoself' days! My bedroom is an overflowing collection of far too many shoes, coats, bags and clothes in general for one person to need. But it's not a mess. Not even an organised mess, because I am very particular about things being neat and tidy and organised. It's not OCD, but maybe a very very mild form? I'm forever rearranging things in the house that people have put away 'wrong' and I can't let other people do things because it won't be done my way.
I graduated University with a degree in Business Economics, but please never ask me a question about the economy. Especially not in the current state, because it's all just a mess.
I have a ~phobia of cheese. Cook it on a pizza and I'll eat it. But raw, I can't even touch the stuff.
I collect lipsticks (and lip products in general). Also, candles. But what's not to live about either of these things?!
My mastermind subject would be X Factor and I'm not even ashamed. Yes I've watched every series and can name you all of the winners.
I don't leave my bed nearly enough because anxiety is SO FUN. Plus, it's comfy, so?
This is rambly enough and I suspect most of you gave up after the Beyonce reference so I'm gonna end it here. But let me know what kind of posts you'd like to see more of. Personal, Styling, Wishlists? I'm in a bit of a rut!
Loves. Emma.
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Lusting: Ankle Boots
My biggest weakness in life has to be shoes. Most specifically: boots. I mean, I'm a sucker for a good handbag and I have quite the collection of dungarees, but boots are the one thing I can never get enough of. So when the seasons change and everywhere brings out new collections my bank account takes a beating. You'll probably notice I love a statement boot - ain't nobody got time for subtlety! I didn't want to include any of my recent purchases, but you can find a few over on my instagram (a lil self promo never hurt anyone. And I also kept it specifically to ankle boots otherwise we'd have been here all day - don't get me started on all the thigh highs I want!
Which is your favourite pair?
Loves. Emma.
A/W Wardrobe Essentials
There are wardrobe essentials for all year round (such as your classic white tee and favourite pair of skinny jeans) but then there are those that are season specific. With autumn being my favourite season (have I mentioned this? Only all the time, sorry) I thought it was only right to do a post on my essentials for this time of year when it comes to getting dressed.
Oversized jumpers
When it's cold outside and it's dark when you're leaving the house in the morning, there's nothing more satisfying than being wrapped up cosy warm in the comfiest clothes. Honestly. And there's no better way for this than thick baggy jumpers. Whether they're chunky cream cable knits or black chenille sweaters, you just can't go wrong can you?
Faux fur
The amount of faux fur coats I have, that are taking up far too much room in my wardrobe, is honestly quite ridiculous. But anything faux fur is a must have when it's cold weather, no? Faux fur scarves, coats, gilets, they're just so much cosier than any other material. Throw in faux fur trim on dresses or faux fur bags and you're winning aren't you.
Hats
I love a hat. Whether it's a fedora or a bobble hat, if I put one on in a morning when I'm getting ready there's a 90% chance it'll stay on my head all day. I'm a fan all year round tbh, but autumn just seems like the time for them to truly shine, y'know? I know I sound ridiculous. Not only are they good for transforming an outfit when it's cold and you cab with anything fancy, but they keep your head (and whole body, bcos science) super warm!
Over-the-knee boots
I love an ankle boot, don't get me wrong, they're perfect for everyday, but whats not to love about a good pair of thigh highs with an oversized jumper dress? Absolutely nothing. I have 3 different pairs now and plan on wearing them to death over the next few months. They go perfectly with a-line skirts too, and even with jeans tucked in if it's super cold!
Wearing: Jumper, Next (old) - Gilet, ASOS - Hat, ASOS - Boots, Truffle via ASOS (old)
Loves. Emma.