Maroon Stripes and Chelsea Boots

Burgundy Skirt - New Look

Striped T-shirt - H&M

Vintage Style Watch - Urban Outfitters

Wrap around chain bracelet - Primark

Chelsea Boots - H&M

Nails - Barry M Navy, Models Own Juicy Jules, Revlon Galaxy

I spent most of today in lectures so I wanted something comfy (and yes I'm aware I look like a 10 year old in these photos) I threw on my leather jacket too but the weather is warming up and I think by Friday I wont need a jacket or cardigan at all! What is going on, just as I pack away all my sandals.

My new boots arrived! I was a bit unsure at first because I ordered these online (I only waited 4 days - record time) but tried on a pair in store the next day and wasn't convinced they looked nice. 

Turns out they look much better in my own home and they are a cheap alternative to the Topshop Chelsea Boots at just £29.99 (cheeky discount code brought mine down to £22!)

I'm seriously bored of leopard print or nude nails so I whacked on some glitter polishes over a dark navy. They are messy and a bit too dramatic for day time but it makes a change. 

I will get around to telling you about my Uni course soon, we're being kept busy and part of our first module is to set up a blog to record our research and ideas, so perfect for me, we're even using Blogger as platform! Winner!

x

Five Days of Fashion Part 2

Jumper - Primark

Denim Shorts - Vintage Levis

Dr Marten Boots

Tote Bag - Handmade 

Tights - Primark

Black Shirt with DIY studs - H&M

Maroon Skirt - New Look

Black Tights - Primark

Leather Jacket - Peacocks

Studded Slippers - Topshop

Blue Shirt - Primark

Skinny Jeans - Topshop

Navy TOMs

Dark Red Trousers - River Island

Striped Tshirt - H&M

Leather Converse

Quilted Jacket - New Look

Maroon Satchel - Primark

Nude Blazer - H&M

Paperbag waist shorts - ASOS

Cream Long Sleeve Top - Primark

Tights - Primark

Studded Boots - Chockers Shoes

Layered Necklace - Vintage

After a great response to my first Five Days of Fashion I decided to do a second. So here is what I'm most likely going to be wearing all next week at Uni. Putting these posts together actually helps me out loads come Monday morning when I have ten minutes to get dressed. I can see what works beforehand and have the outfit ideas ready in my head. It's like making your lunches for the week ahead!

You might spot some similar pieces from last week, because yes I do actually wear the same thing more than once. But I try to style things differently so I don't look the same.

I'm hoping to put together these lookbooks every so often, and build a sort of catalogue of outfit ideas so I can look back in time and pick and choose from what I have photographed. It's a great way of actually seeing what you have in your wardrobe and rotating your items so you wear everything you own. I'd recommend you give this a go if you're having a 'I have nothing to wear' sort of week.

Which is your favourite day this week?

x

1st Birthday Giveaway: Sideways Cross Necklace

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Monday 12th marked my blog's very first Birthday! To celebrate a year of blogging I promised you lot a giveaway, and its finally here! I wanted the prize to be something I personally would love to win. I chose something delicate and classic, yet fashionable and suited to all.

My sideways cross necklace was my first every purchase of Etsy.com and I fell in love. I hardly ever take it off so I'm going to share the love and give one lucky follower the chance to win a sideways cross necklace of their very own (obviously brand new and not my actual necklace!) (The necklace was purchased with my own money.) 

This necklace is made by the etsy seller and jewellery maker gemsinvogue and is gold filled and measures 10mm x 15mm. (the smaller version) The entire length of the necklace is 16” which rests nicely between the collarbones and sits in place all day.

These sideways crosses are adored by various celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Kourtney Kardashian, Audrina Partridge, Vanessa Hudgens, Jessica Biel, Taylor Jacobson and the blogger behind Fashion Toast, Rumi Neely. 

I also spotted this particular Etsy design on the beautiful Laura from Lollipop21 on Youtube, now blogging over at Buy Now, Blog Later and then later spotted on the lovely Sara from SWalkerMakeup wearing one.

So it seems the whole blogsphere has been going crazy over these little things and rightly so!

The Prize

Above is the actual necklace one lucky winner will receive and shown side by side with my own. As you can see its a little smaller and daintier but still the same polished gold and the chain length is also the same. 

How To Win

If you'd like the chance to win your very own sideways cross necklace in polished gold all you have to do is...


1. Be a Follower of This Fashion Is Mine using Google Friend Connect
2. Write a Comment on this post including your email address so I can get in touch should you win!
3. For a second entry you can Tweet about my giveaway please making sure you use my tag @ThisFashionTwit in your tweet so I can see it, for example:  " @ThisFashionTwit is giving away a sideways cross necklace on her blog! " 
Also leave your Twitter name in your comment.

1.Follow  2.Comment  3.Tweet

The giveaway is international so anyone can enter!
The giveaway ends on Friday 30th September 2011 at midnight. (one weeks time)
Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered. One entry per person. Those who tweet my giveaway will be entered twice. You must be a follower of my blog to enter.
The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified on Saturday 1st October 2011 via email.


Best of luck!


x

September Glossy Box

So what's inside my Glossy Box this September?

I'm pretty sure most of you are sick of seeing Glossy Box reviews by now so I'm going to keep it short and sweet! I still love seeing what everyone got and what people think. As this is not a beauty blog I'm not going to go into great detail on each product. 

First of all I was so happy to be approached by the Glossy Box Team as I'd had to unsubscribe last month due to being a bit short of cash. I knew I would regret it when the September boxes came around so I was over the moon to be sent one for free. I have paid for boxes in the past and I would pay in the future because I think they're a great idea.

Favourite item this month has to be the HD Brows kit in Foxy. I've been looking for a eyebrow set for ages. This one is super pigmented and all the shades work as eye shadows too. Lovely.

Loreal's Mythic Oil, another highly desired item for me, and it makes me hair feel lovely and soft. The pump only lets out a teeny bit of oil each time which is perfect so you won't over do it or waste product.

Bit unsure about the Nuxe Multi Purpose Oil - I'm yet to give it a try. What do people think?

The Plum perfume sample is nice, a little bit old for me but a classic smell that's not horrible. Might see if my Mum wants it.

And then the StriVectin Anti Ageing Eye-Cream, I'd never really thought about using one seen as though I'm only 19 but I guess it is my birthday soon so maybe its about time!

I heard on the grapevine that Glossy Box will be starting subscription gift packages just in time for Christmas! What a great present to give to a friend, sister or your mum.

What was your favourite item in this months box?

x

Vintage Dr Martens

I have a new love and it comes in the form of these chunky, thick soled, punk style black boots. A Dr Marten classic. If they look a little beaten around the edges that's because they are. I bought these 2nd hand from ebay for a bargain price of £16.00!

I was on the edge of my sniper's seat as I've lost many a pair of vintage DMs on ebay auctions in the past. The last pair I was in a bidding war for sold for £55.00, yikes. So I'm so happy to have these, even if they are a little 'rustic' with a few paint splatters or scuffs. I'm only going to get them dirty myself, that's what chunky boots are for.
And I've not had to go through the liberal task of breaking the bloody things in. I've heard horror stories about DMs taking weeks and many blisters to become comfortable. As soon as I slid these on there was no pain only gain!

Actually I think they might be a little big for me, but with a few pairs of socks they'll be fine and I'd rather a bit loose than a bit tight. Anyone else who owns Dr Martens, do you find they run a little big? It might be something to bear in mind if I ever buy more, but I'd only go half a size down.

These are my first pair of Dr Marten boots and I wanted to grab a classic pair for as cheap as possible to see if I liked them. My main worry was that they would look ginormous and ridiculous especially on my boat feet. (size 8 *winces in shame*) but all my large foot ladies do not despair! They don't look ridiculous at all, I mean, they're large boots - that's the style. But in no way do they look absurd or too large.

Secondly I worried about the comfort. I can safely say I have worn these all day for trekking through puddles here there and everywhere and my feet stayed pain free and dry! Yes, shoes that actually keep my feet bone dry! Who would have thunk it.

And thirdly I worried about what I could actually wear them with and how they would fit in with my current wardrobe. I'm not about to turn all 90's punk on you girls and stick safety pins into everything, so I'll be wearing them with feminine skirts/dresses to toughen them up or with skinny jeans and a boyish tee if I'm feeling particularly rebellious.

* My favourite wearer of Dr Martens: Sammi from BeautyCrush - she can effortlessly pull them off and I love her white ones so much! ...Hmm maybe one day!

Hopefully you'll see these in a few outfit posts in the near future. I wore these today following 'Monday's Outfit' choice even though its actually Tuesday. Click to see my Five Days of Fashion post if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

x

Five Days of Fashion

If you're a regular reader of ThisFashionIsMine you'll know that I'm starting University on MONDAY. Yikes. That gives me only 1 evening and 1 full day to prepare. I've been thinking a lot about what I'm actually going to wear. I think it's important to make a good first impression but also dress comfortably and show your own personality. Of course, after the first week I'll probably be slouching in to the library in jeans and a hoody, but I can at least try and be fashionable for the first week!

The following are optional outfits I have put together that would see me through the first five days of University life. Please keep in mind these are only ideas and let me know which is your favourite!

Maroon Long Sleeve Top - Primark

Pink High Waist Skirt - H&M

Tights - Primark

Dr Marten Boots

Silver Cross - Fashionology

Vintage Watch - Urban Outfitters

Burgundy Trousers - River Island

Leather Jacket - Peacocks

Plaid Shirt - New Look

White Tee - ASOS

Studded Slippers - Topshop 

Orange Jumper - New Look

Cream and Sequin Shirt - Next

Dark Red Skirt - New Look

Tights - Primark

Selection of leather cuffs - H&M and Primark

Brown Lace Up Boots - Ebay

Camel Dress - Primark

Black Blazer - Vintage

Pale Pink Brogues - Primark

Gold Love Heart Locket - Ebay

Leather/Wet Look Leggings - Ebay

Striped Tee - H&M

Striped Jumper - H&M

Leather Converse Trainers

Gold Chain - Primark

Black Bracelet - H&M

Putting this blogpost together has made me quite excited about wearing some of the new items in my wardrobe! In each photo there is something I've not yet worn. (I'll be talking more about the DMs soon!)

For rainy days I'll be throwing on my Barbour inspired jacket but I'm hoping we don't have many of those....

x

Dalmatian Nails

Dalmatian Print is all over the catwalks at Topshop's LFW Show, all the models came complete with a Dalmatian manicure and a little black nose. Although I don't think I'll be wearing the new trend clothes-wise, I do like wearing this print on my nails!

Yet another excuse to try out a new nail design and I love how this turned out. I used Rimmel's French Tip Polish in White and a black nail art pen (using the thin long brush to create little patches)
The trick I found is to brush on the polish very carefully rather than dotting or dabbing. You're creating blobby 'brush strokes' that mimic the patches in the dog's fur. The patches don't have to be neat and tidy, in fact the more thrown together the more natural they look!

If you can't be bothered to faff around with your own nail art, you can buy Dalmatian Nail Wraps from Topshop Unique for £7.00

What do you guys think? Is Dalmatian Print something you're going to be trying out or avoiding?

x

Barbour Inspired Jacket

It's getting pretty chilly outside and the nights are drawing in earlier. But it's still only September and (hopefully) the temperatures won't drop below zero, a light-weight, water resistant, fashionable jacket is the ideal companion! Because I can't afford the real thing I've gone for a Barbour inspired jacket this season with black quilting, pockets and gold zips.

Mine is from New Look for £34.99 but these quilted beauts are popping up everywhere! It came with a belt which was a little to flimsy and cheap looking for my liking so I removed it, but you can easily add your own leather belt to nip this jacket in at the waist. What I like the most is that the style of this New Look one is a mixture between the classic Barbour quilt and the Barbour waxed jacket. Its got the short stuck up collar and biker-like zips and pockets but with all over quilting. A perfect in-between!

What's next on my coat wish list? A grungy parka with fur trim on the hood and a smart duffle in a bright Autumn colour! I'm planning on having two thick warm winter coats and two lightweight jackets to see me through til April!

x

Recent Buys

Last night I had a little panic realising I start Uni in 5 days time and I wasn't really prepared. In terms of stationary and studying supplies I had plenty of pens, pencils, sketchbooks, highlighters etc. But I was short of wardrobe basics; thick tights, long sleeves and so forth.

So I headed to Manchester today to pick up some things and take back a few items too. I bought this dress from New Look in bright orange but had second thoughts so I was planning on getting the camel one.
Instead I opted for something entirely different and bought this soft checked shirt. This is my first ever plaid/check shirt can you believe and I can't wait to layer it with a leather jacket and chunky boots.

I also ordered this skirt online hoping a size 12 would fit me because they didn't have any 10s left. Turns out it was massive. In fact the size 10 was also way too big, I ended up getting an 8 but in an even better berry-red colour. The sizing in New Look is all over the place.

The striped tshirt is H&M for only £3.99 and the chunky striped jumper was only a tenner! I love finding cheap buys in H&M. They have loads of lovely knitwear items but you have to dig around for cheaper ones. I refuse to pay £29.99 for a jumper.
Also found yet another cuff type, wrap around leather bracelet and had to get it!

From Primark I picked up 4 long sleeved tops, ready for the chillier season. Mustard, White, Maroon and Beige. They were about £3 each. Needed some new thicker tights too.

I popped into The Works for a notebook for Uni and came away with all these post-it notes! Aren't they amazing, they're little enough for me to use in my Filofax! They were only about £1.99 too. I'm going to use the Keep Calm and Bake Cakes notebook to keep all my recipes in!

And finally a little book on Dreams I found in Urban Outfitters. I've always been interested in dreams and this book makes it really easy to decode them. I don't take it too seriously but the other night I dreamt that my neighbour's house was on fire and this apparently means I'm going to receive bad news! Oh no!
Anyone else interested in all things related to the subconscious mind? I studied Psychology at college and dreams and sleep were my favourite subjects to talk about!

x

My Blog's 1st Birthday!

Today is my blog's very first birthday! That's right, on the 12th September 2010 This Fashion Is Mine was born. One year later, I'm still here and enjoying looking after this blog more than ever before.

This past year I have found so many brilliant blogs and the people behind them. I've loved blogging and discovered there is so much more to owning a blog than I originally thought. Being short listed for the Look's Blogging Comp in August 2011 was a true highlight and I felt rewarded for the work I put in but also encouraged to work even harder! Every day I get lovely comments from people on my posts and on Twitter which makes me want to carry on and improve.

So Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to This Fashion Is Mine, here's to many more years of blogging, I wonder where I will be this time next year...

I've had such an exhausting day but I still had to get this post up. I started an intern-ship and have been photographing clothes on a mannequin all day. My poor laptop and camera battery have been drained dry and need to recover!

To celebrate my blog's 1st Birthday I'm going to be holding a small give-away for my followers. If I could I would send sweeties out to all of you but that seems a bit ridiculous so instead I'm going to be giving away one great prize, its feminine and delicate, fashionable and highly desirable (but that's all I'm giving away for now!) The give-away will be live very soon so keep your eyes peeled girls and watch this space, I'll be announcing the start of the give away on Twitter before anywhere else!

I'm off for a celebratory glass of wine and a cupcake!

x

Note: A huge thank you to every single follower of this blog, I appreciate you and the time you take to read and comment on my blog. I can remember my first ever follower, Jess. We don't personally know each other but she gave me a chance and said hello and I still follow her blog today! 

In a Week...

1. First news this week is that I've got a new job! I'm going to be working freelance for a fashion/pr/photography/advertising company in Manchester as a junior photographer. I start on Monday! As its freelance work its not guaranteed that I'll be in the office everyday of the week 9-5 but I'm still excited about trying something new and much more relevant to what I actually want to do in life. This is like a perfect beginning, just keeping my fingers crossed everything runs smoothly!

I'm still keeping my part time job at the pub and I'll be starting Uni in just one weeks time so I'm going to be mega busy soon. Contrats quite a bit from my usual mid-day wake up and slobbing about in my pjs!

2. In a bid to get more creative with my photo arranging I've tried out this paper clip and string idea to display my polaroid photo cards (from Urban Outfitters in a pack) they hang above my mirror and I love them!
Going to try even more ideas out this week, will report back.

3.. I've been trying to perfect my skills in the kitchen recently after being inspired by The Great British Bake Off (I can't get enough) so these Gingerbread Cupcakes with Toffee Frosting were my first shot at using a (self-made) piping bag! Not too bad for a first go, and they tasted delicious.

4. On Tuesday night I met up with the girls for a ...ahem, game of Cluedo? Oh yes. I kid you not, we had a pretty competitive game (I didn't win) and as it turns out it was Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with a dagger. Who knew.

5. Strictly is back! Such a shame I work Saturday nights but thank god for Sky+ anyone else a Strictly fan? Every series I'm dancing around the kitchen whilst making a cup of tea ready to settle down in front of it!

6. I did a little blog interview with the lovely people over on Pocketchange.become.com and you can read it here. It was actually published last week but I forgot to link it in!

7. I did a cheeky order on New Look after spotting two beautiful things on the homepage! Actually did a blind buy as well which may be a complete disaster, there was no image for the dress in the colour I wanted but I bought it anyway! Yikes!

8. I bought the book (turned new film) One Day and I've read the first couple of chapters and I'm still on the fence. I like to read the book before seeing the film, and it is a bestseller!

x