I'm not especially good at posting regularly about my favourite things. I think I started doing a series of monthly favourites way back when, and managed to complete about two. There are just too many beautiful things out there clamouring for my attention! However, this month I've noted a number of things that have impressed me, so thought it only apt to write a little favourites post in the dying hours of November. How well-planned!

In terms of make up I haven't bought an awful lot recently, so this month I've been shopping the stash! When rifling through my lipstick tray I picked out this Elizabeth Arden lipstick in Rose Aurora - it's actually a limited edition shade I received as a birthday present from my in-laws a couple of years ago. I've never tried anything else from Elizabeth Arden make-up so can't really comment too much but I've really been enjoying this lipstick. It's a subtle shimmery tint with a hint of brown, not quite nude, but perfect for daily wear. It also has all sorts of lovely conditioning anti-ageing properties, definitely needed in this cold snap!

I remember when I first received this Benefit Easiest Nudes eye palette I used it all the time and really loved it. Evidently my fickle self then discarded it for newer products (methinks the Naked 3 may have been to blame), so this is another recent re-discovery. Actually have no idea why I ever stopped using this. It's perfect for everyday wear and the dark brown shade has been absolutely amazing at filling in my brows, too. I've been continuing my penchant for smoky brown eyes with this, finished off with a slick of liner.

Something slightly different now... I fell in love with the limited edition Anthropologie gold initial mugs a while ago but resigned myself to never owning one as the D was always sold out online. Last week, however, a quick jaunt to Selfridges for something entirely different resulted in me grabbing the last D mug on the display and quickfooting it to the till with a voucher in hand. Totally self-indulgent, but I'm so happy with it!

Continuing the metallic theme... I have been looking for reasonably priced cake stands for a while now as part of my wedding-decor-sourcing initiative (I really need a good abbreviation for this). I almost dropped £10 on one in H&M the other day, but I'm so glad I talked myself out of it because I consequently went on to spot these delightful copper cake stands in Tiger for £4. Tiger is my new favourite store. I'm addicted. I bought two.

Finally, to round things off, I must harken back to my obsession with all things tartan... I very nearly spent £20 on a massive, woolly Accessorize scarf, but in my usual fashion I talked myself out of spending the money, before promptly rewarding myself for my thriftiness by dropping £6 on this Primark scarf. Well. I say scarf. It's more like a blanket.
I can't actually wrap it around my neck without feeling like I'm in a neck brace, but it's so cosy and soft I can forgive it for being unnecessarily huge. I'm sure it will come in handy when the usual snow threats begin.

What have your favourites been this month? Link below if you've done a post! I'm starting to assemble my list for best of 2014!

Love Dani
xoxo

Everyone loves a wishlist, am I right? I do too. Although I must say, after listing a certain number of items, I inevitably reach the stage where I either purchase something on the list out of sheer desperation (there was a tartan scarf on the first draft of this post, but then, er, I bought it) or end up sinking into a penniless pit of despair, lamenting my lack of riches and questioning all of my life's decisions.

But it is nearly Christmas now - well, near enough that I can justify any wishlist as absolutely necessary in order to pass on to family and friends in the hope that someone will take pity on my peasant-like self and purchase something on the list for me. That's not to say I don't love surprises, of course. But I like lists. Here's mine!

Chloe Eau de Parfum - I'm drawn to heavy, lingering floral scents as soon as the days start getting shorter. Although Coco Mademoiselle is usually my perfume of choice, I spritzed this Chloe scent on a whim whilst meandering through Debenhams the other week and absolutely adored it. Must make it mine soon, before the Boots security people start recognising me and blocking my path to the perfume section. Erm, I mean, it's not like I go to spray it daily or anything. I swear.

Brown leather(look) satchel - It's probably time to retire my Next satchel (bought in 2010!), I'm just yet to find one that matches up. I feel my one looks more expensive than it was but others I've bought since just look cheap (they were). But alas the straps are fraying and the buckles falling off and it's just looking rather unhappy at the moment. I tried to buy a duplicate on ebay the other day but I was pipped to the post by some other thrifty shopper wanting a £5 satchel, can you imagine? I just haven't quite found the one - that is, the one that is not a Mulberry Alexa/worth a small fortune. Come on High Street, you're letting me down. I've found a couple of options though, these ones from River Island and Accessorize could be possibilities...

Purse - I don't carry a purse. I know right? Instead it's a little old cardholder that I stuff train tickets, cards and the odd bit of cash into. Simple and fits into all bags. However, I feel I should really do the responsible thing and graduate to an actual purse these days - this little Accessorize offering should do the trick.

Jumper dresses - I went through a two year phase of living in sweater dresses at uni and have somehow managed to misplace ALL of them after multiple house moves. Time to replenish the stocks! Thankfully, they seem to be everywhere these days so I shouldn't struggle to find some I want. I think these will work well with my over knee boots and ankle boots alike. Both of these are from H&M.

Zoeva rose gold brush set - do I even need to justify this? I do? Okay... it's rose gold. It had me at rose gold. I need to rub them all over my face.

Of course this is by no means an extensive list - I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to the things I'm coveting! But these are the ones I can't get out of my head at the moment - Santa, are you listening...?

What's on your wishlist at the moment?

Love Dani
xoxo

Hi my loves,

Well I think it's safe to say autumn has well and truly arrived this week! Frosty mornings, Starbucks red cups and lots of woolly knits - curled up editing these photos with my M&S Winter candles burning happily on the window sill, it's hard to suppress my burgeoning excitement for you-know-what (clue - it starts with C and ends with Hristmas!).

Cold weather always seems to beckon my preppy side and thankfully the high street is complying with my urge to look like a 12-year-old with an abundance of tartan, plaid and whimsical jewellery! Admittedly most of my outfit is made up of pieces I already own, partly because I'm practically penniless and also because I now own enough clothing to wear a different outfit every day (a fact made painfully obvious to me some time ago when a colleague asked if I ever wore an outfit twice - it's time to admit I have a problem...).

In fact, the only new purchase is the scarf - I don't often buy from Boohoo but I was on the hunt for a nice tartan scarf in warm colours and could only find red and blue ones in shops! This was only a tenner and it's lovely and warm, it's also fairly big so perfect for those chilly mornings. I quite like the contrast of the purple and muted mustard shades against my green coat.
The rest of the outfit has all appeared on the blog in some guise before - I've actually managed to track all the previous posts down, thus proving the usefulness of my blog as an outfit archive. The coat and top (dress) are both H&M sale finds, the skirt is ASOS (purchased after seeing it on fellow blogger Maria, no less!)  and the necklace was a gift during my uni days, after dropping so many hints I ended up receiving it from two people. Oops. The satchel is an old, old favourite, practically falling apart at the seams, but I love it too much to let it go. Story of my life!

Now it's back to work rather than the school the outfit seems to suggest, but I feel curiously motivated now I have gingerbread lattes to see me through the haze of a Monday morning! Hope you all have a good week!

Much love,
Dani xoxo

Wedding dress shopping always scared the living daylights out of me.

I'm not a fan of trying clothes on at the best of times as I have a very distinct vision of how I want to look... but very rarely does real life provide me with the satisfaction of seeing my vision pay off.
When we first got engaged, I spent hours looking for inspiration online (back when Pinterest was invite-only!) and decided on no account did I want anything fussy, strapless, or sparkly. I dithered between strappy V necks and duchess-style portrait collars after falling in love with a Bardot-style evening gown at a vintage photoshoot. As time passed and our wedding plans began to take shape, after many Pinterest sessions I eventually stumbled across a beautiful dress by Alfred Angelo which I could not get out of my head. However, when it came to actually trying on dresses, I baulked every time. There are two bridal stores in the next road to our flat, but I just could not bring myself to book an appointment, so frightened was I of disappointment. As it turned out, my first dress-trying experience was entirely unexpected...

I'd taken a half day off work and now stood at the entrance of Earls Court 2 gazing at the enormous expanse of white, floral fluff before me with some trepidation. I'd attended a wedding fair the previous week with Jon and we had both come away a little out of breath and overwhelmed. Without his big hand holding mine I felt a little lost. Thankfully Jon's mum, sister and fiance appeared to appease my sense of doubt and after watching a beautiful catwalk show, with much cajoling, I declared myself ready to try on some dresses.
I couldn't fit the first dress over my hips. Standing alone in a partition between the wedding dress stand, while other brides stripped off and dived into petticoats beside me, I quickly felt like a duck out of a water. The second and third dresses were marginally better. A lovely assistant appeared to help me with pins and hoops and by the fourth dress I was diving into skirts like a pro. I tried on my first corseted (strapless) lace dress and was so overwhelmed by the defined hourglass shape my wobbly body had been squeezed into that I put down a deposit for it.
Mere seconds after boarding the tube, I was engulfed by fear, dread and above all, regret. Hadn't I always said I would never go for a strapless dress? Was it too vastly different from the off-shoulder, simple, classic shapes I had pinned and coveted since I got engaged?
After spending the next day in a horribly anxious and tearful state, I decided this was most certainly not the correct feelings one should be experiencing upon purchasing their wedding dress. I wanted it to be the experience I had imagined and read about. I wanted a boutique and people clapping, not a loud echoey exhibition hall. Most of all, I wanted a different dress.

Thankfully the company I purchased the dress from were remarkably understanding and allowed me to cancel the order without too much financial disappointment.  Once the refund had been confirmed, I allowed myself to feel excitement once more. There was no point in dillydallying - I had a particular dress in mind that I wanted to track down and within a matter of hours I had two appointments booked with the only two stockists in the area.

The first store, although delightfully helpful and friendly, did not have the dress I wanted. I dutifully tried on eleven dresses in quick succession, but none provided me with that feeling of "the one". They put jewels in my hair and flowers in my hands, but I couldn't visualise myself on the day of the wedding. Nothing felt right. Not wanting to disappoint them, I narrowed my selection down and assured them I would come back to try on the final two dresses. By that point my wedding dress tally had hit 18. I was beginning to feel like nothing would live up to my expectations; like I was the fussiest bride in the world and no dress could make me feel perfectly beautiful.

It was with this outlook that I journeyed to Chelmsford on a rainy Saturday, with my expectations at an all-time low. Upon perusing the store, my spirits dropped even lower when a thorough search revealed no sign of my dream dress. I made my selection nonetheless and began to follow the assistant to the fitting room, when I spotted a rail I hadn't noticed before, tucked away in the smallest corner, invisible unless you peered around the fitting room dividers.
"Oh, those are plus size dresses," the assistant informed me. "You can try them if you want, but they'll be a bit big." Her expression was doubtful.
Normally, the mere mention of plus size would make me pull out the tags from my clothes and proclaim myself to be a proud 12-14 thank you very much, whilst dying a slow embarrassing death on the inside. I almost walked past them. Until I spotted the Alfred Angelo tag hanging off the second dress on the rail, and what if, just maybe...

It was the dream dress. In size 20. But the dream dress.

"I'll lace it up as tightly as it will go", she promised me, but I didn't need any pins and clips to know that this was my dress.

"You could try some similar styles," she said, but this was my dress.

"We'll take it in. Re-do the lace-up back. It'll look better when it's your size," she said, but I already knew. Despite the extra fabric, the gap between my arm and the straps, the too-long hem, the corset that would not lace up any further - it was my dress.

"It's in the sale," she admitted, and after a flurry of phonecalls to my mum, hopping around the shop trying to get enough signal to send photos, it truly became my dress.

My mum cried when she saw me in it, three weeks after paying for it.

No fireworks, no tears, no glowing light and hallelujah chorus, but I felt so calm, confident and assured as soon as I put it on. I smile every time I look at the pictures. It's far too big, and my hair was a mess after the rain, and I'm not as slim as I want to be on the day, but it is undoubtedly perfect and I cannot imagine wearing anything else to become Jon's wife.

So my words of wisdom to any dress-hunting brides is, stay true to yourself! Shop assistants will try and get you in all sorts of shapes and styles (I mean, I even tried a fishtail!) because unless you attend balls and the like on a regular basis you won't be accustomed to wearing a full-length formal dress. And while I agree it's great to try different dresses (and let's be honest, it's fun too) don't forget that you will still be you on the day of your wedding and above all you need to feel relaxed. I felt so wonderfully at ease in my dress, it was special and comfortable and perfect at the same time and that's how I knew it was the one for me.

Love Dani
xoxo