trying for sighs: H and M

Showing posts with label H and M. Show all posts

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

festive red

I always bring red out of my wardrobe at this time of year. A bright, festive colour perfect for this season. Red is definitely a favourite colour of mine and it has a way of giving me a boost if I'm having a down day.

I wore this dress for a trip to Leeds for the German Christmas market. I decided to go for a red and black theme. Although, when we got to the market, a lot of people were dressed in Christmas jumpers; it must be a tradition!

I can't tell you how comfortable these booties are. I could walk miles in them without getting aching feet. I love my funky booties. I'm thinking of getting myself another pair in a different colour.

We had a lovely time here and I would definitely recommend a trip to this market; so many goodies to be had. My favourite stall had to be the tools made out of chocolate. I stood drooling over the chocolate for a long time before moving on!

The only drawback it had was that it was so busy. The market attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and is one of the most established Christmas markets in the country. I didn't get many pictures of the wooden chalet stalls themselves because of the sheer amount of people. There were lots of handcrafted toys, jewellery and decorations. I hope these photos give you an idea of what it was like.

It has a lovely continental festive feel about it especially with all the colours and twinkling lights. They had my favourite fairground ride on offer too; the carousel.

I am going back soon to try all the different food that was on offer. I had my first pretzel filled with Camembert and cranberry which was delicious. So many food stalls and not enough time!

Topshop skater dress - wardrobe
Topshop black jacket - last seen here
Hush Puppies Viviana boots - last seen here
Ted Baker handbag - last seen here
H&M necklace - wardrobe
H&M tights - wardrobe
Primark black gloves - wardrobe
Primark sunnies - wardrobe

Linking up with Monday Mode, I Feel Pretty, Watch What I'm Wearing and Wardrobe Wednesday.

Monday, 21 October 2013

how to wear polka dots and spots

I am in so love with polka dots and spots right now! The Zara jeans I have had for a while, they are very similar to a pair of Marc Jacobs jeans that were retailing at £110! These were £30; a bargain! I have always wanted a polka dot blouse so I was very happy when I saw this one in Topshop. I think the blouse and jeans work well together. What do you think?

We took these photos in a cute little village not far from where we live. The sun kept trying to come out! We were on our way to a quaint pub for lunch. A great way to spend a Saturday!

What would you wear a polka dot blouse with? Linking up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday, Elena from DC in Style for Monday Bloom, Renae from Simply Sequins for Fashion Friday and Rachel from Rachel The hat for Passion for fashion, Friday Fab Favourites and What I Wore.

I'm wearing
Zara jeans (last seen here)
Topshop blouse
H&M shoes
Ted Baker bag (last seen here)
Primark sunnies
Topshop necklace and rings
River Island bracelet

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

an adventure in a new town

A couple of weeks ago, as part of my September bucket list, we visited a little market town called Newark. I have passed through it very briefly and thought how nice it looked so we decided to explore and see what we could find. What has happened to the lovely weather we were having?

There is the remains of a castle built here in 1123 which stands proudly overlooking the river Trent. It was so peaceful and calm inside the castle walls. People were sitting on the grass and benches sunbathing, reading and relaxing. I could easily have stayed here for the day just soaking up the tranquil atmosphere.

This was one of the first buildings we saw as we walked into the town.

The church is very prominent and dates back to the 11th or 12th century. I didn't realise how much history this little town has; it played a big part in the English Civil War. I loved all the cute shops and houses, just my thing! Can you see the lovely black and white buildings in the top left of the photo? This is where we sat and had a yummy lunch.

How sweet and quaint is this old public house. We had to stop for a pit stop!

A view of the lovely cobble stoned market square.

This is one of the oldest buildings in Newark. It was formally an inn and it has managed to keep all its charm.

We were really lucky to come across this beautiful wedding that had just taken place. The men all looked very handsome in their kilts and the bride looked gorgeous. I got a bit emotional as I was thinking soon it will be us. It made me feel excited about the good times to come!

No, there was nothing to see at the bottom of the steps! Just a locked door.

Doesn't it look a lovely place to have a picnic and relax?

There is a walk beside the river with a pub and a cosy, little tea shop. If we hadn't just eaten we would have stopped for afternoon tea. I will save that for next time!

I'm so glad we came here for the day but it does need to be sunny to get the most out of it. I can't wait to come back again with a picnic and a book and just relax by the river. A lovely way to spend a day.

What I wore
H&M boyfriend jeans - wardrobe
H&M white t-shirt - wardrobe
Primark striped top
Zara scarf - wardrobe
Primark canvas shoes - wardrobe
Tesco satchel - wardrobe
Primark sunnies- wardrobe

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

making the most of the indian summer

I am loving the Indian summer that we have had lately. I have been trying to make the most of it by visiting outdoor places that won't have the same feel as winter approaches! This lovely place is called Sutton Scarsdale Hall and we are very lucky as it is only a few miles up the road.

In its day this was a beautiful Georgian mansion, built between 1724 and 1729, believed to have been the fourth or fifth hall built here. The original hall was part of a Saxon estate and was mentioned in the Doomsday book

It has a very calming and tranquil feel about it, somehow managing to keep it's grandeur even though it has been roofless since 1919.

This shows the back of the house with it's grand columns. I can just imagine how magnificent it was!

When I come here, I can sit for hours at a time enjoying this stunning view. It's perfect for a picnic and a lovely area to chill and read.

How fabulous is the front! It's stands so well, even though it is now a ruin.

Here I am inside what was once a dining room. When I am there I like to close my eyes and visualise what it would have looked like all those years ago.

The church dates back from the 13th century and is one of the oldest in Britain. While we were there, the bells were ringing and there was a service on, it was magical.

You can just see remnants of the fireplaces in two of the rooms. The house was set for demolition in 1946 but it was saved by one day to stop the dismantling of the stonework.

The house was stripped of all its furniture and some sold to Hollywood for film sets. Most of its rooms were sold off as architectural salvage. This pine panelled room is now in a library in California. Three other room interiors are displayed at the Museum of Art in Philadelphia.

It's spectacular location on the hillside makes it more prominent. Fantastic!

If you go at the weekend, the church serves a lovely afternoon tea. A lovely place to unwind, relax and imagine how the other half lived!

I'm wearing:
H&M dress - wardrobe
Topshop leggings
Topshop sandals - last seen here
H&M sunglasses - wardrobe
Miss Selfridge bag - wardrobe
Name necklace - birthday gift

Have a lovely Wednesday

Monday, 29 April 2013

spring pastels

So, you are going for a walk in the park and the sun only occasionally shows its face, but you are determined to lose the winter knits.

This is a great spring pastel outfit for this year. It felt so good getting the peach and mint out of the closet. I bought the jacket last year and matched it with clothes I already had. I'm now looking for a casual pair of trousers to pair with the jacket for the summer.

Have you seen any that might look good with it?

This is one of our favourite places to visit. The botanical gardens (last seen here) has so much to see. A great place for picnics, outdoor concerts and a restored bear pit (which actually had two bears in it until the 1870's.)

What I'm wearing:

H&M jacket, top, blouse, bracelet, ring and sunglasses (wardrobe)

Topshop moto jeans

Accessorize necklace (wardrobe)

Primark wedges (wardrobe)

F&F Tesco satchel

What spring pastels are you wearing?

Have a lovely day everyone.

Happy Book