OOTD

Currently watching: Kill Bill volume1

Hi girls!

As promised yesterday, here is my OOTD, perfect for a morning of shopping and an afternoon stroll in the park:

Jacket: New Look
Vest: Cubus
Skirt: Matalan
Bag: Matalan

Bye for now,
Laura

Wednesday's Wardrobe Additions

Currently listening to: Impossible by Shontelle

Good morning folks!

There's nothing on my wishlist this week so I thought I'd show you my my recent wardrobe additions which I purchased at the weekend :-)

I finally bought a pair of denim shorts after weeks, nay, months, of looking for a pair. I couldn't bring myself to pay more for a pair of shorts than I would for jeans so I ended up with this pair from Asda for £8. They do have turn ups but they aren't stitched so they can always be unfolded.

I also picked up a denim jacket from New Look when they were offering students a 20% discount. It is a mini jacket, with short (3/4 length) sleeves, which is not at all the style I wanted but price won me over as I paid only £13 for this. In my mind, I will wear it with skirts, short dresses and maxi dresses. I just need to buy a maxi dress to be able to put that plan into action.

The shade of denim is somewhere between the two shades portrayed in these photos

It's my birthday next week and I was given some birthday money in advance so I decided to treat myself in Mataln to a skirt and a dress. I don't know why this skirt caught my eye, and to be honest I still haven't made my mind up about it, but it would go with my denim jacket and recently purchased white H&M bow tshirt. I also have a pink cropped cardigan which I think would match. It's very rare for me to think in terms of complete outfits but this skirt has obviously spurred me on.

Just as I was getting ready to head for the till, I spotted this dress. Again, it's not my normal style but, em, it has butterflies all over it and as you may have gathered from my last post, I like butterflies.

The butterflies have purple and blue shades on their wings and black sequins on their bodies. However, on the back of the dress the butterflies don't have sequins so you don't have to worry about snagging them when sitting down.

What do you think of this dress? Is it a keeper?

Do you like my purchases girls? Would you wear any of these items?

Bye for now,
Laura

Tuesday's Treats (Clothes and Shoes)

Currently reading: God Bless America by Piers Morgan

Hello girls,

I hope this post finds you well and, if you're a reader in the UK, getting back into the swing of work after all these bank holidays.

Today I'd like to show you a new outfit which I recently bought from H&M:

I've had no luck finding the denim shorts I so wanted as I'm not prepared to spend more on a pair of shorts than I do on jeans so I decided to try a pair of casual navy shorts instead. I know I said I didn't like turn-ups but actually I don't mind them on these shorts.

This is the first plain white tshirt I've bought for a while so I'm hoping to get a lot of wear out of it. I think the bows around the neckline stop it from being too plain. The tshirt cost £6.99 and the shorts were £7.99 so it wasn't an expensive outfit and it goes perfectly with my new shoes from Clarks:

Normal slip on shoes don't work for me but I wanted a casual pair suitable for walking around in all day. These definitely fit the bill and also look great with a denim skirt.

Have you bought any new clothes or shoes lately? Which shops do you head to when you want to make an addition to your wardrobe?

Bye for now,
Laura

Shopping in the Sales

Currently reading: Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes

Good morning dear readers!

Although I was unlucky when I went to the sales the other day, I went to a couple of other shops the day after and was slightly more successful. Here are my bargains:

Bag, Matalan, £6 down to £3

Work skirt, M&S, £19.50 down to £9

Tartan wool skirt, M&S, £35 down to £17, suitable for work and play

3/4 length jacket (£59 down to £25) and matching skirt (£29.50 down to £15), M&S
They haven't photographed well but the material is lovely in reality and the colour is charcoal. I'm not keen on the 3/4 length sleeves but...

Dress which matches the above jacket, M&S, £45 down to £19

Grey suit jacket, M&S, £49.50 down to £19
I couldn't find the matching trousers to complete this suit but thought I'd pick up the jacket in case I manage to find the trousers in another branch. Fingers crossed!

Did you manage to find any bargains?

Bye for now,
Laura

Primark Haul and Recommendations Request

Hi girls,

Hope you're all looking forward to the week ahead. I'm feeling rather miserable at the moment. My college work completed defeated me at the weekend and now I'm also suffering from a cold. The show must go on though. First exam is next Monday so now is no time to crumble.

Yesterday I went into town as I desperately needed some casual wear. I got a bit of a shock when I discovered English trading laws mean that most shops either don't open at all on Sunday or don't open until 12. It's true they all stay open until about 8 at night during the week but that's not much good to me when I'm laden down with heavy textbooks. Anyway, good old Primark opened for browsing at 10.30 and for purchasing at 11. This was the first time I'd been in Primark for ages. They have some really nice things at the moment but wow, their prices seem to have increased quite a bit; £11 and £13 are the most popular price tags these days.

I didn't try all my purchases on (risky), but my eye caught a pair of long length jeans which I thought were worth trying. They weren't the style I was after but they were the only style in long length. I never get trousers in Primark so I was unsure of the sizing but decided to go for a 12. They fit, but there's quite a difference between a Primark size 12 and a Camaieu size 12:

I wear my Camaieu jeans a lot so they have become a bit baggy round my thighs now and don't look particularly great so I'm not complaining about the Primark size 12 being smaller, it's just interesting.

Next up are these two nautical-themed tshirts, which I have seen on lots of blogs:

They have fun anchor buttons on the shoulders too. Not my usual style but I like them. I wore the blue one today and loved it.

Vest tops for college. It may be getting cold outside as we approach autumn but stressed and sweaty bodies make my college classroom a sauna.

Striped long-sleeved tshirt. Not sure if I'll keep this yet. I never wear long-sleeved tshirts.

Cream 3/4 length-sleeved jumper with black heart print. Again, not sure if I'll keep this.

Floral cardigan. Yet another not sure item. What do you think?

And now for the my recommendations request. I've fallen out of love with my L'Oreal Matte Morphose foundation. Does anyone have any good and affordable full coverage foundations they would recommend?

Additionally, I'm after a nude nail polish. I went straight to the MUA range but they don't seem to have a nude. I had planned to get a Boots No7 one using my £5 off voucher but when I went to spend it yesterday, the last day the voucher was valid for, I discovered my branch of Boots doesn't open on Sundays. Missed opportunity. So are there any nice nudes out there you know about? I'd love to know your thoughts!

Bye for now,

Laura

Summer Clothes

Currently watching: Garden State

Hello,

On Saturday morning I hit the shops and came back with a few purchases. First up is this pair of sandals from, of all places, Carrefour supermarket. They have a toepost, which I like as that will help them stay on my feet, and they're not very high but still higher than my flat flipflops.

They felt a bit nautical to me and I thought they'd go really well with my blue/grey and white striped H&M skirt.

Next up are a pair of purple striped shorts from C&A. Next week we're planning on going on a road trip across Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia so I need lightweight clothes which will be appropriate for travelling (by bus, train and car) and for walking in the countryside (the aim of this trip is to see small traditional villages, lakes and mountains so we won't really be in cities). I'll be wearing my trainers for the majority of the trip and I don't really like wearing my bulky trainers with the skirts I have here so I thought shorts would be better.
I was really happy because I managed to find two vest tops in Cubus that were the right shades of purple to match my shorts.

I don't think the shorts photographed well but they're really nice in reality. I'm not sure I'd wear them in the city (either here in Poland or back in the UK) for a day of shopping or going to the cinema though. I only really wear shorts when I'm at home in the garden or abroad on a proper summer holiday. Are you comfortable wearing shorts in the city?

Bye for now,
Laura

Catching Up

Currently listening to: Simple Times by Joshua Radin
Song: I'd Rather Be With You

Greetings ladies! It's been a while since I was last here so there's plenty to catch up on, starting with the two pairs of shoes I bought on Saturday.

These were not very expensive, around £13 each, which is a good thing as I'm not sure how often they'll be worn. I wanted open-toed sandals that I could wear without tights and walk in easily but since I'm 5ft9 I didn't want anything with an excessively high heel. These are both fairly high for me but the style of the heel means they should be okay for walking in, I just have to remember to only wear them when I'm with tall people...

On Sunday, David and I went to see the film Brothers. I think this came out in the UK towards the end of January and although I was still in the UK at that time, I didn't manage to see it so I'd been waiting eagerly for its Polish release.

The film was very good with well-acted, powerful performances from all the cast. I don't think it's the kind of film I'd want to buy and watch over again but I'd definitely recommend it.

One of the things I like about going to the cinema here is that you can pick up leaflets advertising all the films that are out. I said before that I'll be making a scrapbook of our time in Poland and these little cards will certainly be going in there as a reminder of the films we saw here (Dear John, It's Complicated, Valentine's Day, Up In The Air, The Lovely Bones, Desert Flower, New York I Love You, Brothers).

Yesterday was my birthday (24 on the 24th) and I was lucky enough to be sent cards, messages and presents from my friends and family back home.

(pens, Cath Kidston address book and sticky notes, Priceless and 500 Days of Summer dvds, Joshua Radin cd, heart bracelet, amethyst and topaz necklaces, black leggings with blue stars)

I had a very nice day and in the evening David took me out for a lovely birthday dinner. I very much enjoyed being the birthday girl :-)

Bye for now,
Laura

Friday Fun

Currently listening to: Awake by Josh Groban
Song: Now or Never

Good morning. Yesterday was a lovely warm and sunny day here in Warsaw and since neither David nor I had to go to uni or work we decided to spend the morning in the Botanic Gardens. I love walking through places like this and admiring all the brightly coloured flowers so this place was perfect for me.

My best pictures of flowers are from Frankfurt but I think the picture above isn't too bad. I really like the shade of the petals. Now if only I could find this shade of nail polish...

Before returning home from the gardens we took a detour through a park full of peacocks parading around with their feathers out on display.

What did I wear for our little excursion? A recent addition to my wardrobe from H&M.

I used to have a pink top from H&M which was very similar to the one above although it had a slightly fuller sleeve and the chiffon ruffle detail at the neckline was different. I absolutely loved that top but after wearing and washing it regularly for two or three years it stopped looking so good and had to be binned. I suppose this is an updated version of that top. I'm really glad I found this as I think it can be dressed up or down and can be suitable for all sorts of occasions.
The skirt is probably not something I would have bought if I'd been at home and had access to my usual shops. However, here in Poland my choice of shops is more limited and I'd been looking for a skirt that would be appropriate to wear for work as well as during my free time for ages. This wasn't too expensive (I don't know the UK price but I'd guess around £12) and the best thing is that it has a zip and button on the side which prevent it from swivelling around my waist/hips when I'm out and about. I always have that problem when wearing skirts; I'll be walking along the street when suddenly I look down and discover the back of my skirt is now at the front. Making readjustments every two minutes is not elegant. But, like I say, this skirt stays in place. It also matches the top perfectly.

In the afternoon I removed the beautiful purple and black butterfly design from my nails (it lasted really well, especially considering the polish was 65p and I didn't wear a top coat) and tried out my new neon pink shade. It's very nice but didn't photograph well at all.

It is neon, I promise.

It looks as if it's going to be another great day weather wise so I'm off to get ready to go to the post office (have to send those postcards I told you about) and then do some shopping before setting out for another park later on.

Bye for now,

Laura

Bags

So last night I watched Clueless and therefore had the urge to go shopping this morning. In fact, reading so man y blogs about how wonderful Primark's stock is at the moment has made me want to go there for a while but sadly there's no Primark in Poland so I have to wait until the end of June to get my hands on some bargains. I doubt their current stock will still be available by then but I'm going to keep my fingers crossed anyway.

One of the things I was hoping to buy today was a bag. When I came to Poland I was only allowed 20kg of luggage and, bearing in mind that I came here at the beginning of February and needed a lot of heavy winter clothes, I had to be extremely selective when choosing which bags to bring with me.


I was given my Marks and Spencer "Twiggy" bag over two years ago and I absolutely love it. It's ideal for taking to the supermarket (especially those supermarkets who make you pay for carrier bags), carrying all my textbooks when I'm teaching and using as a carry-on bag for flights which, as a result, means it's probably one of the best-travelled bags in Europe. However, it's not the most elegant or stylish of bags, it doesn't close, and, to be honest, I get fed up of always carrying a bag over my shoulder. I hate being lopsided and having the left side of my jacket/jumper/tshirt dragged down.

Despite that, I brought another shoulder bag with me. This is one I bought in John Lewis during the January sales. People always compliment me on this bag and say it's a nice colour and, while I agree, I can't say that it's a great bag, mainly because of the fastening. However, when I need to go to the headquarters of global insurance and IT companies to teach Business English, it definitely looks more professional than my M&S bag.

And here's the third bag I have with me, which I was given as a Christmas gift. It really is beautiful and ideal for going out at night (although it looks small I can fit my purse, keys and mobile in there without any problem) but it's not really suitable for using during the day. Saying that, it's the bag I chose to use today when I went shopping as I just didn't want the hassle of trailing round the shops with a big bag that would fall down my arm whenever I wasn't holding it. At least the handles of this one fit over my hand so I can rest it there when I want to use both hands for searching through the rails for an item of clothing in my size.

Did I end of buying a bag today? Nope. I find bags are generally over-priced and I'm reluctant to buy one unless I really like it. Nothing I saw today really appealed to me. I think I'm trying to find about 5 different bags in 1 and it's just not possible so I need to be more realistic and decide on a few different styles which will each have their own specific purpose ie one for work (big enough to hold A4 folders and textbooks), one for general use (going shopping/to the cinema/meeting friends) etc. I'm glad I blogged about this: what I want is now clearer in my mind.

Bye for now,

Laura