Painter Attire

Hello my lovelies!

It’s nearly the end of June, how quick has this month gone? A lot has happened this week: we’ve left the EU, managed to lose at the Euros 2016, Glasto has been and gone and I’ve somehow managed to dress up like a painter and decorator. Hey, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing as I’m kinda digging it but when your mum asks where your paint pot is I wasn’t quite sure what to say…

Anyway, this was a recent outfit I wore when I was nipping out for a quick shop at the weekend to pick up some Greece essentials (10 sleeps to go, eeeee!) I wasn’t in the mood to dress up- I just wanted to be super comfy and this meant no tight crop tops or skin tight jeans for a change. Zara at the moment has been so good- I’ve been massively impressed with their summer offering this year and I picked up this shirt earlier in the month. I’m a sucker for an oversized shirt, so teaming this light blue beauty with my die hard high waisted levi’s and grey blue Asics I got for my birthday I knew I was kind of onto a winner. I know that I’m going to wear this shirt on holiday too, it’ll be perfect teamed with high waisted denim shorts and crochet crops- take me away Greece, take me away!

How has your week been so far? Happy Tuesday you wonderful lot!

A x

What I Got For My Birthday

Good morning my loves!

It’s now been two weeks since my birthday so it was about time I uploaded the standard ‘what I got for my birthday’ post. I’ve had these pictures in my draft box for a while but I’ve had such a busy week at work- Loughborough and Chester last week for supplier visits so I’ve hardly had time to breathe let alone post! But anyway, onto the goodies… DISCLAIMER: this isn’t by any means a sponsored post by any brand, or an opportunity to boast about what I got for my birthday, but I thought it’d just be a chance for you guys to see some of the wonderful gifts I recieved, or if it’s your birthday coming up and you’re in need some ideas, or you just fancy being nosey (that’s normally why I read them on other blogs!) sharing is caring! So, without further ado…

Bath, Hair & Body

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner | Lush Voucher | Moroccan Oil Light & A Trip to the Lush Spa

As you all know I’m a sucker for lush (my boyfriend obviously does too) so I got plenty of lush goodies to keep me going for a while. Alongside a Lush voucher to spend on some of their awesome smelling products, I was given my favourite Argan Body Conditioner plus a trip to the Lush Spa. There are only a few Lush Spa’s in the UK and the Bath store is lucky enough to feature it’s own, so my very thoughtful other half has bought me a treatment of my choice. I haven’t decided which one as of yet, though I’m thinking of the Validation Facial, but I’m sure it will provide an afternoon of pure calm and relaxation. (And yes, don’t you worry, I’ll blog all about it!) And finally, my hair is in need of some more TLC after going blonde so I also got some new Moroccan Oil in Light. Anyone with fine hair should give this one a go as it’s not as greasy feeling as the normal version and doesn’t make the hair feel too smothered in product. Already my hair is thanking me for it.

Photography

SunnyLife Underwater Camera | Instax Film | Nikon CoolPix S9900

Okay, so the Prosecco isn’t actually photography based, but what’s a birthday without some bubbles?! I use my Instax all the time so I received some new Instax film for my Polaroid as well as a jazzy underwater camera by SunnyLife to take on holiday. Weirdly, my boyfriend is obsessed with fish (don't ask, I don't get it either) so he’s buzzing to take some photos of underwater wildlife when we go to Greece, and it also provides some unique shots I can add to my Greece blog post I know I’ll be uploading as soon as I’m back on the 15^th July. And last, but by no means least, meet my new favourite posession: the Nikon CoolPix S9900. I’ve been after a new compact camera for so long- don’t get me wrong, my SLR is amazing but it’s a bit of a heffer to carry around so this beauty is the perfect handbag size that has all the picture quality I want without the extra weight. It’s got built in wifi, plenty of shooting options, a 30x optical lense plus the flip screen makes it the ideal camera for a selfie (#guilty)

Make-Up Goodies

Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Rose Brown | Urban Decay Primer Potion | MAC Palette | Bobbi Brown Shimmer Block in Copper Diamond (similar in Bronze)

As if I needed any more make-up… But hey, what’s a girl to do? (emoji smirky face) I’m very proud to say that my boyfriend picked up this Bobbi Brown Shimmer Block in Copper Diamond all on his own… I mean, isn’t he a keeper! Okay, well I dropped some hints I wanted something similar but I was massively impressed when he gave me this on my birthday- it’ll be the perfect highlighter I need when I’ve got a bit of a tan on holiday in July. I’d been eying up the Urban Decay Primer Potion in what feels like forever so when my big sis gave me this I was over the moon, and it also made me realise how on earth I was doing my makeup without it: it’s a makeup life changer for sure. My best friend Molly got me this little limited edition palette from MAC which provides the colours for the perfect autumnal but fresh smokey eye- the bright bases with the darker purple shades mix so well together (plus the pigmentation is awesome) to add some definition into the crease as well as adding a bit of drama. And finally, she also got me a Bobbi Brown Art Stick- this baby is not only more hydrating on the lips than a lipstick but it's more long lasting. Plus, the added bonus is that the beautiful brown almost plum shade is too perfect for words. Definitely give it a go if you’re after a new lippy shade.

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

ASICS Gel Kayano Trainers in Light Grey | QUAY Australia Sunglasses | Missguided Runner Shorts

A birthday isn’t a birthday without some clothes. The boyf picked up these beauties by Asics from ASOS- they feature a light grey suede base but overlaid with a light/duck egg blue detail that make these beauties SO dreamy. I’ve got a pretty eclectic trainer collection going on at the moment, but these are quickly becoming my new staples. They look great teamed with black jeans, culottes and dungarees just to name a few items, plus they are off the scale in terms of comfort. Basically, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe how amazing they are. Alongside the trainers of dreams I also received some new runner shorts from Missguided- I know I’m going to live in these when we’re in Greece next month as the elasticated waist makes them super easy to throw on and off plus I love the paisley pattern which would look super cute teamed with a Bardot top. Finally, I got some new sunglasses. Having a bit of a big round head (lollllll) I always need a pair of oversized sunglasses- admittedly I wanted the blogging favourite Round sunglasses by Ray-Bans but they just looked ridiculous, however these high street cat eye sunnies from Quay are a beautiful alternative. The oversized shape look super chic and I love the all black detail, plus they’re now on sale on ASOS for £15. A no brainer purchase fo’ sure.

Bits n Bobs

Alongside all these amazing goodies, I also received a mix of random bits and bobs. Let’s start with the Bombay Saphire Gin: a litre of alcoholic goodness, a perfect bottle to put flowers in when it’s empty and it makes me happy. Winning! A couple more gift cards from some of my favourite retailers: Zara, Topshop and ASOS. Molly got me this cute little ring holder from Sass and Belle- my bulldog love will never die so this is the cutest little ornament to admire them everyday and promote their wonderful being to angel status. My best friend G works at the one of the most amazing homeware and interior design stores, so this cute little coaster gives me a little bit of their perfection into my room. The boyf picked up my favourite winter scented candle for me from Lily Flame: I’ve got loads of summer scents so this delicious smelling candle sets me up ready for Autumn and long winter evenings. Dark chocolate Bounty’s from my godmother: fresh out the fridge with a cuppa tea = one happy Alex. And finally Love x Style x Life. It’s no secret that if I weren’t British I would love to be French: their exquisite food, their classic, chic and elegant sense of style and their laid back attitude towards life makes their lifestyles something to be lusted over. I’ve been a fan of Garance Dore for so long, so now I can admire her beautiful photography and my French lifestyle all in book form.

That’s it from me today folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all of the amazing things I got for my birthday this year. I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all my loved ones who got me the most wonderful and thoughtful presents a girl could ask for, as well as all the birthday texts, messages and tweets I received throughout the day itself: I felt very loved and I’m feeling so blessed and grateful to have such a wonderful set of people and online friends around me. So now, a very happy (and spoilt!) Alex is going to love and leave you. Have a good Thursday my lovelies and I’ll see you later in the week for more of the usual content!

Lots of love and air hugs,

A x

Bardot Love

Oh Bardot tops, how you cover up a magnitude of sins and somehow still look elegant… In a way I’m quite late to the Bardot party- I always thought that they could only look good on girls who were super skinny and weren’t as top heavy as me. But, much to my happiness I was pretty damn wrong. I picked up this little beauty from Forever21 for only £15 and I love it. Yes I’m channelling some type of Spanish senorita (red dancing lady emoji eat your heart out) but this has been my go-to outfit at the moment as the black trousers and lace detailing of the top still looks smart but also on trend without being too fussy. I teamed this look with my sturdy Topshop military jacket, vintage clutch bag (its made up of rolled up pieces of newspaper from Uganda!) and geometric Zara sandals I got in last years sale.

Bardot tops are such a good staple to have in your wardrobe, they’re littered all over the high street at the moment and if you’re like me and hate the top of your arms, they cover up those little wobbly bits that you don’t like- winning! Throw a Bardot on with your favourite vintage jeans or high waisted shorts and a bonus point if you team it with the bandana/neck scarf vibe going on. Bardot’s, may our love affair continue…

How to you style up your bardots tops? And where has been your best Bardot purchase so far this season? I’m always on the prowl for more, so lemme know!

A x

Happy Fathers Day Daddio

Happy Fathers Day you lovely lot!

Today is the day that we celebrate the hero in our life, the one who has been there since the beginning with endless amounts of advice, comfort and most importantly, love: the dads in our lives.

Now everybody says that his or her dad is the best dad in the world, and while we can agree to disagree with this comment (I reckon Stu Hughes has this title well and truly summed up, just sayin’) I thought it’d just dedicate a bit of space in of my corner of the internet to show how much I bloody love my dad. I know he’s a bit of a cheeky rascal and occasionally clicks on my blog to read so whether it's today or in two weeks time that he reads this, Daddio thanks for being so incredibly amazing. I could put a list together about the million things that I'm thankful for because of you, but I’m naming just five before I get too soppy or teary.

1- Thank you for always being my biggest supporter. Thank you for taking me to endless swimming lessons when I was young, for cheering so loudly at that swimming gala when I finally managed to perfect my breast stroke kick that your excited screams echoed throughout the whole pool. Whether it was motivating me with endless amount of chocolate back at uni to get me through that dreaded dissertation, whether it was seeing your proud smile at my final university showcase or the excitable ‘YESSSS! WELL FUCKING DONE AL!!!!’ I got down the phone when I accomplished my 1^st Class Honours, it hasn’t ever gone unnoticed and I’m so thankful for it.

2- Thank you for being the biggest but most loveable goof imaginable. Stu, don’t get me wrong you’re the clumsiest idiot in the world (and unluckily for me I’ve managed to get this gene off you) but you’ve taught me so much about not taking life to seriously, to laugh at life plans because you know that fate will always change it, to making me laugh so much that my stomach hurts even to your occasional shite banter that you find hilarious and we all don’t. While to others you’re a shy guy, to us you’re our very own Peter Kay.

3- Thank you for being there no matter what. Thank you for calming me down when I was having full on break downs at university, thanks for staying up with me until early hours of the morning when I had art canvases to finish at A-Levels, thank you (and mum) for waiting at hospital with me when I was ill in first year, thank you for sacrificing anything and everything for me or Kate if we ever needed you. You could have taken over the fitness world by now, but instead you held our hands whenever we needed it and always put us first.

4- Thank you for giving me the determination and drive to work hard so I continue to do better everyday. Dad is a bit like superman- a fitness fanatic that is always pushing himself to do better, to work harder and to achieve more and this has most definitely rubbed off on me. Thank you for giving me the backbone to work hard and reminding me that when I think I've taken too much on that a solid work ethic and the drive and determination to succeed is enough to make me achieve anything I set my mind to.

5- Fifth and most importantly, thank you for the endless and unconditional love that you have for both me and Kate, but also mum. I don’t know how you survive being the only male in the household but you love us every single day no matter how hideous, hormonal, snappy, upset or annoying we must be. Thank you for being the best role model we could ever have growing up and let it continue forever and ever. Thank you for being my very own personal superhero.

I hope you all have a lovely Fathers Day. Whether it’s giving your dad a cuddle or your granddad, or if it’s your mum who acts as both a mum and dad, let’s all just take a minute to admire them for how perfectly awesome they are and just how blessed we are to have them in our lives. Happy Fathers Day papa, you really are the best, but stop reading my blog now you nosey bum.

Happy Sunday my lovelies, and I’ll see you next week for less soppy posts.

A x

B-Day Night Out Style

Dress: Boohoo Petite | Heels: New Look | Bag: Vintage | Lip Colour: MAC Persistance

Happy Saturday my lovelies!

So I thought it was time to upload a little post about what I wore for my birthday night out with the girls. In theory it was looking as though it was going to be pretty low key, a few draaankz and maybe a naughty trip to McDonalds for the standard chicken nugget banquet. Turns out when the girls are on top form and you end up in a about ten different cocktail bars, it quickly becomes the drunkest and funniest night to date. The hilarious flashbacks and drunken shenanigans made the hangover worth it- good work ladies.

Onto the outfit... Firstly I apologise for the iPhone photos- I fully intended to take some photos before I went out but me being me, I took too long getting ready so I didn't have time... But hopefully you get the vibe I was going for! Usually I’m all for going out in your sneaks, comfy shorts with my hair up in a half pony tale a la Ariana Grande, but as it was my birthday it’d be rude not to dress up a bit. I recently picked up this little Boohoo beauty from ASOS (also available on the Boohoo site but a girl can’t let valuable ASOS points go to waste!) and I love it. The cut itself is super flattering- being a bit of a crop top ninja I like to highlight the smallest part of my waist and the key hole cut of this dress shows it off perfectly while also sucking everything in with the slight elasticated denim fabric. The dress itself is from their Petite collection so if you’ve got legs as long as Jordan Dunn maybe this isn’t the best bet for you, but for us petite girls it’s perfect. I teamed it with my comfy New Look heels, a vintage clutch bag I picked up from Tetbury earlier in the week plus tousled hair and a brown lip to match.

Happy weekend my lovelies!

A x

A Pitstop in Tetbury

Shoes: Missguided | Dress: Zara | Handbag: Mulberry | Sunglasses: Quay Australia

In the words of TayTay: ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling twentyyyyy-twwwwo!’ For months you get excited about your birthday and then bang, its gone: it’s already the 10^th June, like wtf?

Having a birthday on a ‘school night’ kind of sucks as I was in work the next day- I genuinely can’t handle the hangover anyway (my former eighteen year old self is tutting), let alone feeling horrendous, smelling of Sambuca in a full office surrounded by excel spread sheets and regurgitated air from the air-con machine. Ew. So I had the most chilled out birthday this year- literally just chilling with my mum, taking Babs out for a walk and having a family BBQ in the evening sunshine- it was lovely. I was also in bed by 11pm- rock n roll baby.

Anyway, as part of my birthday celebrations Muma Hughes took me on an adventure to Tetbury which is a little town within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire. It was only about a thirty-five minute drive from home and it was just a chance to go somewhere else for a spot of lunch instead of Bath or Bristol. I hadn’t been in a while and I forgot just how quaint and typically British it was. (I don’t think a place could be more picture post card perfect if it tried.)

I don’t really know what to say about this post, it is just pictures but I thought I’d just share some of the photos I took of the cutest little bakery’s, small vintage furniture markets and independent stores crammed with little bits and bobs that we stumbled across. If ever you are close by it’s definitely worth a morning mooch gazing down the beautiful streets, lusting over the gorgeous antique furniture and having the most wonderful cream scones breakfast with a read of the morning newspaper.

Our little venture also provided the perfect excuse to test out my new compact camera I got for my birthday- my god it’s so beautiful! I’ve got the standard ‘what I got for my birthday’ post all scheduled for next week so keep your eyes peeled for that and I’m off out with the girls Saturday night which is gives me the perfect opportunity for a night out outfit post. Until then, have a wonderful Friday and lets keep our fingers crossed that the weather stays this amazing throughout the weekend!

Happy Friday lovelies and have a drink in a beer garden on me!

A x

So, Let's Talk About #BIKINIFEAR

It’s that time of year again. We’ve finally seen the end of the winter months, we can put the granny chic alpine knits, knee high boots and oversized furry bobble hats that we’ve been wearing all season away and finally enjoy summer. And hey, if we’re lucky we may even have some sunny days this year. Beer gardens, strawberries and cream, Wimbeldon, the Olympics, long summer evening strolls and enough fake tan to make us appear that we’ve been on holiday even though everyone knows we haven’t, summery vibes are in full force. Alongside sunny days at home you’ve booked yourself that much needed sun holiday to finally get some well deserved Vitamin D- you’re off to Santorini, naturally... All is well, harp music is playing in the background and you’re transported to a summery carefree daydream then oh shit, #BIKINIFEAR sets in.

Now I love summer. I love BBQ’s in the garden, taking Babs on walks through buttercup littered fields, being able to leave the house without actually needing take an oversized jumper with me and knowing that I’ve got a holiday in only a months time. One thing I do not like however, is #BIKINIFEAR. It’s no secret that every woman in her lifetime- unless, of course, you have the body of a Victoria’s Secret angel- fears that one moment. That one moment we have to remove that billowing floaty kaftan and stand in a crowded place surrounded by complete strangers in essentially glorified waterproof underwear. What’s worse is that when you’re wearing a bikini you know you’re half naked yet you're expected to be full of self-confidence and really you're like....

It probably wouldn’t come as a surpise that only 11% of women feel confident in bikini. I’ve never really had any massive issues with my body before, of course when I was completing my Final Major Project at uni I ate so much ice cream and unhealthy snacks I knew that I resembled a tub of lard, but who doesn’t experience weight guilt in their life at some point? It’s only natural but we seem to get on with it every other day of our lives. But put the combination of a beach, sun, half naked bodies and hot heat together you come over in a rush of anxiety and fear that yep, you’re gonna have to take that dress off and join the club.

In our defence companies absolutely play into our insecurities of #BIKINIFEAR. From the dreaded Sports Illustrated magazine cover we see smothered across WH Smith Stands featuring goddess like human mannequins to the latest Boots ad featuring a packed beach falling quiet and watchful as a woman strips to her bikini. When realistically for women it’s a stark, gritty and unnerving moment when the whole worlds seems to stop what it’s doing and check you out, assess you, and inevitably, judge you. 60% of women think that other woman are in better shape than they are and 53% of us feel insecure when we’re next to someone with a dynamite body. All in all this entire situation just screams insecurities and there's no wonder why there is a lack of confidence.

But why should this moment be so absolutely gut wrenchingly awful? We’ve worked hard all year, tackled numerous work deadlines and to be fair, we fucking deserve to led on a sun lounger beautifully bronzed in a foreign destination. But realistically everything about getting to that moment seems stressful- before you even get to the beach you’ve got to get something to wear and the entire experience is exhausting. Going into a store and finding a bikini, taking it to try on in a changing room that is cramped, boiling hot with awful lighting that highlights all the areas of your body you hate then finding that while the size ten top fits perfectly there’s no way that the size ten bottoms are being able to be pulled up. Even after having that awful experience in the first store you go to another with the last bit of perseverance you have to find that the sizing’s are completely different, you’re still overheated and end up going home, empty handed and empty of any confidence you had before you left. Do these typical and well-documented experiences that we’ve all had at one point pollute and ultimately destroy that feeling of complete joy we should feel prior to going away?

Realistically, and as corny as it sounds: don’t fear the bikini, fear the myth.

When it comes down to that one moment that we’re in a tranquil location, a world away from work, deadlines, priorities and everyday stress and that sun dress needs comes off, I don’t know about you but I just think, ‘oh fuck it.’ Take it off, chuck it in your bag and think about how much you deserve to enjoy every second of this wonderful escape. Who cares if you’ve just drunk a large boozy mojito and you’ve got the standard after bev bloat? Who cares if you were doing well on your health hype before holiday and you accidentally (on purpose) fall in to Burger King at the airport and scoff a double bacon cheeseburger? Holidays are designed as a tranquil escape and we shouldn’t be contaminating the experience with negative thoughts, that in the great scheme of things, are somewhat irrelevant. You can bet every other woman littered around the pool that has a glossy layer of sun cream lathered on their bodies has experienced that same negative experience you have, but is that stopping them? It doesn't appear so.

Confidence is more than what is seen in a bikini. Confidence is self-love and accepting that yes I may not look like Candice Swanepoel but who gives a shit, pass me another mojito and let me read my rubbish rom-com book while I live and breathe every awesome moment of being on this holiday. If you’re on a bit of a detox prior to your summer adventure, go for it and tuck into your salads and coconut water at lunch instead of your usual Pret hot meatball wrap but don’t stand on the scales before you leave to justify your progress: nothing will start a holiday off worse than standing on a set of scales and having any pride or accomplishment taken away by an unreliable number. Similarly if you’ve still got to find that dreaded bikini- take a mate and have a laugh while you try and tackle some of the somewhat complicated strappy bikinis that are littering the high street at the moment when you accidentally put your head in the pouch designed for your boob. Worse comes to worse whack on Beyoncé and strut to that pool and have a Crazy In Love sassy moment- that's always a safe option when you're in need of a pick-me-up. Make those pre-holiday little negatives become positives- enjoy it! Afterall, we bloody deserve it.

Long story short what I’m trying to say is that don’t make that pre-fear overtake the excitement. Make those pre-holiday little negatives become positives- it’ll make you feel ready for that moment when you have to slip into that new bikini you've picked up because you would have been actually looking forward to it. Don't let #BIKINIFEAR get in the way. Enjoy every second of your sunny escape, whether its staying closer to home or off somewhere fabulous, and remember that all us ladies share the same initial fear and we're supporting one another every step of the way. I'll be keeping that in mind when I'm like a beached whale in Samos soaking up the sun while eating vast quantities of halloumi and supping on umbrella decorated alcoholic beverages. #sorrynotsorry.

Bikini ready or not, summer I'm so ready for you.

A x

Painter Attire

Painter Attire