31 December 2012

2013 goals


I know new year resolutions are a yay for some people and a nay for others, but I have nothing against them.  Don't get me wrong, if there's something I wanna do I won't say to myself 'oh I'll wait six months until the new year', but there's a lot of things on here which I simply couldn't afford this year, such as the tattoo and changing my hair.  Now I'm happy with my weight and I don't eat badly so mine aren't the usual ones which people end up giving up anyway.  I've had quite a lot of time to think about what I'd like to achieve in the new year, so I am making sure that they're realistic and doable.  I know a lot of people's goal might be to stop taking pictures of pointless things, but I'm going the other way.  I've just got Instagram (@momentsdelamode) after getting a new phone and will thoroughly enjoy taking pictures of my beans on toast teas and my nails.  Starting a Youtube channel is something I've been wanting to do for a while, I was waiting until I bought a fancy camera but since it was too expensive to get one for Christmas I think I'll just go for it anyway.  If you'd be interested in that, then watch this space as I plan to try and begin very soon!  I've been relatively lucky with this year and I hope next year treats me nicely too.
Do you share any resolutions with me?  Please let me know yours or link me to your post with them on, I love seeing what people want to achieve!
I hope you all have a lovely new year!  What will you be doing when you're counting down to midnight?  I'm spending the night with my mum like any other night, which is fine by me and I don't drink so that aspect of NYE isn't a big deal to me.  I didn't sleep until eight morning as well which resulted in me having about six hours sleep, so I don't think I'll be sleeping at that crazy time again tonight... A night in with mother watching Alan Carr sounds dandy.  We'll be sipping on bucks fizz later on though, and will be dragging my brother down to pop some party poppers.  I'm sure he'll be pleased.
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My favourite outfits from 2012 - part 2


Aaaand here is my second collection of my favourite looks from this year.  I've learnt a lot about my style this year and have definitely taught myself to come more out of my comfort zone.  I've spent a silly amount of money in Topshop as well as several other stores which I hadn't bought from before.  I think I've discovered my love for grungy looks and will be experimenting more with this in the next year.
There's some looks I really like off here, including the spaceman tee with the leather pants and the yellow jumper with the bowler hat.  Do you have any favourites from this list?
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30 December 2012

My favourite outfits from 2012 - part 1


So I thought picking my favourite of my outfits from the past year would be a pretty easy task, but I was wrong.  I thought I'd look back at laugh at some of my older ones, and there's a fair few which I wouldn't wear again, but none that I'm like 'Oh my god Dem, what was you thinking?!' at, which I count as a pretty sucessful year in outfits.  Hence why I'm having to do this post in two parts, which is one more part than I intended.  You'd think looking back at about 180 different looks would help you to define what style you have, but nope.  I am what they call a 'style chameleon', you won't find me wearing just one particular look, but I tend to just go with what I'm feeling that day.  When you think of Kate Moss you probably think of her in a cool, chic outfit - dark skinny jeans, some black boots and a simple top, right?  Yeah well, I don't really have a 'go-to' outfit, or a particular colour you find me in, I just buy what I like at the time.  Is that a bad thing?  No, I wouldn't say so.  I mean if I ever get asked to 'describe my style' I'd have no idea what to say, but I'm okay with my wardrobe being full of completely different items, from Batman kicks to a gold, sparkly midi dress.
One thing I will say, though, is I'm pretty much a walking advert for Converse.

Are there any outfits from this collection which stand out to you?
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29 December 2012

What to wear for a NYE party

Tops:
1. Leather t-shirt £105 FRENCH CONNECTION | 2. Bead embellished cami £36 TOPSHOP |
3.
Sequin top with cutout back £65 ASOS | 4. Panther crop top £15 ASOS | 5. Velvet & lace top £29.99 ZARA |
6.
Black sequin crop tank top £22 RIVER ISLAND | 7. Gem bead cami top £20 TOPSHOP |
8.
White shirt £33 FRENCH CONNECTION

There are so many glam tops out there on the highstreet to suit the party season, so how glam you actually go is down to you.  I really like the blue sequin top from ASOS with the cutout back top, I think the best way to wear something as luxe as these is to tone it down on your bottom half.  Maybe with a pair of black skinny jeans or some coloured coated trousers.  If your style is more classic then I'd definitely opt for the basic white shirt or the leather t-shirt.  French Connection do the perfect staple pieces, you can check out more of their women's tops here.

Trousers:

1. Green & blue tartan trousers £40 TOPSHOP | 2. Glitter lurex trousers £18 RARE |
3.
Blue tailored velvet trousers £29.99 MANGO | 4. Printed palazzo trousers £16.99 MANGO

Trousers may not be your first choice when coming to your partywear of choice, in fact you probably don't even consider them when you're too busy searching for dresses, however I think they're the perfect alternative and look great with a simple tee or shirt.  I'd definitely recommend them, they will get you noticed without a doubt.

Dresses:

1. Lace drape maxi dress £89 FRENCH CONNECTION | 2. Print lantern dress £75 TOPSHOP |
3.
Foiled wetlook skater dress £32 MISS SELFRIDGE | 4. Bodycon dress with embellished cross £55 ASOS |
5.
Metallic pleated skater dress £65 LASHES OF LONDON | 6. Cut out shoulder dress £42 MISS SELFRIDGE |
7.
Baroque print bodycon dress £36 TOPSHOP

Ah, dresses, how can one resist a goregous dress?  I've gone for a few stand-out ones because NYE is a pretty big deal, right?  Although if you prefer a more simple dress you can easily dress it up with some statement accessories.  I really like the silver pleated dress from Lashes of London, maybe not too appropriate if you'll be outside for some of the night, but it would look equally as good layered over a white shirt.

Shoes & accessories:

1. Gem vamp sandles £30 TOPSHOP | 2. Clean spike bracelet £10 TOPSHOP |
3.
Studded suede clutch bag £36 TOPSHOP | 4. Big stone earrings £12 ASOS |
5.
Black ankle strap heels £19.99 NEW LOOK | 6. Panther clutch £18 MISS SELFRIDGE | 7. Fluffy sandles £45 ASOS | 8. Studded belt £16.99 ZARA | 9. Spike cuff £15 MISS SELFRIDGE | 10. Triangle stretch bracelet £12 ASOS |
11.
Neon sandles with gold cuff £45 ASOS | 12. Strappy bow sandles £30 TOPSHOP

And you can't forget the jewellery and an amazing pair of heels, can you?  Why, they make the whole look.  Depending on your outfit you might choose to inject some colour through your accessories or just stick with simple gold metals.

I know how time consuming picking an outfit for an event can be, so I decided to put together a collection of items which would be perfect for the night and which suit a variety of different styles, so there's something for everyone.  I'd definitely recommend taking a look at French Connection as some of their eveningwear is goregous, and they have knocked off more than a hundred pounds on some of their sale pieces.  Say whaat?

Happy shopping!

Please note: this is a sponsored post but the idea of the post is still mine and I've put a lot of effort into doing it, I hope you enjoy!
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2012 - The year that I...


... Turned eighteen and went to London.
Landaaaan!  I had been wanting to visit London ever since I can remember, I've always known I'm more of a city girl and am not really suited to my little hometown.  I think London is one of the greatest places on earth, despite my short-lived experience of it.  Standing under 'Big Ben' was pretty surreal.  It totally lived up to my expectations and was one of the best weekends of my life, I hope to go back there soon with my mum.


... Got my first tattoo, and then my second.
If you've been following me for a while you might already know of this.  I am so proud of my tattoos and they're two of the best decisions I've ever made, getting one as soon as I turned eighteen was pretty inevitable.  Please don't anyone feed me with the 'oh but what about when you're eighty?' argument, because if that's the worst reason you can think of against tattoos then please sit down and shut up whilst I go and get my third one done.

... Watched an amazing documentary on elephants.
This may seem like a silly thing for a documentary to be a significant point in my life, but it really was.  I was up at four, maybe five o' clock one morning and happened to stumble upon a documentary on elephants, focusing on a family lead by 'Echo', who David Attenborough actually did his first documentary with.  I just cried the whole way through and am now in complete awe of the beautiful creatures.  I hope to see them in their own habitat one day, even seeing them in Chester Zoo was breathtaking.


... Saw dinosaurs!
Not only am I an elephant geek, but I am also obsessed with dinosaurs.  Always have been, in fact I probably came out of my mother's hoo-hoo clasping on to a little dinosaur toy.  Any of you ever watch 'The Land Before Time'?  Yeah, I have the DVD boxset, and it's one of my favourite possessions to this day.  Enough said?  I think so.  I was really hoping to catch the dinosaur exhibition at Chester Zoo before it moved on, which my lovely mother managed to make happen.  It was so cool and probably the geekiest twenty minutes of my life.
Can I go again?

... Moved to Manchester and started uni.
So this was a pretty big deal and one of the scariest things I've done in my life, leaving college, leaving Burnley, leaving my home.  I went so far out of my comfort zone I may as well have been standing there naked with people pointing and laughing.  I'm such a mummy's girl and had never even done a trip to Manchester on my own before until a week before moving there.  But I did it, and living in Manchester some of the time is so cool.  Uni was and still is a pretty terrifying experience, but I'm doing my best with it all.


... Watched one of the greatest films ever.
Bringing out the inner nerd in me dedicating a whole paragraph to this film, but hey, I have no shame.  I am referring to the one and only Batman, which you may or may not know (sense the sarcasm), released its conclusion to the trilogy earlier this year.  It shot up to one of my best films of all time and am pretty certain it will stay there forever.  The cast is flawless, the script... Oh man, it's just one of the most perfect things I have ever seen.  'The Amazing Spiderman' was also one of my top films of the year (I was really sceptical but the new characters just make it so much better) and I recently saw 'Life of Pi', which is one of the most amazing things I will ever watch.


... Bought the most awesome tee.
My spaceman tee!  D'uh.  I bought this from Topshop a few months ago and it's the most unique thing I own.  Not because it has a weird shape, or is in a strange fabric, nope, but it has an astronaut on it, when else do you see that on clothing?  This is definitely my number one purchase this year, way up there with my skinny leather pants from River Island.

... Read 'The Hunger Games' trilogy.
I recently wrote my opinions on these books and expressed my love for it there, but if you didn't read that, I'll sum it up - the best set of books I have ever read.  Ever.  And this is coming from a girl who devoured the 'Fifty Shades' series (yep...) and then had a sulk for a week because I had finished them.  But 'The Hunger Games'?  Oh man, nothing can top them.


... Saw my long-term relationship come to an end.
So I know a lot of people understandably only share their good times online, but this is my blog, meaning it's kind of like my diary, right?  I'm not going to miss it out and pretend like it wasn't one of the biggest things to happen to me this year, because it was.  It lasted for almost five years, that's nearly all of my teenage years, so for it to come to end (end of October, in case you was wondering) was a very strange, uncomfortable experience.  I always knew it was for the best though and I'm thankful for even knowing what a true relationship is at the small age of eighteen, as I know they don't come by easily.  I learnt a lot from it and we're still friends, so I'm actually very lucky.

... Watched the last 'Twilight' movie, the end of an era!
Yep, it had to get a mention!  I have been sucked into the films/books ever since the first movie came out.  When you're a thirteen year old girl or whatever I was and you discover someone as perfect as Edward Cullen, well, what can I say?  I mean, there's setting the bar high for men, and then there's Edward.


... Attended a blogger's party!
Yep, I have been to not one, but TWO bloggers' events this year!  They actually happened within a few days of each other.  It started with Harvey Nichols which was more a beauty blogger thing but I had fun all the same, and then there was the Daisystreet Christmas party which was so fun and great to meet some girls in person.  Maybe next year will bring plenty more of these!

... Saw 'The Lion King' in theatre.
I went with my mum for her birthday over a week ago now.  We wasn't really sure what to expect but we were both crying within the first five seconds, that's all I'm saying.  We really want to get into going to more shows now, but I'm so glad we managed to get tickets for this particular one.  Absolutely amazing.


So that's the review of my year!  I'd say it's been a good one overall, especially because it's seen my mum and I grow closer than we've ever been (I love you mummy!) and I've done some pretty great things.
How has your 2012 been?
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26 December 2012

What I got for Christmas


'Make the most of your time on earth' & 'Looking for Alaska': AMAZON

Constellation globe & bulldog print cushion: URBAN OUTFITTERS

Black Converse: AMAZON

Chunky boyfriend watch: RIVER ISLAND

Kiss top: ZARA | Burgundy pompom hat: TOPSHOP

Mini perfume set: GIORGIO ARMANI

'A street cat named Bob', meant to be a silly present off my dad but I am actually looking forward to reading this...

Foot duvets: JOHN LEWIS | Penguin slipper socks: TOPSHOP

Nail varnishes: AVON & RIMMEL | Purple lipstick: KATE MOSS FOR RIMMEL

'The Dark Knight' trilogy boxset & Lana Del Rey 'Born to Die' album: AMAZON

OM NOM.

Lady Gaga 'Fame' perfume set: THE PERFUME SHOP

And the presents I get EVERY year:
a hot water bottle and Forrero Cochers!  Yum.

So I thought I'd show you what I got yesterday, as I love seeing what other people received on the day.  I usually get a big present and a few little ones (well, not little), but this year I decided to just not have a big one and just ask for a variety of things.  I have been planning all year to ask for a fancy camera but they're way too expensive so I'm just going to have to save up.
I am so, so pleased with everything and feel extremely lucky to have such a giving family.  You might be surprised that I don't get mostly clothes, it's not intentional, but I spend litterally all of my money on clothes throughout the year, so I guess I take Christmas as an opportunity to get other things I've had me eye on.
I don't have a favourite as i think every single thing is pretty damn awesome, and I will use/eat/wear/whatever everything.  So yeah, I did good!  I had a really nice day with my family just chilling out and eating lots of food, and I'm very thankful to have them.
If you have a christmas haul post, please link me!  I like to have a nosey.  Hope you all had such a good day!
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25 December 2012

Christmas outfit - MY PYJAMAS! (d'uh)

Dusty pink jumper with zips: TOPSHOP | Pyjama pants: PRIMARK | Shoes: CONVERSE

Did I really just pose in my pyjamas?  Yes, yes I did...
So I thought it would be fun to do a bit of a silly post and show you what I'm wearing today, which obviously is my pyjamas.  I know a lot of you make a big fuss about what you're wearing on Christmas day and use it as an excuse to look all glam, which I can SO understand, but apparently this year I'm using it as an excuse to do the exact opposite.  SO SUE ME.  And I'm not cheating by wearing this jumper, honestly, I really do wear it with these pants to keep all warm and snug.  Plus, it matches pretty damn well with them, right?!
I couldn't help but add some lipstick, I mean, come on, I had to make a little bit of effort.  Maybe if the pyjama trend from this year's summer ever comes back, I will be donning this for a full day at some point.  One can dream.
Please note: the Converse were for practicallity for taking the photos, they will be replaced by some silly looking slippers/wooly christmas socks.
Snug. As. A. Bug.
So that's what I am wearing today, perfect for lounging and eating lots and lots.  I'll talk more about my day when I do a Christmas haul type of post, am still contemplating whether to do that tonight or just leave it for tomorrow?  If you've posted about what you've got for Christmas, please link it!  I loved reading them all last year and can't wait to see what everyone got today.  There will be a few Michael Kors watches, I supsect...
Merry Christmas!  YA' FILTHY ANIMAL.
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