Batman baseball style top: PRIMARK | Grey wool beanie hat: TOPMAN | High waisted leather shorts: TOPSHOP | Shoes: CONVERSE

I don't really shop in Primark, and this is for a number of reasons:

1. Up until I started reading a lot of blogs, I was a clothes snob; I was sticking to Topshop.
2. I'd never been near one until starting uni in Manchester last year, and now I'm back home I'm far away from one again.
3. All the people!  Once I am in public I am one of the most impatient people you could meet.  As soon as I step in Primark I go from 0 - Frustrated in the space of three seconds. WHY ARE YOU STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORE FULL OF PEOPLE?  BITCH!  (I'm joking.  Kind of...)

However, things have changed, as here I am in a Primark item!  This is my third item from there actually, I got another piece in the same visit as this one and the first thing I ever bought from them was some pyjama pants (so maybe that doesn't count?).  I had a trip to Manchester the weekend before last for a bloggers' meet up, but after realising at the meet up that an hour had passed and I hadn't had any conversations with anyone, I decided to leave and do what I am good at - shopping!  (I clearly have issues.)
I've realised though that I don't go into Primark unless there's an item(s) which I am specifically looking for.  On this trip there were two - both spotted on Lily - and I just knew I had to have them.  I was doubtful in my search as it took me five times the usual time it takes me to find something (the store is far too big me) but I got there in the end!  I walked out with two pieces of clothing for less than twenty pounds altogether, reminding me of the reason why so many bloggers love it in there.

As a fan of Batman, buying this top for a mere six pounds was definitely something to get excited about.  I think I bought it in a size 16 - the largest they had - as at the time I had no idea if this meant adult sizes or age 16?  But after trying it on I can see it was intended for women, not girls, but I don't mind at all and I wanted it to have that baggy, loose look anyway.
This is my first time wearing it since buying and I knew it'd look great tucked into these very new faux leather shorts, picked up in the sale section of Topshop.  The beanie and the Chucks add to the whole geek chic feel of the look, so I just think that the leather material makes it look slightly more grown up (although not much).  Saying that, though, in summer I will be going all out and teaming this with some denim shorts, probably resulting in me looking like a young child, but I'll werk it.
I felt like a superhero for the whole time wearing this, but unfortunately a short while after taking these photos I spilt sauce down it.  Not exactly a cool, heroic thing to do, huh?

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.

Till just you and I were just left

Black faux fur gilet: TOPSHOP | Insect skull top: ZARA | Gold quilted skirt: DAISY STREET (c/o) | Shoes: CONVERSE

So I'm finally managing to blog about this skirt.  I went to a blogger's Christmas party held by Daisy Street a few weeks ago, and everyone who attended got to pick one item from their A/W collection which was being shown at the party.  They had some lovely things there (and some insane shoes) but I ended up choosing this skirt.  It does look very similar to the Topshop one which is probably the reason it caught my eye in the first place, but I'm pretty sure even if that wasn't the case I would have ended up picking this item.  The shape is very flattering and body-hugging without being bodycon, the colour is so perfect for the festive season and the quilted effect makes it different to anything else I own.
I decided to try and keep the skirt as the focal point of the outfit by wearing it with dark colours, but I couldn't resist adding the purple Converse which I thought went quite well with the gold metallic colour.  The Chucks and the loose top do make the outfit a lot more casual, but the skirt could so easily be glammed up.  For a Christmas party you could just go crazy and maybe add an embellished tee and a black blazer.
I looove this skirt, and feel very lucky to have gotten it for free, but even if I didn't it's only eighteen bloody pounds.  If you liked the Topshop skirt but missed out on it or couldn't afford it, I would definitely recommend this one.  Besides, it is nearly Christmas after all.  Treat yo' self!
I've had a really nice last few days.  I went to see 'The Lion King' on Wednesday (amazing!), saw 'Life of Pi' on Thursday (I can't even put into words how good), and did the big Christmas shop yesterday then went to see 'The Hobbit' with my dad and brother last night (also very good).  Soooo yeah, done nothing today except took these photos - chill time! - and obviously it's Christmas eve tomorrow, so will be watching lots of Christmas movies or something, and then CHRISTMASSS!  The presents are all under the tree and I am feeling pretty festive.  I will be posting on Christmas day and tomorrow so won't wish you a good one yet, but I do hope you're having a nice Christmas eve-eve!

What a nice way to spend the year

Cream pom pom hat, black faux fur gilet & dusty pink jumper: TOPSHOP | Blue skinny jeans: ZARA |
Shoes: CONVERSE

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's something about winter which makes everything look so much more prettier!  You know when you wake up and look outside and can just tell it's going to be absolutely freezing?  Today was one of those days.  Although I'm not one of these people who suddenly falls back into bed and is repulsed by the thought of going outside, I just want to go out on a a nice walk and take lots of pictures.  Which I did, if you count a stroll around my back garden taking some pictures of trees as a walk.  I did intend to go on a walk, but it gets dark so early these days that I didn't really get the chance.  Oh well, I have three weeks off now to go on lots of walks with my mum, yay!
I really like this outfit.  I wanted to reflect the frosty weather in my outfit, so clearly I went for the most snug outfit I could have.  In fact if the word 'snug' was a piece of clothing, it would probably be this jumper.  I've had it for about a month ever since my mum literally forced me to buy it (although she did pay for it, thanks mum!) but haven't featured it on the blog yet.  It's a bit longer than I thought it would be so it's a bit difficult to wear it with skirts because it looks like you've only got the jumper on with nothing underneath, but I will make it work at some point.  This is my first time wearing it with pants and the skinny fit of the jeans go perfectly with the loose, baggy top half.  I pretty much always buy jumpers in a size up, I prefer them to be nice and oversized.
I wasn't sure if the addition of the gilet would be too bulky, but I ended up liking them together quite a lot.  I think I will get a lot of wear out of this gilet in the next month or so, it's the perfect layering piece and the faux fur adds a bit of glam to any look, even this extremely casual one.
So today is my first proper day of the Christmas holidays (my dad was shocked when he found out how early I finished.  Uni life ain't so bad!) and it has been pretty damn lush.  I awoke at half past ten, which is pretty good for a day off, unpacked, watched good old daytime TV whilst baking some chocolate muffins - yummm - and then I finally got dressed and took these photos.  I have taken full advantage of having a day off, by doing absolutely nothing.  Oh yes.
Have you finished for Christmas yet?

P.S. I saw the Shakin' Stevens music video for the first time this year last night!  Hence the title of the post.  I have been waiting for it to come on and it now officially Christmas time, yippeee!  It's definitely my favourite Christmas song, what's yours?

Let's waste time, chasing cars...

Green cable knit jumper: ZARA | Gold chunky necklace: ASOS | Skinny leather trousers: RIVER ISLAND |
Black bowler bag: TOPSHOP | Shoes: CONVERSE

My mum and I decided to take full advantage of the beautiful winter's day and go for a walk, when we took these pictures.  I'm looking forward to finishing uni next week as mum finishes then too, so we're hoping the sun shines a lot so we can go on many walks.  There's just something about this season that makes everything look so pretty, don't you think?  I just want to take pictures of everything.
What better item of clothing to suit these cold days than this cable knit jumper in a lovely forest green colour.  I bought this a few months ago for a small sum of something like twenty pounds, and am so glad I did because I will get lots of wear out of it these next few months.  I could wear it with a black pleather skater skirt and maybe with a shirt underneath with the collar peeking out.
Today I decided to go down the simple route and just team it with my amazing new skinny leather pants.  You're probably sick of hearing about these already even though I've had them for less than a week, but I have no shame.  I think they look so great with this jumper and and really like the knitted fabric with the faux leather.  They're both quite dark colours so I thought the statement chain necklace and my purple Converse would be perfect additions to the look.
Hope your week's going well so far!  I had a longish day at university yesterday and have another today, but I have a day off tomorrow so wahoooo.  Then I'm going home on Thursday and I think we'll be putting the Christmas tree up around then, which is always exciting despite me being a big girl now... I've also just found out I'm going to Clothes Show Live next Tuesday with the fashion society (I thought it was just this weekend?  But whatever.) so that should be good!  Quite a few exciting things happening over the next few weeks and then it's Chrisssstmassss!  Once the tree's gone up I'm going to let myself jam to Shakin' Stevens and watch 'Elf'.  What do you like to do to get in the festive spirit?

I FOUND THEM!: The perfect leather trousers

Faux leather skinny trousers £40: RIVER ISLAND

*high pitched singing voice* Haaaaaallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.  Ahem, anyway... Look, look!  If you've read my blog before, or even my Twitter feed, you're probably aware of my long, unsuccessful search to find the perfect skinny leather trousers, which has been going on for some time now.  However, the search finally came to end yesterday when I spotted these babies in River Island.  Spending ban?  What spending ban?  I just saw these on one of the mannequins and then ran to find them and try them on.  Oh boy, am I pleased with them.  I didn't want leggings as I still wanted the pocket detail and for them to still be slightly baggy, but still have most of that painted-on effect.  This pair definitely tick all of the boxes for me, so I can't say I feel guilty about purchasing them.  I will be wearing them a ridiculous amount of times from now on, especially seeing as they will go with literally every top in my wardrobe.  Tees, jumpers, shirts and blouses... EVERY SINGLE ONE.  Breathe, breathe... I am so pleased that they are slightly high-waisted, too, as that wasn't a necessity for me but it's definitely a bonus. 
What size I buy for my bottom half depends on which shop I'm buying from.  In Topshop I'm pretty much always a 10, but in places such as Zara and River Island I need to size up, so I tried on these in a 12 (the last pair in that size, too) and they fitted perfectly plus a bit of extra room (so I don't need to worry about eating my massive dinners whilst wearing them...).  Oh, and they're not too shiny either... Man, the list could go on and on.
Are you digging leather trousers at the moment?  Do you own a pair?  I just want to throw on a band tee and paint my nails black and just be a total rock chick.  (She says whilst watching Countdown).

I never play the victim, I'd rather be a stalker

Studded faux leather jacket: TOPSHOP | Round sunglasses: PRIMARK (men's) | Baroque print t-shirt: ASOS |
Black split maxi skirt: RIVER ISLAND via ASOS | Shoes: CONVERSE

I showed you this tee yesterday which I bought in the twenty five percent discount on ASOS a few days ago, and the other thing which I used it for is this skirt.  Also a bargain at the same price of £13.50.  I have been looking for a maxi skirt for ages, and after the one I liked in Zara selling out, I started my search again and finally settled on this one.  It's not as high-waisted as I would have liked it to be so I can't say that I've finished seeking for the perfect one, but it was so cheap that I can't really complain.  I do like the split on each side, too.  I think that this makes the skirt versatile as you can also adapt it to work in your spring/summer wardrobe too.  Today I decided to amp up the rockstar look and pair it with this grey tee, a studded leather jacket (standard) and these round sunglasses, which were an impulse buy when I saw them on the rack for a whole two pounds.
I kept jewellery to a minimum, as in I didn't really wear any, to give off the impression that I had simply just thrown this outfit on.  It's so effortless, dahling.  I can't get enough of this berry coloured lipstick from Topshop, if you buy any make-up this season, I suggest a lipstick of a similar colour.  I didn't even wear lippie a few months ago but since purchasing this one I am a convert.  Looks great with an all-black ensemble and is the perfect way to glam up any look.
I've had a longish day at uni and now I just feel hungry and ready to chill, so will be making a ridiculously massive portion of pasta once I've finished writing this, drooool.
I bought the new Rihanna album today on my lunch break, I've listened through it once so I don't really know any of the songs yet.  I was hoping to have listened to it numerous times by now but I can't figure out how to get the songs from my CD on to my MP3, it's not as simple as I thought it would be... D'oh.  You might know she's touring next year so I'm hoping to get some tickets which are on sale tomorrow.  And I'm not jealous of anyone who's seeing her tonight, not jealous at all...
Happy Monday!

Baroque

Baroque print t-shirt & gold chunky chain necklace: ASOS | Black organza skater skirt: H&M |
Blue pom pom hat: TOPSHOP | Shoes: CONVERSE

A couple of cheeky new purchases, oops!  Both of these broke my spending ban.  Which means I have now broken my spending ban three times.  In a matter of days.  I really am sticking to it now though, promise...
In my defense, how the heck does one say no to ASOS, with its beautiful clothes and free delivery, when they were having twenty five percent off for students?  I'm sure I won't be the only one who caved in and took advantage of that offer.  I mean, that's the biggest discount I've seen a retailer do without their items being on sale, so I ended up getting this tee for £13.50.  Bargain.  To make it even more justifiable, I wanted this when it was full price and added it to my wishlist some months ago, so there.  I like it because baroque is a huge trend this season, and is famous for its glam, overstated embellishments.  But this t-shirt goes the other way with it completely, with its casual colours and oversized shape.  Definitely no embellishments here.  This piece is definitely a subtle nod to the trend, and is much more appropiate for daytime wear, which makes it perfect for me.  I can't wait to pair it with a pair of coloured skinnies and a huge, statement necklace.
This time, though, I teamed it with this skirt.  I experienced love at first sight with this (yep, now you know it's real) when I was browsing online.  I do go in H&M quite a bit but I don't tend to find much, I think it's the fact that a lot of the store is organised by colour which puts me off a bit, when shopping I much prefer items to be mixed together.  However I did spot this online, about half an hour after declaring for the second time I was starting my spending ban, and just thought 'Oh damn it'.  I went into store the next day and started my search, half hoping to not find it, but I did, so I half hoped it wouldn't be in my size, which it was.  The only one left in my size, in fact.  So I took it as a sign and rushed to the counter.  Thankfully it didn't damage the bank too much as it's under fifteen pounds.  Bargain with a capital 'B'.  I think it's unique thanks to its layer of organza, and even though it's black you can still wear it with other black things as it would be quite easy to mix and match different textures with it.
I'm now back home for the weekend.  I went for an interview yesterday morning, my first one after about thirty job applications in the last few months, but I didn't even get it.  I really thought I was in with a chance as the interview went very well, but I just have to remind myself to keep my chin up because it obviously wasn't meant to be.  So if anyone is looking for someone to take shopping and spend lots of money on, I'm free baby.
I went to see 'Breaking Dawn part 2' last night with my mum, and WOW.  Amazing film, and one of the best fight scenes ever at the end.  I loved how it was different to the book in some parts, too.  Amazing, and it had everyone in the cinema gasping.  Also, I'm now one hundred percent convinced that Kristen Stewart is one of the most beautiful people alive.  Ah, it's the end of an era, but what a great ending it was.
Have you seen it?