Party In The U.S.A

Well after counting down for what seems like years, the day has finally arrived, I shall be up and ready to fly to Orlando, Florida at 8.15am tomorrow morning. Now I'm not a morning person, but in this case I'm going to make an exception. I've been wanting to go to America (especially Florida) since I was little and it's finally happening. I'm going with my Mum, Brother, Grandma and best friend, Chloe. The above pictures are the villa we're staying in and I must admit, this is what I'm most looking forward to seeing first apart from the obvious other wonderful sights over there. How beautiful does the villa look? It's looks so blissful, especially with the view of the sunset. I can't wait to just sit there on a night relaxing in the Jacuzzi with a glass of wine forgetting regular life back home.

It's felt like I've been saving and spending for America for ages but it's a once in a lifetime thing and I had to make sure I have all the essentials plus other extras. Here's a few of my favourite buys:

PINK CROP TOP - Miss Selfridge // FLORAL CROP TOP - New Look

DAISY PLAYSUIT - New Look // ELEPHANT PRINT PLAYSUIT - New Look // TILE PRINT CAMI - New Look //
FLORAL SHORTS - Uniqlo

DAISY DRESS - H&M via eBay

NAVY DAISY DRESS - New Look // BOYFRIEND SHORTS - eBay

I'm the kind of person who has to buy new holiday clothes every year because I like to stick to the latest styles and I just love buying fresh new things instead of sticking to the same old. Usually when I'm abroad, it's more going out outfits I take with me instead of clothes for the daytime but this time it's different. As we'll be walking round the parks most days, I needed to bring more shorts, camis, sun dresses and playsuits than anything else. I noticed New Look had so many gorgeous items online and as they're such reasonably priced, I bought most of my new clothes from there. I think the daisy/floral print this year is one of the prettiest around at the moment and I adore wearing anything with this print on. That's the over-girly side of me. I'm in love with the floral shorts from Uniqlo and they are most definitely one of my favourite buys this year, if not ever. I don't think I've ever been able to buy such nice shorts for such a cheap price, thank god I discovered tons more online clothing sites since I started being interested in blogging! They're so light and cool too so they'll be perfect for walking round in and hopefully I won't be too hot. Also, I've finally joined the simple craze and bought some boyfriend shorts and I'm so glad I did because they go with just about everything and the good thing is, you can roll them up and fit them to what style you want them in.

PINK BANDEAU DRESS - ASOS // PINK HEELS - Dorothy Perkins // CLUTCH BAG - New Look // NECKLACE - Primark
RUFFLE BODYCON DRESS - Miss Selfridge // PEACH BOW HEELS - New Look

I bought the first dress last year in the Asos sale and the other dress I bought a couple of weeks ago on my last holiday shop. These two are the most dressiest outfits I shall be taking with me. It's my brother's 16th birthday whilst we're over in America and we're all going to get glammed up for the night and go out for a meal, so this is what the first outfit is for. I've had the outfit planned for months now and I honestly can't wait to feel all flashy that night and I should have a tan, so I'll feel even better. 

I'd been wanting another dress to go out in and I had in mind what I wanted. This one matched perfectly and the ruffle down the side adds that extra edge to it. I got a bargain with this dress actually, it had a slight pull down the front of it so they knocked me 10% off and then I got an extra 20% off with my Miss Selfridge account card discount. I was dead pleased! I don't like taking dark colours abroad with me as for me, I think the clothes have to match the holiday feel which is bright, bold and colourful so that's what I went for.

FLORAL CAMERA NECKLACE - Accesorize // CLOCK NECKLACE - Accesorize

ARROW NECKLACE - New Look // TRIANGLE NECKLACE - eBay

FLORAL SQUARE RING - ASOS Marketplace // DAISY RING - eBay

TURTLE EARRINGS - New Look

The camera and the clock necklaces were so delicately beautiful, I just had to buy them and they both came to £5.50 in the Accesorize sale so I was so happy with that. I finally got a daisy ring to match my headband which will also be worn throughout the day just to add more of a summer feel to my casual outfits and the turtle earrings I bought because 1) They're adorable 2) The villa we're staying in is called 'Turtle Villa' because of the baby turtles around the outside, so it makes perfect sense. Tbh, I didn't need that much jewellery but I have a slight addiction to rings at the moment and I'm loving the arrow/triangle trend.

PURSE - Primark // BLACK SUNGLASSES - New Look // PINK SUNGLASSES - Primark // HAT - Claire's //
HEADBAND - Primark

AZTEC BIKINI - Matalan // STRIPE/DENIM BIKINI - Primark 

PALM TREE PRINT BIKINI - Primark // FLORAL BIKINI - Miss Selfridge

You've probably guessed by now that I lurrrve flowered clothing and accessories. The detailed sunglasses that are out this summer were a must have for me just because of how pretty they are. I was kind of creative with the hat and decided to put my headband round it to make it look more holiday-esque. It was actually the hat my grandma bought but she didn't like herself in it, so she gave it to me. I'm always happy to accept something that will be a huge benefit, not only is it a lovely type of hat, it protects you from heat stroke in ridiculously hot temperatures, and that I can't turn down.

I did quite well with bikinis this year, I didn't go too over the top and only bought 4 new ones, which are these, the ones I'll be taking with me. I tend to go for the cheaper options as I think spending too much on swimwear is a waste of money with how ruined they get afterwards with the chlorine and the sun but this year, my amazing grandma kindly bought me this floral bikini which is the best bikini I've ever owned and I really hope it doesn't get too damaged. I've also taken a risk with the high waist bikini, I couldn't resist the gorgeous style as bows are another weakness of mine, I just hope it suits me as mirrors can often be deceiving. 

From left to right: NUDE ECLIPSE APOCALIPS LIPGLOSS // LO'REAL FALSE LASH TELESCOPIC MASCARA // RIMMEL 

LIGHT BB CREAM // MUA LIPSTICK SHADE 5 // SMOKY BEIGE LO'real EYESHADOW PALETTE // 

MUA SHIMMER KISSES BLUSHER

WEDGES - New Look

The basic makeup is all I'll be taking with me, as well as my eyebrow pencil, concealer and powder. I'm not a heavy makeup kind of person anyway, but when abroad I often stick to even less, limited makeup to avoid being a sweaty mess. I prefer the natural look and as said in a previous post, this eyeshadow will be perfect for me on the nights we do go out. I went against foundation as it will just melt off me and bought another BB cream which also has a SPF 25 in so it's ideal and I'm looking forward to trying it out. There was an offer on for 2 for £10 on Rimmel in Superdrug so the Apocalips was just a bonus item and the other lipstick, for only a £1.00 is great, it's a natural colour and pigments really well for how cheap it is. 

I finally gave in and bought a Tangle Teezer, at first I didn't listen to the huge praise around them because I thought they were a bit expensive for a brush but now I realise I'm stupid and it's the best thing I've ever bought. Yes, it's a brush but it's no ordinary one. The way it glides through my troublesome locks without ripping my hair out is fabulous. It should do a grand job whilst on holiday too as my hair tends to get even knottier with the pool/sea water, the atmosphere in the air and the heat.

The wedge shoes I bought a while ago now but I've only worn them once for my birthday meal in June and intended on saving them for my holiday as they go with my light coloured clothing and tend to match with most outfits, plus they're open toed so it gives my feet a breather when I'm struggling to walk in them (I never learn).

For me, this is the best bit. Even just looking at my spanking, brand new Disney things gets me all excited and hyper. To say I can't wait to walk round the magical part of Florida aka Disney World is an understatement. I have a secret obsession with all things Disney and browsing round the shops picking up all these cute souvenirs, seeing all the Disney characters around and experiencing being in the setting which is all Disney as well as having the time of my life on the rides is a total dream come true. 

I went all out and bought two pairs of pyjamas, a crop top, a vest, a phone case, a make-up bag and even a shower cap. If, like me, you've seen the huge hype around Disney and American print things at the moment, you'll know there was a lot to choose from and typically after I'd bought most of these things, there were even nicer things in the shops but I suppose that doesn't matter now as when I'm over there I'm bound to spend even more money on all things American. After all I have to show pride and love for the country I'm in.

I'll be away for two weeks now so I hope everyone enjoys their time off, especially as the heatwave is set to stay and the official summer holidays start next week! Be sure to look out for another post on my American buys and in general, the time spent over there. I'm sure I'll have plenty to say! Toodles for now.

Lots of love...

posing in polka dots

TOP - Primark // SKIRT - Topshop // HAT - Primark // BOOT SHOES - Primark // SATCHEL - Primark

WATCH - New Look

LIPSTICK - Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Shade 1

Today I had my hair done, which isn't the news of the century I know but it really needed dying because the colour had completely faded, it was dull and was eager to shine again which now it is, thanks to the professionals. I always stick to the same colour a golden, chocolate coloured brown. It looks so much better now and feels much healthier which put me in an even bigger summer mood. This boiling hot weather is also reminding me why I love summer so much and is making me more excited for my holiday to Florida in 4 DAYS. It'll be my first time in Orlando and I'm literally like a child on Christmas day at the moment but I am going to do a separate blog post on that so I won't babble on too much.

I thought it was necessary to bring out the hat today with how powerful the sun was and I know black isn't ideal for the summer months but I really liked how the polka dots looked with the denim skater skirt. I bought the boot shoes and the hat last year but I suppose those sort of things are never going to go out of fashion. The black satchel is not only an ideal size but it also goes with pretty much every outfit, especially when I was already wearing clothes with black contrast! The cute cat watch is also another favourite item of mine, my grandma got it for me a few months ago and I've worn it with most outfits ever since.

I don't wear red lipstick that often as I have weird shaped lips and it can look odd but I can't help but adore the look of red lipstick with a hat, I don't know what it is but it just seems to match and add that finish? I bought the Kate Moss Rimmel Lasting Finish one a few months ago as I knew the bright shade would be perfect for summer and I have such pale skin so it kind of brings my features out more.

 To be quite honest, I was actually a tad bit too hot in my outfit today but I didn't want to start wearing my clothes I'm taking on holiday with me which are mainly light material; the simple shorts, vests and sun dresses, plus I've started packing some already and I didn't want to disturb them from their brand new suitcase. You know how stressful it is planning for a holiday, but I can officially say I will be on that plane in 3 days, 23 hours and 40 minutes!

Have you got any exciting summer events coming up?

Lots of love...

huge haul

It's taken me a long time to get everything together to do this post as half of these things were bought for me as a gift for my birthday and the rest I got with my birthday money and vouchers which was nearly a month ago but I've finally purchased everything I've wanted so here we go...

TOPS - Both H&M

FLORAL SKATER DRESS - Primark via ASOS // TRIBAL PRINT DRESS - River Island via ASOS

CUT OUT BODYCON DRESS - Missguided // POLKA DOT TEE - Primark

COLOUR BLOCK SHIRT - New look // FLORAL SKATER SKIRT - New Look

I felt as though I hadn't shopped for clothes in so long and I craved a good spree to update my wardrobe a little. I always feel like I need to shop for some new items every month or so because I get bored of clothes way too easily. The first top isn't usually 'me' but it caught my eye and for some reason I loved it, so I bought that with my gift card and I'm so glad I did because I can pair it up with a pair of shorts or a skater skirt and it looks fab. When I bought that, I saw the gorgeous cream blouse and got attached to it (like always) so I knew I had to have it the next time I went into H&M as it'd drive me insane which yes, may mean I have a slight addiction to clothes. The detail is so so pretty and I love the light colour and material for summer and to go under other items of clothing such as dungarees.

Apparently red suits me so I felt as though I needed to invest in a red floral dress this summer as I love most floral clothing and I suppose you have to stand out once in a while so I went ahead and ordered it with the second dress from ASOS. At £13, it was a bargain as it looks much more expensive than a Primark dress. I had been after the tribal print dress for months, literally. I first spotted it in River Island but felt as though £35.00 was too expensive to spend on a dress with flimsy material. Later on as the weeks went on, out of curiosity I searched ASOS as I knew they sell River Island clothes but it was still the same price. Being the cheap skate I am, I'd been waiting for it to enter the sale and a couple of weeks ago it finally dropped to £24.50 but there were hardly no sizes left and I was so gutted I hadn't picked it up sooner. However, I kept checking back and one size 12 appeared so I jumped at the chance and now I finally have the dress which is slowly becoming my favourite and it's now pretty much out of stock. Lucky, eh?!

As mentioned in my last post, the bodycon dress was bought by my mum as a birthday present as I'd been wanting a 'posh' dress for a while now. The polka dot tee was bought a few days ago on my fortnightly trip to Primark, I was debating whether to get it as it is a bit bold but I do like myself in it and I'm one to take fashion risks which usually backfires because I wear them once then go off them (fingers crossed I don't do it with this).

I seriously love the colour block shirt, I've never bought anything like that before but I just couldn't resist how striking the pastel colours were, they work so well together and I already have in my head what I can pair this up with to create a casual outfit. The floral skater skirt was only bought yesterday when I went to pick mine and my mum's order up from New Look (yes, that means more things...) the women in the family commented on how gorgeous it was at the same time as me and it looks even better on. It's that kind of skirt that would go with so many tops too, for example a crop top, a blouse or a regular top you can tuck into it as it is slightly high waisted. 

BIRD LOCKET - Accessorize // MIRROR NECKLACE - Claire's //

BOOMERANG NECKLACE - Primark // FLORAL CAMEO RING - Asos Marketplace

The ring was bought as an extra small gift for my birthday from my mum and I just adore the style of it! The boomerang shaped collar necklace was just something I picked up whilst browsing Primark as I could have done with another one of those necklaces. The bird locket which I am so in love with was something I've had my eye on for a while and finally bought it when I went shopping with my birthday money and the mirror necklace was completely free as it was 3 for 2 on sale items in Claire's and my mum and grandma bought a hat each so I picked this cute statement piece as the free item.

I also bought a bracelet in the Claire's sale as I needed one that would go with most day to day outfits. I wear bracelets everyday and my wardrobe seems to be based around neutral colours so this was ideal and cheap for £2.50!

Now onto the beauty side of things...

Walking past my local Body Shop, staff were handing vouchers out for the offer of getting £10 off when you spend £25 or more. I've fancied some new body lotion/butter for my holiday and I had The Body Shop in mind as everything in there is pretty much guaranteed to smell lush so I thought I'd take up the opportunity of this offer which was great because it meant I saved money and got to purchase extra items as a bonus.

 After spending about half and hour browsing the shop, me and mum finally decided on these (plus an eyeshadow for my grandma) and we went halves on the final price as we tend to share products anyway. We smelt these first as we were testing them and they all smell delicious so I can't wait to try them out! And I'm hoping the cleansing milk will be as good as the one I am using.

The rest of the products I got for my birthday...

I'm really satisfied with the Lumi Magique primer at the moment, I put a small amount on my face before I apply my foundation and can really tell it makes it simpler and smoother when the foundation is settling in. It covers the few blemishes I do have and leaves my skin with a hint of glow, not too dry and not too oily, just smack bang in middle.

Only two items here were bought for me, the black satchel I bought for myself (although I wish I had bought the gorgeous polka dot ones that are in Primark at the moment instead) and the floral headband but I thought I may as well include them all in the same picture as they are of the same kind...

The floral satchel wasn't originally planned to be bought or wanted from me, my grandma bought me it as an extra birthday present when I was in Scarborough on my birthday. Unfortunately, my trusty brown bag broke on me so this was an emergency buy to place all my gig essentials in but I love it and can definitely see myself matching it with some outfits now and again. The daisy headband is a necessity for summer, especially when you can't be bothered styling your hair much. I have some daisy earrings, so now I just need a daisy ring to complete it.

How cute is this bird/heart mirror? It's been in my makeup bag ever since I had it bought and it'll definitely remain there for a while. It was bought by my cousin's girlfriend, as well as the vintage hanging heart and the foot cream set. Now if you know me well, you'll know I adore anything vintage, especially gorgeous decor for my room so I very much appreciated this but I haven't found a place for it in my room yet as it still isn't completely finished. 

The lock and heart key necklace is so pretty and such a nice keepsake. It was bought for me by my wonderful friend, Ross which was such a pleasant thought. I love it and can see myself wearing it as a going out piece only as it looks so precious. 

And finally, the 3 boxes of chocolates which you just can't resist on your birthday. They're all gone now but I did do well to save them for a month AND I shared them out with others. After all, I do have to keep my diet up because I don't want to pile the few pounds I have lost back on!

Sorry about the long post, I knew it wouldn't be a short one with everything I had to share!

Lots of love...

Grandma's Surprise 70th

It was my grandma's surprise 70th party last weekend. I can't believe it's been a week already and I've only just gotten the chance to blog about it with my daily schedule now being packed with holiday preparations! We'd had the party planned for 4 months and managed to keep it secret right up until the day which made it even more enjoyable seeing her face when she walked in, even if she did have her suspicions. 

It was such a fab night, everything went to plan and it couldn't have gone any better. I was so happy with how it turned out and had so much fun; all the hard work and effort put into it was well worth it. The one thing I loved the most was decorating the room because I was the one who had arranged the theme for the party and it was brill to put the ideas I'd had in my head into the room to make it look super pretty in pink (and silver) and I just thought I'd share some of my photos of the night with you. 

We had a mixture of balloons; some dark pink and light pink happy birthday's and some white/pink and pink/white 70 balloons and each one went with a light or dark pink heart depending on the matching colour and one silver one with a mixture of pink and silver ribbon. For the ceiling we had pink hanging 70's, some swirls saying 'happy birthday' and some pink fan decorations, all from eBay (aka the best, most handy place ever!)

ON THE TOP LEFT - The lovely 'Happy 70th' bunting // ON THE TOP RIGHT - The silver tablecloth //
ON THE BOTTOM LEFT - The pink tablecloth // ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT - The gorgeous
 bouquet of flowers we bought my grandma.

Each table had a mixture of pink and silver tablecloth with a few scattered light and pink rose petals, multicoloured '70' confetti and pink and silver 'Happy Birthday' confetti.

ON THE TOP LEFT - The Guestbook // ON THE TOP RIGHT - The Photobook //
ON THE BOTTOM LEFT - The doilies // ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT - The food labels.

We also had the guestbook made on eBay and it was blank inside for people to write their comments/messages to my grandma, although we completely forgot about it as we were dancing the night away so only a few people actually wrote in it. The photobook was made by me and it was an extra present for my grandma to take her back on a journey of her 70 years, from being a little girl up until now and all the events that happened in between.

The doilies were bought from Poundland but I thought they were so nice and detailed for a pound and they were silver so it matched in with the theme which was a bonus. The food labels were made on picmonkey and was actually my Auntie's idea but I got the job of designing them because apparently I'm the one who 'is extremely creative'.

Now onto the best part, the food...

I'm sure you all know the basic party food must haves so I'm not going to go into detail about that but what I did think stood out was this lovely cupcake stand with chocolate and strawberry flavoured cupcakes. I love anything that looks girly and vintage, so this was certainly one of the highlights. Not to mention the cupcakes were very morish. 

My grandma's cake was absolutely gorgeous both taste wise and appearance. The man who made the cake also made my 18th birthday cake and he puts so much tiny detail into it that we couldn't not get in touch with him this time round. All we did was send him an example of what we wanted from Google images and voila, here you have it. The shoes and the handbag were just a little extra because they represent my glamorous grandma who's young at heart.

My outfit for the night was a Missguided dress I was bought for my birthday which I am going to include in a haul post. I'd been looking for a bodycon dress with jewels or studs on for so long to wear for the party and to take away on holiday with me and when I finally saw the dress which matches all my desires, I had to have it and luckily my darling mum offered to buy me it.

My makeup for the night was the usual mascara and foundation, although I never need much mascara on because my eyelashes are huge. The eyeshadow was a mixture of shades on the L'Oreal Color Riche Eyeshadow Palette Timeless Beige and it was my mum's that I borrowed. I wanted a smoky look and this was such a perfect match to the colour I was going for, I used the brown and the silvery shades. I think I'll definitely be investing in one of these palette's or something similar for my holiday.

Me and the birthday girl.

ON THE LEFT - Me with my bunch of flowers my Auntie and Mum bought me for my contribution towards the party//
ON THE RIGHT - Me and my best friend, Chloe who it's always lovely to spend time with.

Me and my beautiful Mum.

ON THE TOP LEFT AND RIGHT - Me and my Brother, Harvey //
ON THE BOTTOM LEFT - Me, my Brother and my Mum //
ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT - Me, my Auntie, and my Mum.

As you can see we're such a normal family! But I wouldn't change them for the world.

Lots of love...