Girl In The Pretty Dress

I said a while ago that I'd forgotten what it felt like to be cold... and boy, do I wish that was still the case. I am definitely suited to warmer climes. But the good news is I get to break into my Winter clothes now (I like to pack away some of my warmer clothes over Summer - it creates more space in the wardrobe and means you get a nice surprise in the Autumn!) I wore this outfit for a trip into Manchester this weekend to buy a few bits and pieces for my new house.  Jeans: Topshop Tall , Boots: Faith (via Debenhams) The cardigan is from Marks and Spencer (similar here ) and the belt is from Oliver Bonas . As it's not-quite-arctic yet I was warm enough wandering around without a jacket too.

Exciting news! I've just done my first ever interview with the lovely folks at The Fashion Network . I've not been blogging for long so I was really flattered to be asked - you can read the full article here .   I also wanted to say sorry for being a bit lax on the blogging front recently. To cut a long story short: I've not been very well. But the good news is I am on the mend and I've started putting together lots of lovely new posts... stay tuned!

Selena Gomez stole the show at this year's Teen Choice awards. She wore this Cushnie et Ochs dress with daring double slits at the front. I love this look on her but I don't know if I'd be brave enough to show quite that much leg round these parts... And, as my dad would say: it's rather pricey, considering half of it's missing... Luckily I've stumbled across this  Needle and Thread dress on sale for £95 which is not only beautifully embellished, but also has a slightly-more-modest-yet-still-very-sexy double split.

Photography is still a bit of an unmastered art form for me - I have a fancy camera and every intention of learning how to use it but life/work keeps getting in the way. Added to which I nearly always self-shoot for the blog and rely a lot on the self timer. So I was really pleased with how some of these photos turned out. (Just wish I knew how I did it!) I wore this outfit to work this week. The shoes are from Dorothy Perkins - sadly they don't stock them anymore but they do have something similar . The white vest top is from Primark, the sunnies are from F&F and the skirt is one of my favourites - I bought it from Mango a couple of years ago. It's wrap-around so the waist always fits perfectly and it looks really pretty with the bow detail at the side.   I wore it with my old favourite - my topshop denim jacket (which goes with everything ) and I accessorised with my shiny new bag! It's by Pieces and I bought it in the ASOS sale. I love the rafia lo...

 As anyone who lives in the North-West (UK) will know, a girl's "Summer" wardrobe is usually reserved for holidays and that one weekend of unseasonable heat. But that's not been the case this summer and happily I've been able to debut a host of new outfits at work... I say 'new' but I've owned most of these things for a couple of years, the thing is they usually only come out of my wardrobe to go into a suitcase... The denim jacket came from Topshop  three years ago (just before I left London - when I was trying to blend back into the countryside way of life again!). The dress is another one of Tesco's finest from their F&F range and is a couple of years old. (Although I'm reliably informed by someone in the know that bird-prints are going to be the next big thing in textiles... so maybe this dress was just ahead of it's time?) But the bag has to be the best bit of this outfit. I've never seen another like it....

This is one of my all-time favourite outfits. It's just so comfy to wear and believe it or not it works for both Summer and Autumn/Winter. When the temperature drops, I layer it up by wearing the shorts with brown tights, putting a white vest under the T-shirt and adding a red cardigan on top. (I'm lucky enough to be working in a creative industry where there's quite a relaxed dress code, so I've worn this winter-version to work before.) (How lovely does my Mum's garden look in the evening sunshine?) The T-Shirt is from Rare but I bought it at Luan Matthews (a boutique shop I go to often). You can't see the full length here, but it is super-long. I always take it on holiday with me as it's perfect for wearing over a bikini as a sort-of dress. The shorts are a trusty old pair from New Look . I bought them a few years ago and they're just starting to fray around the edges (and they're looking a little crumpled here so sadly I...

It's finally happened. After weeks of glorious sunshine and un-English warmth, I've forgotten what it feels like to be cold. So in celebration of this, the fact that I've booked a holiday this week, and the summer sales - here's a round-up of some of the best beach-themed holiday wear on the web:  Ted Baker Bikini, Top £39 Briefs £35 Libertine by Giles Deacon Sea Horse Pendant £35 ( on sale ) (Both via ASOS )   London Rebel Sandals , £16 ( on sale ) Via ASOS JOY Maxi Dress £45 ( on sale ) Oliver Bonas Shell Ring £3 ( on sale ) French Connection Bikini, Top £24 Briefs £22 via ASOS Oliver Bonas Clam Bangle Roxy Palm Beach Print Bikini £35 ( on sale ) via ASOS House of Fraser Seagull Print Beach Towel £25 Ted Baker Starfish Earrings £29 via ASOS Oliver Bonas Necklace £26 Maison Scotch Jumper £57 (on sale ) via ASOS   Ted Baker Seahorse Bikini, Top £35 Briefs £35 French Connection Swimsuit £34 ( ...