Jen Do – A Hen Do Weekend in Edinburgh

Posted in Travel, Weddings.

hen do in edinburgh

Last Friday I jumped into a minibus with 11 amazing ladies and headed off to Edinburgh for my hen do, officially titled Jen Do (and the hashtag version, #JenDo). It was the best weekend… ever. 

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We stayed in the most beautiful apartment in the very centre of Edinburgh. When the minibus pulled up and we finally lugged the last suitcase up the stairs, we spent at least 20 mins running around squealing like they do in America’s Next Top Model.

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This is No.19 The Apartment. It sleeps up to 14, welcomes hen parties and has the best location in Edinburgh – Queens Street, right in the heart of the action but still quiet and peaceful. I was utterly bowled over by this place – high ceilings, hardwood floors and the most beautiful interior features that made it such a special place.

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The weekend was a perfect mix of city exploration, delicious food, gin and dancing-til-your-feet-fall-off. We did a treasure hunt around Edinburgh. We had afternoon tea. We danced non-stop ’til 3am and sang (screamed) many, many songs.

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I got dressed up as Carrie Bradshaw from the SATC opening credits, for goodness sake. Best. Weekend. Ever.

Huge thank yous to Team Bridesmaid: Clare, Laura, Lins, Rachel and Jen, my mum and mum-in-law and my amazing friends Lil, Lauren, Steph and Lisa. You made this an experience I’ll never forget.

Grey Marl T-Shirts and Why I Love Them

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

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Although I do still love a vintage dress and a cute cardigan, the grey marl tee has become my new style staple.

I have at least 50 billion (slight exaggeration, possibly) of them and seem to wear them with everything from printed trousers to puffy skirts. My favourites are super-soft and loose-fitting with a deep scoop neck and a light grey finish.

What kind of grey marl t-shirt do you like most? 😉

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T-shirt, Cos | Jeans, Topshop | Necklace, Whistles | Ring, H&M | Watch, c/o Daniel Wellington Sandals, Kurt Geiger | Bag, Mulberry | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely for Boots Opticians

This perfect specimen is from Cos. I wore it with Topshop’s skinny Leigh jeans, my new Kurt Geiger heels, a simple Whistles necklace and my Mulberry. All absolute wardrobe favourites, old and new, that I wear time and time again. An effortless look that does the business for a busy day of, erm, business.

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As well as Cos, I also recommend American Apparel and J Crew for grey marl (or any colour, actually) tees. Let me know if you share my love!

I Wore Them First, Kate

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

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I’m talking polka dots, people.

Since Kate Middleton stepped out of those hospital doors, my inbox has exploded with polka dot-themed press released. Well, too late, PRs – I did it first.

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Dress, charity shop | Sandals, Bertie c/o Sarenza | Necklace, Zara | Belt, Gap | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely for Boots Opticians

I wore this vintage dress last week when the sun was blazing and the Royal Baby was still just a hashtag. Last time I wore it, I referenced Kate Middleton as I think it’s a very ‘her’ dress – demure and classic with a hint of modernity. It’s so easy to wear, too – perfect for anyone post-pregnancy. Which I am not, but I’m glad to know we were on the same page there. We could totally be BFFs.

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I’ve even got that swingy ponytail going on! Someone introduce me to Prince Harry, stat (sorry Rob).

What do you think – are you a fan of polka dots or are you more of a breton stripe girl?

My Favourite Summer Dress

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

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In this heat, the only thing I want to wear is a cotton sundress. No jewellery, no heels, no belt – nothing that could cause a potential breakdown on a packed commuter bus that has the heating on full blast (WHY).

So, simple sundress it is. Luckily I have an abundance of those in my wardrobe, so the only tricky bit is choosing a favourite…

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Dress, Gap | Ring, Primark | Sandals, c/o Sarenza (similar here) | Watch, c/o Daniel Wellington | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely for Boots Opticians 

Actually, that bit was pretty simple too. I bought this dress in the Gap sale a few days ago – £24.99 down from £40. It’s a beautiful printed cotton – heavy enough that you don’t need a petticoat to cover your modesty (aka your stripy pants) but still light and airy for these strangely sunny days. I love the bright striped print and cute string belt – it’s a real throw-on-and-go piece, no accessories needed. So picking it out this morning was a no-brainer.

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It’s quickly become my Favourite Summer Dress (no mean feat when you own at least eleventy billion) and I’ll wear it as long as this heatwave continues – so another week, then. Although I booked my honeymoon this week and always find paying for a foreign holiday guarantees fantastic weather in the UK. YOU’RE WELCOME.

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Hello from Travis, who clearly has zero f*cks to give. 

Keep Your Cool

Posted in Beauty, Daily Outfits, Fashion.

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In classic British style, I’m going to discuss the weather. Here we go:

Saturday was a scorcher, wasn’t it? Crikey!

Bumbling Britishisms aside, it really was rather warm on Saturday. After sitting on the park barbecuing various meats and drinking fruity ciders, I was in no fit state to head out to a party (which was my diary entry for Saturday evening). I treated myself to a cold shower and washed the smoke out of my hair, but was then faced with a new, long-hair-don’t-care dilemma – blow drying.

Long-time mermaids will know that blow drying, straightening and curling heavy hair in hot weather is absolutely awful. But I’m new to this game, and I haven’t quite mastered the natural wave. So rather than battle with a round brush and a bottle of Frizz-Ease, I decided to try a fishtail braid, inspired by this article on Super Savvy Me, who I collaborated with for this post.

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Silk shorts, French Connection | T-shirt, H&M | Sandals, Reiss | Clutch, c/o Radley | Watch, c/o Daniel Wellington | Necklace, Topshop | Ring, H&M | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely for Boots Opticians

I used this awesomely cute video tutorial to teach myself how to do a fishtail braid – it’s quick, simple and looks great for summer. With my hair off my face and taken care of, I slipped on some silk shorts, a cotton tee and (almost) flats for a no-nonsense outfit. Finished off with my beautiful Radley bag – which is actually an iPad case but looks great as a clutch – I was good to go.

What’s your favourite summer hairstyle? Any tips for styling long hair in hot heat?