I was given a budget of up to £50 to choose items from the bonprix holiday shop, to be used to create a summer look so it’s transitional for Autumn/Winter.

bonprix Tile Print Skater Dress / Primark Black Flats / Primark Mini Shoulder Bag / Alexander McQueen Cat Eye Sunglasses

The main item I chose was this tile print skater dress for £39.99, in the black on white colourway.  I don’t often wear white, but I loved the print so much I decided to find out whether I could pull it off!  For Summer I styled it with a pair of black flats, a cute mini box bag, and my Alexander McQueen sunglasses.  Simple, but why add more than you need to when the print speaks for itself?

bonprix Tile Print Skater Dress / New Look Black Leather Jacket / Blonde + Blonde Lace Up Block Heel Boots / Primark Super Soft Tights / Primark Mini Shoulder Bag

And having such a bold print, it didn’t take much effort to transition this gorgeous dress into an Autumn/Winter look.  To make the outfit more suitable for the cooler weather I added some super soft tights, and my trusty leather jacket.  I also removed the sunglasses and swapped the flats for a pair of chunky heeled boots, which are far more rain-resistant – very important at this time of year!

The dress is incredibly comfortable as the scuba fabric is stretchy and soft, and the classic fit and flare cut is ideal for day or night, dressed up or down.

How would you style a summer dress for Autumn/Winter?

Naomi x

*This Tile Print Skater Dress was sent to me by bonprix for style challenge purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*

Guinness T Shirt / Papaya Tartan Skirt / Primark Tights / Converse Hi Tops / Topshop Leather Bag

Ever since I saw the gorgeous tartan pieces from Alexander McQueen’s ‘The Girl Who Lived in the Tree’ collection, at the V&A Savage Beauty exhibition, I’ve been looking for red and black tartan items to add to my wardrobe.  I thrifted this skirt from eBay a few weeks ago, and though it isn’t MacQueen tartan, I still love it.  The sash at the waist and net underskirt give it more of a modern twist than your traditional kilt skirt, and I also really like the fullness the net gives it.

I picked the Guinness t shirt up in a gift shop in Dublin a couple of weeks ago, specifically to wear with this skirt, and I think they look pretty good together.  The patterning is so pretty, and the red font is another twist on the traditional.

I can see this outfit transitioning really well into autumn, layered with a leather jacket, thicker tights and biker boots, so hopefully I’ll get a lot of wear out of both pieces before the year is out!

Naomi x

I’ve always been more of an Autumn/Winter fan than a Spring/Summer one (which is probably just as well considering I live in chilly little England!), so although I’m enjoying the longer days, blue skies and lush landscapes of the current months, I can’t help but get a little bit excited about the up and coming Autumn/Winter collections from my favourite shops and designers.  Walking around the Highcross last week, I’ve already started to notice a slow trickle of thicker fabrics and darker colours coming in and, much to my delight, Alexander McQueen have also just launched their Pre Autumn Winter 2015, and Autumn Winter 2015 collections.  There are some absolutely stunning pieces in both collections, but unfortunately I’m far too poor to afford any of it!  So I thought I’d share with you my McQueen Autumn/Winter wishlist, so that you can see how beautiful it all is, but also so I can come back to it during the end of year sale to remind myself of what I want, in the hope that I will then be able to afford it!

Which is your favourite piece?

Naomi x

Every box contains around seven to ten items, such as stationery, craft kits and gift items, with an approximate value of £30. The items inside the box are kept as a surprise, but Nic releases sneak peeks of the contents on her website and social media (you can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

A limited number of boxes are launched at 8pm on the 1^st of each month. The first box – a heart themed Love It Box – was launched in June, and I was lucky enough to receive one through my letter box (the boxes are the perfect size to fit through, so you don’t have to worry about missing a delivery!)

The first thing that struck me when I opened the box was how nicely it was packaged. The box was sealed with monochrome heart washi tape, and the contents inside were carefully wrapped with tissue paper. The monochrome heart theme continued with the items inside, and there was far more crammed into that little box than I was expecting!

So what did I get? Well, inside was two handmade heart greetings cards, a hand printed cotton tote bag, a decopatch wooden heart craft kit, two mini wooden heart tags, a heart pencil, a handmade jasmine tea bag, a ‘You Are Something Special’ print, and some heart-shaped confetti.

Everything in the box is fantastic quality, and the theme is impressively consistent and carried off well. There’s nothing in the box that I don’t like, and it’s hard to pick a favourite item, but I must say I’m really looking forward to having a go at the decopatch kit when I have a free weekend!

There are three payment options for the boxes – a buy now single payment is £17, a monthly subscription is £15 a month, or a three-month single payment is £40 – and all come with free delivery. But however you choose to pay for your subscription, Nic will donate £1 from each box to a different charity each month.

I’m so impressed with Nic’s boxes as they’re so different from any I’ve seen before, and it’s obvious how much love and thought goes into every single item. If you want to bag one for yourself, check out the Rustics website.

Naomi x

Connection Burgundy Dress / George Black Shrug / Primark Tights / Blonde + Blonde Lace Up Block Heel Boots / Juno Black Patent Grab Bag / Le Chat Marcasite Watch

On Sunday I went out for a lovely meal with my in-laws, to celebrate Charles’ Grandma’s 90th birthday.  We went to The Grey Lady in Newtown Linford, and had a private room for twelve to enjoy our delicious three course lunch.

I decided to wear something colourful for a change, so I went for this gorgeous burgundy dress that I bought from Everything5Pounds a little while ago.  Considering it was so cheap the quality is fantastic, and I adore the subtly patterned floral fabric.

Of course, I had to get some black in there somewhere, so I teamed it with black tights and a black shrug from George (it was a bit chilly out!), my Blonde + Blonde boots, which are becoming a wardrobe staple of mine, and one of my favourite bags.

You might have also spotted our neighbour’s little kitty, who likes to photobomb when I take outfit photos!  She’s the cutest.

Naomi x

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas.  Mine was spent at home with family, which is just how I like it.

After a few days of relaxing, and purposefully avoiding the first crazy days of the sales, I spent yesterday and today doing a bit of shopping.  Luckily the shops weren’t too busy, and though I didn’t go mad, I managed to get quite a few items that I’m really pleased with.  Here are most of them…

Primark Biker Jacket – Was £23.00, Paid £10.00

Primark Dressing Gown – Was £12.00, Paid £5.00

George Penguin Fleece – Was £16.00, Paid £8.00

Primark Black Bag – Was £6.00, Paid £3.00

Primark Green Bag – Was £6.00, Paid £3.00

New Look Boots – Was £27.99, Paid £14.00

New Look Shoes – Was £11.99, Paid £4.00

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7″ – Was £139.99, Paid £79.00

I bought a few other things in the sales which aren’t pictured, including a pair of gloves for £2.00, some Christmas decorations reduced from £3.00 to £1.00, a diary for £1.99 (down from £7.00) and a Vax hoover for £45.00, reduced from about £70.00.  I also bought a couple of non-sale items too, namely a top and a case for my new tablet.

In total, I made a huge saving of around £90.00 in the sales this year, made all the better by the fact that a few items were paid for using vouchers that I got for Christmas.

What did you get in the sales?

Naomi x

DressLink.com Draped Hoodie / H&M Polka Dot Acid Wash Jeans / Primark Basic T Shirt / Primark Metal Waist Belt / Primark Canvas Shoes / Thrifted Topshop Leather Stud Bag

I ordered this oversized draped hoodie from DressLink.com a few weeks ago.  It was originally intended to be for my mum, but unfortunately it doesn’t quite fit her right, so she let me have it.  Believe it or not, this is an XXXL, but Asian sizes are a LOT smaller than our Western sizes, so it fits me, a size 10/12, like a baggy hoodie.  There’s no way it’s a UK size 20 like the website suggests!

Tops like this are absolutely perfect for this time of year.  It was sunny today, so too warm for a coat, but there was a hint of Autumnal coolness in the air, so it kept me nice and cosy, and the hood is great for when you want an extra bit of warmth.  I also really love the length and draped style of the hoodie as it gives it a slightly witchy edge, and though it looks good baggy, I adore the more tailored shape of it when worn with a waist belt over the top.

What pieces will be seeing you through the Summer to Autumn transition?

Naomi x

Glamorous Acid Wash Skater Skirt / Primark Black T Shirt / Primark Sheer Black Tights / Converse Suede Polka Dot Hi-Tops / Zatchels Gothic Lace Saddle Bag / Claire’s Spike Necklace

I really wanted the skirt to do the talking with this outfit, so I paired it with a plain black tee and sheer black tights.  I was considering wearing heels too, but in the end I settled for Converse as I think they suit skater style clothing well, and my partner and I were heading to the cinema so I thought I’d keep it casual.

Finally, to pull the outfit together, I accessorised with a grey spike necklace from Claire’s, and my metallic silver Gothic Lace Saddle Bag by Zatchels, just to bring out the silver in my shoes and to match the grey in the skirt.

I also got a beautiful dress in my USC order which I absolutely love, so check back soon to see how I style it!

Naomi x

As April’s weather is usually unpredictable, I thought layers would be best, so I wore my favourite Primark skater dress (which is becoming a Spring wardrobe staple of mine), and teamed it with my trusty faux leather biker jacket and some basic leggings.  Over this I wore an oversized but light floral skull scarf which I thrifted last year, for an extra bit of warmth if necessary.  As it happens, the weather was gorgeous and the sun was shining, but luckily it didn’t get too hot.

Primark Faux Leather Biker Jacket / Primark Faux Leather Cap Sleeve Skater Dress / Primark Leggings / Dr Martens 1460 W Purple Shimmer Boots / Abandon Floral Skull Scarf (thrifted) / Topshop Leather Stud Bag (thrifted)

As I knew we’d be walking a lot, I thought it best to throw on my Dr Martens, which was definitely the right call, and I also took another thrifty find of mine – my Topshop leather stud bag.  The perfect size to carry my camera and picnic food.

I’m so pleased that Spring is finally underway as I love being out and about enjoying the nice weather, and today was a great opportunity to do so!  Have you been taking advantage of the sunshine lately?

Naomi x

Admittedly, the bag is showing a few signs of use (a couple of studs are missing and the lining has been stitched in one place), but the leather is beautifully soft and in excellent condition, and it still has plenty of wear left in it.  I love the slightly slouchy style too.  I’d been looking for a generously sized plain black leather shoulder bag for months, and this is ideal.  It’s really roomy, with a large main compartment and smaller side and internal pockets – perfect for work or a shopping trip.

Will you be going car booting this year?  What do you hope to find?

Naomi x