H&M Cropped Jumper / George Net Frill Skirt / Primark Cosy Tights / Dr Martens Crackle Suede Pascal Boots / Curiology Snow Globe Necklace

Well, it’s been a ridiculously long time since I last posted, but I think it’s about time I made a blog comeback!  The last few months have been incredibly busy, and I may do a life update post soon to share a few things, but for now I thought I’d kick back off with a good ol’ outfit post – my favourite!

Last weekend we had our first snow of the season, and though there wasn’t much, Charles and I went for a lovely wintry walk around the local meadows.  My outfit of choice for my snowy walk was put together around one piece – my skirt.  I actually thrifted this skirt for just £3.25 from a charity shop a few weeks ago, and I absolutely adore it.  The full tiered net looks so feminine, but still has the Gothy edge that I love, and is surprisingly warm when worn over tights.

I teamed the skirt with one of my favourite basic jumpers from H&M, and my newest pair of Dr Martens, which kept my toes toasty from the cold.  The necklace was a Christmas gift from my mum, and is pretty damn cool.  It’s by Curiology, and was one of their Winter 2015 pieces.  It doesn’t show up well in the photo, but the necklace is layered, and depicts a gothic castle scene, with teeny bats included.  So cute.

Did you get any snow last week?

Naomi x

Be Beau Studded Cardigan – £1.00

Jaeger Striped Shirt – £1.00

Omen Skeleton T Shirt – £1.00

Lipsy Lace Bolero – £3.00

Living Dead Souls Leopard Print Cardigan – £3.50

Zara Shirt – £3.75

Farhi Maxi Skirt – 99p

Books – 75p and 50p

Total Spend: £15.49

I’m really pleased with this haul as I managed to get pieces for work and leisure, from some great brands.  My two favourites are the Zara shirt, which looks great with black skinnies and heels, and the Lipsy lace bolero.  The bolero still had its tags attached so is brand new, and was actually £15.00 in the Lipsy sale, so at £3.00 was an absolute steal!

Naomi x

Handmade Flocked Skater Dress / MortiisM Vegan Skull Necklace / Blonde + Blonde Lace Up Block Heel Boots / Primark Tights

Today’s outfit post is also a Thrifty Finds post, as my beautiful flocked skater dress was handmade by my very talented mum, using fabric that we got from a carboot sale.  And the best part is the fabric only cost £1!  My mum drafted the pattern for this herself, using the bodice from one of my dresses, and the skirt from another, so it turned out the exact fit, shape and length I was hoping for.  I’m so impressed by mum’s work, especially as this was the first adult dress she ever made.  The stitching is so neat, it’s comfortable, and it fits me really well – quite an achievement considering I tried the bodice on once whilst she was making it, and that’s it!  Needless to say I’ll be asking her to make me another dress very soon, as I’m so pleased with this one.

My necklace is also a craft piece, by the lovely MortiisM, who makes vegan skull and metal jewellery, antlers, and homewares.  I won this piece in a giveaway on Instagram, and I adore it.  I love the length, and the quality of the piece is really high.  It looks so real, and the Swarovski adornment is like the icing on the cake.  Stunning!

Naomi x

P.S. Check out how else I styled these boots!

Per Una Crochet Long Top (Thrifted) / Primark Basic Vest / Primark Black Skinny Trousers / Blonde + Blonde Lace Up Block Heel Boots / Four Beautiful Keys Moon Necklace

The last few days have been warm enough to go out without a coat or jacket, so today when Charles and I headed out for lunch, I decided to wear something with a bit of detail that wouldn’t be covered.  I’m still not quite over my winter passion for layering, so this long crochet top by Per Una seemed like the perfect transition item.  I picked this up for £1 from a carboot sale a few weeks ago, as you probably saw in my latest thrifty finds post, and it’s so comfortable and light.  I adore the long bell sleeves with their mandala-type crochet patterning, and the length of the top is really flattering.

I needed some new black skinnies for Spring, but wanted something lighter than denim, and these Primark trousers are ideal.  I found them in the jeans section, but they’re actually made of a soft stretchy fabric.  They fit really well too, which is a big thing for me as I have long legs so usually struggle to find trousers that are long enough for me, but these are fine!

The lace up boots are also new, and were an amazing find.  I was strolling through the local shopping centre a few weeks ago, with no intention of buying anything, but happened to spot them in the window of BANK.  The shop was having a closing down sale, and these babies were discounted from £38 to just £7.60!  Lucky for me, despite the shop being almost empty, there was one pair left in my size, so it was meant to be, especially as I’ve been after some laced block heel boots for MONTHS.  Winner!

Naomi x

Next Button Wrap Front Dress £2.50

Per Una Crochet Sleeve Jumper Dress £1

ASOS Swallow Print Skater Dress £2

Miss Selfridge Drape Front Cardigan £1

I also got a cute little ‘Sew Your Own Baby Owl’ kit for 50p, which I thought would be a nice little craft project to do one evening.

It total, including the craft kit, I spent just £7.  I’m really pleased with my latest thrift haul, and I hope I can keep up the pace and add more bargainous additions to my wardrobe next time!

Have you been thrifting yet this year?  Have you managed to find anything exciting?

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

Topshop Studded Lace Bralet £5

This cost a bit more than I usually like to spend on items at a car boot sale, but I just couldn’t resist the studs and lace!  Topshop bralets seem to be really popular at the moment, and this one has an RRP of £38, so I’m pleased to have found one in my size at a fraction of the price.  According to the lady I bought it from it is unworn too, other than being tried on.

New Look Cutout Heart Dress £2

I’ve been wanting a cut out heart dress for ages, so when I spotted this under a huge pile of clothes on one stall, I snapped it up.  It’s exactly my size too!  I love it, and it looks like it’s never been worn which is a bonus.

Sans Souci Polka Dot Dip Hem Blouse £2

This is one of my favourite finds of the day.  I’m currently on the look out for more summer tops, and this will be perfect for warm, sunny days.  The dip hem and button back detail are really lovely, and are what caught my eye when I saw it on the rail.  Sans Souci isn’t a brand I’m familiar with, but the blouse still had a TK Maxx tag attached, and it cost £9.99 new.

Oasis Leather Studded Waist Belt £1.50

Again, I’ve been trying to source a decent waist belt for a while, so this was another bargain I couldn’t pass up.  The belt is made from real leather, and still had its Oasis tags attached so is brand new.

H&M Silver and Grey Jumper £1

It’s not like I need another jumper, but I actually saw a similar jumper to this in H&M last season and wanted one, so I bought it anyway.  I thought it’d be itchy, but it’s actually nice and soft, and I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of it.

Next Oversized Polka Dot Shirt 25p

This shirt is three sizes too big for me, but I bought it to wear it as an oversized cardigan during cool summer evenings.  And anyway, at 25p I couldn’t say no.

Stuart Little Soft Toy 50p

And just because I have a soft spot for cuddly toys and rodents, I brought Stuart Little home for 50p.  He has slightly tatty whiskers and was a little grubby, but after a quick bath he’s now squeaky clean (excuse the pun!)

Total: £12.25

What do you think of my latest thrifty finds?  Which piece stands out for you?

Naomi x

Z Black and grey striped waterfall cardigan £1.50

Next Thin knit black jumper 50p

River Island Skeleton heart t-shirt 50p

Truffle Black velvet wedge shoes £2.00

Total: £4.50

I’m really pleased with this little thrifty haul, and I’m looking forward to styling each item in outfit posts in the near future.  Which is your favourite piece?

Naomi x

The app basically consists of a list of offers on featured items which, if you buy them, you can then get a certain amount of money refunded to you via the app.  To get the refund, all you have to do is select the supermarket you shopped at (Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi or Lidl) and the date you were there, choose the offers you want to use, and then photograph your receipt.  Once the photos have uploaded, you then submit your claim and wait for your account to be credited!  In my experience, this can take everything from a few hours to a few days.  Then, once you have at least £5 in your CheckoutSmart account, the money can then be transferred to you via PayPal or into your bank account.

I know what you’re thinking, sounds a bit dodgy…  But no!  I’ve used this app myself several times, and it is completely safe.  I chose to have my balance transferred into my bank account, and all the app asks for is your sort code and account number, and the payment was made the following Thursday (payments are always made on Thursdays).  Each transfer does incur a fee of 5%, but that’s only 25p off of every £5, which isn’t much really.

The variety of offers is really impressive too.  They seem to be updated almost daily, and there’s a wide range of items to choose from, with everything from fruit and veg, bread and milk, and alcohol, to chocolate and ice cream, cleaning products, and even baby items.  Admittedly, you only get a little bit back on most items – 10p here and 20p there – but trust me, it soon adds up, especially as a lot of the featured items are weekly basics.  For instance, this week you can get 20p back on 4 pints of milk, 20p back on a bag of potatoes, and 30p back on yoghurt, amongst other things!

My favourite offers though are the freebies.  Every now and then an offer will pop up that gives you the full amount back on certain items, so once you’ve made your claim you’re essentially getting them for free!  Last week I got a big bottle of Volvic flavoured water and a little box of Cadbury chocolates, and today I got a free box of McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes.  Such a great way to treat yourself, and everyone knows free food tastes better!

Now that I’ve started to use CheckoutSmart, I’m even going to use it to plan my weekly meals around, as a lot of the items featured could be put together to make a meal.  This week, for example, you can get 20p back on Uncle Ben’s chilli sauce, 15p on Napolina kidney beans, 20p on supermarket own brand basmati rice, and 20p back on both onions and peppers.  Veggie chilli anyone?

To grab this app for yourself and get saving, you can download it from the App Store or Google Play for free.

What do you think of CheckoutSmart?  Will you be using it?

Naomi x