jumble sale

It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted a fully fledged outfit post, My Style or ‘editorial‘, so before I crack on with fashion week content, I thought I’d keep you in the loop with what I’ve been wearing recently. I’ve been rediscovering old gems in my wardrobe, starting to transition into autumn and have been picking up some more second-hand treasures…

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WHAT I WORE: Mesh Grid Top (Blue Vanilla)* // Grey Sheer Hem Slip Dress €6.00 (Jumble Sale) // Shark Purse (ASOS) // 1B99 Dr Martens (Mastershoe-MyShu)* // Rings (Various) 

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The amount of colour I wear has definitely dropped by a fair amount in recent times, so I find myself gravitated towards darker pieces that are usually in minimalistic shapes, like this slip dress that I spotted on the back of a door at a jumble sale. I’m so glad it caught in the corner of my eye because it’s something I never knew I needed but is almost something I’ve unknowingly been looking for.

I think the location of its original home put me off at first (an old lady’s living room – so it was probably owned by an elderly woman before me), but I think that’s something that you have to look past when it comes to secondhand shopping, because really, if I hadn’t had mentioned it was secondhand – I totally could have pulled it off as a high street piece, right?

There’s just something so effortless about being able to literally slip it on, whether that’s on its own or layered on top of something…

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  LOCATION: Senigallia, IT  🇮🇹

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…which is what I did, this time around, with an item I haven’t worn in a while. Due to its almost plastic texture, I don’t wear this mesh grid top very often, but I’ve kept it in my wardrobe for, as I mentioned, layering. The dress is slightly lower in the neck than I’d usually go, so if I’m in the need for covering up, adding a thin layer underneath which doesn’t take away from its fit can be quite useful. I also don’t want anything to take away from the straps, because they’re doubled up and it adds that touch of ‘sophistication’, I suppose.

I didn’t go completely colourless either! I know most people associate pastels with spring, but in my opinion, icy, cool tones work really well in the cooler seasons too… not that it’s particularly cool in Italy right now; I think my frizzy hair is a testament to the humidity!

I believe my way of accessorising this outfit is what caused people to stare at me in what I would class as a fairly ‘normal’ outfit (but who cares about normal, eh?). Yes, that is indeed a shark shaped purse. I’m not sure if I’ve featured it on my blog, but it was a gift from my brother and is one of those more wearable novelty items, even if it can barely fit my essentials in it. The grey matches up with the mesh floral print within the dresses hem, and the silver matches my rings because I’m officially a big ring person.

The ring on my left middle finger is now a permanent ring… I even have a tan line forming, and I’m quite intrigued to know how long it will be staying put for! Years, maybe?! My Dr Marten’s are also a fairly permanent fixture on my feet because the weather is cooler now, so I can get away with wearing them without my feet boiling out. Sad news, though; there’s a small bit of stitching which has come apart on the right zip, which is a shame because I haven’t even had them for a year yet! The first Dr Martens fault I’ve ever had! I’m definitely going to be getting in touch because that’s obviously a little sad.

How would you have worn this dress? What have you been wearing recently? Let me know in the comments!

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Have you checked out my #16in16 feature yet? A campaign by Take Part all about what it’s like to be a 16-year-old in 2016. Take a look!
I’ll be back soon with, erm, what I think is going to be an LFW illustration every day! We’ll see how that goes…

Hello during this random blog post, the month and day of which coincide numerically with my expulsion from a uterus… yes, it’s my birthday! I’m officially sixteen… throw streamers, shoot out the confetti, pop the champagne (wait – can I drink that yet? 🤔) and get the balloons out because yeah, it’s my “sweet sixteenth”. Crazy, huh? I wonder if any of you have been here from the beginning? Let me know in the comments how long you’ve been reading! 1⃣6⃣ Today’s post is a little update! Hold on tight…

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WHAT I WORE: Floral Denim Jacket (Jumble Sale) // Good Morning Sweatshirt (Wildfox)* // Blouse (Stradivarius) // Mom Jeans (Pull & Bear) // Mono Pascal Boots (Dr Martens) // Sunglasses (SCOUT)

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Recently I’ve been having a bit of self-doubt, especially when it comes to my blog, so even though I know I shouldn’t, I’m going to apologise for the lack of content coming your way. I’m the sort of person who only really likes to put their best foot forward, or in this case, their best posts forward, so when I’m not especially proud of what I’m writing, I end up not publishing anything for a while. Luckily, I’m starting to realise that, that’s okay, but I just needed you to know, in case you’re wondering where I am at.

It always feels as if I have a lot more going on behind the scenes of my blog, rather than actually on it. For example, I just signed off the start of a new documentary style project that I’m going to be a part of (I can’t say much more just in case 1 – I’m not allowed, and 2 – something changes) and I’m still collaborating with different brands on upcoming features… it’s just the bit in between that I get a stuck with.

I know exactly the type of posts I want to put out, but it’s coming up with the individual ideas every four, or however many days. I also have to take into account that I’ve changed a lot in the past couple of years. My likes and dislikes have changed meaning that how I want to come across has been altered. At the moment I’m big on laid-back, carefree photography (inspired by film and polaroids) so my photoshopped profile pictures and header images don’t quite showcase that, do they?

Honestly, doing a whole overhaul of my blog has been on my mind recently… there are just several things in the way of stopping me, like formatting of old posts etc. I want readers to come to my blog and see who I am now rather than who I was before. I want to get rid of wishlist style posts and solely focus on my own, unique content. That‘s the dream.

But we can’t forget our origins, can we? Having all of my old posts creates an archive of all of the adventures and stories that have turned me into who I am, so stripping them away doesn’t show all of the hard work… it’s a real dilemma. I suppose what I’m trying to say is, right now, I think I need some time to figure everything out. I absolutely, one hundred percent, no doubt about it, want to keep my blog going, but I need to figure out how to keep it going.

So in the words of Tilly from Miranda; bear with, bear with, bear with.

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BIRTHDAY PLAYLIST:
Take It Or Leave It (Cage The Elephant) 🎶
Whistle For The Choir (The Fratellis) 🎶
Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare (Matt and Kim) 🎶
Everyday (The Tragic Thrills) 🎶

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I didn’t mean for this post to be quite so dramatic and rather depressing, but it’s actually lifted a weight off my shoulders, writing everything out for you to know. Today I’m going to relax and enjoy the day with my family (this will be my last birthday as an aunt to one – my next niece/nephew is on the way – woo!) and celebrate the fact that I’m still happy and healthy and going strong; because that’s all that matters, right?

Thank you for sticking with me over these past four (well, five birth) years, seeing me change and grow. It’s quite an exciting prospect that one day I’ll be able to look back on it all and see how I evolved into who I’m going to become. The great thing is, that even in these moments of doubt, I know I have you guys to spur me on!

First of all, Happy New Year! This is officially my first blog post of 2016… which also means the first blog post for my 4th year of blogging… crazy! I still can’t quite believe 2015 is over, I think it genuinely was the most fast paced year of all time, I mean seriously, where did it go?

~ MMXVI ~

2015 was an odd year for me… a lot happened but it’s as if I didn’t really have the right sort of grip on it all. Like it just sort of blurred past me and then I was like, oh wait, that happened, didn’t it? (That probably makes no sense at all, but this is just going to be one of those updatey type posts so bear with people, bear with!) And that’s why I want 2016 to be different… I want to be able to actually grasp onto opportunities and realise exactly what’s happening.

I want to really just go for it, because quite frankly, I need to. Even if I start with small things, I think it might actually work this year. I’ve already taken a pretty big step in telling myself that after April, I will most definitely be dying my hair a washed out navy blue… the April part is rather specific as I’m going to be maid of honour at my sister’s wedding and I’m not quite sure I’m brave enough to walk down the aisle (um… sort of) with my new-do. But it will happen people! I will dye my hair and it will in some way help me to step up to bigger things. I can feel it.

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WHAT I WORE: Faux Fur Coat (Jumble Sale) // Maison Scotch Blouse (Jumble Sale) // Good Morning Sweatshirt (Wildfox Kids)* // Ripped Flares (New Look Teens)* // Nike TR Fit 5.0 Trainers (JD Sports)* // Personalisable Necklace (Primark) // Sunglasses (SCOUT)

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In terms of real goals… I’m not sure. I used to do real step by step goals but now it’s just sort of a general aim to get things going. I have a few plans for my blog example, including a new interview feature that I’ve been working on for a really long time and just the overall idea of extending my content to more intellectual and in-depth topics.

I started to do this towards the end of last year, but things got hectic with #MooiEnLiefbyTDP (oh yeah, I launched a collection last year, didn’t I?) and I ended up putting too much pressure on myself… hence my drop in blog posts. After running a site like this for so long, I suppose you set yourself up for expectations when really, the only expectations are in your head. I’m doing this for me after all, right? The added bonus is all of the opportunities and amazing readers on top.

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  LOCATION: Sirolo, IT  🇮🇹

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I’m forever grateful for what blogging has given me and I don’t regret a single bit of it. I hope 2016 brings even more to TDP, in whatever direction it takes. I’m thinking I might refresh things again too, so it might not be just my hair getting a change. If I do change things up, it won’t be anything too drastic… it’s just with my age, I’m always changing and I feel like I’ve already grown out of my 2014 update (two years is a long time for a teen, just sayin’)… so who knows. We’ll see!

As for you, I hope you stick around and that you all have an even better year than the last. You’re all awesome and I absolutely love being able to chat and converse about things we all love and enjoy. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet in person this year? There are endless possibilities waiting for us… I guess it’s just about going out and grabbing them.

Good luck you crafty jack rabbits… 100 brownie points if you can point out that reference. 100 brownie points if you can’t either, because you’re all equally awesome.

 

As you will have gathered over the past few months on this blog, I’m a huge advocate for second-hand shopping. Ever since I picked up a turquoise floral dress from a charity shop when I was about seven, I’ve been in love with the idea of recycling clothes and keeping them in the world for longer, because, why not? When I found out about the Traid #SecondHandFirst week, I knew I had to write up a little something-something to share…

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SECOND-HAND OUTFITS: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

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The point of this week (23rd – 29th November 2015) is to raise awareness of the power of second-hand shopping. It’s a chance to get more people on board with the idea and let people know that it’s more than just old dirty clothes in a dingy little charity shop – it’s a chance to recycle clothes that are perfectly usable and stop them from ending up on landfill sites. Traid want as many people as they can to make a pledge to source their wardrobe with second-hand clothing, whether that’s vintage, hand-me-downs, charity shop donated or re-vamped one-offs.

~ TAKE THE PLEDGE ~ FOLLOW @TRAID ~

I’ve commited to sourcing 50% of wardrobe second-hand, just like Susie Lau (Style Bubble) and I’m sure, many other people. You don’t need to commit as much as that (you can commit more if you like!) but setting yourself a little target can really make you more motivated to becoming a savvy shopper – thinking more about being ethical and sustainable, rather than being splurgey and spendy. The outfits in the first image are all outfits featuring second-hand items so yes, you can still be stylish and shop second-hand. We just need to all start proving it!

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How much of your wardrobe will you commit to sourcing second-hand? Have you already taken the pledge? Let me know your thoughts on second-hand shopping in the comments!

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P.S If you’re in the UK on Saturday November 28th, please pick up a copy of The Telegraph Magazine as there maybe a little feature of my Mooi en Lief by TDP collection in it! Eeep! 🎅🎄

Happy Halloween! I’m not a major Halloween person but for the past three years now I’ve published a little Halloween themed photoshoot and even after having the worst internet, almost losing the camera with my lens on it (okay, I embarrassingly admit it was in the cupboard the whole time) and being distracted by fanfiction (why is it such a thing?!), I finally have this year’s little edit… it’s short and sweet but I hope you like it… 🎃👻💀

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WHAT I WORE: Faux Fur Coat (Jumble Sale) // Floral Jumper (Peacocks)* // Necklace (Claires)* // Floral Headband (Claires)* // Make-up (Claire’s)* & (Mixture of brands)

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After receiving an awesome package from the lovely people over at Claire’s, I knew that I had to use the absolutely gorgeous floral headband from their Halloween range. The first thought was to use it as part of some sort of ‘evil queen’ style look so that’s what I’ve tried to achieve. It’s not quite as exciting as my previous costumes (2013 + 2014) as I didn’t have quite as much time and I basically made it up as I went along but I think it works and it could be some really last minute inspiration for anyone heading off to parties!

I think I might actually remove the spiders from it and use it through out the whole autumn/winter period as the colours are so pretty; what do you think? In terms of the rest of the outfit and look, I went for my big faux fur coat to create the sort of ruffled/high collar that you often see in spooky costumes. It’s sort of a gothic vibe but with a touch of vampireness to it as I just randomly decided to smudge the ombre lip I’d created. Did it work? Who knows… let me know in the comments, yeah?

Happy Halloween once again! See you soon… 🎃👻💀

I’m sorry that of my very few recent posts, that today’s is another outfit, but I didn’t want to miss this month’s Changing With The Seasons post, so I just had to pop this up. I really hope you don’t mind! I’ll try and have some different kinds of posts up soon… I’m just still trying to get my mojo back. Anyway, here’s how to dress for summer…

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WHAT I WORE: Embroidered Blouse Dress (ASOS) // Vintage Floral Denim Two-Piece (Jumble Sale) // Blue Pleated Skater Skirt (H&M) // Nike Trainers (JD Sports)*

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Okay, let’s just jump to it… THIS. TWO. PIECE. I don’t even care if 99% of this post is just all about the jacket and skirt, because looook. at. it. You won’t believe this when I say it, but I picked this up for £5.00 at a jumble sale. It fits like a glove and it is just stunning. I probably styled it in a bit of an odd way, but I was just too excited to share it that I had to include it.

The print is just beautiful and gives that sort of modern vibe even though the set is obviously vintage. I’d say it is probably an 80s/90s piece due to the baggy arms and oversized feel, but I honestly don’t mind at all. I think it’s going to be so fun to style, especially as you can wear the jacket and skirt separately. No doubt you’ll see it in a future #OOTD!

Now let’s talk about what’s underneath (okay, well erm… I probably worded that wrongly)… firstly, the top. This is actually a fairly old ASOS purchase, which I don’t tend to wear as it’s a fairly scratchy material but I think it worked well for an added contrast of colour.

Next up, where is the blue skirt? It’s like the Where’s Wally? of an outfit post… but it’s fairly simple. So I didn’t cheat, and stayed tied up with the CWTS series, I popped the skirt underneath my new floral denim number and created a faux pleated hem. What d’ya think? Yay or nay?

~ SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE ~

And as I like to do for this lil’ series, here’s my video! It’s just a fun way to show you what the outfit’s really like on and get a bit creative. I think I may have had the exposure settings a bit wrong with this one, so sorry about the darkness, but I think it’s okay… I hope you enjoy a very rare YouTube appearance from me.

Hopefully I’ll be back soon with a very exciting announcement (hopefully) so do stay tuned! I think August is going to be a very busy and eventful month so hopefully in September I’ll be back to my usual self again, brimming with ideas and hopefully posting more designed based posts. That’s my goal! Until then… speak soon 🙂