Tolly Dolly Posh

Yay! My first official Series Sunday post! Erm, I do apologise that its on a Monday this week *cry laughs* but anyway… when I re-launched my site, I said that I would start this ‘thing’ where I publish a post every Sunday from a series I’m running, so here I am! I do promise it will be on a Sunday next week, I totally forgot to press the publish button! About this post though… I’ve had a look and realised I haven’t done a letter in my A-Z Fashion Guide since May of this year… *gulps*…so hopefully with this new ‘thing’, I should get back on it! Today, I have the 2nd letter of B, and it’s all going to be about Broderie Anglaise!

~ BRODERIE ANGLAISE ~

Broderie Anglaise has been around in Europe since the 16th century (or even earlier). From my research, it looks like the method originates from Czech Republic, although it has a french name… and is called ‘English embroidery’ (more on this in just a second). It is mostly known as being white thread on a white fabric (cotton is most commonly used), where holes are created and finally finished with stitches around the edges of each shape. Since the 1800’s, it’s been used in PJs (or nightwear back then) and underwear, and is now mostly found in summer-y clothing like dresses and lightweight t-shirts and tops. The reason it is called ‘Broderie Anglaise‘ is because of the popularity it had in the 19th century, in England.

Most commonly, designs are made to symbolise flowers, vines and foliage, ovals or dots. They can be any size shape and style, but generally they are small and ditsy and have a very fine stitch. Now-a-days most Broderie Anglaise is achieved by machine rather than by hand, which would require skill and precision.

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These are a few pieces currently available online. Due to the fact that the style is fairly summery, it is quite hard to find ‘in trend’ pieces at the moment, but I still really love some of these! I absolutely love the black dress, it’s so gorgeously detailed, in a very subtle way, and the shape is very flattering. In fact, I think it would look perfect with the black flats from New Look (£5… bargain!) which would add a preppy touch. The Victoria Beckham shorts are also pretty darn cool, they look chic but have that model-off-duty, modern, city chic vibe about them. Which is your favourite piece? Let me know in the comments!

Next week I’ll be talking all things Burberry, so stay tuned if you like the sound of that! You can catch all of my little A-Z Fashion Guide posts, here! 

(Collage images via Pinterest)

Yes, I was that person who thought YouTubers couldn’t be role models. I was indeed that person who wrote a rant all about it for a piece of homework… but from just one simple video, Zoe (aka Zoella), has changed my mind. I don’t really know how to describe it… (like literally, I am struggling to put words together for this post). I’m not the sort of 14 year old who would go to a book signing just to get a photograph with a YouTuber and I don’t comment and tweet on everything that they say or do, yet I am the sort of person who gets seriously inspired and happy at their achievements…

As you’ll probably know, Zoe is soon to release her debut novel, Girl Online, and in her latest video on her ‘vlog channel’ (MoreZoella), she filmed her trip to the printing house. She filmed most of the journey, from paper roll to hardback book, and I have no idea why or how, but I was overcome with pride and inspiration. Bloggers to me have never really inspired me that much… they have in terms of content, but not necessarily achievements, so I’m shocked to find myself grinning from ear to ear.

I think the major factor to this wave of inspiration, is the fact that she does everything with such gratitude. Zoe shows us that she truly means what she means (…okay, this may not be true, I have never met her, but it sure does look and feel like it…). In this video especially, she showed that she wasn’t just happy and proud, she was truly interested in what she does, and she doesn’t take it for granted. Oh goodness, I literally have no idea what I’m doing in this post… ha! I kind of just want to put it out there that Zoe is a role model. She’s inspiring in this new and different way which I think people need to get used to. Seeing as I kinda’ am part of it (not hugely, but partly), #TeamInternet is doing it right… don’t you agree? 

All I’m saying is that if Zoe can simply film a video of her very own book being printed (surely that’s enough in itself?!), and inspire me, then that makes her inspirational. I hope that Zoe will see this (although I highly doubt it), because she can see that what she is doing is powerful enough to change my mind in one simple video. I want to say thank you to Zoe for not only giving me this new found motivation to carry on doing what I love, but also for showing the world how amazing and powerful the blogging community really is, and for empowering young women everywhere.

(Featured Image via MoreZoella)

So this is a rather different post… it’s only partially fashion related and I have never posted anything like it before. I’m actually going to let you read a bit of my personal creative writing. I’ve always been one for sitting down with a pad of paper and pen, and just writing. No typing involved here my friend (well… other than this post)!

Here’s hoping that nobody loves this enough to want to copy it under their own name… which I highly doubt because I have literally no idea if it is any good… or if it makes sense to actual fasion-y people… So anyway, the following snippet is from Chapter 1 of my little story/novella ma-bobby called ‘Type Right’. It’s about a lady in her late twenties who writes for a fashion magazine and is all over the place with her work, family and now her love life.

CHAPTER 1

The city in the morning is always my favourite time and place; it lives and breathes the essence of a busy life. The smells are stronger as they start to ooze out of all the buildings and people. Strong coffee pours out of small cafés on every corner, the sound of suitcase wheels bounce around, horns from grumpy taxi drivers cause a symphony of different tones and noises.

My daily routine mainly consists of collecting a cappuccino from Starbucks (which I don’t tend to finish due to the fact I prefer tea), then peering into shop windows and snapping away at any new pieces for future editorials (which never get used seeing as the fashion industry is always at least 3 months ahead), and finally scanning my card on the security system inside the doors of ‘NICHE’ magazine.

The building is always a strong slap in the face of white sharpness compared to the blur of colour you experience in the main streets of London. I’m greeted by the same old face of Annie; Annie is the door-lady/PA to any of us slightly less important fashion writers. If you need a coffee or a pick me up of crunchy macroons, just buzz her!

My desk is cluttered as always, covered in possible cover layouts, magazine clippings and model polaroids.

“Teresa called… she needs you to interview some interns. Expect bloggers and students, they’re coming at three, so be at her office at four, haha!”

Toni is my colleague who sits opposite me and works on most of the same pieces. If I’m out she’ll take any of my messages or calls, and I’ll do the same for her. Teresa is the HR manager. Every six months we employ a new set of interns; usually they’re eighteen or nineteen, interested in art or fashion and help stylists or the social media team.

The last set we had were beyond useless, all they knew how to use were those weird selfie sticks for a piece on Instagram celebrities. Mind you, I think it was an intern before who hired them. It was me one day though, I was the one bringing the coffees and getting a tiny credit on the last page. I was young, free and determined. I needed that last push for my CV, or that foot in the door to my favourite magazine. It’s one of the best experiences you can experience as an aspiring fashion journalist or even a designer.

So erm… yeah! I feel weird to share creative writing on here, and I have no idea how it will go down, but sometimes it’s nice to share something a bit unique and different. Do let me know what your thoughts are and if you would be interesting in reading anymore?! Hehe 🙂 Speak soon!

It’s that time of year again… Happy Halloween! This can only mean one thing… another halloween photo shoot! Last year’s went down a storm, so I decided to go for it once more. No zombies here though, I’m turning Tolly ‘Dolly’ Posh into a teddy bear killing maniac… yikes! Enjoy…

~ HAPPY HALLOWEEN ~

*Evil cackle* A bit too freaky for ya? I had quite a lot of fun doing this little shoot… although cutting up a teddy was a little sad! I don’t know about you but there is something rather spooky about old dolls… they look at you in this way that seeps right through you and makes anybody (even the toughest of the toughest people) do a bit of a scared-y cat dance. I took a lot of inspiration from fashion editorials for this shoot, whether it be for the make-up or the actual shots. I wanted it to look like a spooky tea party… a bed covered in teddies, spiders in tea cups and shadow-y lighting, and of course the creepy doll, and I’m so happy with the outcome!

The make-up was mainly eyeliner and 2 shades of eye-shadow (pink and white), and was rather easy to do, so if you’re still in need of a last minute (like, girl, you better start getting ready now) costume, then this is probably a safe bet. I wore a rather girly white dress and blue tutu, a giant hair bow (courtesy of the wonderful Georgie at Beauxoxo) and added cracks to my face and neck for an even spookier effect.

White Eyeliner & Eyeshadow (CutECOsmetics)*//Custom Hair Bow (Beauxoxo)*//Drink Me Ring (Punky Pins)*

A huge thank you to the lovely people who made this shoot come together perfectly! I must say that the make-up I recieved from CutECOsmetics was amazing quality and I will certainly be using them again and again. The bow that I mentioned earlier was made by Georgie (thank you!) and the ring was from the quirky and fabulous Punky Pins! Also another huge thank you to Papa Posh for taking these pictures, you did a rather good job! Hair, make-up, photo editing etc etc, was all done by moi! 

What are you wearing for Halloween? Let me know in the comments!

~ WELCOME ~

Eeeee! HOW, crazy is this?! Welcome to Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion 2.0! I’m so excited to finally show you the new design! I literally cannot contain my excitement! I hope you have had a little nosy around and got used to all the new functions and features… it’s a little different isn’t it?

Where do I begin… for ages now, I’ve been thinking about giving this place a bit of a re-vamp, but have never just ‘gone for it’. It’s hard to let go of certain things when they just seem so comfortable and normal to you. My old design had been with me since Day 1, which I believe is fairly unusual for most bloggers. I’ve seen many bloggers change from design to design every month or so, but I was pretty happy with the way it was. Recently though, it just felt a bit dated. The whole look and feel was a bit old fashioned (in my opinion), and I was just simply growing out of it! I started blogging properly when I was 11, and now I’m 14, so clearly my tastes have changed.

The scariest part for me was leaving my header behind. The aztec headband and peace sign poses were not me at all anymore, and needed to go. They had been a big part of my journey, some might say they were my ‘branding’. The old header pictures were featured in magazines, so how I could I not feel a bit hesitant on letting it go?! Plus, you guys seemed to love the old design, so it’s been a tough decision. I’ve done it though, and I don’t regret it one bit! I hope you adore it as much as I do! The design is much more me. It’s still colourful and has a lot of my personality injected into it, but it’s cleaner and more professional. It also gives me the opportunity to change it up every now and again, seeing as the header is a collection of my favourite outfit posts. The other images can also be changed and that makes me so much happier.

With my old design I was held back by everything being so uniform. My Twitter, Facebook and Instagram profile pictures all matched, and whenever I liked a picture of myself (okay, that doesn’t sound vain at all), I couldn’t just quickly switch it around. It might have been the perfectionist in me, but that needed to change, and now I can do that whenever I want. YAY to freedom!

~ NEW IDEAS ~

When I finally finished the main bulk of the design, I realised that I needed to actually think about what I want to do with my blog. You may notice that my header no longer says ‘Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion’, and I don’t want this to alarm people, because look at the URL! I’m stilling calling this a fashion blog, because it is one, but I also want to reach out to other topics. I enjoy writing, so I want to share my other opinions and feelings with you too! I’ve also come to the realisation that I need to go for ‘quality over quantity’ within my posts. Ever since I posted my tennis court photoshoot, I’ve been so inspired by photography and fashion editorials, that I’ve decided that’s the route I want to go with certain elements of my blog. From now on I’ve decided to focus on the quality of outfit posts rather than the amount that I post. I know you guys absolutely love them, so I want to make them the best they can be! I’m actually soon to be investing in an even better lens than I already have which is super duper exciting, so hopefully that will all tie in nicely.

Another new idea I have is called ‘Series Sunday’. Every Sunday from now on (excuse tomorrow, you can let me off just this one time) there will be a post from a set series which I am running. I’ve noticed that I never really carry on series posts so I thought it would be a good way to change that. One Sunday you might see an A-Z Fashion post, the next you might see a Scrap Social post, who knows! I hope you like this idea and that you are now looking forward to your Sunday’s 🙂

~ A PRESENT FOR YOU ~

So after all of this excitement, I have decided to give you guys a little present! I’ve teamed up with Johnnie B (Boden) for a give-away! It’s just a little thank you for supporting this blog for such a long time, and to celebrate the launch for the new design! Here’s all the details you need to know…

PRIZE: 2 pieces of choice from Johnnie B at Boden! Don’t be alarmed if you are 9 or 29, because there are some awesome accessories and shoes on the site, which I’m sure would be suitable for any age!
WHERE: This is a worldwide give-away! (Please check T&Cs for more info.)
WHO: I will need your postal address to send onto the team at Boden, so please make sure you have permission to give it to me.
WHEN: This give-away will end on 8th November 2014. I will be announcing the winner via Twitter and will email them directly.
HOW: Use the Rafflecopter widget below. In order to win you must: leave a blog post comment (telling me what 2 pieces you would like to win from the Johnnie B range) & follow @BodenClothing and @TollyDollyPosh on Twitter. You can also grab yourself more chance of winning with the other optional tasks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I suppose that’s it then! How exciting?! This is rather a big step for me, and I hope you appreciate it as much as I do. Hopefully things can only get better from here on out, and that this blog will be an even better place than it already is. I’m excited to take you on my future journeys, and if you’re new here, I hope you enjoy the ride… *apologises for the cheesiness*

(A big thank you to Johnnie B at Boden for sponsoring this give-away! Read my full PR disclaimer here.)

Hello my lovely people! I hope you are well 🙂 I’m sat at home looking after my ‘pawly’ cat (she broke her leg… well done Paloma!), so I decided to write a good old fashion blog post. Recently I’ve become a hat person. I’ve fallen in love with the whole ‘floppy hat on the back of your head’ vibe and the messy hair that sits underneath it. I blame Suki Waterhouse mainly… *sigh*

When a code from ASOS slipped into my inbox last Saturday night, I grabbed the opportunity to buy something sneaky from my Saved Items. The code was 30% off for Premier members (it’s a dead code now, sorry!), so I had a browse and decided to cave in and give them my ££ for a new floppy hat. Ever since I got my summer one, I’ve loved wearing it, so a winter version didn’t seem too bad an idea. The code made my purchase a lot cheaper, so I grabbed this basic felt floppy hat for just £14, and I’ve worn it a lot already! It’s the perfect size to wear properly, or on the back of my head like I mentioned earlier. What do you think? I’m loving it personally.

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I decided to have another browse, just for you guys, and pick out some of my favourite styles in the ASOS hats section (I promise this isn’t sponsored, you guys know I love their stuff). There are some cheaper ones on there, and some more pricey versions, so if you like the look of one, just click the numbers above. My favourites are probably the blue fedora from Whistles, the kitty cat beanie and grey fedora with the braid detail. They’re all very autumnal even though it’s still pretty sunny, but I love them nonetheless. I’m definitely classing myself as a hat person now… are you?

Speaking of hats, you might be needing a new outfit for a wedding or prom, and want to wear a nice hat or fascinatior but still haven’t got the right dress. Why not check out TopWedding‘s selection of party and cocktail dresses? (This is a sponsored link. Full disclaimer here.)

Psst. It’s only one week until my new site design launches! Eeep! 😀

Ever since I did my LFW At Home post, I’ve been really inspired to do ‘list posts’. I find them a really easy read on other blogs, so I thought why not do another? Today though, I thought I would talk about blogging. I get so many questions about blogging whether it be on Twitter, Instagram or by email, you guys just want to know the ins and outs of blogging. So today is for those thinking of starting their own blog, or perhaps for those who are new bloggers who just ‘don’t see the point’.

1. It’s a hobby…

Blogging is a fabulous hobby. In fact, it’s more than a hobby, it’s a project. That’s exactly why I started mine, for something to do in the summertime. Okay, it is a bit like a full time hobby at times, but that is if you want it to ‘lead somewhere’. Blogging has no rules, and I think that is something we ignore… You can write and do whatever you want! I believe in this little circle of beauty, lifestyle and fashion bloggers, we forget that we’re not the only bloggers. There are science, art, language, relationship, university and whatever you want bloggers! You can blog when you want, what you want and how you want… It’s just like every other hobby, there are no boundaries!

2. It’s a learning curve…

There are so many things you can learn from blogging. It’s not just writing like you might think… Blogging teaches you about language, grammar and spelling, social media, PR, coding, site design, photography, culture, admin and management, the blog topic you write about, and believe it or not, yourself! Now if that isn’t making you want to start a blog, then I don’t know what else will. I didn’t even know that brands sent products to people before I started! I had literally no idea what a page rank was and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would know what an f/ stop was either!

3. You can gain new connections…

Whether it be new friends or possibly your future boss, blogging opens thousands of new doors. Even just tweeting in Twitter chats starts a conversation with a new group of people, and just like in ‘real life’ this can lead to even more. I have met and chatted to loads of lovely people from all around the world who genuinely support me and want to help out in making my goal become a reality. I’ve worked with brands who I used to shop at all the time, and I have made some amazing friends.

4. You can record your life…

Just like a diary, a blog means you can look back on all the memories you have captured and shared. This can be fashion related, so you can see all the outfits you have recorded over the years, or lifestyle related, with all the days out that you took your readers on. I’m most looking forward to seeing how my style has developed, which is such a nice benefit to writing this site!

5. It has it’s rewards…

I’m not going to lie, I like to be honest so… I enjoy getting freebies from time to time. This isn’t a reason to start a blog… at all. It’s just a bonus, us bloggers have to be upfront and say we enjoy receiving parcels. If you want to, and once you get to a certain stage, brands will be interested in sending you things to try out. If you start a blog for this reason.. well it will be obvious and most likely people will just think of you as a freebie hoarder. Also not really a ‘reason to start a blog’, but a bonus, is the opportunities you get, including being in magazines, on TV, radio and designing things with brands. These things don’t come easy though, you have to work hard for them, and I really want to make it clear that these things are bonuses. 

I hope you enjoyed this short little insight into why many people start blogging. I honestly couldn’t say a bad word about blogging. It has made me look at certain things in life in a new way and made me such a more care free person. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the people who have made my blogging journey a whole lot better, you guys rock!

Psst.. 10 days until the launch of my new blog design! Eeee! You can see a snippet on my Instagram!

Well hello there my friend! I’m back with another outfit! Excuse the different editing of these images (if you can tell…) but I’m deciding on what works best for me so you might see different styles in the next few My Style posts. Speaking of different styles… this outfit is quite a different style for me! It’s quite a transitional one… not much colour, but I like it nonetheless and I hope you do too! 🙂

What I Wore: Fluffy Faux Feather Jacket (Matalan), Lace Hem Breton Top (Johnnie B – Sold Out)*, Mom Jeans (Jumble Sale), Cat Ear Bowler Hat (Claire’s)* & Blue Folk Print Hi-Tops £15.99 (New Look)*

I told you it was a slightly different outfit than usual! Where the heck has the colour gone?! I think sometimes it is refreshing to change it up though, especially since I basically wear colour 9 til’ 5. Claire’s sent me this adorable cat ear bowler hat (which I believe is from the new Katy Perry collection), and I new straight away I had to whack out my old Matalan jacket… which wasn’t quite as ‘cropped’ when I first got it… if you know what I mean 😉 It was also another reason to brave wearing black/grey with navy… it worked out alright in the end!

How cute is the hat though?! My brother doesn’t like it, and to be honest I never knew it would suit me, but it’s definitely won me over. The ears add that cuteness, and the grey/black shade adds that touch of sophistication. I wear it on the back of my head and swoop my hair back into miniature curtains and I love it! The colour also compliments not only my skin tone, but also my hair colour… what do you think of it? Ooh, and let’s not forget the cute little Breton top that I chose from Johnnie B. You can never have too many striped tops! It’s a slightly wider fit than I would usually go for, but it looks really casual of jeans or a flowy skirt. The lace adds a really nice touch too, especially layered over tulle.

Let’s talk shoes! I’ve had these for a while now from New Look, and they are super duper comfy! I always tend to wear these with jeans because they look awesome with them. The paisley print is such a nice touch too.

Ahh Autumn, I’m glad you are back! Although it means it’s time for thick tights and cold noses (and toes!), it also means it’s nearly Christmas… and then nearly 2015! I think this outfit has made me realise that I need to take this season to rediscover some gems in my wardrobe and perhaps replace them with a few new items. Are you feeling the same? Tell me!

Before you go though, I have some news! I can finally say that Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion is getting a re-design! Eeee! 😀 I’m going to be launching it on the 25th October 2014. That means my site will probably be down for maintenance on the 24th, but do not fear, it’s for the good! I am SO excited now… it’s all coming together so so well! It’s going to be a big change but I hope you like it! The countdown begins…

1 year ago exactly (even at the same time!) I published ‘The Ultimate Guide To Being A Teenager’. If you don’t know what it was, it was basically a little advice post for teens and people who are of a similar age to me. In the end it was really successful and ended up not just helping teens, but older people too 🙂 I know I’m only 14, I haven’t experienced everything yet, but I personally think it is so helpful to hear opinions from somebody your own age. Sometimes you don’t want to necessarily turn to your friends or your family, you want some new ideas that could help you, so that’s why I decided to write it.

Yup, I did it again! I’ve written ‘The Ultimate Guide To Being A Teenager 2.0‘ 😀 Dah-dah! This time around, instead of focusing on things like looks and physical stuff, I’ve focused mainly on mental topics like motivation and positivity. It’s one of those things which isn’t touched on that much in my opinion, so I gave it some thought. Just like last time, the whole ‘guide’ is on a separate page, so if you do want read it, click here or on the image above! This obviously isn’t a ‘how to be a perfect human’ article, it’s just a few of my thoughts. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and feedback as I always love hearing it on things like this. I’m thinking of doing this annually on October 5th… what do you think!? Eee, I hope you enjoy it! There is also 2 FREE iPhone & iPad backgrounds for you to download! Aren’t I nice?!

Want to read The Ultimate Guide To Being a Teenager 1.0? Click here.

Wahey! It’s time for my next scrapbook round-up! If you didn’t catch Scrap Social #1, then makes sure to do that! Basically for you new people around here (hiiiii), it’s a little project I started to get me off the internet from time-to-time… with sharing being the ‘social’ part. You guys seemed to really like the first one, so here’s another… Like before, most cuttings are from different magazines and catalogues.

These four pages are generally quite similar in style to those of the first post. They’re quite full, they have lots of doodles and are quite fresh and cute. I really like the sort of ‘Lazy Oaf’, cartoon style vibe that the first page (page 12 to be precise) brings and the contrast of pages 14 & 15. They’re fun, and they all inspiring for different moods. Those love hearts took me a while to doodle in though! 🙂

I then sort of randomly went for a more minimalist feel and basically started to stick things on top of each other… random yes, but I like it. I especially love the sort of metallic, liquid metal page. The other page was really an experiment with texture, with a cut of piece of a Topshop sunglasses case, which adds a cool effect. Anything random can come together in it’s own unique way, it really is just a case (I’m so funny) of trying everything out. I added even more texture with some gold stars… I love the way the blue fluffy coat in this editorial picture contrasts with the black doodles. The Whitepepper magazine came in handy for this weird abstract page. Doodling things which would ‘make sense’ seems to work… like the wet dripping hair.

These 2 pages are probably my favourite out of this selection. I just love the way they look together. For the first page I used a Celine advert, cutting a section from it out, and covering the white in doodle flowers (I do love them!) It creates a really nice feel and I think it will be great for inspiration. The next page really is a ‘scrapbook’ page… I used scraps from my scrapbook, tearing them up and sticking them in random places. I then dripped black watercolour over it and I am so pleased! The pieces of torn paper are only stuck down in one place so they over lap and ping up. I just love it! What do you think? I definitely want to experiment with texture some more.

The last page of this Scrap Social post is slightly more obscure. It’s a mix between love and Bohemia… weird or what. I’m not 100% sure on the kissing page… it’s very odd but maybe that’s the beauty of it. The other page is cute though, it’s young and fresh and it all matches nicely. I love the way it all ties in together.

What did you think of this #ScrapSocial post? Which was your favourite page? Do let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to share your scrapbook photos with the hashtag #ScrapSocial 🙂 See you soon!