Tolly Dolly Posh

I’m writing this, or ‘was writing’ this late at night before bed, because I realised I had nothing to post today. I don’t really know where this post is going, but something is better than nothing I guess. This is the first spontaneous post I have done in a while. It feels normal again. I have nothing ‘I have to publish’ at the moment. I like it. Thank goodness!

The White Pepper Tulle Skirt £28.00 (ASOS), The White Pepper Chiffon Midi Dress with Sheer Top £28.50 (ASOS), GEL-Noosa Tri 8 (Asics), Nike Air Vortex Hyper Blue Trainers £65.00 (ASOS) & Nike Free Run 2 Ext Trainers £80.00 (ASOS).

My obsession with Tulle Dresses & Neon Trainers together started when I saw Susie Bubble instagram a picture of her at her £1 Yard Sale (It started at 11am, it ended at 11.10am. Yup, everything sold in the space of 10 minutes!!!), and I literally fell in love. 2 things which should be so wrong together, look some how… absolutely stunning? I’m not the hugest of Susie Bubble fans (sorry…), but I do like her style, especially the outfit she wore on that day.

Not only is tulle such an interesting fabric to look at and feel, the trainers add a touch of ‘hipster’ (ergh, what an awful word), and an awful lot of comfort for your feet. I’ve had quite a few Nikes (Is it Nike-ys or Nikes? So controversial… I told you I had know idea where this post was going!) over the years at school, and not only did I think they made my legs look quite ‘athletic’, they were super duper snug. I still have my size 4 pair in the shoe basket which don’t fit at all, yet I still hope that one day my feet will shrink… um, nat’ gonna’ happen. I give you permission to call me Tolly Big Feet.

To make my love for neon trainers even bigger, and my long for the perfect pair at a reasonable price even harder to bare, the owner of a restaurant we had a drink in the other day, was wearing the beauties above (similar are linked with the other trainers). I don’t know why but french men seem to have good taste in footwear… aren’t they amazing?! I loved them so much I wrote down the brand and googled them when I got home, to my dismay, they are men’s only (I could so rock them though couldn’t I?), and were £100+, or should I say dollars. *Curse you American brands for only stocking things in America, even thought that makes perfect sense* I am now on the hunt for a cheap pair of neon trainers which are super duper comfy and will last me forever and ever, AND a tulle dress in a pretty bright colour. Thanks Susie.

To celebrate my new blog banner, I’m holding a give-away! To be in a chance with winning, make sure to click HERE and answer the 1 obligatory question! Good Luck!

I am quite excited to say this, but I am an official supporter of Jeans for Genes day. Oh yes. The amazing charity mixing fashion with a good deed, asked me if I want to support the charity this year, and there was not even an ‘umm’ in sight. I of course, said yes.

What I Wore: Limited Edition Fashion Tee £20.00* (Jeans for Genes) & Denim Dungarees €4.00 (Jumble Sale).

When I first saw this top I wasn’t quite sure what it was, then I realised the print was 2 girls with their plaited hair intertwined (to look like a double helix) with metallic flowers. I was going to style it with a jumpsuit to make it a bit more grunge looking, but then remembered that I had my denim dungarees. This top is so comfortable even if it is just for throwing on for casual wear. The top was actually designed by Milly Wood from the Edinburgh College of Art, and although I wasn’t sure on it at first, I do rather like it. At home I like to wear this with my grey ZARA shorts. Make sure to go and buy yourself a top and get styling yourself!

If you don’t know what Jeans for Genes day is all about, carry on reading.
This year, on Friday 20th September, Jeans for Genes is inviting millions of people to leave their work clothes and school uniforms at home and wear their favourite pair of jeans instead, in return for a donation. All money which is raised is sent to help children with genetic disorders, across 23 different charities. 1 in 25 children in the UK have a genetic disorder, that’s around 30,000 babies each year. Celebrity supporters for this year include Melanie C from The Spice Girls, Michelle Keegan, Louise Thompson, Amy Childs, Lauren Goodger and Sophia Sassoon.

I am challenging YOU to wear your favourite pair of jeans on September 20th. Whatever the weather, whatever you are doing, make sure to Instagram a picture using #jeansTDP and I will share around my favourite pictures. Unfortunately there is no prize but you will be supporting a fabulous charity, and that is worth way more. You do have plenty of time so don’t worry. I will be reminding you to get ready in Part 2 of this post! 

To celebrate my new blog banner, and a little thank you to the loyal followers of mine, I am running a give-away HERE which only involves one obligatory step to enter! Good Luck!

Well hello there, how are you? It’s been a whole 2 weeks since I sat down and wrote a blog post for you guys, and I have missed it. This post will explain the slight changes you may have noticed, exactly why I was away for ‘so long’ and, of course, a cheeky little give-away thrown in too 😉

Most of you probably won’t know, but my now, old, banner has been on this blog since the very day it began. That was when I was 11 years ‘young’, and I am now 13. I may not be completely different, but I definitely feel like I have changed in my style, so I felt it was the right time to change a few things around here. I had to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new, and I quite like this 2nd chapter so far. It’s still bright and fun, but it’s a bit more laid back and simple than before. Of course I had to keep the TDP headband in there, because that is part of me. The outfit with the headband is actually quite special because it includes 2 things which have been a big part of my blogging story, which are my ASOS jacket and my blue sunglasses. Sounds a bit random, but I wore the jacket to the #stylebloggerawards and it was also my 13th birthday treat, and the sunglasses were from the awards themselves so they have a nice memory with them.

Some of you may not like the new banner, but I do. I feel like it portrays me now more than my last one, and I think it will be a nice fresh way to start the new upcoming season. I definitely couldn’t have kept my old one for much longer, because I’m 13… things will change… #awkward… Also, the content of my blog is going to change slightly, i.e there is going to be way more designs, and fashion trends, more inspo posts, and fashion-y things. I hope you will enjoy it!

Moving on to the reason I was away; If you have seen on my Instagram, you may already know, but for those of you don’t then, here you go… this October, I won’t just be a sister, a daughter, granddaughter or niece, I will become an aunty and a godmother. I am extremely excited about the new addition to the family, and I felt it would be weird to keep such a big thing from you. My family were all over in the south of France these past weeks, soaking up the sun, and enjoying each others company, and I loved it!

Now to the give-away!  I’m sorry this post is so long, I needed to update you all!
So, I haven’t done a give-away in like… ages. The reason is because I was waiting for the right time, and I think it’s probably the perfect time now! This give-away is a thank you to all of my loyal followers who spur me on in reaching my dream. It’s not a fancy prize, unfortunately, but it’s just a few small things which I hope you will enjoy.

Prizes: 1 x The September Issue DVD (Rating: 12), 1 x Illustrated Portrait by myself, 1 x Black Lace Eye Rock, 1 x Pair of Purple Daisy Earrings, 1 x Ad Space for your blog/site (Non-blogger alternative: Write a blog post for Tolly!)

THIS GIVE-AWAY HAS NOW ENDED!
The winner was … Laura Jarvis

That is it! Good Luck everyone! Thanks for sticking with me these past 2 weeks! I look forward to blogging again! I really do ‘love’ the support you guys give to me, it is so helpful, and you are da’ bestest. *virtual hug*

This is another post in my Blogging Top Tips series, and I hope you are enjoying them so far! This is a post which I can connect with, and I know a lot of other bloggers will too, so sit back and enjoy my ‘ramblings’ – I hate that word.

Success & Features: I am very fortunate in the fact that I have had some good successes and features so far. I have to say it, but I am very proud. But, it isn’t the be all and end all. I know some blogs which are so good, but haven’t had any features, not even ones on other blogs. The fact that makes their blog good is the fact that people enjoy reading it, not the fact that they don’t have their face on magazines. Most non-blogging readers will have no idea what a ‘Liebster Award’ is, so they really are not gonna’ care if you don’t have that green button on the side of your blog. Nah-ah. Not one single bit. Having a successful blog doesn’t mean having features. It means being happy with what you are doing, and not what other people think. Success is personal, I believe, so don’t worry about what other people think. As long as you are happy, you are successful. If you do have success in getting a feature well done. Don’t be shy in sharing the news! I really dislike it when people let you know personally all the time, on small things though. Not only are you appearing boastful, you also appear like you don’t care that the other person may feel like they are a ‘failure’ (read on), because they haven’t had a ‘success story’ so far.

Numbers & Followers: On a similar note, numbers are not what’s important. In my eyes, if you have 10 followers, of which are high up people, or people who really support you, that is all that matters. It is way better than having hundreds of thousands of people who don’t even know who you are, but follow for a chance of getting a follow back, isn’t it? So don’t worry about the number, just think about the people who make up that number. It also doesn’t matter if one blogger has more than you, because once again, they may have hundreds of spam followers, and you may just have a few very special ones!

‘Failure’: Let’s just get this straight. There is NO such thing as failure. Just because you see another blogger with more followers or page views than you, it doesn’t mean you are a failure. If you have a week off or two and aren’t able to keep up blogging and tweeting, you are not a failure. Whatever, you are not a failure. You may feel that way, but you are not. Having a break simply means you have a life. Having lower followers simply means, well nothing, we just covered that. Just because your views go down for a few days, doesn’t mean you are a failure. YOU ARE HUMAN. YOU ARE NOT PERFECT. IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE A FAILURE. End of.

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of this series as much as you did the last one (Thank You!). I have another installment coming up when I get back from my break (Er, I’m such a failure! I can’t keep up with all the chats. Er, I suck.) See what I did there? 

I feel like I am being very nice to you guys recently. The Posh Fashion Awards where you won AMAZING prizes, Advertising on my blog to get exposure, and of course my upcoming give-away which I hope you will like. To be even more nice, I decided to publish a long awaited post about some of my favourite fashion blogs. Enjoy…

Alex from Bambella Blog:
I first came across Alex’s blog on Twitter I believe, and it was when her blog was fairly new. The blog is very simple, yet is has a lot of character, and I think if you can charm your readers without doing much at all, you are on the right track. My favourite posts on Alex’s blog, are her OOTDs, because they are so fun and the photos are amazing. I have met Alex once before (hopefully for a shopping trip soon too!) and she is super duper lovely. Every time I read her blog, it makes me smile because she is so honest. Alex also has YouTube where she posts the cutest videos ever, and I hope she uploads a new one soon!

Caroline from Burkatron:
I found Caroline’s blog through Instagram, and instantly fell in love. Her blog has a great mixture of content, from nail art to OOTDs to weekly favourites. The pictures are extremely clear and her fashion sense is so crisp and ‘swishy'(?!). I love the fact that even though Caroline does get sent things for review, you don’t feel like it is heavily based on reviews etc, which now-a-days is a very common thing. Caroline also does great DIYs so if you want a new crafty blog to read, this is the one for you.

Carrie from Wish Wish Wish:
I’m not quite sure how I found Carrie’s blog… I think maybe my sister recommended it, anyway, it doesn’t matter because I love it. The thing I really love is the pure mix of photography. They may not seem different, but I feel like each picture has a different character to them. I love Carrie’s simple tutorials, her travel guides, and just generally the whole feel of the blog. Every time she wears something, I feel like throwing it into my Christmas wish list. She’s bad for people like me with 0 pennies at the moment, but I seriously cannot resist peaking onto her blog everyday to see the new content. Also, she works at ASOS. Well-jell! (Oh dear… I never use that word…)

Olivia from What Olivia Did:
I think every blogger and their pets are inspired by Olivia’s graceful fashion sense. It’s so whimsical and retro, but she makes it look like anyone could work what she wears. Not only does Olivia do amazing OOTDs, she also does lifestyle posts, including a guide to the best burgers, oh yes, and her trip to Glastonbury this year, which I loved. Just like Carrie, I wish I had Olivia’s wardrobe. She is just so lovely, and I am proud to say that she follows me on Twitter. #fangirl

Natasha from Girl in The Lens:
Natasha’s blog is a recent find for me, but oh my, it’s a gooden. Her style is effortless and chic, yet simple and cute (wow, a lot of descriptive words there). The photography on Natasha’s blog is amazing, and I hope one day I am as skilled as her at editing etc. Her blog has a mix of posts including trend posts, posts on models, and of course the obligatory OOTD. I really do love her blog.

Lisette from Lisette Loves:
Where do I start. Hm. Let’s just start with the fact that I LOVE LISETTE. I probably sound like a creep, in fact I do, but I don’t care. I remember first stumbling across her blog and thinking it was sort of average, and leaving it to the back of my mind, then one day when I asked for links to face masks recipes, and her’s popped up, I did re-think, and decide that actually I truly love Lisette’s blog. Again, like Alex’s blog, it is very simple yet it has so much character to it. I talk to Lisette quite a lot on Twitter and she seems like the most loveliest person ever. And to put the cherry on top (of the milkshake she is drinking), Lisette also has YouTube which makes me love her even more. Lisette recently guest blogged for me, make sure to check it out on my main blog page.

Stephanie & Sam from A Wedding Dream:
As you can probably tell, Stephanie & Sam are getting married! Steph from Stephanie Dreams started the blog to collect all the ideas and memories in one place to share with the world and people like me who love gorgeous photography. On ‘A Wedding Dream’ you can find inspiration for weddings and also Steph & Sam’s engagement party pictures which are utterly adorable. If any of you can remember, I actually interviewed Stephanie absolutely yonks ago, here, so if you want to know more about her then head back to that old post!

Here are a few other blogs I absolutely adore: The Briar Rose Blog//The Life of A Fashion Nerd//Sarah Loves//Love Taza

I definitely think you should all go out and check out these amazing blogs. You may just find a gem which picks your fancy! Make sure to tell me your favourite blogs in the comments below!

(All images above are from the blogs. I have edited them for the use of this post, and I have permission from all the bloggers above.)

I’m so excited to publish this post! It’s the first OOTD with our new family camera! (Nikon D3200 FYI) I am really pleased with the outcome so far! We’re all still learning so that’s why they aren’t pro at the moment, but I hope you enjoy the new quality!

What I Wore: Sleeveless Top (River Island – 2 piece set), Gold & Multicolour Gem Necklace (eBay), Vintage Blue & White Striped Skirt €5.00 (Jumble Sale), Black Jelly Sandals €4.00 (Supermarket), Vintage Style Wayfarer Sunglasses (Claire’s), Gold Middle Finger Ring (Jumble Sale) & Bourjois Bleu Fabuleux.

I am literally in love with this outfit. It is so comfy and simple, yet I think it looks totally awesome. I recently bought this skirt from an old lady who said her mum made it for her in the 1950s. I added my new bargain sandals from the supermarket – aren’t I cool -, which are soooo comfy and a right bargain. The necklace is from eBay and you can find more information about them in this post here. If you’re wondering what bag I am carrying, it is in fact the camera bag. So blogger-y.

A couple of weeks ago, we went out to a tiny little music ‘festival’ near us which was going on in the evening. We had no idea what to expect, but what we did find was quite funny! The ‘festival’ was in 2 fields, 1 for cars and campers, and 1 for the food, skating ramps, and the stage. It was pretty scary walking in because most of the people there looked like they  were… most probably on drugs. It was like a tiny weeny version of Glastonbury with mostly hippies. It was quite a nice atmosphere though, with queues of people at the bar and some jamaican music on the stage. The lighting meant it was the perfect time to take pictures with the new camera, and of course a perfect opportunity to curl my hair for the first time in like for ever. I like them really loose by the way, that’s why my hair looks crazy!

I’m pretty darn impressed with the pictures we took on that night seeing as we didn’t know how to use all the snazzy settings that well. We even got some good bokeh shots in (camera knowledge), which I have been really keen to try out! We had a 50cent crepe each with lemon and sugar of course, a quick drink and that was us done! I believe there was going to be a circus act after we left, but to be honest, it wasn’t really our sort of place anyway, but it was a cool experience. I also guess it means I have been to a festival this year! Woop! Not quite Glastonbury, but it will do. I’m still on my 2 week break, but I will be back shortly! Speak soon guys, I miss you!

Hello everyone! Today’s guest post is by Lisette from Lisette Loves (one of my all time fave bloggers)! She’s put together a cute and simple DIY, so enjoy!

Today’s guest blog is from Adora Mehitabel. Adora is going to show you her best thrifty buys she has bought recently. Do make sure to check out her blog and enjoy!

Adora: I am a huge lover of thrifty buys, I do love a good bargain! I mix my thrifty buys with high street bargains, vintage & things I make. These are my top picks at the moment, they are mostly from carboot sales & some pieces from charity shops. I go to the carboot nearly every weekend, I normally come back with a bag full of treasures. I feel every piece is so unique & I get it dead cheap, and you wouldn’t even think they were 2nd hand after having a good wash. I really encourage you to try carbooting, see what you pick, you will seriously be so surprised! It is also a great way to recycle clothes instead of chucking them out. I would love to see what you get, send me your links.

Make sure to check out Adora’s blog. Her links are just here:
Adora Mehitabel Blog//Twitter//Facebook//BlogLovin’
I hope I have inspired you to go out and try a spot of thrifty shopping!

Last month’s advertiser Taylor from Somewhere Over The Runway is here to tell you her blogging tips and what her fashion sense is all about!

What inspired you to start your Blog?: I was inspired to start my blog as a new way to explore the fashion world and to give me something to do all summer!

Why did you choose Fashion as a topic?: I chose Fashion as a topic because Fashion is pretty much what interests me, and I wanted to be more involved in the fashion world.

What are you top tips on starting a Blog?: My top tips on starting a Blog are probably to be yourself, enjoy blogging, keep everything organized, and do different types of posts.

What are your Blogging Targets for this year?: At the end of this year, I’m hoping to have a more developed blog that is very unique and different from all the other Fashion/Beauty blogs!

Who are your favourite fellow bloggers?: My favorite blogs are probably Atlantic-Pacific, your blog, Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion, of course, That’s Zoe, and Take a Lovely Look.

What trend are you most looking forward to this summer?: My favorite summer trend so far has been peplums. I don’t really think this is a trend, but I’m always obsessed with polka-dots as well!

Where’s your favourite place to grab a bargain?: My favorite place to get a bargain is definitely Forever 21! Their items are surprisingly okay quality, but they have super-cute, trendy items for a very inexpensive price.

What’s your favourite beauty product you have ever bought?: My favorite beauty product is  the Maybelline BB Cream. It’s fabulous!

Who is your favourite beauty brand and why?: My favorite beauty brand is also Maybelline because it’s inexpensive but their makeup is good quality!

What’s your personal style and what do you do to work it?: My personal style is probably very girly or preppy but sometimes I like to wear kinda punk inspired items. (Like my Dr. Martens) It all really depends on my mood.

Make sure to check out Taylor’s blog by clicking the links:
Somewhere Over The Runway // Twitter // Instagram

I never really do sort of ‘update’ posts but I thought I’d do one for a change!
I’m actually not going to be blogging for 2 weeks! I’m not going anywhere, but I have family over and due to a certain exciting thing, I decided it would be a good time to take a little blogging break! Yes, I am stepping away from the keyboard and screen!

Yes.. I really did tuck in my laptop for a blog post! Moving onwards… As I said I am only having a break for 2 weeks so it won’t be too long, but it’s long enough for me to have some lovely guest bloggers writing for you! I’ve got some lovely people who I really trust with blog posts so don’t worry you won’t be missing out on much! I hope you enjoy what they have to say and of course make sure to follow them all!

If you are wondering why I am having a blog break, it is because, 1 – I have a very exciting thing happening in my family life (You’ll find out soon!), and 2 – I am not that happy with my blog at the moment. I know that sounds really negative, but in my head I am feeling a little bit… bored?! I feel like I am doing everything for somebody else and I am not putting ‘me’ into my posts. I know some people will say that, that is very big headed but being a blogger sometimes you do have to think about yourself for a change and not your readers, because obviously this is my blog. When I come back, I am hoping that I will be refreshed and ready to start blogging again and really enjoying what I do, and I hope you will enjoy my new ideas.

During the period I am away I won’t be completely offline so, if you want to contact me for anything for example a feature, or just simply you want to ask me a question, do not hesitate to email me: [email protected] or tweet me: @TollyDollyPosh If you want an urgent reply make sure you email instead of tweet as I am most likely to respond on that. You can also catch up with what I get up to on Instagram (tdposh).

I’m sorry this is a rather boring post, but I just wanted to let you know. Scheduled posts will start from this Thursday and will end on the 13th August, so I’ll see you then! Thanks so much for being amazing once again. It really does mean the world to me that you guys enjoy reading my blog even when I am not totally happy with it.