General

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.

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)

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.

  LOCATION: Sirolo, IT  🇮🇹

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.

Hey you! I really hope your holiday has been going well and you’re excited to ring in the New Year this evening! Last year I rounded up some of my favourite blog posts, so today, I thought I’d do the same for 2015! You can check out last year’s round-up here, but for now… let’s take a look at the year of two-thousand-and-fifteen…

Please do let me know which blog posts have been your faves of 2015! I’d love to know in the comments 🙂 Happy New Year if we don’t speak again, I hope 2016 is filled with thousands of lovely memories once again! See you on the other side…

~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

This is just a quick little blog post to wish you all a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it, of course)! I hope that you all have a lovely few days relaxing and chilling out with your family and friends and spoiling them rotten with love and kisses (and presents if you really wanted to go that far… 😉🎁). I thought I’d give a quick mini Polaroid photo shoot a go for today’s post… it’s quite tricky getting the lighting perfect in each one, but I hope you like the idea!

If you’re not with friends or family this Christmas, go out in to your communities and share the love and spirit because that’s what it’s all about… and if you don’t celebrate, I really hope you’re having a lovely holiday nonetheless and are getting excited for the New Year! I’m 16 next year… crazy times, people! Crazy times.

Oh and just so you know, I’m once again wearing my beautiful New Look jumper* (I styled it up over here last Christmas), with a few accessories from the awesome Claire’s*. I’ll definitely be taking a few more silly snaps tomorrow… who knows, maybe Father Christmas will pop some more gorgeous items under my tree? 😏🎅 Who knows… *sigh*

Merry Christmas! Let me know what you’re getting up to and how you’re ringing in 2016, in the comments below… 

(This blog post contains PR samples but all opinions are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.)

So Christmas is now right around the corner (22 days people, 22 days!) so I thought it would be a perfect time to share some little gift ideas for those of you who are need that last bit of inspiration in the form of a Christmas gift guide. For some reason I’ve been really struggling this year – why are you so hard to buy for Papa Posh?! 🎅 Each set of gifts are inspired by my collection of socks with Mooi en Lief because I thought it would be quite fun to put together. According to The Telegraph Gift Guide 😉 socks are a great gift idea… Top Of The Pops magazine think so too; you can spot them on the wishlist page on January 20th 2016! Also, scroll on down for a give-away! 🎉

~ HOMO SUPERIOR ~

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For the Homo Superior pair of socks, I decided to stick with a very gold based colour palette as the yellow is more of a mustard tone so it works really well. Although the design is pretty fun, it’s also really versatile which means it works well with other prints and more simple items like this super cute Monki beanie from ASOS. The Vagabonds are the ones I wore in the Mooi en Lief by Tolly Dolly Posh lookbook, so if you know any big 70s fans, I’m sure they’ll love a pair of these as a treat (they’re on sale at the mo’ too).

There are also a few miscellaneous items like the Hunky Dory album by David Bowie which is actually one of the inspirations behind this pair of socks (hence the name – Homo Superior – from Oh You Pretty Things), as well as this super cute little Instax frame from Urban Outfitters (I’ve already put this on my own Christmas list!).

~ BLUE BOOTIN ~

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I’m not going to lie, this is probably a Tolly gift guide rather than just a general one because… I love every item. I think bold block prints always work well with either a contrasting colour or monochrome… it just seems to compliment these sorts of prints really well. I had to include at least one Skinnydip item in this gift guide as they have so many exciting pieces now… I mean, look at that ZAP bag?!

Speaking of bags, this awesome Dr Martens number is so beautiful. My black backpack has had so much wear already so I can definitely recommend their bags as much as their boots… who wouldn’t want Dr Martens under their tree, though?

I’ve also included some adorable stocking fillers like some holographic stickers, a book for budding photographers and a keyring incase the ZAP bag is a bit too much for your gift receiver.

~ CAMP BLANC ~

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I think when styling up primary colours, it’s best to stay within the primary colour spectrum, so that’s why for these socks I went with some red and blue pieces that compliment the socks really well. Plus, most people like reds and blues especially when it comes to winter and Christmas, so these gifts might be great options. There are quite a few stocking fillers listed too, if you’re looking for smaller gifts. Belts, hats, scarves, gloves and even socks, are great for simple gifts for friends when you’re really stuck for ideas – even if it does sound boring!

I’ve seen lots of these mittens now, going along with the 70s trend, and they look super cosy! Match them with a beanie and you’re good to go… you could even jazz it up with a matching floral crown (I’ve done this with floppy hats before – it magically transforms your hat!). Also for an extra touch of cosy – mugs and hot chocolate are always a great combo!

~ MOOI EN LIEF BY TOLLY DOLLY POSH ~

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I know, kind of cheeky for Electric Blue, but hey, if The Telegraph thinks these socks make a good gift, then you should too 😉 *cringe* The other reason for this part of the gift guide though is to introduce the give-away! I wanted to give you guys a bit of a Christmas treat this year so why not enter and win yourself some socks of your choice? Enter with the widget below! Good luck and… Merry Christmas! 🎅

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules + T&Cs: This give-away is open worldwide and will close on the 17th December 2015. The prize will be sent out by Mooi en Lief and the winner will be chosen randomly. You must enter all/as many as possible entries into the Rafflecopter widget above. The prize is one pair of #MooiEnLiefbyTDP socks of your choice.

What do you think of my Christmas gift guide? Has it given you any ideas for your friends and family? Let me know in the comments… make sure you enter the give-away too!

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… 🎃👻💀

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

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 for the rather boring title of this post but I really had no other ideas on how to describe this one! The thing is, I’m in a bit of a pickle… well, not literally; my head is not inside a small chunk of gherkin (although do feel free to imagine that scenario)… I’m just in a bit of a puzzle about blogging… once again, not literally, but do feel free to imagine that as well!

~ OOH, AN UPDATE ~

The weird thing is, a few weeks ago I was actually rather stressed about my blog and I was panicking over pleasing brands and not cramming too much in… and now I’m at the complete opposite end of the scale.

I’m not having a “blogger’s block” but I’m completely dried up. I’ve been busy with my offline life and suddenly my online one feels a bit deserted. My blog schedule has been empty and when I go to write a post, the idea has gone and the motivation has been used for something else.

I strive to make this blog interesting… I know that it has the capability to develop even more so I have to have 100% concentration, and right now I don’t. I’m one of those people who gets stuck in ruts very quickly and it’s a real shame because I have definitely not given up or anything like that.

WHAT I WORE: Crochet Top (Jumble Sale) // Zebra Top (Jumble Sale) // Necklace (Chelsea Doll) // Bun Crown (DIY)

I believe one of the main reasons I’ve been quiet is because of the very exciting thing that is, Mooi en Lief by TDP. It’s all coming together and I know that once it’s off the ground I’m going to be full of energy again. It’s like watching a big wave come towards you. You know it’s coming but when the water crashes, you realise that you rather underestimated the size of it. I guess I just really don’t want that to happen.

I’m a perfectionist too, so I always like to make sure what I do is tip-top-a-roo, and letting down people can really make me feel rather paranoid. So, I suppose this is me saying to you that you should just hold your breath whilst this wave comes because I promise you it’ll be worth the wait… does that make any sense at all?!

Here’s to the next month or more and this blog taking on new and exciting adventures. Sometimes it’s nice to take a breather even if it’s unexpected, hey? …seriously, I have genuinely know idea if any of this made a single bit of sense!

…also, here’s to new profile pictures! Cheers 😉

I thought it would be a good time to write up a new blogging advice post! It’s been a nice gap since the last one (which you can read here), so here we are again! This post is about dealing with something I personally deal with quite a bit and that is when a blog post goes wrong, or at least when it doesn’t go according to plan. It’s a really irritating situation so I thought it would be good to help out those of you who also suffer with the same thing. Let’s do this!

Don’t get in a fluster…

One of the biggest things I struggle with in this situation is getting stressed. When I have a perfect vision of how a blog post should be, I can get quite irritated with myself (and other people…) when it doesn’t go to plan. The best thing to do is to step back and think. Take yourself out of the situation and re-evaluate what you’re doing! This leads me onto the next step…

Put yourself in a different mindset…

Just like I said above, you need to think. Stop and think about how you could do things differently. Let’s say you’re taking outfit pictures; Is it the background that looks odd? Do you need to add an extra accessory to balance everything out? Do you simply need to tweak some settings on your camera?

Simple thoughts like this can help you decide whether the blog post has really gone wrong. Most of the time it’s just one small detail that’s out of place, so just ask yourself a few of those sorts of questions.

Change what you’re trying to achieve…

It might sound weird but the main problem may just be what you’re trying to achieve. Let’s say this time that you’re taking pictures of your favourite shoes and you might be wearing them on your feet in the pictures, and it just isn’t working; Why not include them in outfit grids instead? Pop them on a plain floor and do different outfits! Or maybe try and achieve a cool, abstract photoshoot by putting them on your hands and editing the way it’s put together.

It sounds weird but just changing the main look and feel of a post can totally shift how you’re feeling about it. It might not be the way you had imagined it to work out, but it might just be the way that works out best.

If nothing seems to be going right, don’t waste what you’ve already done…

I know the temptation of wanting to delete all of the pictures and throw away all of the notes you had already drafted up, but don’t! When it all seems to be going wrong, what you’ve done so far might be perfect for something else. Let’s take this blog post for example! You see these pictures I’ve used? Well, I didn’t get enough of them to make them into a full outfit post (you can see that here… different location!) but I kept the ones I had, and now they’re here!

Don’t waste good work, even if it doesn’t seem good enough in the moment. Keep those ideas, pictures and notes close by, to transform them into something else that is completely different altogether.

If you’re feeling under pressure, STOP!

Last but not least, if you really can’t help but get flustered, stop. It might just be that you’re rushing the idea, or it just wasn’t meant to be! Recently I was planning a blog post and because I was working with brands on it, I really got myself stressed over it not turning out perfect, so I ended up turning it into something I can manage; I took it from one great big post and chopped it up into a series (*cough* I mean my Fast Food Fashion outfit *cough*).

I really hoped this helped some of you! If it did, please make sure to leave a comment below! They’re now non-Disqus so you can leave one whenever and whoever you are! I’d love to know what you thought of these tips.

I like to draw. I like to create and I really like to illustrate. I also love floral crowns and I kinda’ like fashion bloggers too, so I guess if you mix all of those things together, you get a pretty cool combination. So today, I’m sharing the outcome of that pretty cool combination in this ‘floral crowns and fashion bloggers’ illustration series… ooh yeah…

~ CARRIE: WISHWISHWISH.NET ~

This is probably my favourite of the three I completed (well 4, I did actually draw the darling Liv Purvis but unfortunately I wasn’t 100% happy with it) as it’s just so pretty. This is probably one of my favourite pictures of Carrie ever (I mean to be fair most of her pictures are absolutely stunning), so I knew I had to transform it into my very own piece of artwork. I’m pretty fond of the bone structure (never thought I would every say that in a blog post!) I managed to produce and the glossiness of Carrie’s eyes… okay this is getting weird, but I do really love this one… although, it does make me sad that I don’t have the dress she’s wearing, I wanted it for such a long time!

~ KAILEY: MERMAIDENS.BLOGSPOT.COM ~

This is the first illustration I completed so you may have already seen it on my Twitter/Facebook/Instagram! It’s a slightly different style to the other two but it doesn’t matter because I think it portrayed Kailey’s pastel perfect hair and make-up really well! This picture is from a self-portrait Kailey did recently and it really does sums up who she is, which I love. I’ve seen other people’s illustrations of this picture too so it’s super inspiring to see the different techniques that are used.

~ EMILY: EMILYJANE.TYPEPAD.COM ~

I couldn’t leave out the teen bloggers of the world so I scoured back through my favourites and found this photograph of Emily and started work on it immediately! Although there are a few imperfections here and there, I’m really happy with this one too (that’s about the 1,164,912,301,923th time I’ve said that isn’t it?). I especially like how the floral crown worked out.  I also love Emily’s pose in this… it’s so fun and it makes me so envious of her Instax camera…!

I hope you enjoyed this mini set of floral crowns and fashion bloggers! I’m really happy with these and was actually kinda’ contemplating setting them up for sale (if the lovely ladies allowed me) but for now I’ll pin them up in my room and appreciate their amazing talents which I enjoy reading on a daily basis! 🙂

I am really really excited (and kinda’ freaked out) to say that my blog has turned 3 today! 3 years old. Wow. I seriously find that absolutely mad to think about. I honestly cannot thank you enough for supporting me for this long and giving me so many amazing opportunities, it’s been an awesome experience. You may remember last year on this very same day, I put up a post answering the question, ‘Why Do I Blog?‘, so this year I thought I’d answer ‘How Do I Blog?’. To celebrate my 619th blog post and 1095 days of Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion, here’s a little insight into my creative process… (excuse the messy/curly hair by the way… curls just don’t work with me!)…

~ STEP 1 – THE INSPIRATION ~

The first place I go to for blogging inspiration when I’m a bit of a rut is magazines. I find them really inspiring to flick through. Back in the day I used to love Company Magazine (as most of my posts were celebrity style etc etc) but now-a-days I love more photographic and editorial magazines like VOGUE, Glamour and more recently, Wonderland.

I also love to scroll through places like Business of Fashion and Pinterest because you can find some really interesting articles and just one idea or thought can spiral into hundreds (okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration) of others.

TOP TIP: Put on some headphones, listen to some music which you love and flick through your favourite magazine. I always end up in a different mindset for new ideas after the album/playlist ends.

~ STEP 2 – JOTTING & DRAFTING ~

Next up is to get jotting down notes. I find it super helpful to have everything planned out before hand, especially if I’m taking pictures. I don’t usually do this for wishlists or the actual writing (although, I do, do that for long, chatty posts… like this one!) but either way, I would definitely recommend this if you’re also a blogger.

I have a notepad for this and some pens specifically set aside but if you’re an online-tech-obsessive then I recommend Evernote. I didn’t actually use a notepad for this post but I in fact used the web app for Evernote and thoroughly enjoyed typing it out. When I haven’t taken my pictures, I usually prefer to do it out of my actual blog so it’s free of the frills and extra bits and bobs that is behind the scenes usually.

TOP TIP: Have a notebook set aside just for your blog. Label everything clearly and fold down pages when you’ve published a post you’ve written down. It’s such a handy and easy way to stay organised.

~ STEP 3: PHOTOGRAPHY ~

These days I would say a good 90% of my blog posts have photographs I have taken myself included within them, so my 3rd step is to get ‘shooting’ (I have to say, I feel most bloggers use this term just to sound a bit more fancy… “Ooh, I’m off to shoot an outfit post…”). As most of you will know, Papa Posh (my dad), usually takes all of my outfit posts, but if I’m not in the picture, then I’m sure to be behind the lens. I will say though that most of these pictures and my prom outfit post were mainly taken by my big bro!

I use the Nikon D3200 with my trusty 35mm f/1.8 DX lens (Phyllis is her name), and they’re a nifty little combo. A few other items in my ‘kit’ are an IKEA side table – it’s perfect for taking pictures of things like my scrapbook –, a set of 2 soft box lights – great for when I sometimes dabble in YouTube and for photos I take inside – a white wall – for posing in front of – and a very large memory card.

TOP TIP: For outfits, read what my dad has learnt whilst taking my pictures, and for other sorts of pictures, just remember to have clear daylight… not too bright, no harsh shadows and not too much clutter… unless you want that kinda’ look!

So the weather deceived me. It was all sunny and “You can just wear a jacket today Tolly”, and now it’s gloomy and rainy, which means I couldn’t take any outfit pictures, boo! Knowing my luck it will get sunny again just as I pop this up, but oh well! Instead, I’ve decided to do a few outfits in a slightly different way. You may have seen these ‘outfit grid’ Instagram snaps, or those ‘flat lay outfits’ before, so today I’m gonna’ give that a go! This is a few ideas on how to style jeans and a top! Sorry if these are a bit too summery for your liking, I’m just feeling colourful so I needed to express it! Roll on the sunshine!

OUTFIT #1

Mom Jeans (Jumble Sale) // Whatever Top (Adolescent Clothing)* // Faux Fur Backpack (George at ASDA) // Vagabond Dioon (Mastershoe)* // Blue Floral Sunglasses (ASOS)

The first outfit is one I made up just before falling asleep… just like most of my ideas (darn it!). I love the whole preppy kinda’ thing, so this is the perfect casual jean + top combo’ for me. Soft grays, whites and pastel blues compliment each other so nicely, and inject that hint of colour. I’d say this is the perfect way to experiment with your wardrobe if you like a comfy and minimal look. Statement tops are also a perfect way to inject a bit of fun!

OUTFIT #2

Mom Jeans (Jumble Sale) // Whatever Top (Adolescent Clothing)* // Pink Tweed Jacket (Jumble Sale) // Metallic Lace Up Flats (New Look)* // Novelty Donut Clutch (New Look) // Blue Floral Sunglasses (ASOS)

I think a jacket can really pull together and outfit and my pink tweed jacket is the one for me! I love how the colours all merge together and add to the casual combo, but the metallic of the shoes add that something special. I can also announce that I am indeed the proud owner of that donut clutch from New Look. How cool is it though? SO. COOL.

OUTFIT #3

 Mom Jeans (Jumble Sale) // Whatever Top (Adolescent Clothing)* // Pastel Purple Faux Fur Gilet (Choies) // Johnny Loves Rosie Floral Headband (ASOS) // Vagabond Dioon (Mastershoe)* // Clear Sunglasses (Topshop)

Last but certainly not least, this purple and pastel number. I love this! I definitely need to wear this as the weather gets better. The faux fur adds a twist of texture, and the floral headband is super cute! I’ve had my eye on it for ages, so when it went down to less than £5, I couldn’t resist! My favourite pair of sunglasses make an appearance too; they’re perfect with any outfit because they’re clear, meaning they don’t not match anything!

So there we have it! What did you think? Let me know if you want me to do anymore posts like this, as it was quite fun to put together! I’d be happy to 🙂 Just to let you know that my next post will be the start of my 2nd ever London Fashion Blog Week as I’m super busy next week, so they’ll be going up every other day for you! Speak soon 🙂