boden

I don’t think my life has ever been so manic… okay, maybe it has been but seriously, I’m launching a collection of socks with Mooi en Lief next week (EEEP!) and now, I’m off on a road trip to Italy! Yup! More deets here if ya’ wanna’ know…

~ ANDIAMO! ~

As you may know, I’m currently home schooled which allows me more time to do things like blogging and focus on things that I’m truly passionate about. It also means that I have time to travel, seeing as my “school” could move into a jungle if it really wanted (okay, maybe not), so as you can probably tell, I’m going off to Italy on a road trip!

You may have seen that I say I am in “UK & France”, because it’s kinda’ true. I’m back and forth quite a bit, and I think for now, it will more be “UK & Italy”. I think it’s going to be really exciting… I suppose I haven’t really been excited for the journey yet, but now I write this, I kinda’ am!

WHAT I WORE: Stripey Top (Johnnie B @ Boden)* // Leather Backpack (Dr Martens)*

I have been to Italy before (specifically Rome, Venice and Genoa) but that’s just a small percentage. It will be really interesting to see the difference between France and Italy, and even England! I think I’m most excited to try real pizza, I mean who wouldn’t be?!

It will also be my first experience of a campervan which I’m also ridiculously excited about! Even our furry little black cat friend, Paloma, will be joining us on our adventure. If you have any tips on travelling on long journeys with cats, do let us know! She’s been from the UK to France and didn’t make a single noise, so fingers crossed she’ll be fine!

This does also mean that all of my blog posts coming up are going to firstly be scheduled, but they’re also all going to be Mooi en Lief by Tolly Dolly Posh related. There will be give-away’s so you won’t be missing out on too much! I’ll also give you a break half way through with an ordinary post from yours truly!

Also, I’m really sorry for not doing the second instalment of Changing With The Seasons – Summer, but as you can tell, I just haven’t had the time! I’ll be back in October though…

Are you excited for the next few weeks to come? Leave a comment and we can chat when I get a spare moment. For now… andiamo! 

Over the Christmas period, I came up with a new series idea for this little ol’ blog, and I’m thinking you’re going to love it! It involves your favourite kind of post (aka. outfit/My Style), but first I need your help. Read on to see what I’m talking about…

The idea is, that I will take 1 item of clothing, (whether it be a top, skirt or even a faux fur gilet), and style it over the course of 8 months to go along with the seasons. I thought it would be a really cool idea not only to help you guys gain some style inspiration, but also for me to remember to shop my wardrobe from time to time and work out new and exciting ways to dress up. The schedule will work like this…

WINTER: January & February // SPRING: April & May // SUMMER: July & August // AUTUMN: October & November

So in all of the listed months, there will be an outfit styling the set item of clothing. What d’ya think? Are you game? This is the part where I need your help. I need YOU to vote for the item of clothing. Now, you haven’t got long to do this because I need to get the first installment up, so if you want to be part of this whole series, you’ll have to get your vote in super quick! All you have to do is scroll down and look at each item, think about which you would like me to style, (whether it be for inspiration or just for pretty pictures), and vote for the item of your choosing, using the button below it. The most voted for item will be styled 8 times… Simples!

Voting is now closed! Here’s the first installment.

A super simple piece which is super versatile and works well in lots of different styles. A safe option, but do you need some inspiration? Vote for it if you’re on a bit of a stripey top low. I love them, so I wouldn’t mind too much! It’s from Johnnie B at Boden*… but seeing as I own a couple of different ones, you may see slightly different ones throughout the series.

Voting is now closed! Here’s the first installment.

A skirt with something special! I’ve styled this before and it’s pretty darn cool. If you like pastels than I’d vote for this. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new, yeah? It’s from Marks & Spencer.

Voting is now closed! Here’s the first installment.

Another basic item but can be worked into so many different styles and vibes. I love this for grunge filled outfits. Perfect for the summer season… get voting! It’s from H&M.

Voting is now closed! Here’s the first installment.

A new addition to my wardrobe, so styling this up would be perfect for me! Love how fluffy and soft it is too… IT’S SO FLUFFY! If you like Despicable Me, vote in… I have minion socks to match! It’s from Choies.

So that’s it! Get voting! If you want to be the first to find out which item has been voted the most, then give me a follow on Twitter. The first Changing With The Seasons post will be up towards the end of the month! Exciting… speak soon!

(Although there is a PR sample within this post, the idea was totally original and I was not asked to include it. Read my full PR disclaimer here.)

~ 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.)

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…