England When It Sizzles.

Well, that's it for another post series! I really enjoyed having some wonderful bloggers, that i love and admire, writing for me about they places they live and love.

If you missed it, don't forget to check out

London by Hannah

Southampton by Michelle

Sheffield by Alice

Cambridge by Jess

To finish this wonderful series, i thought i'd give my 2 cents on my favourite spots in the UK.

1. St. Ives, Cornwall

I absolutely love the Cornish Coast, i could spend forever there (well, that's a little bit of a lie as i'm definitely a city girl and would probably go stir crazy in the countryside!) but i love the calm atmosphere with that hint of a buzz. St. Ives is probably my favourite spot, come rain or shine. It's rambling streets house quaint little shops stuffed with handmade treasures and one of a kind pieces. The sea front is home to your classic chippy, an arcade and scrummy fudge shops (and the occasional candy floss stand, of course!) Make sure to be around when the fishermen come into dock to unload their latest stocks of fish, where you can be sure to spot some little eyes poking above the water belonging to an adorable family of seals, hoping for some escapee fish!

2. Southampton, Hampshire

Ah, Southampton, my destination of choice for University, this September. I cannot wait to get down there now, after multiple visits i fall in love even more each time. The electric atmosphere, with a mix 2 university's students, high class women, mutton dressed as lame, the teenage girls who are way beyond their years and the elderly generation who are there to keep the place at least a little grounded. There's no place like it, and it's even surpassed my love for the capital. West Quay shopping centre is jam packed with all your usual high street love, from a massive New Look to the obligatory H&M, from an upper end Karen Millen to your classic Toppers, you name it it's there. Oh, and don't worry just outside of West Quay is our very large Primark, like i said there are two Universities worth of students residing in Southampton, and they've got to shop somewhere! Don't forget to drop by the docks, for some gorgeous scenery and plenty of eateries.

3. York, Yorkshire

I city i have frequently visited (and will again this August) this beautiful City. Steeped in history, gorgeous architecture and quirky additions, it's got everything you could want from a city break. York Minster is set grandly in the centre of York, with it's Gothic presence soaring high above the city skyline. It's beauty can be seen for miles around, and can be appreciated by everyone; something so impressive cannot be skipped. My favourite evening pastime are the Ghost Walks (1, 2), hosted by an array of impressive characters. Winding through the entire city, you see things that you might not ordinarily see and as for the stories, they'll keep you awake for hours! The Shambles are the adorable shopping streets, crammed with tiny shops selling everything from antiques to handmade one offs. Keep your eyes open at all times, blink and you'll miss something in this city!

4. Birmingham, West Midlands

The little amount of time i've spent in this great city has already shown me the wonderful amenities it has to offer. I can't say anymore without shouting from the rooftops about the Bullring, the shopping is on a par with London, possibly even better as it was the first UK city to house a Forever 21! After visiting here for a University open day, i quickly realised that despite it's cosmopolitan city status i could never live there, it's just a bit too busy, for me (which is saying something!) However, i cannot praise Birmingham City University enough, if it hadn't been for Southampton Solent's course being so perfect, i would have been there in a shot! It's city centre is crammed with everything you could ever want, from the A-Z of shops to the multiple types of cuisine it houses!

I hope you've enjoyed this series and that it may have aided your Summer plans. There are still so many places i would love to visit, where do you live and what makes it one of a kind?

- K ox

Style Ideas #3

As, on Tuesday Me, my Mr & my Rents are travelling down to Cornwall, for a week, i thought i'd do this Style Ideas post on what i'm planning to take with me and wear, while i'm there. I'm really hoping that week isn't a total wash out, i can cope with cloud, i can kind of cope with cold but i just really don't want to spend my week cowering under an umbrella and head to toe in waterproof. (Not quite the look i'm going for.) So, this is what i'm packing;

Dress: H&M / Denim Jacket: Topshop / Belt: M&Co / Shoes: Topshop / Necklace: Miss Selfridge

When i picked up this dress as an impulse, i thought it was just your standard, basic jersey dress that i could lounge in or throw on when i didn't know what else to wear; well, as well as all that it fits perfectly and makes me feel brilliant! The skirt has a slight flare, which i love, that gives it real shape and some how it makes me look like i actually have some boobs which is always a plus! I have already tried pairing it with a denim jacket and it just seems to create such a laid back, edgy look which is what i was aiming for. I love how, despite it's girly silhouette, it's easily toughened up with the right accessories, as i am not your average girly girl. I have a real love for mustard yellow at the moment, and when i saw this belt in my local M&Co (which, incidentally, i thought was a one shop kinda deal but it has a website, who knew!) i fell in love a little bit, and paired with blues and turquoises it really makes it pop! As for the canvas type shoes, everyone needs a pair!

Trousers: Primark / Top: New Look / Jumper: New Look / Necklace: New Look / Scarf: Dorothy Perkins / Sandals: Dorothy Perkins

I adore these primark palazzo trousers, they are such a comfy fit and frankly i sorta feel like i'm wearing pyjamas, which is never a bad thing when you're still looking fabulous! Best of all, they're super long which i can never find and at primark prices you can't say no! I quite like this layered style, because of the wide leg of the trouser i wanted to keep the top more snuggly and layered, and definitely simple compared to the patterned bottom. I love the stone/amber/red colours against the blue.

Shorts: New Look / Blouse: New Look / Quilted Jacket: Topshop / Shoes: Topshop / Necklace: Lilac Rose

This outfit is a kinda staple for me, these vintage shorts have been paired with just about everything in my wardrobe and been worn for all sorts of occasions. As i said, i'm not really a girly girl so these vintage style shorts are a lovely alternative to a skirt but can be paired with some florals or something sheer to keep things feminine. I have a jacket identical to this from Tesco that was in the sale for £15, compared to this Topshop version that's something like £70 i'm pretty happy with my version (and it didn't burn a huge hole in my pocket!) This outfit may be quite simple, but i'm going through a faze of just wanting to wear things that are comfy but stylish and interesting at the same time, which is probably why i keep picking up basic pretty bits from H&M (as seen in outfits one and five.)

Dress: F&F at Tesco / Jacket: Dorothy Perkins / Belt: New Look / Shoes: Topshop / Necklace: Dorothy Perkins

I can honestly tell you that these £12 Jersey Tesco dresses are some of the comfiest dresses i have ever owned, and i love them! I bought it in these cute blue floral and a black with white dots, which can work with anything! This is not typically something i would automatically put together but having the time to look and think about it, i quite like this laid back style. The accessories are pretty sweet and girly but the denim jacket and the shoes keep it not boyish? but.. i can't think of the right word, but i'm sure you know what i mean!

Dress: H&M / Jumper: Topshop / Belt: New Look / Necklace: Topshop / Brogues: New Look

As soon as i saw this dress on Jennie's Blog, i knew i had to hunt it down. Like her, i love how easy it is to style and throw on the go but still look lovely! The colour is super gorgeous and the right tone for what i'm loving right now (with my oranges/corals/pinks/reds), so it fits nicely into my wardrobe. I've been eyeing up this Topshop jumper for a while, and haven't yet purchased it but i love the colours and the pattern too, i'll probably throw on my old faithful over this which is a Black Fur Shoulder number from Next last year, it's gorgeous and goes with everything - so easy to take away with me and throw on over everything when it's chilly. Seriously loving my knitwear at the moment, but going through a jumper, not cardi faze.. who knows why when it's supposed to Summer.. I've never been a huge fan of brogues, especially not brown ones but when i saw these on the New Look website i just thought they'd be comfy, hard wearing (for lots of walking), waterproof(ish) and also sort of summery! As for the accessories, i wanted them to be statement as the rest are basics, never go wrong with leopard print!

I can't wait to get away for a bit, think i'm getting a little stir crazy, so some space and fresh sea air will do me some good! Will be lovely to spend some time with my fam and Mr before i jet off to university, as well. As long as the weather isn't totally rubbish all week, it'll be lovely!

- K xo

Sheer

I am such a sucker for a sheer shirt at the moment, they seem to be accumulating in my wardrobe - i don't know, maybe they're breeding? (Or maybe i just need to stop buying them...) But they're so versatile and pretty, and go with everything! I love that i can style them with pretty much everything, tucked in to standing alone. Today, after a day of lunching with a friend wearing a cute jersey, dotty number from F&F at Tesco the weather was starting to become ridiculous with all it's rain and half hearted sunshine! So, i decided to change for running a few errands (and getting persuaded to help my mum with the Tesco shop!)

Shirt: New Look / Strap Top (Underneath): H&M / Jeans: Topshop Tall / Necklace: Miss Selfridge / Bracelets: Old & Miss Selfridge

I ummed and ahhed about purchasing this beauty for weeks, but finally just caved and bought it anyway. I love the colour, the style and how it's not too sheer, but just sheer enough to be totally on trend.

I have to say, i wasn't too sure what to pair it with (thanks to this ever changing weather) but decided to try this old H&M sale purchase, i'm still not sure i'm totally sold but it is quite sweet and adds a little interest. What do you think? (I later swapped this for a nude cardigan that seemed to make the shirt pop more!)

Here are a few details!

Rimmel Style Hunter & Black Cherries

Acorn: Claire's / Claw: Miss Selfridge

Walt Disney World / Glastonbury / Handmade at Beads in Ely / Miss Selfridge / Worry Beads from an Old Friend

I felt in a real accessorising mood today! I used to wear bracelets practically every day, piled up on my wrist but when i started getting more into art it was always a pain having to take them on before i get elbow deep in paint, so gradually started leaving them at home until it's 3 years on and never wear any! Not, however, until myself and Jenna made our friendship bracelets on a recent trip to Ely. And now, i'm quite enjoying having a little weight on my wrist! My favourite is a recent purchase from Miss Selfridge, in the sale, it matches my claw necklace - subtle matching there guys(!) but it's quite nice to have a few memories hanging from my arm too, like the bracelet inscribed "Nothing is impossible if you Believe!" that is practically a motto of Walt Disney World, but it's quite sweet and keeps me thinking positive, and of course my friendship style bracelet lasted me all the way through Glastonbury 2010, so it's gotta hang on for a while longer!

How is everyone feeling about this horrific weather? I hope you're all braving it for a fab Summer!

- K xo

Pink & Purple

Things are always go, go, go around here! Just the way i like, however. I am normally a really blues and neutrals kinda girl, but recently i've liked nothing more than a coral, an orange or a pink - so unlike me as i'm not a huge girly girl! As my working life draws to a close (my last day on Sunday after 4 years of working there!) I'm getting really antsy to be able to paint my nails again!! I'm not allowed to wear polished nails for work, as i often handle food and messy nails are never a good look when working with customers! So if i've had my nails painted for the week, i have to take it off on Saturday ready for work and, well, Saturdays seem to come 'round so fast there never seems any point in painting my nails again! So, i cannot wait to be able to have constantly painted nails - it's the little things! At the moment, i'm loving this micro trend of painting one, two or your ring finger (and equivalent on the other hand) a different colour to the rest. My favourite shades are pinks/corals/purples together, like my Pink Grapefruit/LOVE combo in this post. My current polish combination is Rimmel's Style Hunter & Black Cherries:

Getting ready for my polish filled days, i've been buying lots of new brands and colours to try out. In Superdrug, they sell a really cheap brand called 2true; the polishes were a minuscule £1.99 each, so i decided to buy two that i could wear together. I don't know how good they'll be, but at that price i'm willing to give them a go!

2true Fast Dry Colour Quick Nail Polish in Shade 5 & Shade 6

I've always seen the Oh My Gosh range in Superdrug, but never really taken notice, but when i saw this adorable packaging i just had to have one, and at £2.99 it wasn't to painful for the purse! Seeing as Rimmel seem to have decided that getting rid of my fave shade (Tangerine Queen) is a good idea, i've been looking for a good replacement so i decided to go for an orange tone:

Oh My Gosh Nail Lacquer in 012 Orange Splash

I had through my door, this morning, the new H&M Autumn Season 2011 Catalogue and it is to die for! When i read on all these lovely blogs that you all love the autumn season best to dress for, i always think "maybe i'm mad, i love the summer!" but when i riffled through this brochure it made me extremely excited for the season ahead! The mustards, the burgundies and the tans are drawing me in and don't even get me started on the knitwear! Here are my favourite picks for the new season:

1/2/3/4/5

As soon as i have some spare pennies that jacket is MINE.

Are you looking forward to Autumn, and sick of Summer already?

- K xo

England When It Sizzles: Cambridge.

This weeks post is all about my home city of Cambridge, here's Jess to fill you in on everything you need to know - and i mean everything, she's leaving nothing out!

Hello all, I’m Jess and from Cambridge. Here’s a little insight into why you should come here and all you need to know.

Kings College

First, yes, Cambridge is a University town and if you want to visit there are sometimes tours of the grounds at Kings etc but to be honest, they get a little mardy unless you visit in the peak summer season. The architecture of the colleges is beautiful as well as the churches and other general old school back streets of Cambridge.

So the main thing… SHOPPING! Here in Cambridge there are tons of places to go as it is spread over central Cambridge. First we have Cambridge town which has the Grand Arcade, the Parking is pricey so I would say use the Park and Ride bus into town. Grand Arcade has a range of shops, some a little pricey but some quite good. Highlights are John Lewis, which has everything, River Island, Topshop, Ted Baker, Thomas Sabo, upstairs is a nice Starbucks as well as some more expensive shops like Laura Ashley and Hobbs, where you can stand and admire the clothing that one day you'll be able to afford… (dreaming now!)

Grand Arcade

Merged into the Grand Arcade is Lion Yard that offers a massive New look, HMV, Pia Jewellery and Superdry. Then in main town there’s the things like Dorothy Perkins, a MASSSIVE new Cath Kidston, Zara, H&M, Gap as well as Office and a New shoe shop opening soon called Size?.

Also Town offers a couple of boutique stores such as Lilac Rose which sells beautiful clothes and jewellery at reasonable prices. On top of this there’s CallyCo which sells funky fabrics, for all you creative people! Also over in the Grafton Centre is Jemporium Vintage. A lovely little vintage store that sells genuine vintage dresses etc at reasonable prices as well as accessories such as bags and scarves. They have a great Facebook page too that you can check out to see some of the clothes!

The Grafton offers the good ol’ student gem of Primark, put where the old John Lewis was, so you can imagine the size of it, and it gives you everything! Also on the same street is little charity shops that, I have in my time, bought some gems of vinyl’s, clothes and even a fur coat last winter that cost me a fraction of the price of one in say Topshop. Talking of Topshop, there is a new Topshop opening in The Grafton Centre, Yes Cambridge will have two! There is also an Oasis, Debenhams, another massive New Look and H&M.

Well after a good shopping trip comes a snack or meal. My favourite place is Sticky Beaks, an independent shop that is great for foodies like me! All their stuff is made by them in their shop, which I love, and the food is divine. Many vegetarian options and lovely cakes will make you end up staying there for an afternoon! Its also rather peaceful as it's on a back street, set on the edge of town. Other places to eat are Costa Coffee, 2nd View Cafe in Waterstones and Starbucks, but if you want something bigger, then there's Nandos, Zizzi, Pizza Express, Prezzo, Bella Italia and The Gormet Burger Kitchen.

Sticky Beaks / Source

Just a 20 minute walk from town is the Cambridge Leisure Complex where you can catch a film at Cineworld, go Bowling or play pool and eat. There's another a Nandos, Pizza Hut, Frankies & Bennys, Chiquito and another Bella Italia as well as Subway and Tesco Express. There is also a Travelodge if you fancy an overnight stay.

So coming overnight...? NIGHTLIFE: Here in Cambridge, to be honest, we're kinda limited, but that's just because I’m going to Norwich for University and the Nightlife is insane there! So basically, to start either go to a pub, The Avery or The Emperor are rather good, The Emperor even offers a smoking area outside that’s decked out seaside style (imagine white and blue stripes, anchors and sand) or The Regal, which is where most people congregate before make their way to the bars and clubs.

The Regal

Clubs: Lola Lo has just opened, and from what i've heard is rather awesome! Another good place is Fez which offers indie/mash up/dub step stuff as well as Fat Poppadaddys on a Monday meaning cheap drinks! Don’t go to Ballare unless you want to get fat middle aged men dancing up you. Ewww. Then there’s Vodka Revs which offers toss the boss (flipping a coin, saying head or tails, if your right you get double the drink you’ve bought) and Plastique on a Thursday. This is the place to be on a Thursday to be honest as everyone goes there, so get in the queue early, and offers fresh music, great people to chat to and a in house photographer who uploads all the pics the next day to their Facebook page! Other bars include La Raza and Ta Bouche which are okay, but kinda pricey; more up market, mid 20’s kinda scene.

Lola Lo

Then there’s the taxi rank which is usually full, meaning you jump out of the club and into a taxi and home before you know it!

So I think that’s it really! Any questions, feel free!

Jess x

Don't forget to drop by Jess' blog to read more on her opinions and more - she's not one to be missed!

All words written by Jessica Long of I Don't Wear Fashion & Images all sourced from Google Images.

Style!

This is just a quick post to say that July's Style has finally come out and my name is IN PRINT! I'm so happy and excited, and proud of myself. It's so cool to see my piece in a magazine and my name in print. I'll also be in next months issue with my Gaga piece, which is even cooler!

If you're in the Cambridge area, Style is a free magazine you can pick up around Cambridge. My piece is on Zoe Lyons and the Cambridge Comedy Festival. Give it a read!

- K xo

LDN Cont.

So, i've spent the last couple of days in London with my friend Hayley. It was nice to spend more than a day in the capital, but it's always nice to come home from a super hectic, busy environment!

We decided on staying in a Travelodge for ease and price as we were almost in the centre of Covent Garden but at a seriously reasonable price (we did book way in advance though!) I was surprised at how lovely the hotel room was, as you can never be too sure with Travelodges - they can often be cold and in need of serious refurbishment, however the Covent Garden branch is currently undergoing restoration to do it up so i was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the room!

My first photo was of our toilet as i couldn't believe how flashy it was!

Our wonderful view (through a dirty window) of some ever so lovely council flats - ah London!

Once we got there, we decided our first day was going to be a standard London day, ambling down Oxford Street - the sun was shining, the tills were ringing; what more could a girl want!

I changed out of my skirt for said occasion as shopping is serious sport when you're in London, and there weren't no room for elbowing and/or kneeing in a skirt! So decided on this classic number with Vintage style shorts from New Look, Racer back top from H&M and Claw bead necklace from Miss Selfridge.

Before embarking on our adventure we decided we needed to fuel up, so went down one tube stop to Leicester Square and ate in Chiquitos; I'd always heard of it but never actually been there myself. I'm quite a fan of mexican so was quite excited to try it and was very glad that i did! For starters, we ate about 1ish and the place almost dead. There was only us and a couple already eating, but they soon left. The staff were friendly and attentive, but not pushy (however when we wanted to pay separately, and both with cash, our waitress became a little rude because she didn't have enough change for us - i don't see why a restaurant wouldn't have enough change but up until that point she was brilliant!) We both had a garlic bread/fajita type thing which was delish and you also get complimentary tortilla chips and dip which is lovely! I had a yummy sandwich type of thing filled with chicken and bacon and skin chips on the side which was sooo good, however extremely large so i couldn't finish it, but for £8.99 for two courses you couldn't go wrong! Drinks is where they make their money though as nearly £4 for a coke was pretty steep!

However, it was delicious and i would probably go again!

After a hard afternoon's shopping we retired to our room as we were totally knackered! So tired we couldn't even be bothered to go out for dinner, well actually we were so full form lunch we weren't even hungry until about 8! We decided it best to eat at the Travelodge as the prices were great they had scrummy, snuggly sofas to slouch in for a drink and a chat (I had the lasagne and it was made with green pasta sheets!)

On our shopping trip we had stopped off in a Boots as i'm becoming a bit of a make up fiend, an wanted some new bits. Seeing as 17 were giving a great offer of "buy two 17 products & get nail bar in a bag for free" i sort of gravitated towards the 17 stand! I'm already (sort of) in the know about 17 as i'm a huge fan of their Mirror Shine On Lipstick and wanted try some other products. I ended up going for the 17 Supreme Shine Polish in LOVE, another Mirror Shine on Lipstick in Flirtini as i have been coveting it for weeks (now i'm after Peace!), a Solo Eye Shadow in Rose Quartz and Nail Xtras Glitter Top Coat. I love all the items i purchased and in return i got the little Nail Bar in a Bag.

It contains: Lasting Fix Polish in Pink Grapefruit and Knockout Red, some leopard print heart shaped nail stickers and a mini leopard print emery board (perfect for tossing in your bag!)

I decided to test out some polish and went for the Supreme Shine in Love and the Lasting Fix in Pink Grapefruit, they go really well together and i'm really happy with the result! I have to say though that i am happier with the Supreme Shine as the Lasting Fix, despite it's name, seems to chip at the tips quite quickly. It's also a super thin polish so i ended up doing three coats - however, it does dry super fast so this isn't a huge problem!

I did used the same on my toes except tried out the Glitter Top Coat too, which is actually really cute! My only criticism would be that it seems to make the polish look quite matte but i still love the result.

On our second day we really didn't know what to do! We were so stumped. We ended up tubing out to Primrose Hill and strolling in that area but decided it wasn't really for us so walked through Regents Park and stood right at the top to stare out at a gloomy London skyline.

Long Story short and one Costa Fruit Cooler and one piece of Tiffin later we ended up in Piccadilly Circus, and then onto Trafalgar Square were we sat, people watched and caught on the latest fashion-news in Look & Grazia.

I had a lovely time with H but am glad to be home for some well deserved Zzz's. I hope you're all having good weeks! I'm off to catch up on all your blogs and chill out watching Peter Andre Here 2 Help on +1! Sleep well lovlies!

- K xo

p.s. Don't forget to drop by tomorrow for this weeks England When It Sizzles, when Jess will be filling you in on everything you need to know about Cambridge!