O&FOTD Valentines Edition

Dress: Topshop | Belt: Vintage | Necklace: Topshop | Scarf: H&M | Cardigan: H&M | Shoes: Topshop | Bracelets: LilyLovesLola & Miss Selfridge

This was my outfit for our Friday date to Bella Italia, and sadly this dress doesn't fit as perfectly as when i first bought it back in August but it's so beautiful, i couldn't help but give it it's debut outing.

It's nice to dress up, sometimes, but the best thing about this outfit was that i felt i'd made an effort but i wasn't too dressy. This belt i've, now had, for a few years and it honestly goes with everything. Until i picked up this belt, at a clothes swap, i was sorting after the holy grail of waist belts. This little beauty has seen me through numerous size changes and is still going strong. I thought i'd give my new necklace another outing, too. I've been uming and ahing over it for so long, but after a crappy week at University i thought i'd treat myself, and i'm so glad i did. It's a lovely statement piece and jazzes up not only evening outfits but daytime ensembles too.

Oh, how i've missed these little pumps! I've had them for such a long time that they probably should be nearing the end of their life (my mother definitely thinks they died a long time ago!) as they've been glued one too many times and the glitter is slowly fading, but i still love them as much as the first day i bought them home, so they'll keep a special place in my heart!

Eyeshadow: 17 in Statuesque | Mascara (Upper): Soap & Glory Thick & Fast | Eyeliner: Barry M Kohl Pencil in 11 | Mascara (Lower): Collection 2000 Extreme Coloured Lengthening Mascara in 1 Black | Concealer: 17 Hide Away Concealer Cream in Fair | Under Eye Corrector: 17 Even Tone Corrector Stick | Under Eye Concealer: Revlon ColorStay Under Eye Concealer in 02 Light | Lipstick: Avon Ultra Colour Rice Lipstick in Sparkling Warm Rose

This is my face FOTD, here, on Legs Eleven! I don't think it'll ever be a regular thing as i tend to stick to the same things all the time, i'm not quite a Sprinkle of Glitter, just yet! But i thought it'd be nice to show you what i use on my face. This is what i use when i'm going somewhere a little fancier, or when i want to dress up my mug and i, really, use the same thing day-to-day, minus the eyeshadow and alternative lip products, usually balm but this is my favourite go-to daytime lip colour too. I'm after a lovely champagne coloured shadow, so if anyone has any recommendations they're more than welcome!

Well, here's to my Valentine for another year! Hope you all had lovely weekends.

K|xo

Valentines Escapades

So, this year me and the Mr decided to do Valentines the weekend after the actual date due to prior engagements and all the pressure from the actual day; everything's busier, pricier and full of love sick couples! Here are some snippets & bippets of the weekend, i was having far too much fun to remember to take too many!

A BBs Hot Chocolate waiting for the Mr | Valentines Cupcakes baked by his own, fair hand | My gift for him | The Mr enjoying his gift | From a Secret Admirer (Or one of the Mr's housemates!) | Valentines Krispey Kremes | Strawberry Gloss, Strawberries & Kreme, Lemon Meringue | My Strawberry Gloss | Beautiful Skies | Pre Roast | Post Roast | Cooked for me by my wonderful boy! | Take Me Out & My Mr

The Weekend turned out to be the best in a very long time; full of fun and good, old fashioned chat. It was practically a date that lasted the whole of the weekend, which was lovely as we're both so busy and skint that we don't really get the time to do date nights, as often as we'd like.

Friday started off with the exchanging of gifts, and cards, which is when i received my delicious Chocolate Orange cupcakes baked by lovely Mr! I wasn't expecting such thought and was pleasantly surprised, they are were delicious! The Mr had booked us a table for the evening at, my favourite, Bella Italia; maybe a little mainstream for some but the food is delicious and it's reasonably priced - what is there to dislike?! We also got gifted a gift card for Bella Italia, for Christmas, from my parents so it was lovely to pay rather less than usual. I had my usual Carne Mista Pizza, with added chicken; it's packed with meat which is right up my street and it has a beautiful thin, crispy base - my favourite! We had red wine and a one night only White Chocolate and Lemon Cheesecake for dessert (two spoons), so we really went to town; very unusual for us, but it's lovely to splash out occasionally! Our evening was spent relaxing and mourning our food-babies, before collapsing in bed through exhaustion (being a student isn't all it's cracked up to be!)

Our Saturday morning was spent lazing before realising we'd miss our cinema date if we didn't get up sharpish, so within an hour we were up and ready to face the day! Before our ten past one showing of The Vow at Southampton's Odeon, we popped to Asda to get some cinema snacks but, of course, we still had the obligatory popcorn, to share, and i entertained a Tango Iceblast which reminded me of October half terms at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The Vow was a real chick flick, so i was thankful for the Mr seeing it with me but it ended up being a tear jerker, right from the start! It was quite a frustrating film and i'm not sure that i'd buy it on DVD, but i'm glad to have seen it, none the less. While walking back to the bus stop, we took a diversion through West Quay, which just happens to be the home of Southampton's Krispey Kreme. The Mr was wonderful and offered to treat me, so we decided on the Strawberry Gloss for me, the Strawberries and Kreme for him and the Lemon Meringue to share, and they were delicious! I don't know why we don't have them more often, they're quite reasonably priced. Our day was topped off with a beautiful roast, cooked from scratch by the Mr, which was utterly delicious and some Take Me Out. Just before bed we played some Skyrim (our favourite pastime) before conking out, yet again, because we are an old married couple.

Sunday was super lazy day, barely getting out of bed before 12 but it just topped off everything off perfectly. I was truly spoilt over the weekend, and i fell in love a little bit all over again. I'm one lucky gal, ladies and gents!

How did you all spend your Valentines?

K|xo

Ahoy, Sailor!

Shorts: New Look | Top: H&M | Pendant: Miss Selfridge | Tights: Primark | Bracelets: Homemade/WDW/Miss Selfridge/LilyLovesLola

I'm back, and bold, with another nautical number! These gorgeous blue shorts were another buy from my sales adventure, in New Look, and were also a total bargain. They fit like a dream; not too short, not too long, and sit perfectly on the waist. They're also a lovely blue, i was a little worried when i tried them on that they'd be a little dark and would make me feel a little gloomy but i'm going to blame the bad changing room lighting because actually they're the perfect navy blue. The top was an (sort of) impulse buy from H&M when i took a little trip into Cambridge, with the Mr, before i returned to Southampton. I originally went in for a long sleeve black top, because my navy blue one wasn't quite cutting it and i was beginning to wear it with things it really didn't go with, because it was my only option.. Not good, but now i have a black one to pair with things that blue doesn't go with. Anyway, i picked this little 3/4 number on the way to said black top and just couldn't put it down. I originally picked it up in a small, but when i looked at, while queueing, it still seemed a little big (i'm usually a medium) so ended up getting the extra small which is perfect. I've had jumpers from h&m, that are oversized, before and also had to choose the extra small so i guess it all depends on how you like your fit. I just love the stripes as they're a little different to your usual one stripe tops, gives my otherwise dark outfit a little more bright!

K|xo

Preparing For Paris

(Image sourced from We Heart It)

Paris is just under two weeks away and although i'll have plenty of excursions and activities to do, with my course, i thought i'd be a good idea to fill you all on the sights and sounds of the beautiful French capital.

I'm lucky enough to be in Paris while the infamous Paris Fashion Week is in full swing, now i'm not expecting to be frow at the Lanvin show or back stage rubbing shoulders with Gisele Bundchen but when Fashion Week's in town, the streets of Paris become their very own runway with industry professionals and the fashion forward, alike, coming out of the woodwork to get discovered as fashion's most wanted.

If you're not one for battling the crowds for a look at this months hottest Parisian celebs, why not spend your time touring the rest of this romantic city. There's so much to see and do that you'll never have enough time to see it all, but here's my rundown of some of the top sights to see.

Three of the best ways to see as much of this beautiful city as possible are by Bus, by Foot and by Boat. You've probably seen in some of the UK's biggest cities but Citysightseeing can also be found in Paris. For just €26, for two days, you can run (or drive) circles around this historical city, hopping off and on as much as you like. Make sure to sit up on the top deck, weather permitting, to spot all the best sights from Notre Dame to the Champs-Elysees. Paris also offers hundreds of walking tours with several companies and routes to choose from, so there's something for everyone, just remember to wear your comfortable shoes as a lot of ground will be covered! Last but not least, why not take a boat down the Seine to see some of the best tourist attractions, minus the crowds; from the Seine you can spot the Louvre, The Eiffel Tower and St-Germain-Des-Pres to name a few. Why not take the tour at night to really see the city in all it's lit up glory.

An attraction that's often overlooked is 'The Man in the Wall' situated in the Montmartre district , also the home of the Sacre-Coeur, which is a sculptural tribute to Writer Ayme known as the 'the man who could walk through walls'. It's neither classic Parisian or new in appearance, but classic in build so a beautiful work of art non-the-less. As it's known by the locals, but not by many others this a lovely walk and attraction to view if you want some time away from the hustle and bustle of busy Paris.

Cathédrale Notre Dame De Paris is a well known attraction and may be best known for being the backdrop to Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Tom Hulce and Demi Moore. Known as the religious centre of this great city, the site has had four places of worship built there before Notre Dame was erected. Sadly, it wasn't until writer Victor Hugo wrote his book "Notre Dame de Paris" that the people of Paris started to realise that this great building was worth restoring, in the 19th Century and took 20 years to complete.

You're full of sightseeing and want something a little more relaxing? Take some time out to shop in one of Paris' best kept secrets. If you're one for buyers remorse, fear not! Why not take a trip to Merci, at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 3rd Arrondissement, the store that offers a huge variation; from YSL to local designers, everything to please the browsers and serious shoppers alike. The best things about Merci is all profits are given to organisations fighting poverty among children, especially in Madagascar. So, why not spend your pennies where you never have a reason to feel bad for shopping.

Amongst all this sightseeing, and shopping, you're going to want a break so you should definitely head on over to Laduree for one of their infamous macaroons. The do sell many other items, and delicious delicacies, but the macaroon is sure to be their best seller.

Last but by no means least, you surely can't go to Paris without visiting Disneyland! With two parks and their own hotel, there's plenty to see, do, eat and even somewhere to lay your head after a hard days work play. Many people only come to Paris for this reason, alone, so there must be something good about it...

What are your favourite things about Paris?

K|xo

Parisian Style

(Image sourced from We Heart It)

So, as i told you in my update post i'm going to Paris with my University course, right at the beginning of March, which i'm super excited about! We're going for 4 days, so it's enough time to get some exciting things done but too long to take away from other University work, or anything else. I thought it'd be a great idea to do a post about possible outfit styles for Paris, for my own sake and for yours! This trip is going to be full of opportunities so i want to dress smartly but nothing too formal, a little bit different and full of personality. I'm not going out to buy anything new for the trip, so will be going through my current wardrobe to put outfits together but i've put ensembles together that i know i can easily put together with things that i already own.

Topshop Tall Iris Floral Playsuit: £46 | Topshop Traditional Biker Jacket: £150 | New Look Coral Slip On Suedette Loafer: £15.99

Like i said, i think it's nice to dress smartly but nothing too formal and i think playsuits are a lovely way to do that. They can often be quite tailored, but are also really easy to wear and insanely comfortable; i, personally, love Topshop playsuits! On it's own, it could seem a little formal but pair it with some super bright loafers and a leather jacket, and you've got yourself a comfortable go-to outfit!

New Look Block Striped Top: £7.99 | Topshop Skater Skirt: £15 | New Look Feather Print Oversized Scarf: £7.99 | Miss Selfridge Black Stud Slipper: £25

I think this is one of those easy chic styles; easy to throw on and completely comfortable. We all know the skater style has been raging on the High Street for the past few months, and it's nice to say it'll be taking us on into Spring too. It's an incredibly flattering fit, and style, nipping you in at the smallest part of your waist and flaring out to create a beautiful figure, and shape, so this classic black number will take your from work to play and day to night, in one fell swoop. Pair it with an easy to wear striped, or patterned, top; nothing too casual (no t-shirts!) but something that's classy but casual. It's all about comfort and style!

Topshop Tall Velvet Flippy Tunic: £30 | Topshop Burgundy Heavy Weight Legging: £18 | New Look Black Suede Strappy Chelsea Boot: £30 | Miss Selfridge Gold Arrow Head Pendant: £6.50

Again, the skater style is so classic and chic, that it can take you to all sorts of occasions with how you dress it up (or down!) I adore this dress and is a recent purchase of mine, shown how to style in this post, so i thought i'd take some of my own advice and jazz up this beauty with some colourful leggings. You don't need to much else, with an outfit like this because you've got beautiful textures to work with, so a simple aztec style pendant and some simple black boots make it for a comfortable day time number.

Everyone is different, but this trip isn't just going to be your average sightseeing jolly, so i definitely want to dress comfortably but smartly, which tends to be style of dress usually, so nothing really has to change. What would you wear to Paris?

K|xo

Leopard On Leopard

I always forget how much i love my jeans, until put them on. In my head, i consider them to be dull and uncomfortable but when i put them they're flattering and easy to create a comfortable, chic outfit without all the effort. These Topshop Baxters were the first proper pair of jeans i bought and i've had them for goodness knows how long. At £40, plus, a pop they're pretty pricey but for such good, long lasting denim in a 36" leg, i'll take them!

This was just a comfortable go-to outfit for travelling to the Mr's, including a ridiculous walk to town (well, it is when you layer up because you think it's freezing but work up a sweat on the walk there!) and a 15 minute bus journey, across Southampton. We spent the rest of the day chilling out because the weather decided to take a turn for the worst and rain, then hail, and then pour with rain again until it decided it'd rather be sunny, by which point we couldn't be bothered to do anything, but that's what days off are for.

Jeans: Topshop Tall | Top: F&F at Tesco | Cardigan: H&M | Scarf: H&M | Chelsea Boots: River Island | Pendant: Miss Selfridge

I adore these chelsea boots, i bought from River Island, but i haven't been able to wear them until now because they came with the worst grip on the soles, and that's a real pet peeve of mine! What's the point of selling a Winter boot, that at the first sign of ice, or rain, you sleep all over the place making a fool of yourself? Ridiculous. So, i make a point to get them re-soled and re-heeled, and this is the second pair of boots i've had to do it with but it makes for peace of mind and much easier walking.

K|xo

Happy February 14th!

K|xo

(Images Sourced from WeHeartIt)

Navajo Chic

Another outfit post, for the weekend! After deciding to write about Boho and Navajo styles for my Spring prediction piece, for Motel this month, i remembered this cute tunic that i bought i very long time ago in the New Look sale. I purchased it on my only trip to Bluewater, from one of NL's concessions, i believe called Apricot. Every time i have one of my Spring cleans, and get rid of clothes that i don't wear, and no longer like, i land on this and can't bring myself to throw it out because i think it's really sweet, but difficult to wear.

Tunic: Apricot via New Look | Jeggings: Topshop | Long Sleeve Top: H&M | Wedges: Primark | Pendant: Miss Selfridge | Bracelets: LilyLovesLola/Glastonbury/Homemade/Miss Selfridge | Nail Polish: Models Own Champagne

I decided to pair it with some deep indigo jeggings and a classic long sleeve black top, for an easy, comfortable outfit merely for going to a two hour seminar at Uni. I love it's sweet little pockets and fairisle style print along the hem and 3/4 length bell sleeves, perfect for just being cosy on these chilly Spring days!

When these wedges last featured in my Date Night post, i didn't really get to show them off. They're insanely comfortable for a Primark shoe, and are really cute for Winter dates and and for jazzing up a daytime outfit. I love the suede style, and the fur all around the ankle and the tongue, making them super Wintery but perfect for those chilly Spring day, and nights.

K|xo

Sweetheart Stripes

I am a serious lover of the ever returning 'Nautical' trend, and whole heartedly embrace my stripes whenever possible. Personally, i just think it's a totally timeless trend that will forever be full of classic blues and horizontal stripes. There are so many ways to wear it, for those that are bold and for those that would rather wear a navy blue cardigan, accessorising with stripy accessories; the possibilities are endless.

Dress/Tunic: Topshop | Leggings: Topshop | Pendant: Miss Selfridge | Bracelets: Homemade/WDW/Miss Selfridge/LilyLovesLola

I always um and ah over jumper dresses, because sometimes i feel they make me look a little frumpy but this little knit is such a lovely length, and isn't too harsh a knit (isn't too thick!) so it sits nicely and is a gorgeous shape; what more could i ask for in a jumper dress! Something i really love about this piece is the seriously sweet mock sweetheart neckline, without it this tunic could seem a little dull but that little addition just makes it adorable! It makes me feel girly, without being TOO girly; and is easily made a little more edgy. Overall, it's the easiest thing to throw on with a pair of leggings but instantly look chic (without even trying - perfect!) and i love for everything from lounging to shopping trips, it really is the all rounder!

I also can't sign off this post without writing a little about the gorgeous little cross charm bracelet i bought from LilyLovesLola. Now that i've moved to Southampton, for university, i thought it'd be a nice idea, and another little Christmas gift for my wonderful parents, to buy each of us one of these adorable tiny silver cross friendship bracelets so that we could all have one, and sort of have a little piece of each other! So, i wear mine on my wrist and my parents keep their's tucked away in a wallet or bag. Honestly, Victoria has some gorgeous charms on her site so go check them out and i'll be back to make another purchase, very soon!

K|xo

The Montorqueil Barrel

With a name like a wartime gun, you maybe weren't expecting this post to be about my latest arm candy, or maybe you were thanks to the Alexas and Bayswaters scattering onto the arms of those luckiest to own such treasures. I'm yet to own that dream bag; Mulberry, i'm looking at you, but this is the closest i've come, yet.

Like the quest of the perfect daytime lippy, i'm always looking for that perfect bag; convenient size, practical colour are both factors i look for in a dream bag, and often finding them combined together is proven tricky! But with a trip to Paris on the horizon, i was more driven to find something that would accompany me on my trip and to house everything i need, without being bulky or some obscure colour! As Paris can be known not only for it's beauty, but for the sneaky pick-pockets that pray upon poor fashion students, who dress well and are assumed to have more money; oh how wrong they'd be digging in my bag, but i'd like to keep them from getting anywhere near my empty purse so zips and flaps were on the agenda.

While shopping with my mum, on a trip home, i was deflated after searching for the bag with no avail. Mum suggested Oasis, which isn't somewhere i'd normally shop but out of desperation and love for the window displays i gave in and had a look. Aside from it's accessories, Oasis has a real variety of clothing from block colours to nautical prints! I've added it to my online shopping list from now on, as i loved the mass of blues and reds, keeping well on trend, and here is where i found the dream bag.

Black Montorqueil Barrel Bag | Oasis | £35

Named a barrel bag, and in a 'doctor' bag style shape it has the perfect structured/slouchy combination. I've found with previous bags, that i've loved, that when a bag is too structured, over filling can cause misshaping and even going as far as broken clasps. This style makes it easy to make use of the size, without any of the consequences. It's also a fab new shape for the coming seasons, as i've always been a satchel girl and was originally looking for this classic style, but i'm getting a little bored of it so it's great to embrace the new season shape.

Although it's simple, it means it'll go with everything and in such a classic colour it'll take you from day to night. It has both a zip and a flap, making it extra secure and also has a a lovely spin clasp detail, as it's all in the detail! I do believe this will be the perfect bag to take me from Spring right through to Winter.

K|xo