red boots

Just some of the lovely clothes I accumulated over christmas. Thanks to my sister Sarah for the pictures, but apologies for the camera phone quality, I didn't have my camera with me!

second hand jacket, a present from my Grandmother // second hand jumper, an old one of my dad's // mango black velvet shorts // primark bag and shoes

I love my new red shoes, and I can't believe how cheap they were, only £8 in Primark! I know the quality is rubbish but I will wear them until they disintegrate.

back to black

Apologies for the lack of posts recently but I did spend all of Christmas lounging in my pjyamas so there wasn't much to document. The time that wasn't spent in sleep wear I was dressed head to toe in black, so this is a pretty accurate portrayal of my holidays. The beautiful cardigan was a present from my mother straight off my wish list, and the watch is from my sister. My moody expression and sudden taste for black and white pictures are due to a strained diaphragm, a side effect of a stupid attempt to keep my 'keep fit' New Year resolution by climbing a mountain.

cardigan awear // jeans penneys // heels second hand // watch ASOS

Happy new year!

belated birthday goodies

 I got such a lovely surprise this morning when the postman rang the doorbell and told me there was a package for me. I ran downstairs in my pyjamas to see these lovely gifts that my friend Bronagh had sent me for my birthday! I love the pattern of the scarf, and the little orange clutch is perfect for adding a pop of colour to winter clothes! The little earrings are so cute as well- I love any jewellery!

I decided to wear all my new presents today; I couldn't wait! So I styled them with this lovely navy shirt dress from French Connection layered with New Look and second hand necklaces, an of course my trusty brown leather Zara boots.

Thanks Bronzie! :)

dreamcoat

Ok never mind all that stupid stuff I said before, THIS is what I want, this beautiful wool cocoon jacket from Topshop is the coat of my dreams! I fell in love with it the moment I saw it in Vogue's piece on Winter White Accessories: the cut, the colour and the texture are all just too perfect. I wanted a coat in this shape last year but my winter coat was relatively new so it didn't happen. I'm still not sure if I'll be able to justify splashing out on this beauty but I can keep dreaming can't I?

where is my mind

Of course, now that exam season is upon us, what could possibly be a better idea than meticulously planning my outfits each day, photgraphing them and posting them on my blog! That'll help me pass! Anyway I was excited to wear my lovely new Pull & Bear jumper, and layered it over my navy blue sheer awear shirt, and under my thickest winter coat from ASOS because it is COLD here these days! The jeans and shoes are Penney's, and the clutch is second hand. I'm wearing my new shiny blue nail varnish as I thought it'd brighten up the dark colour choices I'e been making recently.

dear santa...

How amazing is this cardigan?! Ever since I saw this gorgeous jumper on my new favourite blogger Irina Lakicevic's blog A Portable Package, I knew I had to have it... Or something similar, and cheaper! This is a lovely, and cheaper alternative from ASOS, and I think it would be perfect for the Christmas season!

My mum bought me a lovely brown and gold watch from urban outfitters last year, but the strap is already wearing down and looking a bit tatty because I've been wearing it every day since. This one from ASOS is perfect: smart, delicate and timeless. No pun intended. 

I've been looking for the perfect maxi skirt for a long time, and I really love the slim fit of this one from Topshop, with two slits up the sides. I've been wearing nothing but grey and black lately but I can't stop! Plus it means everything matches without thinking too much.

Lush is one of my favourite cosmetic brands which uses all natural ingredients, and everything in their shop smells amazing. This perfume is no exception, I absolutely love it! It has gorgeous scents of vanilla, jasmine, ylang ylang, sandlewood and rose. Apparently this makes for the perfect combination. When I wear it I just can't help constantly breathing in the intoxicating smell from my wrists. The roll on was only €6 but I'd love the spritzer for Christmas as the roll on leaves some red marks on my skin.

 

I need this jacket in my life. I tried it on in Pull & Bear yesterday. Because of the woolly lining it's just so warm and cosy and a perfect little winter jacket as opposed to the long, thick coat I usually wear. Although it's on my Christmas list, I think the fact that Pull & Bear is a lot cheaper in Spain is a pretty valid excuse to pick it up now- I don't know if I can wait until Christmas for all these goodies!

*click on pics to see sources*

cats and sailors

excuse my face in this one

and the blurriness of this

woolly hat Zara // white shirt Bershka // denim jacket Levi's (my boyfriend's) // black shorts Zara // boots Zara

On my second day here, we walked down to the port through this derilect street. Twenty years ago it was home to prostitues and sailors, but now the population is mainly made up of cats. Apparently the whole street burned down and no one ever bothered to rebuild t, but just painted the outsides pretty colours so it wouls look a bit nicer. Altough it makes for a cool place to take pictures, being on the street was pretty eerie. The vegetation slowly taking over the houses, and abandoned warehouse with shelves still piled high and cats eyes watching from the dark interiors all add to the uneasy feeling. I'm just glad we waited until after Halloween to come here!

I love the way this jacket looks with the clean white shirt. How upsetting that I have to leave it behind today! I'll also attempt to dress less head to toe in Zara in my next post...

windswept travels

black leotard Penneys // side split maxi skirt Zara // brown leather boots Zara // necklace second hand // rings Topshop, vintage

I'm falling in love with this colour (burgundy?) for Autumn. It's so lovely that I bought a skirt and then some nail varnish and lipstick to match . It's a great versitile colour to wear with other rich Autumn/Winter colours, and of course, the biggest component of my wardrobe, black. The skirt is such a great piece to layer over opaque tights in the cold. It's really windy here and I loved the way the wind made the skirt biloow out behind me as I walked; it makes the cold weather more exciting.


This weekend I'm visiting my boyfriend in Galicia. Where I live is pretty far inland so it's great to be near the sea agiain. Yesterday we visited this little park near the harbour which is home to some nice greenage and lots of peacocks. These are just a few quick snaps of my outfit and the skirt which I'm sure will become a staple in the coming months :)

home comforts

 I finally managed to decorate my room a little so it's not the regular bare prison wall style that's so popular in student flats. Thankfully I packed abundant scarves, jewellery and shoes, making it hard to get through Ryanair security but nice because they make the place all lovely and homely. I also got the little white lantern, some scented candles and incense in Ikea.

The shoes, from the top left are: H&M wedges, Urban Outfitters platform heels, Topshop lace up heels, Penneys black flats. The bottom shelf, from the left are: my new Zara boots, River Island silver platforms, cherry red Church brogues and green Penneys slippers.

So when my friend came to visit me she brought me some lovely gifts from Ireland. My favourite magazine, Stellar, UCD's newspaper The University Observer and some tasty Barry's Tea. I didn't realise how much I'd missed it until I had it again!

Ruth was also very sweet and brought me some early birthday present goodies from Topshop as it doesn't exist in Spain. She got me all the rings which I spoke about in my previous post, and this lovely leopard print blouse. She knows I'm a sucker for anything animal print and I love the way it can be layered for Autumn or Winter! I picked up this lovely jewelled necklace in a little charity shop at home. The jumper is from Penney's men's section and is very cosy so I'm loving wearing it in the chillier weather.

So it doesn't take much to make you feel more at home. Excuse me while I have a little read of Stellar while sipping on a strong cup of Barry's!

venus in furs

A few a few days after my arrival in Valladolid the weather started getting colder and colder, which was actually quite nice as I love getting all wrapped up- as long as it doesn't rain! I also got a chance to wear some of the lovely things I'd picked up at Camden Stables market in London.

I absolutely adore this faux fur coat from one of the vintage shops. The fact that it has a zip makes it a little more casual so I can wear it every single day and it is just so cosy. Beautiful and practical, an elusive but winning combination! 

The candy apple shoes are also a favourite. They're probably the comfiest things I've ever had on my feet. I got them in a little shoe shop in the middle of the market from an old man who was just too nice to say no to. They were the only size 5 pair on the stall so it was probably fate or something. They are Church's which (I was told) would usually be around £300 but whatever deal the guy had with them I picked them up for a lot less! They're perfect with jeans and dark colours for winter and I think they compliment my jacket very well!

This vintage silk head scarf is a cute and colourful alternative to a hat, keeping your ears nice and toasty when worn like this but also versatile as it can obviously be worn around your neck like a normal person wears a scarf. How good am I getting at making practical purchases!?