Walking with spiders.

I always think that if Little Red Riding Hood had stuck to the path, there would have been no story. Oh, sure, no one would have got eaten by a wolf, either, but if you believe the later versions of that story, everyone was fine. Except the wolf.

I always want to go down the path that looks like it leads to a story, whether it's the gap in the hedge that reminds me of the way out of Wall, the stepping stones, the hidden door in a garden wall or past the creepy statues.

Our garden looks like it has miles and miles to explore, but it's overgrown and there's a great big river in the way, so it's not easy to get any further than the decking. But this week I pushed through, further out and further in and got way beyond my normal spot. Even though I could still see my house in the distance it felt like I was still exploring somewhere new. Maybe next time I'll venture a little further from home with my camera, and find myself an adventure.





 Dress - Apricot
Belt & Shoes - New Look
Necklace - Dorothy Perkins

It's not easy to look graceful balancing on a log, by the way. And sometimes you get your hair caught in trees.


PS - Thanks for all your comments on Wednesday's post! I was in two minds about posting that, and I'm glad I did. :) 

Why I'm Quitting Magazines.

Bit of a different post for me this one, and I'm sure it'll be a little tl:dr for many of you but I needed to have a little rant...

 

Tuesday night has always been magazine night. I buy my magazine at lunchtime or on the way home, then read it while eating my tea. When I lived with my sister, we’d sit there together, munching on pasta and half-watching Don’t Tell The Bride, while she flipped through Closer and I read Look. Then we’d swap.

Getting home on a Tuesday night and realising I’ve forgotten to buy my magazine is the worst. It’s my routine! Tuesday night is magazine night and NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.

Um. Except me. And I’ve done just that. See, lately I find that when I get sick of the magazine piles in my room and chuck them in the recycling, I’ve actually hardly read any of them. And the ones I have read are, well, underwhelming. So, I quit.

Why I Quit Magazines.

1) They’re kind of horrible.
I used to be a diehard Heat fan, around 8 years ago when it was genuinely hilarious, but then they just got MEAN. I’m not interested in seeing which star is worryingly thin or which star is ‘embracing her curves’ or which star is not wearing makeup. No matter how Heat puts it, they’re just putting photos of women on their cover and inviting us to stare at their flaws. That’s really healthy, Heat.

I read Heat a few weeks ago for the first time in years and it’s got worse. They have a feature called ‘Tasty body, but lose the head’. That’s NOT okay.

 

2) ...and very hypocritical.
Most noticeably on the subject of weight. A recent issue of Look had an article about Demi Moore's 'worrying weight loss' a few pages apart from a photograph admiring Kate Bosworth's red carpet look.

3) Over reliance on blogs.

If you’re relying on blogs to provide your content, well, it’s kind of a no brainer really. *boots up Google Chrome* I’m always pleased  and proud when I see bloggers I know and love in print, but there are some titles that have turned into Spot The Blogger features. Once in a while these success stories are interesting, but every week or every month? Not really. (*ahem*Company*ahem*) And don't get me started on magazines using hashtags and internet speak. Journalism isn't just a longer version of Twitter.

4) Sometimes, they just LIE.

I always read Look magazine for the fashion, not the gossip. But week after week their front page deals with some made-up celebrity story (which seems pointless considering almost every issue has a genuine celebrity interview – put THEM on the cover!). Yeah, I said it. Made. Up. I’ve lost count of the amount of times they’ve reported Brad and Angelina have definitely broken up, or Jennifer Aniston is actually pregnant, or Cheryl Cole is back with Ashley Cole. NONE OF THOSE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.

This cover is a year old. Angelina and that surrogate have been pregnant for a long time.

5) Almost all the content has already been online.

Let’s face it, any fashion, celebrity or general news of note hits Twitter within seconds of being leaked. I mean, by the time news of the new Mulberry bag hit magazines, it had already been all over Twitter and countless blogs. If I want gossip, I have Oh No They Didn’t. If I want runway commentary or a real perspective on high street fashion I have flipping hundreds of knowledgeable women all over my Google Reader, Instagram and Twitter timeline. And I PREFER that.

A magazine isn’t going to tell me that a skirt is nice but comes up two sizes too small, or that the zip sticks on that dress, or to run to the shops now because the sale just started. It’s why my favourite fashion blogs are the ones where they’ve ben out and bought the items themselves and are discussing them without being biased.

6) I’d kind of rather read a book.

Because not finishing Wuthering Heights because I was reading about the baby that some journalists thinks that Kate and Wills might have at some point in the future based on no evidence other than the fact that they have interlocking parts is really not a good way to live my life.

Repugnant.

And although I’m pretty sure I’ve guaranteed my exclusion from any future magazine features about bloggers by posting this, I wish the magazines would actually read it and realise that I’m not being critical for the sake of it, I’m suggesting ways in which they could improve. Come on, Heat. Go back and read your hilarious issues from 2000 and get that back. Stop focusing on reality TV contestants and start focusing on small, indie shows again and amusing commentary about celebrities. Or embrace your teenage readership and actually include some content that won’t turn them into body obsessed, shallow morons who think making jokes about disabled children is funny.

 
Fix Your Shape / Eating Disorders Are Bad / Underweight Woman Loses More Weight YAY 4 HER

And Look – embrace what you’re good at. If you must, include some HONEST gossip, not useless speculation pieces with about as much truth as a National Enquirer article. Quit putting flipping Beyonce or Angelina on the cover. Or diet tips from Victoria Beckham WHO IS UNDERWEIGHT. You’ve got an exclusive feature with Nicola Roberts in there – put that feisty redhead up front! But honestly, I think you should lose the gossip. That’s not why people read you, it’s the fashion news from the high street that I always used to read you for (hell, I can’t afford any of the selections in Grazia!) so do THAT. I think you’ve lost sight of why you’re popular.

Oh, I could go on, but I won’t. I know that I’ll still read the occasional magazine when I’m getting a train or whatever (and I don’t really count newspaper supplements), but that weekly habit is well and truly kicked.

But anyway. Rant over. I’d love to know your thoughts, though. Do you think the internet is killing magazines? Ultimately, I think yes, but only because magazines are kind of terrible. Give us a reason not to abandon you, magazines! You were good once!

Out, damned spot.

Last time I went away for a long weekend, I unwittingly packed four polka dot dresses. Whilst wearing a fifth polka dot dress. Over a pair of polka dot pyjama bottoms. And then I got under my polka dot duvet cover and went to sleep. I only noticed all this because I was watching an episode of New Girl in which Zooey Deschanel's characters was concerned that someone had said to her 'You rock a lot of polka dots' in a derogatory fashion.

I AM NOT EVEN JOKING.

I mean, I like polka dots, okay? They're nice! I wouldn't have said I was OBSESSED with them. Except, um. Apparently I am. So then I decided to have a little look back through my Friday Frocks, and, er. Yeah. If I were polka dots, I'd probably take out a restraining order against me.

When I grow up

It's weird for me to admit, but okay. I... am a grownup. I have responsibilities. I have a real job. I have BUSINESS CARDS. So, while it's fine most of the time to wear super girlie ensembles that probably would be better suited to a six year old, sometimes I have to LOOK like the responsible adult that I apparently am.

I love this dress for those occasions when I need to look all SRS BZNZ but also, you know, like me. Red is probably my favourite colour - fie on those who say it clashes with ginger hair, fie I say! - but I do think it can still look smart and work appropriate, in the right dress (not in the wrong dress).

Dress - Closet at Dorothy Perkins

Blazer - Red Herring at Debenhams

Necklace - Topshop

Hairclips - Primark

The jacket is new, though, and probably even more Sarah-Does-Workwear than the dress. A polka dot blazer? Er, YES PLEASE. I found it in Debenhams earlier in the week and when those magical 25% off signs went up the next day, I popped back and snapped it up. I love the print, of course, but I really bought it for the fit. Now, as you know, I'm a massive shortarse, which I understand is rather an oxymoron (TWITTER SHOUTOUT) but ssshhh. This whole oversized trend looks awful on me - if you're little but curvy, it's just unflattering. But this - cropped, but not TOO cropped, and with neat little sleeves - PERFECT.

Now, I just need to find this exact blazer in every single colour. Can't be too hard, right?

I've missed your ginger hair, and the way you like to dress.

It may come as a shock to you all, but I am not a natural redhead. I know. Who knew? Well, I get asked about my hair quite a lot though, so I thought I'd do a bit of a post about it.

My natural colour is a medium-dark brown, if you're curious (and don't remember). I've dyed my hair for pretty much all of my 20s, ever since I realised that first, flukeish grey hair at age 19 had multiplied. If I left my hair to its natural devices, I don't think I'd even be a quarter grey, but on the occasions I've left it a little long between dye jobs, those silvery strands are getting more and more noticeable (but don't cry for me, Argentina - I'd much rather be grey than bald!).

My favourite brown hair dye is Maple Syrup by Garnier Nutrisse, which fades to a really warm colour with auburn tones.

I was trying to go red for a while - subtly red - and the colours just weren't taking. My friend Rachel recommended I tried Schwarzkopf, saying it was 1) brilliant and 2) cheap, so I picked up this (on offer in Wilkinsons at £2 a box) and gave it a shot.

This colour is very vibrant - it doesn't look remotely natural, but I always quite liked that. It actually turned out that the colour my friend recommended wasn't the above, though (which was the shade I used for most of last year), but this one. I gave it a go. Why not?

It's a lot more plummy, but I was taken aback by its staying power. It didn't fade much at all, and it was only when my roots started to get ridic that I redyed.

Schwarzkopf is great because it's really cheap and often on offer in Wilkinsons. I flipping love Wilkinsons. I have long, thick hair, so I need two boxes - if you have long hair and are changing to a colour drastically different from your own, use two boxes or you'll end up with patchy colour. You can't really use TOO much dye.

I dye my hair about once a month. Fading combined with root regrowth means it becomes a necessity. I have bad roots here and here if you are thinking 'I have never noticed your roots before!'. You get a better result when you go professional, but box dyes are SO much cheaper. I know people who spend around £100 getting their hair dyed - the most I spend is around £10 for two boxes. And that's the PRICEY stuff.

On Elizabeth's recommendation, I also tried this colour. It was super vibrant, but I was starting to get sick of the unnatural reds. And this one... well.

After that, I got my hair dyed professionally - I had bleached strands woven through, so the copper colour came out really ginger. I was slightly horrified for the first day - it was much lighter than I anticipated - but then I realised how much I liked it. I didn't stick with it due to not having time to get to the hairdresser, and the roots came through SO obviously because it so much lighter than my natural colour, which I didn't like. Bloody roots! You ruin everything!

About a week before I'd got my hair dyed professionally, Amy and I stalked a girl at the Motel Blogger event and Amy found out the shade she used, so as soon as I re-dyed, I went for it. Funnily enough, Ellie uses this shade too - it's funny because Amy and I both see Ellie a lot, I'm surprised we didn't make the connection!

It's L'Oreal Mango - it looks orange on the bottle but it is the closest my hair has got to AUBURN, which is what I've always wanted. I really want my hair just to look naturally red, but it's incredibly hard to achieve. This is my favourite shade of box dye that I've used, and after the first couple of washes, it fades from being mad bright to a more Christina Hendricks shade.

Currently, I'm using Nice 'n' Easy Warm Auburn, which previously turned my hair a warm brown. But after making my hair be red for the last year and a half, it went ahead and stayed red. I think I might have reset myself to ginger.

I was debating re-embracing being brunette again, but whaddya know? I kind of like it red.

PS - A bunch of people have been doing sponsored posts about hairdye recently. Not me, I just really like talking about hair.

Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur.

There are some things that I think you can't declare to be an abomination without experiencing it for yourself. Like Twilight. (My judgement: terrible but compulsive. And I'm only Team Edward because he and Bella are super bores that deserve each other.)

Which brings me onto ugg boots! I've featured furry boots before, although they weren't the classic "Ugg" style. Even though I've never owned ugg boots before, and, well, they're not VERY me. I'm more of a high heels or ballet pumps girl, really. But so many of my friends love them, and I've always been reluctant to just dismiss them - just like Twilight, I prefer to be fully informed before judging.

Sooo, when Whooga sent me an adorable email, suggesting I'd like to try some of their ugg-style boots because my feet might be cold, I accepted. My feet are ALWAYS cold, you guys! Right now I have tights and two pairs of socks on!

It was raining on Sunday when I finally got the chance to photograph these, and even though sheepskin is resistant to water, I didn't want to risk ruining them on their first excursion so I photographed them inside, when I kept them on pretty much all day - kind of like slippers. They are ridiculously cosy and comfortable, I have to say. Basically, if I could wear pyjamas all day, I would, and so I do totally get the popularity of uggs - they're like PJs for the feet! They were a little tight for me, but I folded down the tops which made them fit perfectly. And I think they look better this way!

I remain a little undecided on uggs, to be honest. I completely understand why they are so loved, but I am unsure how much I'll actually wear them. Still, if the big freeze returns as the papers predict every other day, I have a feeling I'll be living in them before long.

Hey scenesters, hey hey scenesters.

The Dress

Mela Loves London is a sneaky little brand. I'm saying this because I want you to be prepared. Oh sure, you'll stumble across a couple of discounted dresses in a hidden corner of Debenhams and think, 'Hey. There's no harm in it.'

That's how they get you. In fact, they've already got you. Before you know it, dresses from Mela Loves London will be chosen for you by friends and family, because they seem 'very you'. The concession starts to follow you everywhere. You comment on a friend's dress - oh! Guess where it's from. You find yourself drawn to the MLL rail in New Look. And gradually, ever so gradually, all those other high street brands in your wardrobe get shunted out in favour of Mela.

If brands were bodysnatchers... WELL. I don't think I need to say any more.

The Hat

In truth, what I REALLY want is a top hat. I sort of feel like I'd wear it all the time. Possibly. Maybe not at all. BUT MAYBE. Unfortunately, I haven't found one yet, but I'm quite cheerfully settling for this bowler hat. It's hipster and trendy, and if I wore it in most corners of Hertfordshire, I suspect I'd feel like a total douche, BUT I LIKE IT.

Here is a fact: if I go to a party and there is a hat, it is a 97% certainty that I will end up wearing that hat.

The Boots

...are some of the most uncomfortable I own. Keep an eye out for them on eBay.

Dress - Mela Loves London

Hat & Boots - H&M

Cardigan - New Look

Tights - Tesco

Belt - Topshop

You're in a strange part of our town.

I must confess, I couldn’t really bring myself to care about London Fashion Week this season. It’s the same part of me that doesn’t feel very comfortable labelling myself as a ‘fashion blogger’ – I like clothes, but I’m not very adventurous. And being surrounded by slim, tall, stylish women is enough to make anyone feel a bit inadequate. So I just kind of ignored it – I didn’t apply for a pass, I didn’t ask for any invites, I didn’t block the weekend out in my diary – I just sat back and let it happen.

Living a 20 minute train ride from central London is a useful thing for a blogger to have, though, meaning that I can get into the Capital quickly for an event, or if I change my mind – and when Hayley and scores of other bloggers started making plans to meet up, my mind got changed. So I met them at Somerset House, where we stayed long enough to be clichés and take outfit photos…

…and then we headed off for wine and cocktails and burgers and more wine and then some more wine.

Christina, Amy, some weirdo, Hayley, Hannah, Michelle!

I assumed, rightly, that I wouldn’t run into anyone wearing this dress. That’s because it cost £11.99 from a random cheap shop near my work. The brand is ProdigyRed though, and they actually sell online – so I should stop being so derogatory about them and calling them a random cheapy make as I actually really like a lot of stuff on there! Plus, I bought two of my favourite dresses of the moment there, so.

I went in on Saturday too, but the weather was miserable and I failed to even get my camera out of my bag. Which means I didn’t document the best beehive I have ever achieved in my hair (turns out the key is not brushing it properly) and another new dress. Ah well. It’s only Fashion Week, after all.

Dress – ProdigyRed

Tights – Tesco

Bag - New Look

Belt & Shoes – Primark

Coat – H&M

Necklace - GoGo Philip

Brooch & Rings - Topshop

We'll run away together, we'll spend some time forever, we'll never feel bad anymore.

Here is a little known fact about me: I have an English degree and, actually, I consider myself to have quite a good vocabulary. But, when confronted with the below photograph in real life, the best description I could muster was 'Well, that's pretty damn pretty.'

It IS, though.

It's so easy to miss the natural beauty on our little island, or just assume that we can't 'do' scenery the way they do abroad. But we do. Actually, learning to drive a few years back made me realise how close you generally are to something pretty.

So obviously this post is about that time I drove for 10 hours to observe this prettiness. Yep.

Well, I say *I* - I actually mean my fabulous friend Russell, who transported us on a wonderland tour across the UK, a tour full of mix CDs, mystery crisps, good, bad and just plain ugly service stations - oh, and just generally going a bit weird. Hertfordshire to Oban is a long flipping way, you know.

As I mentioned on Friday, we embarked upon our tour to Scotland the weekend before last for Duncan and Matt's birthday celebrations. Duncan lives on Easdale, a tiny island off the coast near Oban - there are no roads, you can only get onto it by ferry (well, 'ferry' - this is their ferry) and only about 60 people live there. There was barely any phone signal - never mind 3G! But it was actually nice to be off-grid. And instead of phoning each other when we wanted to meet up, we just popped in-between each others' holiday cottages.

I had the best time. The BEST time. When we walked into the pub, we all got hugs (and I introduced the locals to my favourite drink, Morganaretto, which is not what I actually call it, but is a shot of Captain Morgans, a shot of Amaretto, and coke. YUUUUUM.) and worked our way through their vast selection of whisky (revelation: straight whisky tastes like varnish). We spent wonderful nights in cooking good food (I was mostly eating) and drinking boxes of wine and then spent the days walking around the island, taking in all that beauty, and skimming stones (or epically failing to, in my case). Oh, plus the party on Saturday night, which I have already established, was epic.

It's not for everyone - if you like everything to be clean and minimalist and modern, then it's probably not for you. I spent most of the trip in my wellies, but it certainly didn't feel like we were slumming it - our holiday cottages were cosy and it only took a few minutes to sail back to the mainland and the nearest town. Plus, you're surrounded with scenery like this.

Have I persuaded you yet?

P.S - All the best photos in this post were by Russell, who is way better at this than me.
P.P.S - More photos coming very shortly to my Facebook page!