Day 81: Days end

• Maroon top: Gap
• Grey boyfriend cardi: Gap
• Trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Black boots: Clarks
• Silver pearls: Primark

I took this shot after I had got home at 10.30 at night after a full day of work and a 6 hour journey home from London which is why I look slightly bleary and fit to drop - sorry!

Day 80: Travel junkie

• Grey cardi: Gap
• Red lst: Uniqlo
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Boots: Clarks

I wanted to wear something comfortable as was travelling down to London on the train this afternoon. This was a good decision as my scheduled 4.5 hour journey actually took 7.5 hours due to delays. I travelled light so tomorrow's outfit will be somewhat familiar. Just hope the return journey is uneventful.

Day 79: Roses and lace

• Blouse: George @Asda
• Pink cardi: Debenhams
• Grey trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Silver shoes: Marks and Spencer

This is the first time I have worn this blouse and when I bought it it was in the sales for £4 so I felt I couldn't not buy it. But a bargain is only a bargain if it is of any use and given this has spent a couple of years asleep in my wardrobe it maybe wasn't the best of purchases. When I decided to wake it from its slumber this morning and try it on I wasn't overly impressed with the shape of it however wearing it under the cardigan dealt with that issue. I hadn't really appreciated the delicate lace detail on the collar before or the little roses so I will keep hold of it for now and try it again as part of a different look.

Day 78: Manchester on Monday

• Black Tshirt: Marks and Spencer
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Black cardi: East
• Leopard scarf: Dorothy Perkins
• Black boots: Clarks

I was down in Manchester for the day today for some training so I was able to dress slightly less formally. Going to Manchester and back in one day is only just doable but it makes for a long day so I am off to bed now as am absolutely shattered.

Night night x

Day 77: Nailed it

• Stripey jumper: Gap
• Black Tshirt: H&M
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Boots: Monsoon

As I have mentioned before I am a long term nail biter but have almost kicked the habit. I have been nibbling for as long as I can remember and I have tried everything to stop but to no avail. For whatever reason over the last couple of years I have gone for a few months at a time without biting and during that time I spoil my nails rotten to make up for all the abuse I have inflicted. I wish I could stop for good but it is something I do subconsciously and am not sure I will ever completely quit. At the moment I am going through a period of not biting but, my nails aren't in great condition. They are thin, they flake and split easily and when they all start to break is often when I start biting again. I have worn false nails and acryllics and whilst I love the look they ruin my nails. When my nails are good I wear nail varnish but I am lucky if it lasts 24 hours before chipping which I find really frustrating. Then I heard about shellac which is a highbryd between a varnish and a gel which applied like a normal nail polish is then set under UV light. It appears like a polish but it claims, wait for it, to last 2 weeks! Sounds like a mini miracle to me!

Last week I was concious that my nails were getting weaker and starting to flake and I was worried that if I didn't take some drastic action I would be back to biting before I knew it.cOn my way home on Friday evening I passed my local nail salon and though I'll pop in and ask them to give me a quick manicure to give them a boost. When I was waiting I noticed they had the shellac polish and I decided to give it a go. It is more expensive than a normal manicure but less than a set of acryllics or gel nails. The choices of polish were pretty limited and they had nothing particularly subtle and nothing very dark and vampy wich I like. I decided to go for the classic red although was slightly anxious at just how bright it was. It didn't help that the manacurist kept saying how bright it was and I worried it might be a bit too much for work. Still, it was by then, too late to change my mind. The manicure didn't go particularly smoothly and they actually didn't use the UV lamp to start with and it wouldn't dry so it had to be started again. The second time they used the lamp and it eventually set but I had to wait 45 minutes for it to set which I don't think was right, but they didn't charge me the full price.

So, here is the manicure, 2 days on and showing no sign of any wear which is unheard of for me. I'll keep you posted on how it goes and would love to hear any of your experiences of shellac?

Day 76: Watch the birdie

                                  

• Grey sweater dress: Marks and Spencer
• Black leggings: Gap
• Scarf: Marks and Spencer
• Boots: Primark
• Earrings: Miss Selfridge

As this jumper has shorter sleeves it is the first time I have worn it in a while but now that the weather is warmer I decided to bring it back out. It is quite an odd shape as is a bit too baggy although it definitely had a tighter fit when I bought it. I like this outfit but I am not sure for how much longer I will be wearing woollen scarfs and knee high boots.

During the Paper Doll Project I told of how my partner suggested I wear fun earrings and that I no longer owned any, well I had forgotten about these little cuties. They aren't obviously gimmicky and its not until you look at them closely that you realise exactly what they are - which is all part of the fun!

Day 75: Sisters are doing it for themselves

• Purple lst: H&M
• Purple cardi: Marks and Spencer
• Black trousers: marks and Spencer
• Flower necklace: East
• Boots: Clarks

It is Fashion Beauty Friend Friday again and today's topic is Feminism. A number of bloggers have posted about this very subject recently so it is obviously creating some healthy debate. That in itself is interesting as it is not something I think about very often. Feminism is about gender equality, pure and simple, but it can conjure up associations with radicalism and division of the genders. I was raised to be a strong, independent woman, to never expect or accept gender inequality and to appreciate what the women who came before did for us to fight for equality. I work for an organisation which is about 70% female but I know that inequalities still remain and across the world it is a very different picture. 

1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion?

No. There seems to be an assumption that being feminine and a feminist can't go hand in hand but I don't see why not. Feminism is not about women letting their body hair grow and burning their bras, at least not these days. Why can't women embrace fashion and care about what they look without being judged as superficial and letting the side down?

2. There is more to each of us than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog?

My blog has a very definite theme and deliberately doesn't incorporate every aspect of myself. There is access to my wardrobe and daily outfits and occasional peeks into the life beyond. I don't think about feminism when I dress in the morning. I dress for me and my lifestlye.

3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role?
I am not sure if it would differ as there are plenty of female fashion designers and magazine editors at the top influencing the industry. I think that women mainly dress for women and not for men anyway.
 

4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs?

My image is not determined by any particular view of feminism however there is no doubt that I can't help but be influenced by external factors. We are bombared daily, virtually at every turn, by the unreal world of celebrity, airbrushing, and the 'perfect' thin physique.

5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons?

I think how we present ourselves represents both a version of the truth and how we would like to be percieved.

No matter how far we think we may have come I can't help wonder about the fact that men never had to develop a movement like feminism and would never find themselves collectively debating  questions such as these. For the latter I am grateful for our sisterhood.

Day 74: Ghost stories

• Mauve blouse: Marks and Spencer
• Grey trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Black cardi: Marks and Spencer
• Boots: Clarks
• Beads: Primark

Now either I have a serious spectre problem with all these orbs in the picture or a serious dust problem on the lens. Ghosts might explain where the various tops have been hiding in the great wardrobe conspiracy and where all the odd black socks vanish to in the washing machine but dust would explain my lack of housework! Oh it's a head scratcher!

Day: 73: Sparkles on Wednesday

• Black crossover top: East
• Grey skirt: Marks and Spencer
• Maroon and sparkly tights: Marks and Spencer
• Black shoes: Marks and Spencer
• Red wooden beads: George @Asda

This top is a bit too big which makes it look less smart so I think it should either be consigned to casual wear or put in the recycling bag. I might just give it one more chance. This is the first time out for these tights and you can maybe just make out from the picture that they are flecked with a silver thread and in the real world they look quite sparkly.

Day 72: Paper Doll Project

                  

                                

• Flowery blouse: George@ Asda
• Pink cardi: Debenhams
• Grey trousers: New Look
• Brown wedge boots: Monsoon
• Black booties: Marks and Spencer
• Wooden earrings: East
• Wooden bangles: Topshop
• Black belt: H&M

Today is the first  Paper Doll Project which I have been very much looking forward to with lots of excitement and a bit of apprehension too. The wonderfully inspiring Suze at Miss Vinyl Ahoy is hosting the event. Those partipating are partnered up with another blogger and each chooses one item from their wardrobe for the other to create a look round, dressing each other for the day.

There is something ever so slightly scary about putting your outfit in the hands of someone else and when I found out I had been matched up as part of a threesome with Suze, the project leader and our host, and Rach from Ordinarily Urbane I was pretty daunted to say the least as Rachel's stylye is so cool and Suze's love of colour is legendary. Suze is styling me, I am styling Rach and Rach is styling Suze. I spent some time last night going through Rach's blog archive to put together a look for her based round a black maxi skirt and I found it really fun, although she has so many fab clothes it was a real challenge too.

I chose my grey trousers for Suze to work around as I have been struggling a bit with how to style them and was keen to see what someone else would suggest. As I am about 6 hours ahead of Suze I only discovered my outfit from her this morning when I logged on first thing and had to run around the house trying to locate everything. She warned me that colour is her thing but I was glad to be pushed to embrace it. I must confess, one of the items had to be extracted from the laundry basket but luckily had only been worn once and was pretty clean - that'll teach me to fall behind on doing my laundry. Her instructions gave me an option between the brown boots and the black booties and I wore the long boots to work this morning but changed in to the balck boots when I had a meeting as felt they made the look a bit smarter. She also suggested I accessorise with a pair of 'fun' earrings which stumped me for a bit as I realised I don't have many/any earrings which could be described as fun. When I first got my ears pierced at age 15 I bought lots of fun earrings, although it was the eighties so everyone wore big bright plastic earrings, cats, parrots you name it. So when I unearthed these wooden ones I thought they would do the job and then I went a step further and added the bangles.

Rach is postponing her outfit as she is involved in NOLA Fashion Week but she said she loves my outfit choice so I can't wait to see her in it next week and how everyone else has got on today.

Thanks Suze for the amazing outfit and for hosting this event - it's been fab!

Day 71: Bring me sunshine

  

• Purple top: East
• Black trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Flowery top: Primark
• Black boots: Clarks
• Silver metallic pearls: Primark

Although the weather has definitely taken a turn towards Spring the temperatures have remained close to freezing this last week. That is until today. We were basking in a positively balmy 12C today and boy was it lovely to feel the sun's heat. I am beginning to think that summer is on the way and that my case for a new warm rain jacket is disintegrating in front of my eyes!

Day 70: Scarf attack

• Jeans: Gap
• Black T shirt: Marks and Spencer
• Blue top: East
• Silver shoes: Marks and Spencer

I was browsing through blogs last week and noticed that Beth over at  B Jones Style had been Spring cleaning her wardrobe and one of her tasks was to put away her heavy winter scarves and bring out the new lighter summer styles. It has never occurred to me to pack away some of my scarves and that they could be seasonal. Certainly, I ditch the woollen scarves during the summer months but the rest of the scarves and pashmina's of varying weight seem to do me all year round. As I have said before the Scottish climate does mean that for me there is no clear seasonal wardrobe and no ceremonial packing up of winter and bringing back the summer wardrobe.  So I had a wee look at the scarf rack and despite having quite a collection what really strikes me is the array of colours - quite a contrast to the rest of my wardrobe. I guess I'll be seeing quite a lot of them over the coming months. 

Day 69: Beach life

• Grey jumper: East
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Black cami: H&M
• Snow leopard scarf: Next
• Shoes: Marks and Spencer
• Coat: Debenhams
• Bag: Ouch@ Dowhill Country Fayre, gift

I went down the coast with family for lunch to a place at the seaside and as it was such a lovely day we went for a walk on the beach after. Well I say a walk on the beach this is actually as far on to the beach that we got but we did take this shot and have a walk along the pier.

I have had this coat for a number of years but it has got a huge amount of wear this year because the weather has been so wet. It is the only coat I have which is waterproof, warm, a longer length and felexible for work or weekends.  However, it is starting to look a bit worse for wear, it has lost a lot of its puffiness, it has faded in places and become so worn on the shoulders from my handbag that the material is starting to split. Where am I going with this you may ask, or may already suspect? I am in need of a new coat! It is late March and although Spring is definitely in the air I live in Scotland and the rain and cold is likely to be far from over. So here I face the first real dilema of my 1 wardrobe, 1 year, 365 looks challenge. Do I break the challenge a buy this one item? Can I hold on until the weather breaks? Well probably, yes. If I did decide to buy a new coat it would be replacing this one so my wardrobe wouldn't be gaining an item. I also wouldn't be making an impulse purchase as I was wont to do in the past, instead I would be making a purchase based on a well considered need. I will ponder on it but any views would be most welcome? 

Day 68: Last chances

• Top: Florence + Fred @Tesco
• Navy lst: Matalan
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Shoes: not shown

I had a day off today so last night came to visit my family for a couple of days and packed a small case of clothes for the weekend.

This top came along for the ride and quite frankly it was lucky it made the trip. I love the colours and the pattern but the shape is wrong. When I bought it, it had a gathered elasticated waist just above the purple section along the bottom but something about it wasn't right. The length seemed too short as the bottom stuck out like a frill and the section above ballooned out. I however, felt that it could be changed with a bit of at home tinkering and was convinced that I had the skills to do it. I removed the elastic but discovered that although the length was improved it was now completely shapeless and it was consigned to the back of the wardrobe. I decided to give it another go this weekend and it is still wrong. My mum, who is a much more profficient seamstress than me and actually has the knowhow rather than just the gungho attitude, agreed to look at it and see whether the elastic can be reinstated in a better way than before. I'll keep you posted.

Day 67: Wardrobe conspiracy

• Blue top: George @Asda
• Grey skirt: Marks and Spencer
• Black cardi: East
• Black shoes: Marks and Spencer

Do you ever have days when your clothes play tricks on you? I was both pleased and perplexed when this blue top turned up in one of my drawers this morning. I had been looking for it when I was choosing my items to include in the 30 for 30 challenge and I could not find even a thread of it. I searched everywhere and turned my drawers inside out trying to hunt it down but to no avail. As the colour is a vibrant electric blue I thought it would be a great item to remix and it could be adapted for work and for more casual looks. However, as it remained elusive I had to abandon the plan and find another option. I had begun to wonder if I had put the top out in the bag to go to the charity shop and was starting to regret that decision.  Then, this morning, I opened the drawer to find a jumper I wanted to pack for my weekend visit to see family, and after lifting up a couple of things, there lay the blue top, clear as day , brazen and bold as you like. So I grabbed it to wear today before it disappeared on me again, the tricky little trickster. As for the top I had been looking for - nowhere to be seen!

Day 66: Buttons and bows

• Black trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Black cardi: East
• Grey top: Dorothy Perkins
• Black boots: Clarks
• Earrings: Miss Selfridge

So here is an example of remixing a more casual item ie this button detail grey top in to my work wear. Although the look is undoubtedly smarter it is a lazy look and I knew I was going for an easy option this morning. Trying to salvage it from being a complete yawnfest I sought out some fancier earrings and uncovered these little cuties from the bottom of my jewellery box. I bought these some time ago and they were part of a set with a matching necklace. The necklace had a bow exactly the same design as the earrings but it was just too large and looked a bit clunky and the chain was really fussy. It was a double chain, one with much larger links and it really cheapened the set. I tried to improve the necklace by detaching one of the chains but it never looked right and I think it clouded my view of the earrings which I have never worn before today. I am glad I kept them as they are pretty and recived some compliments today too.

Day 65: In the red

• Black dress: Gap
• Red cardi: Marks and Spencer
• Black shoes: Marks and Spencer
• Earrings: Dorothy Perkins

We had an important meeting at work today so a professional look was required. I did consider a statement necklace this morning to give the outfit a bit of oomph however, the buttons, which also feature on the sleeves, aren't easy to match to. I went for a pair of earrings which are rather larger that I normally wear to work and whilst appropriate I think a necklace would have been the better choice.

I do love these little earrings which I picked up in a sale a few years ago and cost the mighty sum of 50p - bargain!

Day 64: Pussy bows and purple

• Grey trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Purple cardigan: Marks and Spencer
• Flowery blouse: George@ Asda
• Black boots: Clarks
• Ring: Matalan

The pussy bow of this blouse provides a nice detail that is professional yet feminine. This colour combination was a bit of a brave moment for me and I don't think I would have taken the plunge if I wasn't challenging myself to remix my wardrobe. It is not an obvious combination but I think it worked and someone complemented me on it too which is always lovely on a rainy Monday morning. It has definitely inspired me to continue to take risks. I also do not have a lot of patterened items as most are self coloured and I am generally pretty pleased with the impact a pattern can have on an outift.

The jewelled ring features a number of the colours in the outfit and as it is far too big for me I realised at lunchtime that it was gone from my finger. I wasn't too panicked as it is costume jewellery and only cost a couple of pounds but luckily one of my colleagues had spotted it on the office floor and was in the process of looking for its owner, so we were reunited!

Day 63: Black and brown leads to a frown

• Cardigan: Gap
• Black lst: Primark
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Black boots: Clarks
• Necklace: East

Just before I went to take the photograph the belt on this cardigan broke so I'm going to have to get out the sewing kit - baahh!

The stones and colours in this necklace are really lovely and although it is predominantly brown the fact that it has some black hues means I can wear it with black and brown which I think helps to tie those two colours together. Is it now acceptable to wear black and brown together? I think those old taboos of not mixing certain colours such as black and brown, black and navy are long gone although I still can't bring myself to pull together navy and black in the one outfit (unless it's indigo denim). I think if I am going to put myself out there I would be better to take the plunge with the colour blocking trends for Spring/Summer 2011.

Day 62: Dressing down days

• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Black lst: Primark
• Black waistcoat: TK Maxx
• Black boots: Clarks

This outfit wasn't seen by anyone else's eyes but mine, until now! This really is the one major flaw with my 1 wardrobe, 1 year, 365 looks challenge. What to do about daily outfit posts on weekend days when you are having a chill out day? So far on those occasions I have managed to put on something that fulfills my slobbing requirements and meets the need to post a different look but I am not convinced I will be able to keep that up. I could exclude weekends from the challenge however, this will extend it beyond a year, which I really do not want to do. I could give myself a break and wear the same jogging bottoms and t shirts and post the same outfits however that would be avoiding the challenge? I could wear the same things and then scramble in to a different outfit at the end of the day for the purposes of the blog however that would be cheating? Or I could continue to get creative with my dress down wear and just keep on going.

Day 61: Finding the blogging balance

• Navy lst: Matalan
• Pink cami: Marks and Spencer
• Jeggings: Marks and Spencer
• Grey cardi: Gap
• Boots: Ugg Australia
• Navy becklace: East (gift)

With hindsight this outfit was probably a tad too casual for work, however it is Friday and a slightly more casual look seems to be accepted. I also learned a hard lesson yesterday by getting carried away with incorporating the red pump in to my outfit and not really taking note of the weather before leaving the house. The weather was awful, very cold and when it wasn't raining it was sleeting. The forecast for today predicted more snow and whilst it didn't come I was fully prepared, taking no chances after yesterday's cold, wet feet.

It is Fashion Beauty Friend Friday again and today's topic is Finding the blogging balance. We are looking at how bloggers find time to do it all - blog, live, work and play.

1. When it comes to prioritising your life, in what place does blogging fall?
At the moment blogging is pretty high up my list of priorities and I am really enjoying it and finding it to be a really cathartic process. I am certainly not missing out on doing other things, although maybe I would have got back to to the gym if I hadn't started the blog!

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible?
I have a bit of a blogging routine going so the process of taking photos, uploading and formatting is now a pretty slick process unlike at the beginning. As I do OOTD posts and am blogging about my 1 wardrobe, 1 year, 365 looks challenge the basic structure of my blog pretty much writes itself so I don't have to spend a lot of time thinking of themes.

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient?
I will occasionally put some thought in to my blog during my lunch break at work but I haven't really got any shortcuts. Although I have to post every outfit if I don't have time to blog I will sometimes store them up and write a few at a time. I always make the time to take my outfit picture daily.

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead?
I have only recently heard that such a thing exists and I am intrigued to find out what it is and whether it can be of use to me.

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now?
I would like my blog to look a bit fancier and I would like to jazz it up a bit and maybe go beyond the default templates. I would like to improve my photos so maybe investing in photoshop and then editing my pictures would improve the look of the blog. I would also like to write more as I do enjoy writing and some of my posts can be very brief.

Day 60: Rock the Red Pump

• Pink waterfall cardigan: East
• Black lst: Matalan
• Black skinny jeans: Marks and Spencer
• Red wooden beads: George@ Asda
• Red patent pumps: Marks and Spencer

It feels a little trivial to note that these shoes hurt my feet as today I am rocking a red pump to commemorate National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Unfortunately, I appear to have missed the boat to link in to the event - still I am with you in spirit, ladies.

Day 59: Colour me pink

• Pink top: Marks and Spencer
• Black trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Black boots: Clarks
• Necklace: East

Today I am participating in my first beauty event hosted by MJ and Colour Me Pink is the theme. Participating bloggers have to work the colour pink in to their beauty regime for the day and I decided to carry it through to my outfit and accessories too.

It is not too difficult for me to incorporate pink into my makeup as most of my favourite products at the moment are pink. Here is how I created the look:

• Foundation: L'Oreal Roll' on true match in Vanilla Rose
• Pressed powder: Rimmel Stay Matte in Peach Glow
• Eyeshadow: Rimmel - the name has worn off the product but it is a frosted pale pink
• Blusher: Bourjois blush 95 Rose de Jaspe
• Lipstick: Virgin Vie in Pink Satin
• Mascara: Max Factor False Lash Effect in Black
• Eyeliner: No7 Amazing Eyes Pencil in Black

Day 58: Dots or not

• Red top: Marks and Spencer
• Grey wool Skirt: Marks and Spencer
• Black cardi: East
• Shoes: Marks and Spencer

I was hoping to participate in Everybody Everywear's polka dots day today however after scouring my wardrobe I discovered that it is a polka dot free zone. Given my fondness for hanging on to items I am quite perplexed by this state of affairs. Anyway, I unearthed a red and white scarf with some spots on it so I put on this red top this morning ready to join in the fun. Well, I say scarf, but once the outfit was assembled it looked more like a neckerchief and I really wasn't feeling in the mood for pirate chic today. Better luck next time me hearties, yarrrr!

Day 57: To keep or not to keep

• Grey trousers: Marks and Spencer
• Green top: Marks and Spencer
• Black cardi: H&M
• Black boots: Clarks
• Necklace: East

This necklace is so heavy that my neck is aching by the end of the day however, the green tones match in with the top so it is worth the effort. The grey wide leg trousers hang well at the beginning of the day but by the time I am heading home, as can be seen in this picture, they become a bit shapeless. Although you cannot see clearly this cardigan is really past its best so I should really ditch it. This challenge is starting to make me address my past reluctance to part with items in my wardrobe which aren't working. Seeing my outfit in a photo and then having to post it sometimes reveals what the mirror hides. I have begun to earmark some items which shouldn't be in my wardrobe temptimg me when I am least prepared. I will keep you posted of what is getting the heave ho!