Fashion Fridays... Catch up

So this is what I wore on Christmas day and to my work Christmas party. Though I wore heels to the party, not shiny trainers! Not even a little bit sorry for the silly face. I was absolutely loving life on Christmas morning!
 
 

                                                

I feel fun and relaxed in the dress and I am a little obsessed with burgundy things at the moment.

 

This week, all I can think about is owning a pair of crisp white Converse for some reason. I want an alternative to ankle boots etc and I really like how they look with a pair of jeans. Plus I think they can be worn from now right through till Summer and stay classic for a long time to come. My only doubt is that they will be wrecked within a week as I live in the country that loves sporadic rain. And maybe a little bit because I'm clumsy.

I have absolutely no plans for January aside from the gym so I don't really have a need to buy any new clothes which is quite boring. I'm planning on being quite hardcore with my diet and exercise this year so hopefully I'll lose tons of weight and have to buy an entire new wardrobe! Fat chance. Excuse the pun.

 

In the next few weeks, all the fashion shows and all the awards ceremonies will be happening so there'll be tons of beautiful things for me to admire and review but in the mean time, here is my list of things I own in my fantasy world.

 

 

These Louboutin Pigalle Plato Patent shoes.

 

This Cedar Street Medium Harmony bag from Kate Spade. (Which I can't copy a photo of apparently)

 

And Kate Middleton's Jenny Packham dress. Please.

 

  



 

 

Workout Wednesdays... New Year, New Me?

Happy New Year to you all!

This is a brutally honest post. I'm slightly ashamed but I'm only human and can't succeed all the time. I know I'll be judged but some of the harsher "fitties" out there but I hope the fit gods will forgive me and appreciate my new abundance of enthusiasm.

Christmas entirely sabotaged everything in my health and fitness journey. I only exercised once a week, only stuck to about 10% of my diet and ate total junk a lot. Apparently I'm not yet strong-willed enough or well-enough equipped to cope with being out of my routine. I did gain weight but not as much as The Metro says the average Brit does so all is not entirely lost.

My attitude is that this journey of mine is not a diet, but changing lifestyles for a permanent, healthy future. I don't believe I'll ever bee 100% 'clean' all of the time but life is too short to deprive yourself of the fun things in life like cocktails.

I'm not weighing myself again until the end of January. I think it'll make me too sad and demotivate me!

On a brighter note, I am back into my clean eating and routine and loving my new gym! Plus, my yoga teacher has moved to my new gym with me so I can still have my hour of heavenly sanity every week!

My proudest moment so far happened yesterday... I flexed my biceps and actually saw something appear! I couldn't be prouder.

This week my challenge is to incorporate a new exercise / move into each of my workouts.

My most recent fit purchase is this little beauty - a Beurer heart rate monitor watch. I'm still learning all about heart rate and different zones and things but this is a great motivation tool, right on my wrist. At the end of a session, it also tells me how many calories I've burnt which is such a satisfying little nugget to end a workout on!

Fashion Fridays... Party dilemma!

So today is my company Christmas party and I STILL haven't decided what I'm wearing! We're having a boozy social event at a swanky hotel in Moorgate so I think I need to be a bit more glamourous than I was last year.  
I've managed to narrow it down to the two dresses below but am struggling to pick between them!
 

 
The left dress is a lovely little thing from Primark and is lacey and fun. The one on the right is from H&M and is actually a bright red. I feel really good in both dresses but I'm wondering if the red one isn't a bit too sexual for a company party?! I asked my instagram (@23HRH) followers and they voted unanimously for the left so I think I'll go with that.
 
As London has suddenly become freezing, I think I'll need to wear tights with whichever one I choose. I've reached the age where I choose comfort over vanity. Oh lord. But, am I too old for sparkly tights? I think the festive season should be full of as much sparkle as possible and love these tights with Swarovski Elements in from Marks and Spencers!
 

 

I can't really be trusted not to wreck tights so I think £25 is a little much for me to spend on a pair for one night so I'll have to go bargain hunting at lunch before I change into god-knows-what for the big event!

 

 

I have also fallen for some of this season's costume jewellery from Zara. I love this dramatic necklace on the left. The contrast between the 'gold' and the black 'leather' is just delicious! I also crave to wear these rings, on the right, below. I love that you can separate and just wear one or two for a more simple look and pack them all together for a shiny dramatic effect!



Manic Monday... A new chapter

I failed at writing a Geography Sunday post again last week. Though I think it would be better as a feature as and when I find somewhere that inspires me to learn and write about it. So it'll be intermittent from now on but I promise they'll be super spangly posts.

Onwards and upwards...

Today is the first day on my new LDN Muscle Bikini Guide. So far I've been successful, in that I've managed to get up early and eat my super organised breakfast and get all my food and gym bag ready for the day. This was my breakfast, plus a protein & oat shake...

I couldn't quite finish my eggs but I feel healthy and full! I'm feeling really positive about my new lifestyle and plan. For the first time in a long time, I genuinely feel prepared to succeed at something!

I have no idea how I'm going to manage to eat so many times a day but I'm determined which is a great feeling to start the week with!


This weekend I wrapped all my Christmas presents. And labelled each one with a number. And wrote a corresponding list of what each present was, who for, and in which order to give them out. I think my OCD may be back a little bit. Though I guess if it's just keeping me organised and helping me, then I shouldn't worry about it too much.

I am so excited to get home to my family and spend some good time with them over the festive period. I can't wait to see everyone's faces as they get their gifts, especially the piglet!

Aside from the diet, I'm planning a few little life-changing projects at the moment, ready to go full steam ahead into the new year and I'm bursting to share them with everyone but I need to keep them under wraps until I'm more certain on things!

In the meantime, fingers crossed for me for the first week of my new healthier lifestyle please!

Fashion Fridays... Dear Santa!

This week I've managed to complete most of my Christmas shopping! It's the first year I've been totally organised and I'm very proud of myself. Plus I saved a fortune on delivery charges thanks to Amazon Prime's free 30 day trial! Obviously I can't reveal all my secrets as my loved ones might read this and I love surprising people with thoughtful gifts!

 
This week's Fashion Friday is going to be my wish list to Santa. Some of these things I have a genuine hope of opening on Christmas day, some are only plausible in the fantasy world where I own a yacht but what's life without a dream or two...
 
My first wish is for the Babyliss Curl Secret. This is a very clever contraption which appears to be able to drastically reduce the time it takes to curl your hair.

From what I've seen, the barrel kind of slurps up your section of hair then spits it out all lovely and curled perfectly. I love, love, love having big curled hair but it takes me so damn long to do that I so rarely do it. If I had this beasty machine I like to think I'd do it all the time and be in a state of permanently fabulous hair-ity!
 
The second thing on my Christmas list isn't the most exciting but something I've been lusting after for a while. It's the funky Nike Free TR III Printed training shoe.
 

 
They're just so different and fun and everyone in my gym has a pair except me! I don't really need them as I already have two pairs which perfectly match everything else but sometimes it's nice to have the option to change up your outfit, even in the gym!
 
My first ridiculous wish are for these epic Hallie shoes by Kurt Geiger. Although I find a stilettos beautiful to look at, I know that paired with my clumsiness, they'll result in disaster for me. Especially after wine. So I prefer to totter around in something a little more substantial like these lovely leopard print things.

I'm surprised at the high volume of open-toe shoes this Autumn / Winter season! I hate having cold feet and I'm not a fan of tights with open shoes but I'd brave frozen tootsies for the sake of looking vivacious in them!

 

 

Lastly we come to the most ridiculous item on my wish list. I am currently on the search for the perfect new handbag as mine is dying a slow death. After much searching online, I have found it! Unfortunately it costs £1560. Just take a look at this heavenly Yves Saint Laurent Sac De Jour!

 

I want something that isn't black; something that's going to stand out against a dreary grey winter day! This totally clashes with my coats and all of my clothes but in an utterly fabulous way. But unless I win the jackpot on the lottery this week, gazing longingly at this picture and daydreaming will have to do!

 

                                                         



Workout Wednesdays... A new beginning

 

I have discovered during my fitness journey that I'm really bad at the diet side of things. I'm also bad at remembering what I'm supposed to be doing on each day. I've hit a real plateau in my progression and decided it's time to Eat Clean, Train Dirty and Get Lean.
 
There is so much information on weight training / diet / fat loss / health on the Internet. I've found that's a problem. There's too much information. Too many conflicting opinions. Too many contradicting articles. Trying to learn everything from the Internet with no real guide or structure can be just as bad as not knowing anything, I think.
 
I follow various health and fitness accounts on the different social media platforms and the one that is consistently praised and recommended by the social media fitness sphere is LDN Muscle. Created and run by four (beautiful) young lads, LDN Muscle has it all. Blogs, diet, exercises, apparel, the works.
 
Before you read my rave review of LDNM, please bear in mind, I have not been asked or paid to write this post. The guys don't even know I'm doing it. I've chosen to write about this as part of my Workout Wednesday theme and narration of my life.
 
They also produce and sell a multitude of digital training guides called Premium Programmes. Specifically for men, there are a wide variety, ranging from the Natural Bulking Bible to the Leg Torture Pack. Lads, whatever your aims, they have a pack for you. If you're unsure of which would be best for you, tweet them or facebook them or email them. They're wonderful at replying and full of really helpful information and advice.
 
The thoughtful lads at LDN Muscle have realised that it's not just men who want to train insane. They've collaborated with each other and some of their female guest bloggers to create a pack especially for women wanting to lose fat and gain lean muscle. All herald the Bikini Fit Guide!

 

With 34 pages of intense advice and direction, I think this guide is going to drastically change my training and, hopefully, my body! It has information on: diet, including a sample week menu plan; exercise, with different training types and picture descriptions of all exercises; supplements, including what / when / where / why / how to take!
 
To quote their website:

"The price of your comprehensive ticket to bikini bod glory? Just £29.99. To put that in context, these days that could would buy you;

- A 30-45 minute session with a PT. Once.

- Half a bottle of perfume.

- A top you’ll wear twice."

 

So I figured I had to at least try it. It's payday today and I'm feeling good so I went ahead and bought it. I've glanced through briefly at work but will devour it in full at home.

 

I've set a date to begin my new regime - Monday 2nd December. I'm going to fully embrace every aspect. I'll be sticking to the diet as tightly as I can and training exactly how they say. I'm going to record a before and after of weight / measurements (and maybe even pictures) from Sunday and then after 6 weeks and see what results I get!

 

I'm nervous and excited. I'm always scared of failure, as we all are, but I'm excited to discover what fabulous body I've been hiding for so many years!

 

And yes, I know it's ridiculous to start a new plan before Christmas but if I don't start now, I never will. I'll always find some excuse to prolong it and avoid success!

 

 

 

Manic Monday... Life update.

I massively failed at creating my Geography Sunday post to share yesterday! I've had a manic weekend and literally couldn't find the time!

Friday I decided to indule in some "me time" and totally chill out on the sofa and relax for a change! Saturday I went on a mad cleaning frenzy and spruced up my house a bit.

I then went to an awful yoga class. Apaprently I don't love Ivengar yoga. Mean teacher, no flow, not fun at all. The swim / sauna / jacuzzi after was heavenly though!

Saturday night I worked at McClusky's nightclub to help out a friend who was short staffed! I had such a laugh on the bar and the place was rammed with lots of young girls hoping to glimpse the beautiful Danny Mac (aka Dodger in Hollyoaks)!

I went to bed in the early hours of Sunday morning and, before I knew it, my family (mum, brother and nephew) had arrived to visit me for the day!

My nephew is the light of my life. I never envisaged being able to love someone so wholly and completely as I do my little piglet. I could go on all day about why he is the cutest, sweetest, funniest, most adorable boy on the planet but I won't...

In the morning, we headed into Kingston to do a spot of shopping & show Riley the Christmas bears singing show thing in the Bentall's centre. Apparently he quite enjoyed it. This was his reaction...

We went back to my flat for some lunch and then decided to brave the cold and get some and exercise in Richmond Park. Both my brother and nephew were totally dumbfounded by the deer in the park (or reindeer as Riley insisted they were called).

Seeing the world through a child's eyes is just so refreshingly beautiful. Everything is so new and fun and it makes you remember the little things and forget all the big worries for a while.

My family are RUBBISH at having photos. I'm the only one who can pose. My mum always looks crazed and my brother usually looks bored or murderous. Or we actually produce a nice photo but the useless cameraman (aka my brother) fails and makes it blurry, like this one...

Rubbish photos aside, I had the most beautiful day with my family. My family are friends to me too and that's a beautiful thing. When the baby tells me he loves me or even just talks to me, my heart melts and my world is whole again. I'm filled with love still that I hope will last until Christmas when I can be with them all again!

Fashion Fridays... Festive frocks!

Most people who know me will tell you that I'm a bit "bah humbug"; I refuse to accept the Christmas period until it's actually December. This year, I'm trying to be organised (and spread my finances further).  I've already bought around half of my gifts and have the rest in mind. I'm in the process of setting my budget for the following month when I [finally] get paid on Monday and I'm factoring in the need for pretty things for Xmas Parties.

Hence this weeks' Fashion Friday post. I need an outfit for various occasions: an office party locally; Christmas night out with friends at Candy Bar; a company party in the City; Christmas Eve drinks at a very flamboyant house; Christmas day with family and friends; Boxing Day with the piglet. Whew. Writing it all down makes it seem like a marathon of parties and outfits!

So I'm obviously going to change my mind a hundred times about what I'll wear (as I always do) but I need various options for the various occasions.

I'm aiming to be as fabulous and frugal as possible combined. So I think one dress for the City party and Christmas day is doable. Then I need a couple of versatile separate pieces that I can create a few looks for different other occasions. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I'm thinking something like this lovely piece from H&M (below, left) for the sparkly fun dress? Jazzed up with some feature jewellry and low heeled boots I think.

 I also love the colour of this dress from New Look (above, right) but I'm not sure how flattering it would be on my small(ish) bust. I love the look of the material and the strange cut to it. I'm determined to not get something black; I want to stand out in the winter crowds!

I have a nice black skater skirt from River Island which is already a solid part of my wardrobe so I'm thinking of getting a fun top or two to wear with it for a couple of my other festivities.
 
I've found a few beauties from River Island that I think could work well. Maybe a nice, simple cami to be teamed with some epic jewellry (below, left) or a little more casual purple statement tshirt (below, middle) or even a really bold statement cropped tee as the skirt is high waisted (below, right).


 
I've got a couple of weeks before the party season kicks off so I'm hoping I'll get more inspired and find some more cool pieces before I end up ransacking my wardrobe in a panicked stress!
 
The one thing I do have planned is Boxing Day. It's going to be more like Christmas Day for us; jsut me, my mum, my brother and the baby.
 
I want to my brother to be Santa and have the piglet as my Elf so I think I'm going to get them these!
 

 
and maybe I'll have something cute that I can wear more often like this
 

I am a Super Girl, after all!