Buying Christmas  goodies in October (the beginning of October no less!) must be an absolute first for me!  Really, it's only been the last two years or so that I've genuinely been excited for Christmas - I think it may be a combination of having my lovely little niece visit at that time of year and a new house that I'm really excited to decorate!  We all love having a rummage around TK Maxx right?  Well I did a bit of that in the Christmas section at the weekend.  Yep, totally bypassing the Halloween section I picked up a fair few bits - impromptu Christmas Haul!

I picked up the Bahoma set of two Noel Noel scented Candles (£9.99) first of all, I love Christmas scents!  Label anything as 'Christmas spiced' and I'm sold.  The Noel Noel candles are tangerine, nutmeg, berry, fir needle and cinnamon scented.  I'm waiting until it gets that bit closer to Christmas before burning them, but these still smell amazing!  Actually I blame these candles for getting me in the Christmas spirit!!

I spotted the set of 4 'Cherish The Season' tree decorations (£3.99) thinking the cute little ceramic acorns and pinecones would fit in perfectly with the simple white theme (with a hint of red) I went for last year, which I loved and had already planned to continue with in 2014.  The white ceramic Reindeer head (£4.99) has the same chalky feel as the tree decorations.  It's the subtlety of this as a Christmas decoration that I really like!  Stag heads and antlers have been popular in home decorating for quite a while now, so what better to have around at Christmas times?  This may end up on my mantlepiece a bit earlier than what's socially acceptable for Christmas decorations!

Finally I picked up what must be everyone's (right?!) must have purchase for around the Christmas period (well, towards the end of the year anyway).  A new diary!  I've only ever seen the 'In Tempo Firenze' diaries in TK Maxx, but I've picked up a few notebooks and journals from this brand in TK Maxx before and have found the quality to be really great for the price - this rather large, real leather diary was only £5.99.  Predominantly in Italian (hey ho, I'm an italophile and can understand the basics!)  this page a day 2015 diary has all the sections you could want, I can't wait to start filling it with notes and appointments!!

Let me know if I'm crazy to have started picking up Christmas bits and bobs already!!

We are no way near the stage where we should be buying ornaments or soft furnishings for our new house, but I can't go into TK Maxx without coming out without at least a few bits and pieces - it's an Aladdin's cave of loveliness for the home, and more!

When we popped in the TK Maxx Home Store, HomeSense, looking for a larger piece or furniture all thoughts of a coffee table or chair went out of the window when I spotted the glass trinket boxes for only £7.99 each.  Both trinket boxes came with a 'Passport to India' label - I wonder if this is a TK Maxx brand as I can't find anything about Passport to India on the web.  I'm not sure what I'll end up storing in these little beauties but I plan on displaying them on them the shelves we plan on installing in the alcove of our living room.

I can't ever resist giving ALL the candles in TK Maxx a good stiff, the Pecksniff's Gardenia & White Peach candle has that lovely fresh laundry smell and with a pretty little silver lid, I couldn't resist taking it home - to also sit on the living room shelves, once they're up!

The last, and possibly my favourite new item, is the cute little wise words journal.  As soon as I picked up the journal Chris asked whether I really needed another note book that I wrote next to nothing in - I suppose he's right, but of course my answer was YES!  how could I resist that little owl motif! 

Are you like me in TK Maxx or HomeSense - never able to leave without a little something?  Let me know if you've picked up any bargains recently!

Silver Gold Plated Aquamarine Ring: Glamourite (via ACHICA.com)*  |  Silver Ring with Tibetan Turquoise Stone: Independent Store in India 

My two favourite rings at the moment are the two newest additions to my collection!  I own a ton of rings but hardly ever wear any of them, until I picked up these two little lovelies.  I picked out this stunning Glamourite ring after writing a quick post about the fabulous ACHICA.com. I love the fact that's it's got three stones in a beautiful aquamarine colour, I also don't have many gold rings and thought because it kind of reminded me of the YSL style of ring popular a few years ago it was definitely one to add to the collection!

The chunky silver ring is a little something I picked up on my recent trip to India.  I've had so many complements on it that it has to be best the 600 rupees that I've ever spent!  I've always loved a good chunky ring and the stunning green Tibetan Turquoise stone set it off perfectly.

1.  ASOS Habernera Print Jacket  2.  Aldo Abegaila Printed Flats  3.  Zara Printed Shift Dress  4.  ASOS Bold Floral Print Trousers  5.  Zara Printed Clutch Bag  6.  New Look Printed Turquoise Stone Spike Necklace  7.  Topshop Bold Print Bodycon  8.  River Island Blue Mirror Embellished Mini Skirt

The change in weather has seriously had me wanting to brighten up my wardrobe.  During my regular browse of the internet to find some inspiration I found I was once again torturing myself over the stunning high end sites, which made me realise that I hadn't done a 'High End Done High Street' feature in a while!  I'm so impressed with the high streets take on the high impact bold prints, I'm going to be clashing for some time. Believe me!

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This week I attended the Harvey Nichols Leeds Spring Summer 13 Fashion Show in the stunning Victoria Quarter.  After bumping into the lovely Laura from A Forte For Fashion we took our seats at the very end of the catwalk, perfect for taking great shots of the outfits - it's just a shame my camera battery died half way through the show.  Bad fashion blogger!

I did manage to get a few pictures of my favourite outfits though, and even though the show featured lots of the bright colours and bold prints that are so big this season, it was the all white looks that caught my eye.  What a coincidence after I decided to wear mostly white on the evening! ;-)  (Though really just I'd gone the show straight from work - Work Outfit Of The Day anyone?)

What do you think of the all white trend?  Stunning or too much of a dry cleaning nightmare?

All - New Look

I found myself wanting a new blazer.  I've only currently got a blue blazer and fancied something a little brighter.  These cold dark days have got me craving spring time!  I spotted this gorgeous Red Crepe Roll Sleeve Blazer in New Look and instantly added it my wish list.  A little further browsing of the New Look website had me stumble upon their monochrome trend section.  I want everything, but something about the bright red blazer inspired me to add a little colour to this monochrome trend... kind of defeating the object of the black and white, but I'm loving it!  What do you think?

All via ACHICA

I love the TK Maxx home department, but hate the idea of rummaging through the often jumble-sale style stores for the small chance of finding a little gem!  I was recently introduced to the gorgeous luxury online store ACHICA, which has fast become my new addiction!  No more rummaging through rails and shelves, or being disappointed that a gorgeous item is damaged - something which always happens to me in TK Maxx!

ACHICA is a members only store that offers fabulous brands at discounted prices.  I have to admit that 'members-only' made me think twice, but it's free to join and literally takes 5 seconds to get set up!  With departments spanning everything from home and garden furniture to electrical goods, fashion, food and travel, there is actually something for everyone!  The site works by offering daily shopping promotions, for which you can choose how often you receive e-mail notifications.  The promotions last around 72 hours so you have to be quick if you see something you like, and with  new brands added every day it doesn't take too long to end up hooked!

I've put together a few of the items that I'm watching at the moment.  The Rituals Candle is one of the best examples of the bargains you can find on ACHICA.  Though usually £16.50, you can pick this fig candle up for only £8.50 on ACHICA.com.  The furniture and home accessories departs are my absolute favourite though, it's as if everything has been picked out for my dream house!

Have you ever had a browse around ACHICA?  Let me know if you've picked up any amazing bargains?

*Sponsored post

1.  Vanilla Bliss Reed Diffuser (£15)  |  2.  Shea Butter Up Duo (£7)  |  3.  Ginger Sparkle Shower, Scrub & Moisturiser Collection (£15)  |  4.  Cranberry Joy Bath Crystals (£12)  |  5.  Festive Hand Cream Trio (£12)  |  6.  The Sparkler - Dazzling Copper (£14)  |  7.  Chocomania Cupcake Gift (£5)  |  8.  Pudding Washball (£3)  |  9.  Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist (£10)

I've been a massive fan of The Body Shop for what seems like forever!  ...Ever since I was very young and would go into just buy lip balms and those little coloured bath oil beads that you used to see everywhere!  It's no secret (especially with me having a beauty blog!) that I'm pretty obsessed with skincare and always love to try new things.  Christmas is my favourite time to try new products, you can use the excuse of having to go 'Christmas shopping' to get out there and hit the shops, but also winter is not kind to my skin - the cold weather really dries it out so I love to try scrumptious new products!  After browsing The Body Shop on my lunch break recently I came away with a massive list of Christmas gift ideas, and a few things I'd love myself!

The Body Shop is always perfect for gift sets, it's great that you can get everything from little stocking fillers to luxurious pampering sets.  I'm loving the new seasonal collection more than anything else right now!  The three main Christmas scents are gorgeous, Cranberry Joy, Vanilla Bliss and my favourite, Ginger Sparkle - think Starbucks gingerbread latte bottled!

One thing I didn't realise until I visited the store recently was just how amazing the Aromatherapy Collection is at The Body Shop, they have everything from relaxing shower gels to massage oil.  Top of my wishlist is the Deep Sleep Pillow & Body mist, ideal for winding down and pampering yourself over the sometimes stress holiday period!  The Chocomania range is the absolute opposite!  It's so amazingly chocolatey you can't help but be perked up by the yummy scent!

Have you tried any of The Body Shop Christmas Range?  Is there anything in particular that you think is a must have? Check out Christmas Collection at http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/

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I know the photos aren't great, they were taken about 3:30pm in the north of England in Winter, so the flash wash needed unfortunately.  Luckily the colours are all true to life, so we can just ignore the dodgy shadows behind me!

Both the jacket and jumper are new.  I visited Oasis recently with the intention of picking up a bit of jewellery to spend the £10 voucher I picked up from Look Magazine.  Well straight away I spotted this quilted faux leather biker jacket and was immediately drawn to it, I don't have a decent black leather jacket (faux or otherwise) so thought it would make a good investment piece.  What closed the deal for me was the fact that the jacket was already reduced from £58 to £48, so with my £10 voucher on top it was quite a bargain!

I've been absolutely in love with all the glitzy, sequinned and baroque dresses in the shops at the moment, though I probably won't buy one unless I've got something to it wear it to.  This Republic jumper however can be worn to any occasion!  Not only did I get another little bargain (there's 25% off all Rebublic knitwear at the moment - enter OMGFREEZING at the checkout) but this jumper just might end being my favourite Christmas jumper!

I loved pairing these new wardrobe additions with some military style pants, and my new Zara clutch for a casual yet edgy look!

Primark have done really well with their Christmas home collection this year, and if I was a little less controlled I would have come home with a lot more bits!... I wasn't quite as lucky when it came to the clothes however!

Cloggs.co.uk Black Studded Ankle Boots - £44.99

For those of you that have followed my blog for some time, you may remember that a year ago I posted about a pair of boots that I was pretty much in love with.  Well I was more than excited when Cloggs.co.uk kindly offered to provide me with a very similar pair to giveaway to one of you guys!  Cloggs.co.uk are fabulous online store that sell hundreds of well known brands of shoes, and this pair has to be one of my favourites items they stock, even a year on from first spotting them!  Studs are bigger than ever this Autumn Winter and these black ankles boots carry them off with the perfect amount of attitude!

So if you want to win a pair, all you have to is Follow this blog via GFC, Like the Cloggs.co.uk Facebook page (they are also running another really cool competition on there to win a of Australia Luxe Atilla Boots worth £349.99 so definitely go check that out!) and leave me a comment telling me how you would like to style these boots!

Once you've done all that via the Rafflecopter widget below, there will be a few extra ways you can increase your odds on winning these amazing boots, so check them out!

The competition ends Friday 23rd November and is open to UK entrants only.  If you are the lucky winner I will contact you (so don't forget to leave me your e-mail address in your comment entry) to find out your shoe size, then the lovely people at Cloggs.co.uk will send out your shoes right away!  If you win and the shoes have all sold out in your size, Cloggs.co.uk will provide you with a voucher of the same value :) yay!

GOOD LUCK!

Just a very quick post to show you all the gorgeous new addition to my wardrobe!  I'd been eyeing up this studded clutch in Zara for some time, though hadn't actually mentioned how much I loved it to anyone other than a very bored Chris who'd ben dragged round the shops.  Well last week my mum surprised me with one!  I was so shocked, I actually thought I'd told her about it!  Just a bit bigger than a large purse it'll be perfect to wear for a night out or a meal.  I can't wait to feature it in an outfit post soon!

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I'm very exited about this little giveaway!  The lovely people at Zalando.co.uk have given me a £20 voucher to give away to one of my lucky readers!  I've featured Zalando.co.uk pieces a few times on my blog (here and here) and absolutely love the variety of brands and fashions available on the website!  To show you what's on offer I've featured a few of the pieces that caught my eye for Autumn Winter, all for under £20... or you could really treat yourself and put the voucher towards a pair of these fabulous Jeffrey Campbell's (8).  With free shipping, what more could you ask for!

So, to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is follow this blog via GFC, like my NEW Facebook page, and leave me your e-mail address in the comment section so that I can contact you if you win!

In true blogger style, there are also a few ways you can get yourself a few cheeky extra entries!  Just check out and enter via the Rafflecopter widget below!

Zalando are able to deliver to any of the countries where they have a site, unfortunately this excludes anywhere outside of Europe.  The counties where Zalando are able to deliver to are Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland.  Don't worry if you live outside this area, I'll be doing more giveaway's soon!

All Necklaces:  Doloris Petunia, One of a Kind

I'm bringing back one of my favourite features!  High End Done High Street came about from my love of browsing NET-A-PORTER, and all things gorgeous, but just ever so slightly little out of my price range!

I was recently considering how much I'm still loving the Spring 2012's oversized, bright and bling statement necklace trend. These gorgeous 'cocktail' necklaces are definitely here to stay in Autumn and Winter!  I found myself on the Doloris Petunia Etsy store - a Chiara 'The Blonde Salad' Ferragni's favourite, and I can see why!  Each piece is custom made by Courtney Prince and her team, whose motto is 'because one of a kind is the new black'.  No two pieces are the same, and I love it!  With prices around the £300 + mark these stunning items are very much an investment piece.  Here's to hoping I'll be lucky enough to wear one of the amazing bridal pieces when I get married, but in the meantime I'll be making the most of the pretty alternatives to be found on the high street:


1.  Zara Cord Chain Necklace with Coloured Rhinestones and Diamonte, £19.99 (I have this one!)  |  2.  H&M Metal Riveted Necklace, £14.99  |  3.  Oasis Brushed Flower Necklace, £16  |  4.  Necklace of Chains and Rope with Coloured Stones, £19.99  |  5.  Topshop Ribbon Twist Collar, £18.50  |  6.  New Look Diamante and Neon Pink Flower Necklace, £12.99

I'm going on holiday next week, a two week road trip through France to Italy, I CAN'T WAIT!  Needless to say I've been browsing the net mentally piecing together my dream outfits.  Here are some of the pieces that have made my wishlist!

1.  The most perfect mint green lace dress from H&M,  £24.99.  I love the slight drop skirt at the back!  |  2.  Pretty neon pink and yellow necklace with layered gold chains, H&M, £6.99  |  3.  Gorgeous white beaded bikini top (£22) and bottoms (£16) from River Island, would look amazing with a tan!  |  4.  One of the most popular shoppers on the net right now, perfect for carrying round everything you need on holiday!  £79.99 from Zara  |  5.  I couldn't choose between this blue aztec print bikini and the white version from River Island!  So why not add both to the wishlist!!  (Top £22, bottoms £16)  |  6.  Fluro metallic sandals from Topshop, £40  |  7.  In love with anything like these multicoloured neon bracelets with diamante, £15.99 from Zara.

I've found myself picking up more and more bits of rose gold jewellery recently.  Obsessed much?  H&M is amazing for accessories at the moment and particularly rose gold.  This is my little collection so far, each piece ranging from £4.99 to £7.99.  Bargain!  Rose gold is so pretty, and just that bit different.  My favourite is the choker, it gives all outfits that extra edge.  Though I don't think I've posted any outfits pictures wearing the choker yet, you can see the triple ball necklace here.

What do you think of rose gold?  Have you spotted any other must have pieces on the high street?