Autumn Fashion Wishlist '17 | with New Look

The inspiration for this post came when I had racked up 48 'saved' items in my wishlist on New Look. The one thing and probably the only thing that I can stand about the cold is that I can wrap up in layers and layers of clothing. 

Bring on the double layers of jumpers, bring on the scarves and wooly gloves with matching wooly hat. I live for the autumn/winter clothing. It's the only thing that gets me through the seasons...that and pumpkin spiced lattes. So whether it's raining or just bloody freezing outside right now, sit back and browse through this wonderful collection of clothing. Buy my pretties, BUY!

The Jumpers

Jumpers are the best fashion creation that ever existed. I live in my jumpers during the winter and there's a SHIT TON of jumpers just waiting to be snapped up by yours truly.

Rust Colour Block Jumper £24.99 | Grey Balloon Sleeve Sweatshirt £15.99 | Yellow Lattice Back Ribbed Jumper £19.99 | Black Tiered Sleeve Jumper £19.99

Black Cut Out Shoulders Longline Jumper £19.99 | Yellow Bardot Neck Sweatshirt £15.99 | Grey Fine Knit Longline Bar Back Tunic £17.99

The Bottoms

I always find that I reach for my leggings during the Autumn/Winter months just because they go with pretty much anything. I wanted to try for a bit more variety in my wardrobe this year so behold, skirts!

Black Elasticated Waist Heavy Weight Leggings £17.99 | Blue Stripe Tie Shirt Sleeve Skirt £19.99 | Black Sheer Midi Skater Skirt £22.99 | Grey Mesh Hanky Hem Skater Skirt £15.99 | Black D Ring Belt Stitch Detail Mini Skirt £19.99

Pink Velvet Pleated Midi Skirt £27.99 | Black Check Wrap Front Mini Skirt £22.99 | Burgundy Velvet Embossed Mini Skirt £19.99 | Black Check Jacquard Frill Hem Leggings £19.99

The Shoes

Ankle and Knee High Boots seem to be the seasonal staple for Autumn and there's a great selection of boots in a variety of styles on New Look.

Black Suedette Slouchy Block Heel Mid Calf Boots £34.99 | Wide Fit Brown Buckle Ankle Boots £27.99 | Tan Suedette Stiletto Heel Pointed Boots £22.49 | Red Suedette Cone Heel Pointed Boots £29.99

Wide Fit Black Block Heel Lace Up Biker Boots £32.99 | Red Leather Cone Heel Pointed Boots £59.99 | Wide Fit Tan Comfort Block Heel Chelsea Boots £29.99 | Brown Ankle Strap Knee High Boots £39.99

The Outerwear

What's better than one layer of clothing? TWO. That's why I love adding on a jacket, coat or cardigan to feel even more snug.

Grey Check Contrast Cuff Blazer £29.99 | Grey Balloon Sleeve Cardigan £22.99 | Cream Faux Fur Lined Aviator Jacket £59.99

Tan Suedette Mac £44.99 | Noisy May Yellow Faux Fur Trim Jacket £35.00 | Noisy May Pink Cable Knit Longline Cardigan £30.00 | Coral Suedette Biker Jacket £39.99

The Accessories

And lastly, not forgetting the accessories. From thick chunky scarves to bobble hats with the biggest bobbles you've ever seen, I love these little things that complete a Autumn outfit.

Yellow Faux Fur Pom Pom Scarf £17.99 | Pink Ring Handle Across Body Bag £5.00 | Yellow Check Print Scarf £12.99 | Black Double Faux Fur Pom Pom Beanie £9.99 | Black Drawstring Tote Bag £9.00

Yellow Faux Fur Pom Pom Bobble Hat £7.99 | Yellow Wide Check Fringed Scarf £14.99 | Black Mini Backpack £19.99 | Nude Pink Suede Colour Block Tote Bag £54.99

What do you like from this wishlist? Let me know in the comments below.

*Disclaimer - This post contains affiliate links.

Designing My Dream Home Office

So when myself and Sam eventually get around to buying a house (which will be in 545683538648 years because London is so freaking expensive), I've always wanted to have my own office space where I can be totally creative and have it as a quiet hub for my blogging. Which is why I wanted to totally get ahead of myself and tell you what my ideal dream office setting would look like. After getting in touch with Calibre Furniture who are office furniture professionals, I decided to use their furniture as inspiration.

The Desk

Now if money were no object, I'd get one of the biggest executive desks I could find but the likelihood of having anything more than a box room would not really accommodate that sort of desk. I eventually want to get myself a desktop Mac so that I'm really only using my laptop for when I'm away traveling. Calibre Furniture has a range of desks to suit both home office and work environments. I love their Classic Glass Desks because they're modern, easy to clean and look totally swish. 

The Chair

If there's one thing that I'm really looking forward to when I get my own office space is having one of those comfortable office chairs. At the moment, I'm making do with the sofa, a wooden chair (which is so bad) and leaning up against the wall on my bed. So when I browse longingly and find the Wesley Executive Chair, I mean...can I buy it now? I love chairs that literally envelope you and that you can do all of the James Bond, evil baddie impressions!

The Storage

I visualise my office space with all black furniture and then just pops of colour here and there. That's why, when it comes to office storage, I'd want something like the Gloss Credenza Unit and probably some floating shelves because THIS GIRL loves floating shelves.

And in terms of everything else, I suppose a bookcase for my books would be great and maybe if there's space, a cosy armchair of some sort that I can relax in with a glass of wine and a gritty crime novel in hand. 

The chances of me getting an additional room for an office space is fairly slim when it comes to living in London but a girl can only dream and hope that the office gods hear her and find her a place in the city that has two bedrooms, an office space and a big garden all for under £400,000...yep like that's going to happen.

Make sure you also check out Calibre's blog post on office productivity hacks, it's well worth a read.

*Disclaimer - This is a collaborative post with Calibre Furniture. All words are my own.

Sustainable Fashion with Hawthorn

When it comes to the fashion industry, I'm always one who likes to find a bargain but over the years I've become a little more conscious about buying cheap clothing otherwise known as fast fashion. Our world is not as green as what it used to be and the fashion industry is the world's second biggest polluter. I suppose that's not so hard to believe when there are so many new brands and companies cropping up manufacturing and selling clothing worldwide.

Sustainability in fashion is being seen more now than back when I was a kid, which can only be a good thing. Big companies like H&M and Marks & Spencers are offering their customers financial incentives to bring back old clothing that they can then recycle and use to make new again. Unfortunately though in our current society, we are constantly looking for cheaper alternatives which results in so much wastage and pollution. I recently crossed paths with Hawthorn, a clothing manufacturer, and I thought it might be a great opportunity to pick their brains as to whether sustainable fashion is something everyone will get on board with eventually or if our desires for cheap deals will always hold it back.

For those who don't know about sustainable fashion, what is it?

Sustainable fashion is the term which has been given to represent eco-friendly practices within the industry. The goal of sustainable fashion is to create an industry which does not negatively impact the environment in the way it currently does. With the fashion industry being the second most polluting in the world, there is a clear issue which as manufacturers we must respond to. The fashion industry has for the past 25-30 years been a great polluter, thanks to “fast fashion”, a term which was coined in the 90’s to represent the way in which manufacturers and brands were seeing a need for quick turnaround times to keep up with trends. As a result, fabrics like cotton were farmed to the absolute maximum of their capability, aided by treatments such as pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Polyester also gained popularity as a fabric choice; a material which requires the use of fossil fuels to produce it. Sustainability in the fashion industry is what we need to achieve to reduce the huge impact it is currently having on the environment, and the most prominent place to start is in fabric production. By working to reduce polyester usage and by increasing the usage of organic cotton, a positive change will be had.

What are the benefits of sustainable fashion?

The greatest benefit to using eco fashion practices are those to the environment; for example, growing organic cotton reduces pollution to the ecosystem in the farms and surrounding areas where cotton is grown due to the decrease in pesticide and toxic chemical usage. However, there are also some benefits which are less thought of, and which relate to the clothing themselves. Clothing which is produced from fabrics which have not been treated with chemicals during the fabric process are actually of a higher quality than fast fashion equivalents. They’re more durable too, meaning the clothes last longer and therefore the requirement for production is less, reducing the impact on farming and reducing the need for maximum yield via the use of pesticides and chemicals.

Would you say more brands/clients are now emerging with more ecological ways of manufacturing clothing?

Absolutely! Things are definitely going in the right direction with regards to sustainability, however, there is a still a long way to go. Many consumers naturally take sustainability into account less than they do the style, fit, or brand associated with a garment, but more small brands are beginning to realise that sustainable fabrics are accessible and that the price difference isn’t a great deal more than traditionally created fabrics. Drawing from our experience as clothing manufacturers, a couple of years ago we dealt with only a small amount of brands who aimed to be as sustainable as possible, however now we have seen a great influx which has led us to develop stock ranges of eco-friendly fabrics which small brands can utilise in their ranges.

Is sustainable fashion expensive? Is it possible for big retailers to be able to financially adapt to this way of supplying?

Part of the challenge of promoting sustainability is that currently, the cost of production is slightly higher than it is for traditional fabrics, however that cost is not so vast that it isn’t affordable. This is much the same as in the food industry, where organic produce is usually a little more expensive than non-organic options.


Through increased awareness via bloggers like yourself, we need to make the general consumer aware of the importance of environmentally-friendly production. This is already happening and some big retailers are already working sustainability into their business models, but for it to grow the general consumer needs to be actively looking for eco-friendly clothing. As there is more demand, the big retailers and brands will be forced to react, and as more sustainable fabrics are produced the cost will fall.

Thanks Hawthorn for sharing your wisdom! What do you think of sustainable fashion? Let me know in the comments below.

*Disclaimer - This a collaborative post with Hawthorn. 

20 Things To Do When You're Hungover

Hangovers. They only get worse as we age and unfortunately as much as I didn't want to believe my parents when they told me that, I'm starting to believe them. No longer can I sleep in till the afternoon like I did at university to get over a hangover. Nope, now I have to put on a brave face and go to work and do household chores that make me literally WANT TO DIE.

So as I lay in bed on a Monday morning after a two day drinking session, I thought to myself 'hey Natalie, how about you spread some pointless and perhaps not so valid knowledge about getting over a hangover'. And just like that, a post was born. Here's 20 things to do when you're hungover...

- Have a hot bath and sweat it out.

- Order a takeout.

- If you've drank during a work day, take regular breaks to hydrate and eat. Get some fresh air during your lunch break.

- Place a cold compress against the inside of your wrists. It's a quick cooling spot and works for me when I've got the hangover sweats.

- Eat all of the junk food.

- Aim to drink 2ltrs of water.

- Lie in a dark room with either a fan on or a wet flannel on your fo'head.

- Go the gym and sweat it out.

- Try hair of the dog (i.e have another drink).

- Take painkillers every few hours as recommended to help rid yourself of the headache.

- Stay where you are - travelling definitely makes you feel worse.

- Sleep for as long as you can.

- Get caffeine and sugar in you.

- Wear sunglasses if you become sensitive to light.

- If you need to be sick, be sick. Don't mentally distract yourself from wanting to puke.

-Firmly grip your temples and on the very top of your head with one hand. Squeeze gently.

- Take a break from any electronics. It will only make you feel worse.

- Eat spicy food. Sweat it out internally!

- Have a partner? Turn them into your slave by making them wait on you. Trust me, it's the best.

- Don't deny yourself a hangover poop. They are the best types of poops.

What are your remedies for when you're hungover? Let me know in the comments below.

Highs & Lows - Week 21

This past weekend has been super relaxing and I've managed to get so many 'home chores' done. As the holiday of our dreams reaches ever closer, we've now got ourselves a gorgeous suitcase from Tripp (which we actually brought through Debenhams and I had a mission of a journey getting it back to the flat). Both myself and Sam have gone through our Summer wardrobes to see what we may need for the holiday and I'm super tempted to get all of the clothes and some new makeup.

Highs ↑

Be Manic Events Launch Party

So we attended Sam's cousin's launch party (ahh all the punctuation) and it was over at his grandma's STUNNING property where the main space was a converted barn house. He had bouncers, an outdoor dance space and the fanciest portaloos myself and Sam have ever seen. The event seemed to go very well and we were pretty stunned by the on-site magician who was amazing. Well done Tom and best of luck with your company!

Out With The Old

So over the weekend, I had a massive clean up of my room, I've put a shit load of stuff on eBay to sell (so please go and buy it). It's so good to have a cleansing of your belongings every now and again because I'm constantly hoarding things that I really don't need.

What have been your highs & lows? Let me know in the comments below.