Fun in the snow. A lifestyle post…

As one of my 'blogging' new years resolutions i decided to merge my family blog with my fashion blog. I hope this is OK with you guys. I was finding writing two blogs too much and my family blog wasn't really getting enough readers to warrant all my hard work. Looking at other blogs i have seen that mixed themed blogs do quite well, so hopefully i won't lose any followers for talking motherhood. I promise though it will be mainly fashion and beauty posts but i am defiantly aiming for a post a day.

So on to today…

Thanks to my Facebook and twitter feeds i knew even before i pulled open the curtains i would be greeted with a beautiful view. Snowflakes were falling and my garden was white. I love snow days but i admit they can be a pain in the neck. But whoever you are you can't help but want to start a snowball fight or compete with your neighbours to build the best snowman. Not every part of it is fun. Walking in it to school was a challenge and we had a few near slips. Also it stops you from being able to go anywhere.  As a kid you wish for the snow to come but as a adult you grow to hate it.  

These photos were taken on our morning school run. I had promised the boys we would build a snow man when they returned but unfortunately by lunch time the snow had melted. I have heard we are expecting more snow soon so hopefully they can build their snowman then. 

Gem xx

A Weekend of Les Mis and a few outfits ★

Hello my lovely readers ♥

I was going to start posting 'what I'm wearing today'  posts but this weekend i have been rather busy with the family to sit down at my computer. So I'm am just going to compile my pictures into one big post.

Friday 

Friday nights are spent with friends at our local family friendly pub. We like to chat about the week and let the kids run around with their friends. Everyone normally dresses very casual here but as i have spent all week in leggings, wellies and baggy tops i wanted to make some effort.

I wore a white dress with a peter pan collar from my favourite shop Primark. It has a horse and woodland print with a purple belt. For some reason i find myself buying a lot of clothing items that have collars, i just love them.  This dress was in the summer 2012 sale for £5. Bargain.

Saturday 

I have a little more to say about Saturday. Today was the day i finally got to see Les Miserables at the cinema. If you follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on facebook you'll know that i am a massive Les Miserables geek. I have all the cast recordings, seen every film made and been to the queens theatre twice. My review of the film? I can't say i was happy with it entirely. I'm sorry to say Russell Crowe ruined it for me. He is not a singer bless him. When he started to sing one of my fav songs 'Stars' i was so disappointed. Also as much as i was impressed with Amanda Seyfield's singing in Mamma Mia, i felt see struggled with the high notes playing Cosette. Hugh Jackman was amazing though and I admit i cried when Anne Hathaway performed 'I dreamed a dream'. So emotional and so perfect. My favourite girl was of course Samantha barks. She is the one and only Epoinine. She really should have got more credit for her role. Have you seen the film yet? Let me know your thoughts on it or if you are also a fellow Les Miserables geek. 

As the film is a massive three hours long i decided to dress comfy casual. I wore my favourite Atticus jumper from Play.com, (I'm sorry i cannot remember how much this cost), with my grey skinny jeans from Primark. 

Sunday

Today we woke up with the intention of having a very lazy Sunday. It has been a very busy week for us with work, extreme house cleaning, school and job hunting. However while making breakfast we realised we had no food in the cupboards so a quick shopping trip was needed. Yesterday before the cinema, i sneakily ran in to Topshop to see what was left on the sale rails. I found this dress which i have actually been after for a while now. It cost me £20 reduced from £38. Even though it may be a little to dressy for food shopping i still cant help showing off my new purchases. 

It is a deep red skater dress with capped sleeves. The material is textured and thick, ideal for the winter. Also the dress is stretchy which i love even though the dress is unfortunately a size to big due to being the only one left. I teamed it with my favourite Primark bow belt, black wooly tights and my Chelsea boots also Primark.

Let me know your thoughts on the Les miserables film.
Thanks for reading.
Gem x

Wearing Neon. Yes or no?

Hello ♥

So it looks like neon is going to be back for spring/ summer 2013. To be honest i think it will always be around especially during the warmer months. There is nothing like adding a bit colour into your look to match the cheerfulness of summer. 

I am very guilty of matching my wardrobe to my mood and to the weather. I wear a lot of deep colours such as reds, burgundies, browns and greys in the autumn, in the winter i seem to lean towards black, and then as soon as spring/ summer arrives you will see me wearing a lot of pastels and bright colours. Although i tend not to put myself in head to toe colour but instead to add a bit of colour pop to to my look. For example if i am wearing blue jeans and a casual white top, i like to add a neon belt or a coloured clutch/ handbag. I added a little example of this below, which shows how to follow the neon trend and still wear a simple LBD just by adding a few accessories. 

Neon - Turn Off the Lights! by latoyacl featuring cork handbags

This season i fancy being brave and treating myself to a pair of colour pop jeans like the ones below. I love these and think these will be gorgeous with a little white vest and sandals. I also fancy treating to myself to a mint green pair. Mint green is defiantly my favourite colour at the moment. The jeans cost a whopping £140 from mytheresa.com but most high street shops stock jeans of a similar nature.

Magic by asya-1 featuring travel handbags

I am also loving colour pop neon skirts. When i saw this one i fell in love although I'm not to sure i will be brave enough to wear it or if it will suit my pale skin. May have to get a few spray tans for it to look any good on me. This beautiful neon number is a bargain £16 from allyfashion.com although sadly i think it has now sold out. 

Think Neon! by bklana featuring black shoes

So what do you think? will you be adding neon to your wardrobe? will you go head to toe in this trend or are you like me and like to add a few neon accessories?

 Gem x

My spring 2013 wish list ♥

Hello,

With the shops starting to release their spring/ summer collections, i thought I'd make a spring wish list/ inspiration post. I am really getting bored of winter now and can't wait to be able to get out side without wearing about five layers of clothing. However spring will still require some layering such as a light weight jacket, cardigan, jumper or tights.

The spring/ summer 2013 fashion shows contained so many new exciting trends for this year. The looks to choose from include pastels, neon's, metallics, graphic patterns, monochrome or cropped. The best being the return of the 90's.

Ive added some of these looks below for you to ooh and arr over. ★

Graphic:

Metallic:

90's nostalgia:

Here are three spring looks i have put together:

Peachy Pastel

spring is coming by gemma-coy featuring witchery

Vero Moda woven shirt, £15 / Coco's Fortune pleated chiffon maxi skirt / Accessorize flat shoes, £30 / Leather handbag / Witchery , £33 / Watch, £37 / Smashbox gift sets kit, £30 / by Don Carney 20x200, £15

90's Child

90's child by gemma-coy featuring round sunglasses

Vintage cardigan / Topshop cotton t shirt / Denim jean jacket, £100 / High rise shorts, £55 / River Island printed shorts / Dr. Martens flat lace up boots, £93 / Studded bag / Topshop round sunglasses

Graphic

graphic by gemma-coy featuring nars cosmetics

rag & bone chevron print dress, £340 / ASOS , £44 / Peep toe sandals / Sondra Roberts handbag, £16 / Smashbox , £26 / Smashbox lip stick, £12 / NARS Cosmetics , £11

What trends will you be following if any this season? Feel free to leave a comment below.


Thanks for visiting. Gem x

Primark's sporty 2013 spring collection.

Last week Primark revealed some of their spring/summer 2013 clothing! Being the biggest Primark fan out there i immediately had to check it out. The overall collection contains  an urban feel with slogan tees, statement prints and sporty pieces. Also included are some festival inspired pieces, pretty pastels and florals, monochrome and country and western. There are some really nice outfits there, but the overall look was a bit out of my personal style range, and which is normally lady-like. I rarely buy anything that's sporty or grungy, it just does not suit me dressing like Rhianna or Rita Ora. I'm sure the younger crowd are going to love these pieces though.

These are some of the urban/ sporty outfits so you'll see what i mean:

 

However, here are some of my favourite items which i am going to put down on my wish list to buy!  I love the lace, the pastel shades, the florals and the cute retro style dresses.

 

 

 

 

 

I also love the monochrome pieces Primark have released. They are super stylish and slim fitting. I'm a big fan of occasionally dressing like I've stepped out of the fifties so when i saw this skirt i knew that i needed it. I also need this dress. Oh my poor bank. Its very Kim Kardashian but i think it will look great on a date night or dressed down slightly for work wear.

 

 What do you think of Primarks new collection?

Gem x

January so far.. A personal post

Hello,

Its 2013 already, wow. I really can't believe how fast 2012 went. It seems a lot of fellow bloggers, personal friends, and family are quite glad 2012 is over. I agree. For me 2012 was a huge rollercoster, containing many highs and too many lows for my liking. Also, other than starting this blog, i feel i haven't really achieved anything. I still can not drive, i am still a stay at home mum, and i still feel like I'm stuck in the bottom of a well. Im also still badly suffering with anxiety and feel this is what has stopped me from leaving the comfort of my shell. Feeling this way, i have decided to make 2013 my best year ever, starting with being over positive and throw all my negative feelings away. I have never before made new year resolutions as I'm bad at sticking to them but i want to write a blog post next year full of positive things i have achieved. So, i have decided to add a blog post at the end of each month, rounding up what i have been up to, what i have achieved, and what i have planned for the next month. This is more for me to keep track of my achievements and progress. Hopefully i'll be working, driving, a house owner, etc by 2014. 

January so far …

The first week of January has already been a great start for me. Instead of staying home, i got outside and did things for me. Every day i have been getting up early, walking the dog, cleaning the house and kept in touch with friends. 

The first day of January was welcomed with a few close friends, some fun drinking games, and watching the London fireworks on BBC. Its our favourite way to celebrate the new year.  No waiting in the rain for taxi's, no over priced shots or being a sardine in a over crowded nightclub. Plus we could actually talk and laugh. How did you guys bring in the new year? 

Most days have been spent ignoring my spending ban and hitting the sales, but in a positive way its kept me active and away from the left over chocolate. On wednesday i undertook my biggest achievement for this week  which was booking the very last ticket to see Les Miserables on London's  west end. I am not so keen on venturing into London on my own. I get very paranoid of people looking at me. The hardest part for me was sitting in the theatre alone. I felt a lot of eyes on me. I relaxed a lot though when i over heard a lady behind me saying that she was alone because her friend couldn't get tickets. Its nice to know you are not the only one in that situation. I am a huge huge fan of the show, and i admit i sat and cried on my own during the finale. I just thought to myself, ill never see the people sat next to me again. 

So thats January so far. Still some of the month left so will update the post at the beginning of February. 

From left: my new years outfit, top: les mis at the queens theatre, buckingham palace, shopping haul.

What I brought in the boxing day sales.

 

Hello!

 

Just a not so little boxing day sale haul for you today.  I am not the biggest fan of sale shopping, it irritates me when i have to pick clothes up off the floor and search through tightly packed rails. Also they never have anything in my size, even when they have the sections of sizes. People bug me too when the sales are on. I'm not a fan of being rammed and my stress levels don't cope. This year i decided to wait a week after boxing day to visit the shops as well as shopping on line. Even though I hit the sales late I'm still rather impressed with the lovely items i have brought.

 

First up are my on line purchases:

 

New look

 

 

I have already shown you guys this dress on a previous post. It cost me £8.00 reduced from £14.00. Its a silky feel blue bird print tea dress from New Look. This has to be one of my favourite purchases as I can't resist a nice tea dress.

Missguided

I love love missguided. I visited their website in search of a sparkly new years dress but as usual i was distracted by their sales page and came away with this lovely lightening bolt jumper. It cost me £9.99 reduced from £19.99. They are still available if you want to grab yourself one.

 

 

On Saturday i decided to visit the shops to see what was left over. Most shops like Office, Zara and Debenhams were too busy for me to handle but i did visit the sales lines of Topshop and Primark. Here is what i brought:

 

Topshop

 

 

 Aztec velvet skater dress, was £39.00 reduced to £20 / Burgundy skinny fit jeans £45 reduced to £20 / Ear Cuffs, was £7.50 reduced to £3.75.



Primark

 

Burgundy wool dress £20 reduced to £10 / Blue daisy print tea dress £14.00 reduced to £5 / Ear cuff £1.00 / winter boots £5

I also visited Boots to see if there were any of their Christmas gift sets left. Unsurprisingly the shelves were pretty bare. I did how ever find a Soap and Glory Shower travel bag hiding underneath a self. Very excited when i found it. Originally it cost £18.00 but it was reduced to £9.00. Inside contains six travel size products which are "Girligo" Body moisturising mist, Hand food, "the righteous butter" body moisturiser, "clean on me" shower gel, "calm one calm all" bath bubbles, and finally "scrub of your life" smoothing body butter.  

 

 

Did you grab any sale bargains this year? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Gem x