Friday's Frock #6 & Instagram Insights!

Hello my lovelies! Once again, I have failed at blogging due to exhaustion, I will get used to this whole working thing right??? But to make up for my lack of posts this week, I am back with another Friday's Frock! The picture isn't great as it was an instagram snap this morning (ignore the horrific wet hair style...):

Dress: Vero Moda

Cardigan: H&M

Belt: New Look

Now, I'm just going to throw this out there, but I think this dress is in my top 5 favourite dresses of all time - I just love how diversely it can be styled! Today, I decided to go for the mix of patterns look that I have done before paired with bright red pumps & hairband to throw in a bit of colour. This dress is ideal in everyway - not only with the nautical themed stripes, but the way it is designed that the contrasting stripes have quite a slimming effect & the cute scoop neckline emphasises all my curves in the right places whilst still remaining tasteful! If anyone is visiting a Vero Moda anytime soon, I would definitely recommend this dress as for only £16 its something perfect for both summer & winter wardrobes! 

So with Friday's Frock out of the way, here are some more Instagram moments of the week (and last weekend) that wanted to share with you lovelies... Prepare yourself for the excitement:

1) My little cutie Mia. 2) Feeling Spring with Chanel's 'May' Nail Varnish. 3) Back to Blonde. 4) Congratulation flowers from daddy & David. 5) Celebration cupcakes made by mum & Dani. 6) Fortnum & Mason's Eggs Benedict. 7) Fortnum & Mason's Afternoon Tea. 8) My new Owl Professor Charm from David. 9) New Playsuit from TK Maxx via Ebay. 

After an interview I had on Thursday in Mayfair, my lovely boyfriend took me for Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason's where I decided to splurge and get myself the incredible Eggs Benedict that they do - nom! I may have felt a tiny bit queasy after having scones with clotted cream afterwards, but it was sooooooo worth it! I love Mayfair, it is literally like being taken back to the Golden Age of Hollywood with the fantastic restaurants & shops and it is one of my most loved places in London for indulging myself. I've also heard through the grapevine that there are three secret gardens in Mayfair that you cannot find on a map, so that is now on my list of things to do!

I've also been trying to conserve my money a little before payday, and have therefore been scouring eBay to fix my shopping addiction. I was not disappointed when I found this super cute polka dot playsuit from TK Maxx for only £1, and then bought two new Dorothy Perkins dresses for about £10 combined together! I don't know about you, but I love eBay as I can always find items that I wanted from a year or so ago for a lower price - as the saying goes, patience is a virtue. 

How is everyone's week going? Are you eBay hunters too? 

Love,

The Work Week Outfits in Instagram #1

Hello my lovelies! I am so sorry for my abscence from blogging pretty much all this week, it has been one hectic week and everytime I got home from work I just wanted to sleep! Firstly, some exciting news to share with all my lovely readers that I found out on Thursday...

I have gained a place on a History Graduate Teacher Program!! Eeeeeek! I'm incredibly excited about this as the competition was ridiculously high for history this year and from over fifty applicants to this particular training provider, only two places were being awarded, and I was one of the lucky two to get a place. I start in September, and so by 2013 I shall be a qualified teacher! I'm nervous about the year to come with all the extra work & studying, but cannot wait to begin teaching my own lessons and only working in history!

Anyway, during the week I don't really get the chance to take outfit pictures in the morning as I always want those extra ten minutes in bed and then end up rushing around to get out in time - this is where Instagram has come to save the day! Literally just before I am heading out, I take a quick picture of my outfit to where I look, you know, respectable and not dishevelled which is how I end the day. So here is this week's work outfits:

1) Friday's Frock! Dress: ASOS; Belt: New Look; Cardigan: New Look. 2) Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch; Sequin Pumps: New Look. 3) Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Cardigan: H&M. 4) Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Cardigan: New Look. 5) Dress: Vero Moda; Cardigan: Hollister. 

 It shouldn't really be a surprise to any of you that my entire work wardrobe is 98% made up of dresses and cardigans - considering generally when I go shopping I will come home with more dresses than anything else, despite not having any more room! It has once again been a winter week and so haven't really managed to get out of the black tights - bah! But on Friday I did, and went for the favourite ASOS midi dress with the striped skirt that just makes it feel like Spring for me!

I also got to debut my new Dorothy Perkins dress (3) this week which I snagged in their sale for £20, and absolutely love! The mix of nude base colour and then ink polka dots just means it can be matched with so many different cardigans and has now given me the excuse to go nude wedge shoe shopping to go with it! 

How do you dress for work in the week? 

Love,

Friday's Frock #5 - Pink Ladies

Hello my lovelies, how is it Sunday already?!?! How?! These speedy weekends are making me want to have only two day weeks and five day weekends, who's with me? I have some awesome news to share: I have hit 90 followers! Just 10 more to go before the big 100 and the giveaway that goes along with it...

Anyway, I know that it is waaay past Friday but I haven't had a chance to blog yet this weekend as I have been a busy bee shopping away my paycheck this month (more to come later on that). So here is a quick recap for this week's Friday Frock: The besties and I went to Westfields for a late dinner and some shopping, and because we were coming from work didn't want to dress up too much so went for this cute pink flower silk-y dress from Oasis:

Not my best pictures but these were quickly taken before rushing out the door as I was already running late! I paired this cute ruffle dress with a baby pink cardigan (H&M), my usual black waist belt, and my brand new silver Eiffel Tower necklace from the lovely Cathryn over at Little Paper Swans.

Its an outfit I would wear to work as well, as it can be dressed up or dressed down - love those sort of adaptable dresses, saves space in the wardrobe and makes a challenge out of it! 

To go with the pink theme, I made the leap and wore it with MAC's Chatterbox lipstick - the lipstick that convinced me to add a pink lippy to my collection!

Eurgh, not my most photogenic day was Friday, but just showing the cute pink lisptick which I think works well with the whole fresh-face cute look that is becoming part of my day look - saving my deep red lipsticks for a more evening/weekend look for a bit of pin-up glamour!

Anyway, that was this Friday's Frock! More posts to come on my first EVER MAC lipstick purchase and some sale goodies :)

Do you have a dress that you love to reinvent?

P.s. for daily OOTDs for when I just don't have the chance to blog, follow me on Instagram at Disney_Stephie for daily OOTDs :)

Love,

Friday's Frock #4 - Oasis' Oriental Date Dress

Hello my lovelies, hope you are all enjoying the start to the weekend! I'm currently at le boyfriend's house so can only write a short blog this morning as the internet keeps failing - boohoo!

As I didn't get the chance to blog Friday's Frock yesterday, here's my date frock from Oasis:

 Dress: Oasis
Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch
Belt: New Look
Tights: M&S
Shoes: New Look

With it being my first week back at work full-time, I have absolutely been cream-crackered this week not helped by going hand-in-hand with the whole Weight-Watchers dieting thing (which incidentally, have found out that because I haven't reeeeaally been portion controlling my food, has not worked quite as planned but I am eating salads at work). With all the stress & everything else that comes with dieting and returning to work with Year 10/11s preparing for GCSEs, I couldn't wait for my date night on Friday - American food & milkshakes are the way to see the weekend in, in my books. 

I went rummaging through my wardrobe to try & find a frock that I hadn't worn in a while (being a hermit limits the amount of times I can wear snazzy going out dresses) and found this little gem squashed in amongst my work clothes. I got this dress in the House of Fraser sale last year because I loved the oriental flower & dress design, but also the bright colour & silky feel. The stretchy material is just a huuuuge bonus for going out for dinner, as hate being in restricting clothes when trying to gorge myself on the weekend treats! Anyone have this feeling too? My motto is always dress in regards to what you will be doing - food wise, never going to wear skinny jeans when heading out for Wagamamas!

So with a thick cardi and some thick tights I was set to brave the winter weather in style! Here's a little peek at what I got treated to yesterday at All Star Lanes restaurant in Westfield Stratford:

(Chilli Cheese Dog) (Hush Puppies) (Reese's Cups Milkshake)

Luckily for me, I have been trying to be extra healthy and good during the week and with the exercise I do around a school, managed to score myself quite a few extra weekly points so lunch & dinner it is out! Next week, Weight-Watcher portion control begins - here's hoping the will-power sticks! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who has a hankering for American food, I love everything they have to offer here and not just diner food - plus their cocktail menu is pretty much endless!

Do you have date dresses? Do you dress according to the date you will be doing?

Love,

Friday's Frock #3 - Butterflies!

Happy Friday m'dears! Hope you all have exciting plans for the weekend, and that sun may actually stay out for longer than five minute stints, eh? 

Today's Friday Frock is another beaut from Vero Moda.

 I bought this cute little tea dress last Summer when I was working in London as it was smart enough for the office, but still had my own flair with the frilly sleeves & butterfly pattern! For me, plain suits or blouses just don't seem to look right on, making me look either too short, too round, or like I am back at school - not good. I was always complimented on this dress in the office, so it made me feel confident enough to wear my own little office style rather than feeling awkward in shirts & skirts.

Today, I've styled it with my fancy new Abercrombie & Fitch varsity cardigan that my parents brought back in a huge pile of new clothes from the States, and my trusty navy bow pumps. This cardigan is sooo soft, how do Abercrombie & Hollister make their clothes so soft?! Honestly, it's like being cuddled by a polar bear all day long... And that would be a friendly polar bear, not one holding me in its claws of death. This outfit (in my mind) is my defiance against Mother Nature and her rainstorms! Even with the black tights and knitted cardi, it is a summery dress and shoes!

Are you being outfit defiant against Mother Nature?

Love,

Friday's Frock #2 - Ain't Nothing But a Houndstooth!

Happy Saturday! I know it's not Friday, but after having a bit of drama yesterday with the boyfriend that meant I didn't have time to blog my 'Friday Frock' post so here it is today:

Today's frock was a little gem that I found after some post- Aussie event shopping with the lovely  Tabitha and Dani in Oxford Street's River Island:

As any shopaholic knows, sale-shopping is essentially a sport - and a vicious one at that! There was shoving, clambering over one another, snatching items off the hangers from the grasps of another shopping - it sounds like a slightly tame version of the Tributes at the Cornucopia (Yeah, I am a Hunger Games geek).

 Luckily, I avoided this bloodbath when finding this cute, hounds-tooth skater dress discarded away from the dress section! There was only one left and that was a sign. I couldn't ignore a sign, could I?!

Dress: River Island; Tights: M&S; Belt: Jane Norman; Cardigan: New Look; Sequin pumps: New Look.

I love the style of skater dresses - the shift style top, with a mini full skirt that gives it that vintage feel with a modern twist. With the hounds-tooth pattern, it just added to this feel as it looked like something that had been transported out of Joan's wardrobe from Mad Men, with just a shortened hem-line.

The best part about this little beauty is that it was 12:12... £12 and a size 12! With weight-loss being one of my big goals for this year, I was super excited to be able to fit comfortably into a size 12 by River Island's standards - wooooooo, its all paying off! 

Well that's it for today's Friday Frock! How do you like the skater style dress? Are you a River Island fan? 

Love,