I'm Back in The (Blogging) Saddle Agaaain with a Year in Instagram!

It's been a year since my last blog post. An ENTIRE year. I just... I can't understand where this year has disappeared to?! It literally feels like yesterday that I was graduating from teacher training and preparing to enjoy a well deserved six weeks' holiday before starting my NQT year, and now? Well, now I have successfully completed my NQT year and I am about to embark on my return to education... 

So, what has been happening this past year as I have taken a sabbatical from the blogging world? A deluge of events - and not all good, which is why I stepped back from the blogsphere. 2013/2014, so far, has definitely had its' rough stretches - I've suffered loss and faced a lot of challenges, some that I am still struggling on with but I am hopeful that it will be more positive from now on. Saying this, 2013/2014 has had its' positives times too - and that's what my comeback post is going to focus on, through the eyes of Instagram, the better times of 2013/2014 (so far) with a fashion focus... 

September 2013 - Darker hair returns

Chilling with Sully in support of Monsters University

Some of my new 'must-have' products - Macademia Oil, Elemis Quiet Mind Serum; a day in sunny London; Jazz Age Pearl & Onyx Ring from Tiffanys and Co.

 My travelling outfit for a week in Nice/Monte Carlo - Oct 2013

 My first Parents' Evening alone... It required a tweed blazer.

A small selection of my outfits from 2013 - very much taking inspiration from Blair Waldorf. Outfits come from: Dorothy Perkins; Next; Forever 21; H&M; New Look; Accessorize; Red Herring; Sugarhill Boutique; Yumi.

 Return to red hair in Winter 2013.

Still with this guy - Christmas 2013

 Feeling like a Disney Princess with a wand at Disney on Ice

 Chinese New Year in London 2014

 Ombre Hair in 2014

 Making the marvellous discovery of Pinkberry with besties.

 Trying to survive preparing students for AS Exams!

 My terrified face at taking 26 students on a trip!

 Heading back to blonde for the summer and being with my favourite man.

 Some more outfits of 2014 - including some workout wear! The workouts did not last...

 Achieved one of my goals of having eyeliner look equally good on both sides - little victories people, little victories.

Celebrating our five year anniversary in Bath

 My most recent selfie - blonde hair is back! July 2014

 Flowers from my students as a leaving present - July 2014

And that's where we are now... I am finishing off my last week in my current position as a Tutor of History at a sixth form and it is certainly an emotional one having to say bye to the students and staff who I have bonded with over this year. I am preparing for an action packed summer before returning to university to complete an MA... It's all kicking off and I am going to be blogging about it all - so stay tuned, because Stephie in Wonderland is back!

... And it's good to be back. 

Love, 

Stephie x

Follow me on: Instagram (disney_stephie); Pinterest (disneystephie)

Sunday's Spring Shopping - Boohoo & Sugarhill Boutique.

Hello my dears - hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday especially with the sunshine! With my knee not being in tip-top shape, I am filling my time with online & dream shopping when my puny purse cannot reach the costs of everything I want. Today, I purchased my first items from Boohoo.com, and discovered Sugarhill Boutique as another online retailer that has absolutely everything I want at prices that I'm not so keen about - look at me becoming adventurous! 

Having heard mixed reviews about boohoo.com, I haven't tried buying anything from them before and only rarely glanced at their collections, but after seeing their 50s inspired fashion ad I was intrigued. I have to say, I did fall in love with several of their dresses & skirts, and after brutally cutting down my basket I decided on a pink polka dot dress & butterfly waist belt:

Photo from Boohoo.com

I love the 50s large polka dot pattern and sweetheart neckline of this dress as well as the candy pink colour - definitely something for spring and to brighten up my work wardrobe with! They also have it in navy which I was tempted by but got convinced to go for something different which I'm feeling pretty good about.

But after this spending and buying The Muppets soundtrack on iTunes, I had to control myself - something that is always painful to do, especially since I discovered Sugarhill Boutique from another blogger. So instead of buying everything, and I mean literally every dress on the Sugarhill website, I decided to blog my current dress dream-list:

Photos from the Sugarhill Boutique website.

Oh, they are just so beautiful! Seriously, these dresses just make me desperate to win the lottery or to marry a millionaire - sadly, neither seem like a likely option so until then its dreaming about these beauties. I have to say that the sunflower dress does seem like the ideal spring/summer dress with its pattern and shift dress style - love it! Alas, with the price tag of £48, its not an affordable dress for me right now. Oh well, a girl needs to have a dress to dream about right?

What do you guys think of Boohoo.com & Sugarhill Boutique? Got any dream dresses on your summer/spring list?

Love,