FLUFFY HATS & FLOWERS AT PORTOBELLO RD

Happy Sunday!

Gosh... it has been freezing this weekend, so much so that when we visited Portobello Road market I had to buy myself a new woolly hat. Granted I had been wanting a fluffy bobble hat for some time now, but as it was actually cold I felt it justified my purchase even more! I managed to haggle with the woman on her market stall a fair bit so if you are looking for one of these hats Portobello Road is definitely the place to pay a visit, over £15 cheaper than in the shops, and the fluffy pom pom is detachable for easy machine washing.

I tend to visit this market a lot when I'm looking for pieces for the flat, there are lots of cute antique stores, full of memories and amazing vintage items which you could get lost in for hours. There are also lots of lovely little flowers stalls, so I couldn't help but pick up a bunch of wild flowers and if you are looking for somewhere to eat there are plenty of food stalls, I highly recommend the pizza stands which also sell fresh bread which smells amazing.

If any of you are thinking of visiting this market I would advise to go early on a Saturday morning, as this can be a tourist heavy area, so if you get there early you miss the main rush and can freely move through all the stalls. This is such a lovely area and if you are only in London for the weekend I think it's nice to see somewhere different than the central areas of Regent St, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.

Have a lovely evening all

x

DEJA VU & ACTION FOR HAPPINESS

Leather Jacket - AllSainrs
T-Shirt - Whistles
Trousers - Zara
Trainers - Adidas

Deja vu... this lovely t-shirt by Whistles got me thinking about all the things in life I see being repeated by not just me but everyone around me and especially living in the buzz of London one of the things I see time and time again is how your work and life can blend into one. Sitting on the tube you see people answering work emails, or cyclists taking a conference call. Everyone just seems to struggle to differentiate the two.

Love and work are said to be the cornerstones of being a human being and both to me are equally important but at times it can be challenging to juggle the right amount of each and I do think you need to try and separate the two at times.

As I have grown up over the years I think one of the key things I have had to master is achieving a good work/life balance, especially when you're getting used to not being a student and are trying to make your mark in your new career path. As we are at the start of a new year quite a few friends I know have vowed to make this the year that they decide to finish work just that little bit earlier to give them some extra time with the ones they love, or for starting a new hobby or just giving themselves a bit of me time.

With this in mind I thought it would be quite a nice idea to write a post on the different ways I have managed to create a nice work/life balance (I'm not saying mine is perfect and of course there are always some occasions at work where you have to put in the extra hours, but on the whole I think anyone can achieve a good balance, which will make you enjoy your work hours all the more)...

1. Take some time to have fun at work - you may be feeling stressed and don't want to move from your desk at lunch because you think if you stay your work will get done quicker, but in actual fact sitting at your desk for long periods of time without a break can make you less productive and having that little bit of time away, to relax and have some fun with friends will give you a fresh mind to carry on with the task when you come back.

2. Make some time for you - I recently went to a talk on mindfulness, and I know this is a buzz word at the moment, but just taking 20 mins out of your day to focus on yourself can have a really positive impact on your life. So finish work that little bit earlier to do some exercise or a quiet bit of meditation and this can do wonders for your energy levels. I try to work out at least 3 times a week, and if I don't I really see a dip in my energy and productivity levels.

3. Organise your work and life - A lot of people say I am over the top organised and I don't really mind the comments because being organised has really helped me to make sure I can plan my work a head of time. With tasks I will create a to do list for the week, with timelines and priority levels, this way I know which tasks NEED to be completed and which ones I have wiggle room on. And by having a weekly rather than daily to do list I can see how new projects and tasks can be slotted in for the week.

4. Don't say no to a social event - I know that you might think drinks or a dinner on a Wednesday night might make you feel more tired for Thursday but in actual fact having that down time allows your brain to switch off from work stress, then you can come in the next day feeling more refreshed and ready for action. So the next time you are thinking of cancelling that dinner with friends to just sit in from of the TV, don't, I promise you, you will feel a whole lot better if you say yes!


I hope you all found this post useful and can use some of it to have a healthy and happy 2016.

THE BOYFRIEND SHIRT

Leather Jacket - ASOS
Shirt - Whistles
Jeans - ASOS
Shoes - Whistles
Bag - Ted Baker

You may or may not have noticed but the quality of the pictures in the post are (I would say anyway) a lot better than in my previous posts. A big thank you for that goes to my new Olympus Pen EPL7 and the 45mm lens. I have never been a person to fall in love with gadgets but this camera is definitely my latest obsession and has transformed blogging on the go for me. The only thing I need to master now is a full outfit shot with the 45mm lens to achieve a blurry background, hopefully next week's post I will have achieved it! It anyone has any pointers please let me know.

These pictures were taken the day after my first 10k race ever, I am pleased to say I made it all the way to the end of the race in one piece and didn't walk once, I promise. I just wanted to share with you all my latest investment this Whistles boyfriend shirt, it has such a slouchy but perfectly tailored fit that I fell in love with it instantly, as it hung at the back of the shop calling my name. It is perfect for work with a pair of black skinny jeans and heels but you can also dress it down with ripped jeans and trainers as above.

Ally

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DENIM IS A WAY OF LIFE

Dress - Whistles
Sandals - French Connection
Necklace - Italian Boutique

This weekend with the weather being so nice I have had a much needed catch up in the sun with friends and family. Drank a bit too much vino on Friday in an amazing local bar where the band did some great covers of Ed Sheeran (felt like I was almost at a concert) and my Brother came down to stay who I haven't seen in over a month. So all in all, my weekend has been full of embracing denim, enjoying friendships and having fun in the British weather.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Ally

x

LAYERS & LAYERS & MORE LAYERS...

Jacket - Asos
Jumper - Vintage
Cardigan - AllSaints
Jeans - Topshop
Boots - Topshop
Bag - Ted Baker
Scarf - Topshop

Bonjour, so as you may have guessed I am having a quiet Saturday night in! 

The other half and I spent most of the day wondering around the amazingly graffiti-ed little streets of Shoreditch looking for some cute antiques for our new pad which we are due to hopefully move into in the next coming months. That's right I'm finally moving! After running out of space for all our stuff in our small one bed, we are hopefully due to move in the next couple of months, and I can't wait! And it's safe to say this excitement is manifesting itself on my Pinterest page, with rustic home interior pins becoming a very regular occurrence.

Now on to the important part of this post and not my ramblings. The outfit. So today was rediculously chilly, which meant one thing when it came to an outfit choice. Layers.

In today's outfit I am actually wearing not 2 but 4 layers; a vest top, light jumper, cardigan and then a leather jacket. And this still didn't stop the cold. My favourite piece within this ensemble is definitely my AllSaints cardigan, I have had it for 3 years now and it's still going strong. You can actually clip it at the front, giving it a nice drape effect, so very versatile.

How are you all managing to stay stylish but battle the cold?

Ally

x

WINTER WARMER

Jumper - French Connection
Jeans - Topshop
Coat - AllSaints
Boots - Russell & Bromley
Bag - Topshop

It's Sunday evening again, just where did the weekend go! I spent most of my weekend getting into the Christmas spirit (I mean it is the start of December tomorrow, so the count down begins). I started my Christmas shopping on Saturday, although Oxford St. was manic because of Black Friday weekend and I kind of got distracted and accidentally bought this cuddly jumper from French Connection as an early present to myself. I then spent Sunday at the Christmas market at South Bank, where I took my jumper out for a spin, whilst enjoying the pop up Rekordelig Cider Lounge (being a country gal it made me feel at home) and watching adults and children a like getting lost in the Christmas tree maze.

Did any of you make the most of Black Friday weekend, or have you started your Christmas shopping?

Ally

x

PLAYING FESTIVAL DRESS UP

All clothing - Topshop
Cross Necklace - Italian Boutique

While Justin Timberlake did his thang this weekend at V Fest, I decided to pretend I was there by turning up 'cry me a river' (but not quite stalking a Britney lookalike) and dressing up in the only things in my wardrobe that I thought resembled a bit of a festival get up. Obviously, I would probably need to go more 'Hunter' than 'peep toe' if I was actually there, but considering I wasn't, *sigh*, I could indulge in such fashion luxuries as heels.

Did anyone head to 'V' this weekend? What were your fashion must haves? 

Ally

x

OH HEY CROCHET

Where did the weekend go? I think I had one of those weekends where you plan so much into your days that the weekend is gone in the blink of on eye. Needless to say I am already counting down the days till I get to see my bed again next weekend.

However, in between the Shoreditch camper van partying and the sunny hours spent in Brighton, I did manage to take a few blog pictures. I picked up these floral beauties from Topshop, they are so comfy and lightweight that they are perfect for the summer heat. I then paired it with my crochet top because to be honest, who doesn't love crochet? Then to top it all off the piece de resistance, my bargain Primark heeled sandals. The perfect outfit for a chilled Sunday afternoon...

Ally

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