Bronze Sparkle

I bought this dress way back when at the beginning of Summer, but because my wardrobe is forever overflowing, I never got an opportunity to wear it until now. I wore this gem for another fun filled day in Nottingham with my dear friend, Char. If you saw my last post about my first visit, you'll know that I absolutely fell in love with the city and simply couldn't wait to get back, so I jumped at the chance to head down there again a mere few weeks later. 

We had food at Frankie and Benny’s (uh-mazing!) and then just pottered around, diving into as many new nooks and crannies as we could find. I wanted something a little dressy but also with a mix of casual as I knew we’d be walking around the city.

Dress: Marks and Spencer^

Lace Cardigan: Marks and Spencer^

Shrug (worn underneath): eBay

Sneakers: New Look

How much of a beaut is this dress?! The delicate flower print with gorgeous pleats on the skirt are so swoon worthy, and it's so floaty which really worked with the gentle Autumn breeze. This lace cardigan is beautiful and the detail is stunning. I intended just to wear the lace cardigan on its own, but as soon as I stepped outside my front door, the cold breeze hit me so I threw on a white shrug to wear underneath. I think it works really well and I practically glided through the streets of Nottingham, as I felt utterly ethereal. 

You don't normally see me in sneakers but these were too cute to pass up and they go so well with the colours in the dress. The bronze sparkles are a lovely touch and the sneakers themselves are the most comfortable - perfect for a day full of walking.

Another great day with Charlotte and I’m already pondering what on earth I’m going to wear for my next trip!

‘til next time!

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

KEY: Symbol ^ denotes an item no longer available. 

Pixie Red Riding Hood

It's awful, but I have rarely travelled around the UK. There's no real reason for this other than not really having a need to do so, but when my dear friend Charlotte left the bright lights of London to study in Nottingham, I simply couldn't wait to buy my ticket for a visit.

There was rain in the air when I first arrived but this soon abated and we had nothing but gorgeous sunshine and blue skies for the remainder of the day. We mainly stayed in the city centre and what struck me the most was the stunning architecture; people very rarely look up but I find that most architectural beauty is up with the clouds. Here are just a few of my favourite shots from the day:

We had such a brill day with lots of exploring, food and a bit of shopping. I wanted to wear something fabulous for the day and I turned to one of my absolutely favourite brands:

Dress: Collectif

Shrug: eBay

Leggings: South (via Very)

Shoes: Simply Be

This wonderful dress has been around for a while and I have indeed had it for some time now, but because my wardrobe is forever bulging, I never had the opportunity to wear it. There isn't a single thing I don't love about this dress. Gingham is arguably my favourite pattern after polka dots so that was an instant draw, it's halter which is great for those with a larger bust and because it's so well fitted it also means you can adjust the support in accordance to your needs. The swing skirt provides a floaty feel with enough room for a petticoat, and the buttons on the bust are heart shaped. There's no mystery why this dress has been so popular - it's pretty much perfect!

I love the trimming along the bust <3

I have since been back to Nottingham and I will post about that next time, but suffice to say I love Nottingham and look forward to heading back there in the new year.

‘til next time!

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

Scots To Have It

During my very first trip to Nottingham (which I'll be blogging about soon), myself and Charlotte headed into Primark to see if there were any goodies we could nab. This dress and a skirt you'll see on the blog soon, we snapped up by me as soon as I laid eyes on them. 

I don't usually do smock dresses as being a vintage bunny means I like structure and definition, but this tartan number is so great for this time of year. It's still light enough for the warmer Autumnal days, but also versatile enough to throw on chunky boots and a coat for when there's a chill in the air. As you'll see with the pictures below, it was a gorgeous sunny day so I needed nothing other than a pair of leggings and my new favourite heeled boots:

 Dress: Primark

Leggings: South (via Very)

Boots: Next

Sunglasses: Spitalfields Market

I love the traditional tartan colours as they fit so well with the current season. I think different Primarks hold different stock as I definitely didn't see this in any London stores at the time of buying this gem. I kind of love having a dress few people will have, particularly from a brand such as Primark, but I love this smock dress, it's a great length and although not my usual style, I felt super comfortable and confident in it. 

These pictures were taken a while ago before dinner with my dear friend, Shel, and we headed to GBK for all the burger goodness. It was lovely to catch up with Shel and as always, she did a great job taking my pictures. 

'til next time!

Love and hugs, 

Isha

xxx

Nerdsville Book Club #6: The Martian, by Andy Weir

The Martian, available via Amazon

I'm writing this with a huge lump in my throat as I've literally just finished The Martian by Andy Weir. This book was chosen by Charlotte and I was a little worried as she was almost certain no one would like it. Well she was right on that front because I didn't like it - I loved it! The book is about an astronaut called Mark Watney, and due to circumstances I won't go into (as it's a spoiler), he finds himself left by his crew and stranded on Mars. 

Mark initially thinks no one knows he's still alive so decides he needs to find ways to survive alone, and he is full of determination and wants to find his way back to earth. There is seemingly only one way to do this which is to wait for the next crew to Mars to rescue him......said crew would not arrive on Mars for 4 years! Now, this is a bit of a spoiler I'm afraid, but NASA do indeed find out that Watney is alive so it becomes a race against time to not only help Watney in his experiments to make and sustain food supplies, but also to expedite a Mars mission to get him home. 

It admittedly took me a few chapters to get into the book as the beginning is extremely technical with lots of scientific jargon, but there was something about the first person narration that kept me going. But once I was over that hump I was fully enthralled in this space adventure and I felt Andy Weir did a brilliant job in making the reader feel like they knew Mark and as a reader I was rooting for him every time he encountered a setback. Andy made Mark incredibly funny and I often found myself giggling throughout the book as Mark's wit and upbeat behaviour totally drew me in. I doubt I'll ever know what it's like to be stranded on Mars but I'll hazard a guess that I'd be ever so slightly hysterical waiting for death, but Andy kept Mark light with numerous jokes about bad sitcoms and Disco music via laptops left by his crew mates. It is heavy on the science which will fill all science geeks with joy, but what's so great about the book is that it's written so incredibly well and everything is talked through and explained so the non-scientist nerds like myself felt fully in the know.

I was so engrossed in this story and although I won't tell you if he makes it or not, what I can tell you is that reaching the end will leave you feeling quite emotional - you'll have to read to find out if it's for the good or the bad!


Don't forget to check out the reviews from my fellow Nerdsville crew - they'll be up soon!
Charlotte
Leah
Marie

Lace Silhouette

When I first saw this dress on the ASOS website, I instantly wanted it, but I stopped myself from buying it straight away through fear of it looking odd. I really liked it but lace over a bodycon dress for someone a tiny as me just seemed like a recipe for disaster, so I forgot about it. A month or so later I was on the website again and was so surprised to still see the dress there so I took it as a sign and snapped it up before it disappeared for good. I'm so glad I did!

Dress: ASOS^

Belt: Simply Be^

Shoes: Simply Be

Necklace: Tatty Devine^

I'm finding myself being more and more drawn to fitted/ bodycon dresses and there was a time when I wouldn't even contemplate it, but now I have a growing collection and I'm so excited for this new addition to my style. I'll always be a 50s bunny but I'm finding mixing up my outfits more and more exciting and I'm often thrilled with the results. This dress is made of cotton so although it hugs the body, the material is lovely and stretchy so there's a no danger of looking like a over packed sausage. The lace is a great touch and gives enough coverage to those maybe self conscience about their tummy area - it also doesn't hurt that the lace has a polka dot design. Because I'm not a usual bodycon wearer, I was really surprised at how much I loved seeing my silhouette. My shape is so defined which I had never noticed before, and I love how my wider hips show off my small waist.

I accessorised the dress with an old Simply Be belt, my favourite flats (also by Simply Be) and the most fabulous mermaid necklace by Tatty Devine.

What a fab outfit and another reminder that there is so much for me to love about my body. 

'til next time!

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

KEY: Symbol ^ denotes and item no longer available.