LDN Summer Meet Up, 28th July 2015

I love blogger meet ups as they provide the chance to meet fellow bloggers, share ideas and passions, gain inspiration for blog posts and more often than not they involve food and shopping which are two of my favourite things! Yesterday I attended a meet up organised by Sophie and Kate which was held in West London. I'm like the reverse version of Mark Francis from MIC and I rarely venture out of my East London bubble so when I do I usually get lost! Luckily this time my phone navigation actually made sense and I managed to meet the group outside St Paul's church in Covent Garden. There were only 8 of us but it meant that we all got to chat to each other and was actually nice to hang out in a small group and stay together all day without having to split up. I had spoken to the lovely Tania on Twitter and we both have a mutual friend so it was lovely to finally meet and have a good chin wag. All of the other girls; Sophie, Kate, Emma, Emily and Jasmine were really nice and friendly too. I had already met Talullah at a meet up 2 years ago but it was good to be able to chat to her properly as we were sat at the same table for lunch.

Tania, Tallulah, me and Emma

The first activity was to look around the shops such as Urban Outfitters, Mac and Topshop Oxford Street where I bought some new make up. (I will write a post about this later in the week) 

Emily, Tania, Kate and Sophie. 

After over 2 hours of shopping we rested our weary feet and bags along with enjoying a tasty refuel at The Diner. I opted for Freakshow chicken with Diner fries, washed down with black cherry soda which did not disappoint. 

We all received a goody bag which was a great bonus and reminder of the day. It contained A cute jewellery set from Jewellerybox.co.uk, (below) St Moritz tanning mousse, balmi lip balm, a pop band hair tie and nspa and Timeless Truth face masks which I'm looking forward to trying out. Overall, it was a fantastic day and it was great to meet some new blogging pals who I'll definitely stay in touch with and hopefully see again soon.

A Dose of Sunshine

I seem to be suffering with a case of the post holiday blues and it's no wonder with the rainy but muggy weather sweeping London today. It's a far cry from the hot, dry heat and sunshine in Spain where I returned from yesterday after visiting my grandparents for 11 days. It was actually too hot to sit in for long and I spent more time shielding my fair, mole covered skin in the shade than I did basking in the sun. It was a lovely, relaxed holiday but we went out for a couple of nice meals which gave me the opportunity to wear some decent summer outfits

This long, sporty, sheer top with side splits from Primark was only £8 and is so versatile. I love how the splits show a flash of whatever you wear beneath and also a bit of skin if you wear short bottoms. This would also look fab over a bikini. The skirt was from Zara and only cost £10 as I got it from Gatwick airport. The mules are from Linzi

I love this Zara peasant blouse with tassel neckties that was only £15 in the sale. It's a great piece for holidays and any warm days. The shorts are from Forever 21 (last summer) and the hat is from asos

I love the casual two pieces that all of the online and local boutiques seem to be selling this summer. This paisley pom pom version was from a market and is so comfortable 

I bought this green strappy dress in the River Island sale last summer and love the colour. There are so many sale bargains on the high street at the moment so it's a great time to pick up some holiday pieces and items to wear if we get any more decent weather in the UK

White has been my favourite colour this season along with shoulder details so this dress from New Look (£20) ticks off two trend boxes. I love the Bardot shape and it's perfect for summer days as it keeps you cool. My sandals were bought in New Look a couple of years ago

The Cold Shoulder

Most girls have parts of their body that they're not too keen on and I've found that the best way to draw attention away from these areas is the accentuate the parts that you feel more confident about. I quite like my shoulders and legs so I'm happy to have them on display during warm weather even if sometimes a bit of fake tan is required to make them the same colour as the other parts of my body that are often exposed, such as my arms. One of my favourite looks this summer is the off the shoulder or cut out shoulders style which is all over the high street at the moment. New Look has a variety of shoulder flashing pieces including this white tiered gypsy top (£17) which is also available in other colours. I wore it last Saturday with lace up sandals which were also from New Look and a button down denim skirt from Miss Selfridge.

A Sneak Peek of some of my Summer Sale Buys

I do love the Zara sale and often pick up a few bargains. My most recent were these coral culottes (£17.99) and tie neck cotton blouse with tassels (£15.99) which I wore for a Christening yesterday with a sleeveless blazer from boohoo (£18) and lace up chunky heels from Topshop.

I'm flying to Spain on Sunday to visit my grandparents so plan to wear these pieces out there one evening. The top would also be ideal to throw over a bikini and pair of shorts

Sunshine on a Rainy day

Yellow is such a bright, cheerful, summery colour and I often wear it to give me a lift when I need it. I've been feeling pretty run down for the past week so this draped sleeve yellow top from Zara (£29.99) was the perfect pick me up. I wore it for my cousin's Holy communion with white jeggings from Uniqlo, flatforms from Primark and a Zara jacket (£39.99 in the sale) and accessorised with a bag that I also snapped up in the Zara sale. I'd definitely pop in store this week if you get the chance to grab a bargain or 2

Pockets of Summer

I've noticed that Summers aren't what they used to be back when I was a child in the 90s or even as a teenager in the early noughties when long, hot summers used to last weeks with only the odd grim day. Nowadays though I feel like from May to September we have what I call pockets of summer where you get a period of warm nice weather for a few days then it becomes unpredictable and temperamental again. During one of those pockets of summer around 2 weeks ago I got my shins out for work which isn't something that happens very often being someone who feels the cold but I do it whenever I can. Midi skirts are perfect for work and they allow your legs to get a bit of sunshine and breeze on them but also look sophisticated. The only downside can be 'Marilyn moments' on windy days. One of my favourite midi skirts is this lilac scuba number from Boohoo.

I wore it for work with an embellished top from H&M. The lace up sandals are from New Look and the shades were bought on holiday a couple of years ago

Cosmo's Summer Fashion Showcase

One of my favourite parts of the Cosmopolitan Summer Party last weekend was the fashion show featuring gorgeous summer looks which can be worn both on holiday and at home on a sunny day. I loved all of the looks but here are my favourites

This boho chic look was my favourite and is definitely a style I can see myself attempting to pull off! The dress and hat are from asos, the shoes are from Office and the sunglasses are Miss Selfridge

This cute playsuit from H&M is easy to throw on when the heat is on and it's both stylish and comfortable

I love the colours and pattern of this Boohoo playsuit which is perfect pool to bar attire

This cute co-ord from asos is perfect for a night out with the girls or a date. Either way you're sure to impress wearing this combo. I'd snap one up myself if I had a stomach worthy of flaunting!

The colours in this summery Oasis outfit really pop and would look fab with a tan, even if it does come out of a bottle!

This outfit from Miss Selfridge (shoes from office) is ideal for a festival and conjures up dreams of rubbing shoulders with celebs in the dessert at Coachella. One day...

This gorgeous playsuit and long kimono from Boohoo is the ideal poolside or beach outfit and it wouldn't look out of place at a pool or beach party in Marbella, Ibiza or Vegas
My favourite category had to be occasion wear as I love a glamorous frock and there were plenty to choose from

I love stripes and this Coast dress shows that stripes are not restricted to casual wear and can be well suited to formal occasions 

 Be pretty in pink in this River Island dress with silver embellishment on the top for added glamour 

This blue Ted Baker dress is simple but stunning and such a lovely pastel colour. The pink two piece is also from Ted Baker and should make any girl feel like a princess