Blackberry.

It's getting colder and colder, and it looks like most blackberry bushes have been all but depleted in recent weeks. I saw a lot of people were picking blackberries pretty early this year, while I kept holding off and off, and I'm glad I did.


So these were taken during the final weekend in September, back when it wasn't so cold cold. We actually went back again a week later, this time with Moon's dad in tow, coming home with a much better haul.



A big clearing by our road is pretty much all brambles, they were only small berries really but what a treat!
In my opinion, same goes for raspberries, there's not really any better way to eat blackberries than as they come but I've been pinning away finding all sorts of recipes, the first was a blackberry yoghurt cake, which thanks to a loose base cake tin ended up mainly all over the oven door, and the second were some delicious but kind of over-done apple and blackberry crumble cupcakes, I seem to have lost my mojo when it comes to a few things since we moved, and baking can be added to that list.





I wanted to show off my most recent charity shop find, a Monsoon dress down from £80 to £25 from Blue Cross Witney, sadly the pictures haven't quite turned out how I'd like but I'm sure this dress will be getting plenty more outings so I'm not too worried.


Friends and family have blackberry gin to look forward to this Christmas, it's infusing as I type, and we even tried our hand at blackberry jam, delicious but next year we'll definitely need more blackberries.






I find myself very much transforming into a forager once the blackberries come out, in fact on our trip to Wales last month, I was so excited about finding so many, I even brought a bottleful home and made myself a tart.

Now that it looks like winter arriving far sooner than we would like (why is waking up in 7am darkness now a thing?), I'm really looking forward to crumbles, stews and all that other hibernation food. What are some of your favourite autumn-to-winter recipes?

What I Wore :: PYO

As if it's been nearly a year since I last shared an outfit... I don't have any excuses, maybe it's a self-conscious thing - I've become a bit chunkier than I'm comfortable with over the last year, or I've just been busy taking photographs of other things. Either way, I was pretty pleased with what I put together last Saturday and when given the chance to pose amongst the (delicious) strawberries, it just felt right, you know?

I even have bare legs, which is almost unheard of for me, particularly given that it was a mostly overcast day, what can I say, I'm just hella pleased with dat Portugal tan.


Top:: H&M
Skirt:: Vintage
Necklace:: H&M
Brooch:: Vintage
Belt:: ASOS
Sandals:: Office

This might be one of favourite most recent outfits and I feel like it's definitely going to be making an appearance a few more times before summer is out.






These sandals are my new favourites along with a pair of fake Birkenstocks I picked up at the same time. It's such a treat to get a pair of shoes that don't need any wearing in.




I know I've gushed about Cobbs a few times on here now but I just really like it, as a shop, as a restaurant, as a pick your own. Those were the best strawberries I've had in a while. I'm kind of sad that our homegrown strawberries are just as delicious but oh so tiny but we do have a much better crop than last year so I can at least be happy about that.

What I Wore: To Harry's.

Kimono: Primark
Dress: New Look
Necklace: Oh Someday
Belt: with another dress
Sandals: New Look
I'm definitely well and truly 24 now, bit weird. So, above is what I wore out to our fancy meal out at Harry's Bar & Kitchen in Donnington. We went there last year for our anniversary and it was really good then too. We actually had plans to go to a different restaurant that evening but were a little later than we'd hoped to make our reservation.

Harry's didn't disappoint but I guess it makes me realise how many nice places there are to eat around us given that we've only visited there twice now but enjoyed it so much.

I know I say it pretty much every time I showcase this dress on here but it really is one of my favourites and I really like everything about it. I've never thought about putting this kimono with it but it did make it feel a little more appropriate for the occasion.

I think I may have finally worn these sandals in, no blisters in the last two wears! It's just such a pity that summer is almost over because I would have worn them way more, you never know though, there's always a chance of an Indian summer.








Currently amazed by technology and posting this at the airport on my tablet while waiting for our much-delayed flight to Northern Ireland (thanks, Easyjet). So I'm off for the next six days, likely Internet-free and exploring County Antrim once more, hopefully there will be lots to show when I return - there's a promise of fishing!

Basic Appreciation.

I've found that going shopping with Moon, if he's not in the right mood, can make me feel a little rushed, so it was nice when he was away a few weeks ago to get in a good few hours of quality shopping alone-time. I have been trying to have a clear out, but in doing so, I manage to have gotten rid of kind of tatty but essential things - here is where H&M was my friend.

Maybe I'm growing up or something but I am finding that having a few go-to items is a little more satisfying than flimsy fashion pieces, I'm always going to be a little all over the place though, at least, I'm not ready to be a sophisticated grown up all the time just yet.


1. Cable Knit, £24.99 – I'm totally missing my faithful chunky knit teal cardigan so this was an adequate replacement, and will be great for Ireland next week. It's really soft and comfortable and I can definitely see myself wearing it heaps more once the season changes.

2. Cotton Harem Trousers, £14.99 – I was pretty big on these a few years ago, until I said goodbye to them after ruining my final pair at Glastonbury 2011, so much mud... I can't decide if these are acceptable to wear outdoors really, they're far to comfy to not be day-pyjamas. I'll admit they're not the most attractive trousers but they do for pottering around the garden. I'd love to know what you think about harem pants, and what to wear with them, I'm feeling a little stumped.

3. Green Leggings, £7.99 – Nice to have a change every now and then. I had steered clear of H&M's leggings for a little while because they were really thick and chunky, these ones are pretty nice though and a lot of their coloured ones seem to be like this too, I may have to pick up a few more. I mainly got these because it came to my attention that I pretty much only have black leggings now, anyone else remember when H&M did the coolest crazy leggings, I was all over those.

4. Yellow Skater Skirt, £14.99 – I've been unsure about skater skirts for a while, but this one isn't as short as the rest I've seen usually seem to be. I just really like the colour, yellow is one of my favourites and I really don't think I have enough of it in my wardrobe at the moment. One bad point about this skirt is that it is slightly see-through, which I don't think will be as much of an issue when it gets cooler and I can layer up but isn't something I'm too happy about at the moment.


Have you been stocking up on awkward Summer/Autumn clothing yet, or am I little early?
I blame the unpredictable weather, I miss the heatwave.

Lemon Dinosaur.

Here's what I wore to Dot-to-Dot Festival on Saturday, I went for being a little sunshiney to match the weather (who would have guessed this was just a few days ago?). My hair is entering an awkward phase where it doesn't quite know what it's up to - I think I want to grow it out again but having it shorter is so much easier. I think I kind of like having my hair done like this but would love some tips on how to make it stay this way for longer than a few hours; it seemed low maintenance at the time but ended up needing adjusting every hour before I finally gave up at around 5 o'clock.

I love this lemon-patterned dress, it's definitely one of my best Primark finds ever, I've had it for a couple of years now and it's still going, it does have a tendency to get a little 'boobie' but I can live with that for such a great, summery pattern.


Cardigan: H&M
Necklace: Designosaur
Dress: Primark (about 2 years ago)]
Belt: New Look (with skirt)
Tights: Primark
Shoes: Converse



I really am not happy with these shoes at all, I felt like I was walking around on painful blisters all day, not really painful but just painful enough to be annoying. Not great considering they're coming up to two years old and have been worn loads of times. I miss my turquoise Converse, which I stupidly threw away after coming back from Ireland, they were the comfiest shoes and the best colour.

...And now it's back to covering up in my parka, here's hoping there will be nicer weather by the time Glastonbury rolls around in a few weeks. I might just start dressing the opposite the what the weather dictates and stay summery, but it's so much easier to be floaty and bright when the sun is out, nothing really feels like an effort. I don't mean to complain about the weather so much and I know the rain is good for my garden, but I just want the days to feel longer and to be able to have teatime outside...

Vouchercloud: Summer Fashion Tips

Lovely Ben from vouchercloud got in touch with me after reading my post about 30 Ways to Save £1 and asked if it would be cool to do a guest post. I guess it's not something I'd ever really thought about before, but definitely something I'd be willing to consider in the future, if it's relevant, obviously. So here's a quick little piece about some must-haves for men and women now that the weather is picking up and it's time for ice cream and getting accidental sunburn (I'm okay with flip flops though(!)).
Be sure to check out the great offers on Boden vouchercloud have on at the moment, the perfect site to follow up these tips with.

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Summer is the time to make a statement and one of the best ways to do this is through your wardrobe. Ruth has given me the opportunity to provide some of the hottest fashion trends under the sun this summer for both sexes, so don your sunglasses and bring out the floral dresses. You never know, we might even get some sunshine.

For the ladies
Monochrome – One of this summer’s early favourites is monochrome, which is basically rocking an entire outfit in black and white. The catwalks have been dominated by sleek and sexy monochrome garments and the stars of entertainment have been getting into the swing of things too, with the likes of Kate Middleton, Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone all adopting the look on the red carpet.
The main attraction of monochrome is what you can do with it. Stripes are also big this summer so you could go for a striped dress with a leather jacket or a smart cream jacket over dark leggings/tights with heels.


Floral Print – This design is as popular as ever with dresses, silk shirts and even shoes with floral patterns. Many see floral as the true festival look, which is always complimented by a pair of sunglasses. Floral skirts are especially popular this season.

Summer Sunnies – It is really down to personal preference when it comes to sunglasses. You have the classic Ray Bans, aviators and a host of new designs and styles, including cat eye and decoration. Cat eye sunglasses adopt a classic 50s style with rising peaked frames making you stand out from the crowd. Decoration styled glasses bring out the Lady Gaga in you, with bright and bold designs and colours attached to the frames.

For the chaps:
Gingham Check Shirts – These can be worn in long-sleeve and short-sleeve, but personally I would recommend the short-sleeve option if the sun is shining. Designers have produced a wide range of styles and colours and dependent on your style, you can opt to button up to the neck or open the collar. Gingham check shirts look great with a pair of lightweight indigo denim shorts or trousers.

Pastels – These soft colours are brilliant either as shorts and tee-shirts or as a lightweight trousers and jacket look. Pastels also allow you to show off your shiny metallic watch or bracelet and work really well with a pair of bold dark Ray Bans.


Kicks – Flip flops are out, so don’t even consider it unless you are on a beach in Cornwall. Daps will go well with most summer outfits but don’t just get any old generic cheap pair, Vans have a great range of flats with or without thick soles. Alternatively summer brogues are a good option with pastels but don’t go for these with shorts, it’s far too bold!


So there you have it. No excuses to look dull this summer. Enjoy your sunny days and free time while looking your best this season.

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Author Bio: Ben Walker is an SEO thought-leader at vouchercloud, who specialises in digital content, relationship management and fashion.

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