Tag: All

HOW TO JUGGLE A CRAZY SCHEDULE

. HOW TO JUGGLE A CRAZY SCHEDULE : TIPS & ADVICE .

I always end up writing tips post related to things going on in my life or in my head, and boy am I busy right now. I am a busy bee generally anyway, but this week has become total madness, with a holiday looming i’m attempting to schedule enough content for my blog for while i’m away, juggle back to back meetings all day at work, pre holiday prep, attend blog events and meetings in the evening and a few social commitments too. It’s absolute madness … bring on the beach is all I have to say.

But with this exceptionally busy period, it got me thinking … no matter how hard or busy a day, week or month is, we always get through it. And given I like to keep myself almost unmanageably busy, I thought I should share my tips and advice for juggling a crazy schedule and keeping your head above the water.

. 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU JUGGLE A BUSY SCHEDULE .

#1 MAKE TIME

First of all, when life gets busy, it’s easy to think we have no time to do all the things we need to do and need to fit in, but we do. I do find that often when I think there’s no physical way I could possibly do it all, sometimes at the end, I have, somehow. You just seem to make time.

Now making time is by no means easy, but there are some easy ways you can make more time from yourself, from the obvious getting up a little earlier and going to bed a little later, to the less obvious like getting a few things off your to do list whilst travelling, commuting, or waiting for something. Making the most of all your time is the secret to the busy bee’s out there. I’m forever tackling the easy things on my commute, whether it’s my emails, drafting a blog post, proof reading work, or simply working on a project in whatever way I can.

#2 MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

The other thing to do when you’re super super busy, is to manage expectations, whether thats clients, family, friends or even your own. It’s really important when you’re juggling a lot of balls, trying to do more than you can really fit in, and stretching your time to the limit, that you make sure you manage expectations. Don’t agree to things that you simply can’t fit in, make sure you’ve left yourself enough time to do each job well, even if that means pushing back on requests or challenging a brief or project.

#3 DON’T OVER COMMIT

Really, the main point is to not over commit … don’t promise things that you simply can’t deliver. Ultimately there are times when things have to be prioritised and done, but during those times don’t over commit yourself to other events, projects or ‘things’ that are going to put more pressure on your time.

#4 SAY NO

And sometimes, that means saying no. You just need to say ‘no’ constructively. In fact, from experience taking a more active and firm stance on something ultimately makes you appear in control, and efficient. Being a yes man helps no one in the end.

Whether it’s gracefully declining social events as you know you’re going to be working late trying to deliver work, or pushing back on a client request because the work requires more time, or negotiating with a brand on a blog collaboration to allow you more time to do the work. Sometimes saying no or challenging the demands on you can be a really easy way of easing a situation and helping make all your tasks more manageable.

#5 KEEP CALM

Most importantly of all. keep calm. When things get super busy and super stressful, it’s really easy for us to panic, get upset or just ignore things, but in reality this really doesn’t help. In fact, it’s keeping positive, calm and in control that will help you tackle things all the more efficiently and productively.

Of course keeping calm is always easier said than done, but finding out the best tactics to help keep you emotionally stable, upbeat and positive is a really important way to help you cope with difficult and super busy periods. For me taking a cup of tea break, writing lists and tackling small ‘annoying’ tasks firsts is a really simple way for me to stay in control and keep calm.

I’d love to hear your tips for getting through a busy patch and juggling a crazy schedule? Do you have any tricks that help you cope or help you manage your business?

June 17, 2015
HOLIDAY STYLE

. HOLIDAY STYLE : SUMMER DRESSES .

This Friday I am jetting off to Turkey for a whole 7 days of pure sunshine and girly time. I quite literally cannot wait, it’s hit that time of year when I really need a break to re-energise myself, but also just to get a little vitamin D and some sun kissed skin. So my holiday couldn’t be coming at a better time. As with any holiday, it provides the perfect opportunity to pick up some holiday essentials … new bikini’s a straw panama hat & as many summer dresses as your bank account will allow. Naturally I did just that.

. ZARA SUMMER DRESS . ZARA LACE UP HEELS . REISS LEATHER JACKET . CELINE NANO .

SHOP MY HOLIDAY EDIT

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This fab aztec embroidered summer shift dress is a little Zara number I picked up a couple of weeks ago. I’d been eyeing it up for some time, but after spotting one of my favourite bloggers Sara rocking it, I was totally sold. Its the perfect oversized number for holidays, but also looks great styled with a little jacket like this for British summer time too. I’ve been getting a little wear out of it already, before my trip to Turkey next week, styling it with my Reiss leather jacket and Zara lace up heels.

I can’t wait to wear it on holiday, with (hopefully) a little tan & ditching the jacket to really show off the intricate details & lace up side panels (so cute, and such a bargain too).

Are getting excited to fully embrace your summer wardrobe?

June 16, 2015
MEDIAMARMALADE X OLIVER BONAS

. OLIVER BONAS SS15 FASHION COLLABORATION .

I’ve been a huge fan of Oliver Bonas for quite a few years now, in fact if you ever visit my house, you may double take it for a store. I am obsessed with their home décor and accessories collections and have spent the last year or so filling my house with anything and everything. Next on my hit list is this gorgeous copper book holder, these printed cushions and I’m forever dreaming of this chair. Whilst my home is pretty much an Oliver Bonas showroom, it was only really this year that I’ve truly discovered their fashion range too … and boy was I missing out.

. OLIVER BONAS CO-ORD (TOP £29.50 / SHORTS £39.99) . BODEN DENIM JACKET . REISS FEDORA .

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It’s funny how you can be such a fan of something, to the point of obsession (I mean half my salary goes in there), but not even realize there’s more to discover! Well that’s how I feel about the Oliver Bonas fashion collection. I’ve always adored their home décor and accessories, from the panama hats to intricately detailed clutch bags and purses, but I’ve never really stopped to check out the clothing ranges. I have no idea why, but I’m glad I’ve realized the error of my ways now.

After having a lovely catch up with the OB team last week, we took a stroll through the store and checked out all the new season collections. Naturally I fell head over heels with pretty much all of it, in particular the vibrant and standout printed summer dresses (including this printed two piece co-ord which I will be living in all summer) which I would say are Oliver Bonas’s signature style (prints, vibrancy, colour is what they’re all about)! Oliver Bonas is a brand I love even more so due to its local heritage and beautiful designs created in house by their fab designers who clearly take such pride in their collections and designs. In fact I fell even more in love with the brand after learning about its set up and heritage – founder ‘Ollie’ (Oliver Bonas to you or I) launched the store after becoming renowned for bringing back fabulous gifts from his trips to Asia visiting his parents who had relocated, and that to this day he’s still fully involved in every aspect of the brand & their collections.

If I didn’t love the brand enough already, the new Summer collection has certainly pushed me over the edge. I can’t wait to share with you the rest of my picks & outfits featuring their new range, but I wanted to kick off with a firm favourite, the printed co-ord!

Are y0u an Oliver Bonas fan too? What do you think of their summer collection and this gorgeous little two piece from the new range.

June 15, 2015
PERSONAL DIARY: BLOGGING

. PERSONAL DIARY .

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve started to get this little feeling of excitement about blogging. It’s not that I ever lost my passion or motivation (hell no, i love it), but more so that in the last few weeks things seem to be picking up a little, and given i’m a very driven person it’s so pleasing to see things start to happen.

I find myself more often than not being hard on myself, hard on my blog and hard on my achievements. I’m so driven to succeed in everything that I do, It’s an ongoing quest to be better, to reach my goals and make my blog a ‘success’. I focus almost 100% of my blogging energy on developing the best quality content for you and mediamarmalade that I can, always trying to do more, do better, and improve things. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with this, and I really hope you all enjoy what I produce, the blog content is really now only one part of blogging. And producing great content simply isn’t enough these days. In reality I should be spending more time networking, meeting brands and other bloggers and putting myself out there (and not just waiting for opportunities to come to me).

And I think this evolution of the blogging industry is what i’ve found the hardest to deal with … i’ve put so much time and energy into my blog (all the time I have outside of my career), but still I find myself feeling left behind sometimes on other things that are important to me. Collaborations, projects, event invites, great PR friends, commercial success. Don’t get me wrong, I get some incredible opportunities, I’ve worked with amazing brands and my blog does have incredible readers and subscribers who make it all worthwhile. But sometimes I can’t help feeling like I want more … more traffic, more work, more reward and recognition. To the point where maybe I could make this my life.

I’ve loved blogging since the day I started, and i don’t see myself ever wanting to stop … but i can’t tell you how much time, work and effort i put into blogging everyday (and juggling this with a full time and demanding career), and sometimes I really do just wish more would become of it, more reward for my hard work, both acknowledgement through increasing my reader base, but also more business opportunities from brands and partners. To be brutally honest, I do find myself comparing my achievements to others and putting my work down, I find myself doubting my ability and wondering ‘whats wrong with me’, was I not good enough to take part?

I know it’s ridiculous as I have lots of exciting projects happening and have had some incredible opportunities, but sometimes you can’t help but feel your missing out, have been forgotten or just aren’t’ good enough.

The irony of course is that I share so many tips on blogging, all of which at heart, focus on blogging being personal, subjective and unique, and that the most important thing to remember on this mad journey in this crazy industry, is that you should never compare yourself to others, focus on your own goals, your own ambitions and your own successes. But sometimes it’s hard to listen to your own advice.

But you know what, I’ve spent so long being hard on myself, it’s about time I started shouting about my achievements, praising my good work, and putting some time and effort into getting my blog out there more, pro-actively seeking opportunities (which I don’t currently do, due to work, pride and just self-consciousness) and really putting my career minded and driven attitude into making mediamarmalade into the blog I want it to be.

In the last couple of weeks I’ve had a few really exciting meetings, discussed some amazing collaborations, met some really inspiring full time bloggers, and also just got a little reassurance and encouragement that there is potential, I feel more motivated to actually be a little more proactive in getting my blog off the ground from a more business point of view (it seems like maybe i’m the only one who isn’t). Generally i’ve just got this burst of motivation to make this into something, to channel my efforts into not just producing great content and a blog i like to look at, but doing the business bits too … for the first time in a little while I feel excited for what could be to come. And finally, confident that maybe I could do this.

It’s not often I just ramble away like this, but if i’m honest my blog and career tips always tend to be driven by things on my mind or things i’m interested in, so only natural that all these thoughts go on in my head behind the scenes.

I’d love to know how you feel about your own blog, business or career, and of course whether you actually enjoyed reading my rambled thoughts.

June 14, 2015
HOW TO MASTER BLOG SCHEDULING

. HOW TO MASTER BLOG SCHEDULING .

Juggling both work and my blog has meant that over the last 4 years I’ve really had to learn to master scheduling. Whilst when I first started my blog i’d shoot at 7am and get a post live as soon as I could squeeze in the time throughout my day, as I started to get a little more serious about my blog and content this routine became a little unrealistic and just didn’t allow for the quality imagery and content I was looking for.

Scheduling always seemed to be a bit of a dirty word when I first started blogging, back then blogging was very much basic diary entries, and not the quality editorial it is these days. But by 2012 it was clear that a little organisation and pre-work actually a) helped everyone manage their time, b) meant images and editorial could be that much better, and c) allowed bloggers to kinda carve their niche, because things became a little more conisdered.

My ‘scheduling’ journey started with shooting multiple images at one time & then posting each day throughout the week, but these days I’m even more organised, given how busy my life is I now like to have an actual blog schedule, and i’m often planning posts two weeks in advance. In fact, the reason I felt inspired to write this post is because next Friday i’m on holiday for 1 week and then straight to a 5 day creative leadership course in the south coast, so my blogging routine is going to be seriously disrupted. When things like this happen, scheduling and pre planning is a total life saviour.

So today I thought i’d share the top 5 things I think will help you master scheduling once and for all.

HOW TO MASTER SCHEDULING

A goal without a plan is just a wish. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

#1 GET A DIARY

The first trick to mastering scheduling and pre-planning when blogging is to always stay ahead of the game, and what I mean by that is plan ahead, give yourself time, keep organised. This can often be tricky as we lead busy lives, but trying to stay a week or even two weeks ahead of yourself will really help ensure you never have one of those ‘oh shit, i haven’t blogged‘ days.

My advice is to grab yourself a diary, or even use your phone calendar to make note of any dates, weeks or months when blogging is going to be tricky, whether that’s due to a holiday, a busy work week, social plans etc. Once you’ve identified those dates you can start to calculate how many days or blog posts it is that ideally you need to pre schedule, to ensure that during those busy times, you’re not trying to juggle too much!

#2 MAKE A BLOG PLAN

Once I know what dates are going to be a struggle for me, I tend to draw them out in my notebook, day by day, and start plotting and planning in features. For me, the best way to start is by brainstorming topics, themes, articles you want to feature, and then once you’ve defined what features you want to write start plotting your features against days.

Before you know it you’ve got 7 days, and 7 features, and an action plan to get creating them ahead of time.

Normally I like to allow my self two weekends to get ahead. Usually the first weekend is just about planning ahead, working out the features I want to write & setting out a bit of a schedule, and the final weekend to shoot my images and make sure all the articles are written before I go away.

#3 SHOOT IN BULK

Photography is one of my favourite things about blogging but its also one of the most time consuming and challenging, and there are so many factors which might affect your ability to capture all the images you need – from your own schedule, to simply the lighting and weather. Generally I always try and shoot at the weekend as the weeks are simply too busy for me, so I try and plan as much as I can to make things as quick and easy as possible.

Once i’ve got my blog plan in place, it makes it much easier for me to work out what I need to shoot, and i’ll always dedicate a few hours when the weather forecast looks good to try and bulk shoot as much as possible. Times like this, when I have a lot to do, having the help of my sister is a blessing, so I’ll always try and travel home so that she can help me with the shoots.

#4 WRITE WHEN YOU HAVE TIME

As much as I pre plan the photography side, as soon as i’ve set out my blog features, i’ll just start writing as and when I have time to. Whether that’s on the tube in my notebook or on my phone notes, or during a lunch break or just in the evening before bed. I usually start multiple draft posts, just to get things going and keep the production line in full flow.

Inevitably I usually end up having to dedicate a good couple of hours to the final scheduling, to make sure everything is complete, proof read and scheduled for the right day and time, but it’s far better than having to worry about it whilst you’re laying on a beach drinking Mojitos.

# 5 TOP UP WITH SOCIAL

By the time i’ve gone away (or my busy period has begun), i’ll have all my posts written, edited and scheduled for live … meaning the only thing I need to worry about is my social channels.

Often if I catch some wifi i’ll check my blog post is live and looking okay, share it across my Facebook and Twitter pages, and then of course just share some snaps on my instagram too – either holiday pics or even something from my blog features. As wifi and time is limited when you’re busy or away travelling, I always try and make the most of it and schedule as much as I can through the likes of buffer too. Rather than spam my feeds all at once, I can schedule my content throughout the day, so that things run as normal. The great thing about bloglovin is that it’s totally automated, so without even having to worry I also know all my followers will get my latest posts into their feed (if you haven’t followed along yet, you can do here so that you get my daily posts straight into your feed, without any fuss or hassle).

And there you have it, with just a little bit of organisation and pre planning you can master blog scheduling and have quality content and editorial going live as normal, whilst you’re swanning about on holiday (or less fortunately, tackling a busy week at work).

For me scheduling is a total saviour, and even when I’m not on holiday I always try and schedule as much as I can each week to take pressure off my work load. It means I can keep my quality consistent, and really helps me balance work, blog and life too.

If you haven’t given it a go yet, I really recommend trying it as you might find it really helps you too. Do you have any other tips for mastering blog scheduling?

June 13, 2015
BOHO SUMMER SHIFT DRESS

. MISS SELFRIDGE: BOHO SUMMER SHIFT DRESS .

It’s exactly one week until I hop on a plane and jet off to sunnier climates. I can’t tell you how much I need and can’t’ wait for this holiday. I’m absolutely exhausted at the moment and really feel like I need some down time, some serious vitamin D and just a little time to do absolutely nothing. More than that, the opportunity to wear some of my new summer clothes too. I’ve been topping up my wardrobe with Summer items since about January this year, and whilst i’ve worn a few bits here or there, I just can’t wait to actually get to wear them properly, in the sunshine, with absolutely ZERO layers.

. MISS SELFRIDGE BOHO DRESS ℅ . BODEN DENIM JACKET . REISS FEDORA . ASPINAL BUCKLE BAG . ZARA LACE HEELS .

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This little dress from Miss Selfridge is one of my new purchases and an item i’ll definitely be packing to take away with me next week. It’s a super simple shift dress with beautiful embroidered detailing on the top and waist giving it a cute boho feel. I actually test drove the dress last weekend with my Boden denim jacket and my Zara heels (these will most definitely be coming away with me).

I’ve got a huge ASOS order and an even huger Zara also on it’s way to me ahead of my holibobs, jam packed full of new bikini’s pretty summer dresses and some cute summer accessories (I’ve shared a few bits above so you can have a little nosy of what’s to come). I can’t wait to get them all and share them on my blog too.

Are you going away this summer? Have you been topping up your summer wardrobe too?

June 12, 2015
PINK LEATHER DRESS

. SUMMER STYLE: THE PINK LEATHER DRESS .

The weather is 100% messing with us right now, one day it’s thunder and grey skies, next minute it’s 25 degrees and gorgeous sunshine. Naturally this isn’t conducive to morning dressing … if anything the up and down weather has thrown my sartorial decision making right out the window. So rather than rely on choosing my looks each morning, i’ve decided to take inspiration from myself and rummage through my blog and wardrobe to prepare some ‘fail safe’ options which I can thrown on, without thinking, each morning. The best thing about this, aside from not having to think at 7 in the morning, is that i’ve rediscovered some serious golden oldies in my wardrobe. This Zara pink leather dress being one of them.

. ZARA PINK LEATHER DRESS (SIMILAR) . BODEN DENIM JACKET . REISS FEDORA . ASPINAL BUCKLE BAG . ZARA LACE UP HEELS .

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This dress was a little something I picked up last Summer from Zara, I wore it quite a lot and featured it a number of times in my outfits but since then I sort of forgot about it, out of sight out of mind I guess. With my new tactical way of dressing it was one of the first things I pulled out of my wardrobe and thought ‘I must wear this more’. Today is of course the perfect occasion given the sun’s out, as was this weekend.

I popped the dress on with my fail safe Zara lace up heels (wearing these with everything right now), my Boden denim jacket (just in case the weather changes … which we know it will) & a little blue fedora (i’ve actually just ordered a new one too, to mix things up a bit).

It’s definitely an easy, go to look, to throw on in the morning when the weather forecast says sun is coming our way. And saves a hell of a lot of time trying to work out what to wear. Do you pre-plan your looks like this ever?

June 11, 2015
CHANGE: WHY IT’S GOOD AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT

. HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE & WHY IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A GOOD THING .

Change is a funny old thing, whilst it can be the most exciting and opportune time, it’s a time that most of us approach with fear, panic and uncertainty.

Change is something that throughout life you learn to deal with, whether it’s personal, work, career or living related, the more you experience change, the more you learn to deal with it, cope better and actually look forward to it on some occasions. Whether it’s that first real life change of leaving home to go to university, or a relationship change you have to deal with, or simply changes at work or within your job. As we get older, we experience these more and more, and as a result we end up a little more comfortable with change. Change can be bad, of course, but I want to focus on the more ‘regular’ changes we have to deal with (work, living, friendships, relationships, career etc), as there’s some change that enter a whole different ball game.

When it comes to change, I always think it’s worth seeking out the positives. There are often far more than you may realise. After all a positive mental attitude is the number one way to help you deal with things better, make the most of opportunities and embrace ‘change’ … and as they say, attitude is the difference between something feeling like an ordeal, versus an adventure or opportunity.

“The difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude.” Bob Bitchin

So today I thought i’d dedicate my career tips post to change, how to deal with change and why it actually can be a good thing. Despite how it may initially feel.

. 5 REASONS CHANGE CAN BE GOOD .

“A ship at harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.” – Grace Hopper

#1 NEW OPPORTUNITIES

As I said change can be difficult to deal with, and often before we’ve even experienced the change, we can get ourselves into a negative mindset about it and generally be a little pessimistic (it’ll never be the same / things could never be this good again). First of all, this is never going to help you deal with the change well, and actually having a little more positivity and embracing change can lead you to a whole host of new opportunities that you might never have had otherwise. Whether it’s a respected and admired boss leaving work, or a friend moving abroad … whilst these might feel like negative changes in the short term, they actually could be great positives in the long term and bring new, exciting opportunities to you in the future.

#2 REIGNITE MOTIVATION

Going through some change is a good time and way to actually reignite your own motivations or passions. More often than not we find ourselves falling into routines and rituals, and whilst these are by no means bad, we’re creatures of habit and sometimes it takes a big change or shift in your life to reignite the passion or motivation you had for something in the first place. When change arrives in your life, usually unexpected, take the opportunity to think about you, your life, your motivations and plans.

#3 FRESHEN UP YOUR LIFE

And once you’ve done that. Why not use the time to make some changes to your own life, for the better, as well. Use the time to freshen things up, start something new, do that thing you’ve always wanted to but never have. Take a moment to look at changes you want to make. And make them.

#4 DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS

This point is probably slightly more related to work or career, but when change arrives it gives you the opportunity to learn new skills, expand your knowledge and actually build your own skillset beyond your current role and remit. Whether it’s taking on a new project as a result of someone leaving, having the opportunity to step up and take more responsibility or even something non work related like starting to date again, or attending more events to meet new people in a new city.

Change often feels daunting as it might require you to change too … but this is a great opportunity for you to develop too!

#5 BROADEN YOUR NETWORK

The other great thing that change can bring, is the opportunity to meet new people, whether it’s changing jobs and joining a new team, moving city and meeting new people and joining new clubs, or stepping up your blogging game and going full time, and spending more time meeting PR’s and other bloggers. Change does bring the opportunity to broaden your network, and there’s nothing better than meeting new people and expanding your social network.

. 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU DEAL WITH CHANGE .

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Maya Angelou

#1 GIVE IT TIME

We can all be quick to get on our defence when things change in our lives, but actually often just giving change some time, yourself some time to adjust, and allowing time for things to settle down and find their natural groove is an easy solution … and after a little time change itself can feel a lot more positive than it may have done at the beginning. So whilst it’s not easy, be patient, and let time tell how things will truly be after some change.

#2 BE OPEN MINDED

We’re creatures of habit and bloody love routine don’t we? When things change we can be quite close minded, defensive, and negative, but to deal with change you must keep an open mind. Much like giving it time, keeping an open mind and being open to the opportunities that come with change is a much better way of dealing with a new situation than locking yourself down and feeling negative, plus you’ll be more receptive to opportunities that may come your way as a result of change.

#3 SELF MOTIVATE

There’s no point dwelling and drowning yourself in sorrow when something changes in your life, that will help no one. Not everything lands on our plate as we’d ideally like it to, equally when has anything ever happened without you having to work for it. Never. So when change happens, embrace it, and make sure you’re supporting yourself through the change transition … picking yourself up, taking care of yourself, giving yourself wise words of wisdom and generally getting yourself motivated.

#4 BE HONEST

Change can be challenging, and as much as self motivation and healing is definitely important, so is learning to be honest, open and give your trust to new people. Whether its a new team member, a new person joining your social circle, a new boyfriend, or a new person joining your family. If you’re feeling nervous, scared or a little unsettled, be honest and talk about these feelings. Chances are you arent the only one, and often spending some time chatting with the people around you can help a whole lot more than you may think. Having an honest conversation will not only help you, but probably others too!

# 5 LEARN TO ACCEPT

Ultimately change happens. You have to accept it! Good and bad, for better or for worse. Life will never stay consistent forever … and would you want it to? Variety is the spice of life n’ all that … change can actually inject a lot of good. And you may not even have realised life needed it!

“… sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together” Marilyn Monroe

In the words of the infamous Miss Monroe, sometimes good things do fall apart, so better things can fall together. Whilst it might seem tough to begin with, keep with it, give it time, keep positive and embrace the situation and opportunities that it might bring up!

I’m by no means an expert on this, but from my own experience these are the things I think help and also the positives that I think change can bring. I’d love to hear your thoughts too, and even more so any changes you’ve had to deal with and how you coped?

June 10, 2015
MISS SELFRIDGE MAXI DRESS

. MISS SELFRIDGE MAXI DRESS SS15: #MAXIDRESSTOIMPRESS

The maxi dress is a classic summer staple in my wardrobe, it’s an easy win on most occasions, whether it’s a chic and simple work look, a chilled out summer garden party, or even weddings or slightly dressier events. They cover a whole host of sins and are just the most comfortable and understated summer throw on. When Miss Selfridge got in touch asking if I wanted to take part in their new campaign to celebrate all things maxi length, I was straight on board. If there’s one thing I couldn’t be without in my summer wardrobe, it’s the maxi dress.

. MISS SELFRIDGE MAXI DRESS C/O . MISSGUIDED SUEDE JACKET . ASPINAL CLUTCH BAG . MISSGUIDED PINK HEELS .

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My typical maxi dress purchase tend to be printed, high neck and tucked in at the waist, but I thought I should push my boundaries a little for this collaboration, and whilst Miss Selfridge has some seriously gorgeous printed maxi dresses which are perfect for a laid back summer look, I wanted to go for something a little more bohemian, and this lace number ticked all my boxes. Still tucked in at the waist, but a little more statement with the lace detailing and open lace back, a cropped maxi length and gorgeous detailing which makes it that little bit more special.

It’s a great number for summer events, and so I teamed it with my new Missguided nude pink lace up heels (can’t get enough of this style), my suede jacket (to dress the look down a little) and my Aspinal suede shoulder bag to create the perfect Summer event look – Polo here I come!

June 9, 2015