Summer Into Autumn

Summer is coming to an end and I'm ready to welcome in my favourite season with snuggly jumpers but I do like to keep an element of warm weather in my outfits for as long as I can. Queue the perfect Summer to Autumn sandals.

Sunflowers & Gingham

This is one of my favourite outfit posts this year, not because it's the best but just because it was a gorgeous sunny day spent in a field of sunshine flowers...

Sandy White Jeans

 A crazy busy week at home didn't let me shoot as many posts as I'd like but I had to do these white jeans, after years of loving from a far I committed and SO glad I did.

May The Sea Set You Free

 An unintentionally 'Poldark' looking shoot back at home on Gwithian beach, one of my absolute favourite beaches that I visit every time I go back and the perfect place to shoot this gorgeous blue maxi dress...

OOTD

You can spend so long looking for the perfect pair of jeans and dare I say it...I've found mine. I love ripped jeans and I'm not  massive fan of jeans if they aren't. Pretty sure I have one nice pair of non-ripped jeans that now I hardly wear. These jeans are so comfy, super soft denim and just fit like a dream. 

Distressed Love

Hey my loves, so yes I have taken a bit of a break from my fashion stuff lately to address some things I felt I had to around the subject of motherhood but I am so excited to slowly break back into my fashion posts.

Starting off with a trend that I'm a bit obsessed with, distressed clothing. I wouldn't say I have one certain style like most bloggers, as somedays I like to wear floral playsuits and the next I'll embrace my inner rock chic and this distressed trend has slipped its way into my wardrobe. 

Knitted Winter Bump with Dorothy Perkins

Comfy in Strips with Dorothy Perkins

Autumnal Floral with Dorothy Perkins

Autumn is such a beautiful time of year, it has to be a favourite season of mine. I'm lucky enough to share this season with my growing baby and the wonderful people at Dorothy Perkins. This month I'll be sharing my favourite maternity picks from their maternity range. It can feel impossible to find nice fitting and flattering clothes when you're pregnant but DP has my back.

Starting the series of posts off with the sweetest embroidered top that matches this season perfectly. The flower details reflect the wonderful colours of the falling leaves and adds something different to your maternity outfit, not to mention its super comfy. I really recommend wearing loose shirts and dresses so your bump is comfy as can be and helping to flatter your growing bump.

I've found this top is great for everyday comfy wear but also dresses up beautifully with some heeled boots, long necklace and curled hair for some glam mum to be hair! 

Underneath this sweet top I'm wearing DP maternity leggings that are over the bump. Keeping your bump a bit warmer and giving you a little bit of support, I cannot get enough of over the bump leggings. Another big must have! 

Keep your eyes peeled for the next post on my Dorothy Perkins Maternity wear coming very soon!

Other outfit Details:
Frilled Socks - Dorothy Perkins
Boots - Fairfax & Favor

Autumn Green

It's getting chillier but still warm enough that you don't have to go crazy with your layers. An over sized jumper, leggings and a snug blazer from Sporting Hares is all I need while the leaves all. 

I've tried and tested this gorgeous Beauchamp Blazer and it keeps out those wintery winds wonderfully. I love a blazer this time of year instead of a coat, keeps your outfit a little lighter and always looks gorgeous with a heavy knitted scarf and hat when the icy winter finally comes around. 

I'm wearing the Paddock Green blazer but there is a stunning range of colours for all year round that will fill your blazer gap in your wardrobe. With it's snug tailored fit the details add the experience of wearing this jacket. The Beauchamp blazer is a wool-blend with a taffeta-silk lining, velvet under collar for that snap of colour and wooden buttons. I honestly can't wait till I can wear this without a baby bump underneath so I can reap the full benefits of a perfectly tailored jacket again.

If you're looking for a winter blazer this christmas look no further and make sure you put this on your christmas list! Shop the full colour range here and start dropping the hints! 

Other Outfit details:
Jumper - H&M
Leggings - H&M
Boots - Fairfax & Favor
Scarf - Topshop
Earrings - DuttsonRocks

Skulls in Space

It's Halloween weekend, a weekend you get to dress up and be as creative as you can/can be bothered to be. But what outfit is complete without the perfect accessories?

For all your halloween needs and inspiration I'm talking all about these beautiful silver skull hoop earrings by Naomi Crook. I will be wearing these probably forever with basically every outfit because I just love them so much. Quirky and stand out jewellery is always so much more inspiring than pretty sweet, pieces that anyone can wear. Naomi Crook Jewellery ticks every box for unique jewels whilst keeping it beautiful and original!

Obviously I'm not going out this weekend but receiving these gorgeous hoops inspired me to do a halloween look to go with them. I chose an easy space make up look using Illamasqua eye shadow, white paint, Naked 3 palette, Stila eye liner and Benefit Rollarlash mascara. Keeping it dark purples and deep reds makes the look blend together like far away galaxies. I loved creating this look and it was super fast to do. Blending colours together to make a milky way look and adding in a bit of black eye shadow for depth from the Naked palette, then adding shimmer with Naked 3 and on my lips. Adding detail with white stars with body paint and a thick liner wing to create a good eye emphasis. And of course glitter brows...because why not, it's halloween? 

I loved this look with the earrings adding that little bit of glamour and keeping to the halloween them. The perfect earrings for this weekend, but also for everyday of the year for those who love some good quality skull jewellery. Naomi makes all her pieces by hand at her home and creates pieces inspired by japanese style. For those that love the unique jewellers she is totally for you! 

You can contact her through her Facebook page or her Instagram as her website is currently under construction! So excited to wear these in more outfit posts and show off their versatility! 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Fairfax & Favor

Breast Cancer is a massive issue not only this month but everyday of our lives. You all probably know someone or know of someone that has suffered from this and every little bit makes a difference in helping us find ways to prevent and overcome this condition for good. 

I am so happy to be part of this campaign from Fairfax and Favor to support Breast Cancer Aware Month. Their boots are not only stunning and gorgeous high quality but now they can make a difference to this charity. They have launched a special edition pink boot tassel where 100% of the proceeds go to Cancer Care UK. A beautiful way to help out a huge charity and show off the fact you've helped all in one go. The limited edition piece is crafted in their signature tassel style in a stunning powder pink colour with a custom gold shield. A perfectly beautiful detail to add to your wardrobe this season.

Get yours today* and help raise awareness and money for Cancer Care UK.

...

I love styling my Fairfax and Favor boots around this time of year and at the moment they are proving perfect in this weather, as always. Autumn is my favourite season, the cooler air but still warm enough that you're not freezing and wishing you could get back into bed.

My heavy knit cardigan from Missguided is sorting me out this autumn, super soft and snuggly and a great way to keep the cold air out. Paired with my handmade hat from Holly Young Millinery, a dear friend of mine who makes bespoke hats and the best fashion statement headpieces imaginable. No outfit is complete without a tartan scarf (this ones from Topshop) to add a little colour to the outfit as well as keeping it cosy. Tartan is a little obsession of mine around this time of year, always reminds me christmas is coming. (Sorry to remind you..not!) I also kept with the pink theme from my Breast Cancer Tassel with my Rose Gold Abbott Lyon watch. Comfies all round this season with these must have pieces.

Ridiculous Things I've Learnt In My First Half Of Pregnancy

As a first time mum to be, I had no clue what to expect from pregnancy. There has been so many things I've come across that I never even knew existed and finding other people who were going through the same shock as me was pretty reassuring to know I'm not the only one. So I thought I'd share a few things just incase one of you is sat there thinking the same thing.

Morning Sickness

Let's start with the obvious. "Morning sickness typically happens to you in your first trimester." NOT EVERY TIME! I basically breezed my first trimester without knowing I was pregnant. It was only because I was late I just checked because I got myself worked up...if i hadn't of checked I could have gone the whole 12 weeks without feeling any different. Then BOOM! Like a big fat slap in the face it hit me. I thought it was flu...wrong. Morning sickness came to bite my ass with vengeance and here I am at 22 weeks writing this with a bottle of water after being sick 3 times today. Also morning sickness isn't just being sick. If I stand up for too long I get dizzy and have to sit down. No matter where I am I must sit...yes this means in public places. At gatherings I have been in a full blown conversation and had to slowly squat to the floor and tell them to just carry on, I just need to be low to the ground. This makes you feel like a total freak. Yes it's also happened in H&M whilst trying to pay, mortifying to say the least.

Pains

This hadn't even entered my brain. You see people all the time getting more and more pregnant and you don't even think about it hurting; well it does. There's this ridiculous thing called Round Ligament Pain, which in my case felt like if I sneezed my belly was going to rip open at any second. Usually this happens when you move suddenly or bend down etc because your body and joints and more relaxed to accommodate baby. But with me I only got it when I sneezed. One sneeze and I'd be rolling around on the bed like I'd been shot. The crazy thing is this amount of pain is totally normal. Then the stretching pains and aches begin. Recently I've felt like my belly is so heavy to what I'm used to I will just fall forward like a backward beetle stuck on it's back. Yes I'm well aware I'm only half way through and by the end I may well exist just face down with my bump in the air because I'm not allowed to lie on my front! 

Food Aversions 

We mostly hear about hilarious cravings people have like dipping mars bars into mushroom soup or something similarly gross, we won't really hear too much about people going off food they once loved more than their unborn child. For me...no meat and pretty much all hot food until about 2/3 weeks ago. If it was cold great, if it was cooked, stay away from me or I'll vomit everywhere. Even words of said meats were enough to make me gag. My other half very much enjoyed reminding me of this greasy pork filled pita called a Gyros he was obsessed with in Greece back in June...even this one word would be enough to make me heave. This is still something that is very prominent. I don't like meat that much at all and have only just been able to stomach chicken in small pieces. I did however become obsessed with dairy products. Ice cream (I'm on tub 7), cheddar cheese, cheese strings, milkshakes, yoghurts (I was getting through a pack of 6 muller corners in 2 days, this was me fighting to not eat them all in one sitting...I then literally had to battle with myself to have 1 a day. Which leads me onto my next topic...

Random Emotional Overloads

Sticking to the topic of yoghurts and foods you MUST have or your world will end around you. I had just opened my last muller corner, the banana and chocolate cornflake one...saved it till last because it was my fave. I put it on the side to shut the fridge, turned back around and literally watched my hand forget how to hand and it just pushed it off the side onto the floor. WTF hand?! This ended me. I was in floods of tears and just sat on the floor next to my beloved yoghurt and wept for its passing. What made it worse was the ever so helpful labrador came in and hoovered it...I had to fight his banana smelling face so he wouldn't eat the chocolate pieces. I'd say this is my biggest breakdown so far, thankfully. And I have yet to experience one in public. A smaller burst of emotions was opening baby clothes I ordered online. When they arrived I was not prepared for just how teeny there are and this made me cry. Yes, I cried because baby clothes are tiny and too cute for my body to handle.

Baby Brain

Ok, so we knew this was a thing right? When our friends or family members have been preggers and they come out with hilariously stupid comments that make little to no sense at all. (MY sister once stated leprechauns lived in my mothers downstairs toilet). But I didn't realise just how much it happens. For example - I lost my own lunch in the house. Yes that is how special this topic is. I had made a nice cheese sandwich. I had put it down to make myself a drink. I then took my drink upstairs. An hour later I realised I had forgotten my lunch downstairs so I went hunting for said lunch...couldn't find it ANYWHERE! Got the hump with myself for being so bloody stupid and went back upstairs. Another 30 minutes later I went into the garage to grab a yoghurt...there on the side was my cheese sandwich. I had taken it and given it to the garage. Why? I have no idea! I don't even remember doing it! I'm sure baby brain is only going to get worse through this pregnant but seriously, it makes you feel so totally stupid.

You Pee A LOT

So me being my naive self this made total sense to wee more towards the end as baby is pushing on your bladder or occasionally using it as a play thing while inside you. But seriously from about 15 weeks if I laughed too hard, it was close I'll tell you that much. Even trying to sit up in bed the wee pang would hit. Not to mention when you have to go, you REALLY have to go. No saying "it's ok I can hold it"...no you can't!!! There have been multiple times I've have been in the car and hit a bump and felt like my water broke...thankfully they haven't. No I was not prepared for this, but at least I'm not some of the poor ladies who have spoken about literally wetting themselves in public at only 18 weeks gone. I am now doing daily pelvic floor exercises to prevent such horrific occurrences in public.

Lack of Excitement

This one is not so ridiculous, and after reading up a lot about it recently it made me feel whole lot better. If you read my Pregnancy Story you will know this was not a planned pregnancy and in the beginning it was seriously hard for me to accept. Once I had accepted it, I then felt really disappointed in myself that I couldn't feel excitement. I am very much a "it's happened now make the most of it" person so I found how I was feeling very confusing. I was being congratulated by those we chose to tell first, some of them were so happy it made me jealous that I wasn't as happy as them. I felt pretty detached from the pregnancy for a while. Even at our 12 week scan I was aware I was seeing a baby but in my head it wasn't mine. It wasn't my baby wriggling around and waving at us. It was amazing and I couldn't stop smiling but I just felt like it wasn't real. In order to make myself more excited and attached to my bump I fully immersed myself in baby things. I bought little bits I read up everything there was to know but this didn't help all that much. It was only really when we had our gender scan with no doctors, a happy atmosphere, totally relaxed, in a place I feel most at home did it really hit me. When we found out she was a little girl, that was when pregnancy hit me. You don't really hear much about people not being excited in pregnancy as there are so many parties, baby showers, smiling selfies, gushing status' that I felt really alone on this topic. But it's totally normal. Some people just aren't as excited during pregnancy, but it doesn't mean you'll love your little peanut any less when they arrive. So if you feel like this, give yourself a break and don't beat yourself up about it. Or if you're really worried chatting to your midwife can really help.

All these things however are just temporary and all part of the experience. I know that no matter how many times I'm sick, nearly wee myself, forget things, cry or throw a tantrum, in the end I get to hold my beautiful baby girl and know it was all totally worth it. Doesn't stop me wishing it would hurry up a bit though.

And we are having a...

Thankyou to everyone for their sweet messages and lovely emails following my last post about the little blessing. It means the world that so many of you are supporting me and appreciated my honestly from the post.

Here's a very exciting little follow up post about what we are having. After a wonderful private scan we found out we are having a...LITTLE GIRL! I can now safely say I'm currently making a mermaid and I am over the moon.

It was strange before we found out I felt a little detached from the pregnancy. Having been so ill and off work for so long it's been really hard for me to stay positive because I've been so run down. Some people fly through pregnancy with hardly any symptoms apart from having sore boobs or the odd headache. I've had seriously bad morning sickness, migraines to the point I'm sick, heartburn that feels like I've swallowed a bonfire, pains that have sent me to the doctors and a terrifying bleed that ended up in a hospital visit. So far it has been a bit of a nightmare, and a lot of these symptoms aren't leaving me anytime soon. But when we found out this little bump is a little lady I can't help but picture her face, picture her smiling away in my tummy when I rub it and she kicks back. It's helped me get more into focusing on the pregnancy and the safety of my baby.

Since our first scan (third photo) I found it funny in my head that if it was a little girl she was already acting like a little model, waving at the camera and always being right where she needed to be for the measurements and when the photos were being taken. But I was still convinced it would be a boy.

Then after thinking more I was even more sure it was going to be a boy after loads of people saw the scan photos and guessed boy. It was only when the gender scan was a few days away people started guessing girl and my gut was flickering with girl vibes but I tried to ignore them thinking it was just me doubting myself. Then at the scan, she was once again right there where she needed to be, gave up her signature wave again and was posing with her arms up, under chin, her legs stretched all way showing us all these things she could already do. But when it came to the sonographer finding out what sex she was she wasn't going to give us an easy reveal. Instead she sat with her legs crosses, then put the umbilical cord in front of her and hide behind it, then opened her legs but actually reached over and put her hand over her bits so we couldn't see! (Hilarious to say the least) Then as if she was telling us herself, she moved her hand out the way and gave us the perfect potty shots! 3 little white lines. "Tada I'm a girl!" Such a little monkey! But it made the experience so much more enjoyable knowing how funny it all was.

Nearly at 20 weeks now so less than 2 weeks until our anomaly scan, which I'm pretty terrified about as I just hope out little mermaid is 100% healthy and happy in there. But I can't wait to see her again and see how she's developed since last time!