Spring Into Baby Blue

This week has been crazy busy with shoots and it's no where near over yet. I have been helping my lovely girl Holly Kenyon (check her out +Holly Kenyon) with her first ever lookbook this week and I'm so proud of her. These are all her images, and only a little snippet of the outfits and looks we went for, I'll be showing them all over the next couple of weeks amongst other shoots. 

As you had all seen and heard whites and blue are my spring fling this year so this outfit is a new fave of mine. My new baby blue coat is absolutely beautiful and I cannot get enough of the colour. It's time to wean myself off the blacks and dark colours of winter and come into to bright happy colours and this outfit is the perfect way to welcome in the sunshine. 

Outfit Details:

Coat - Miss Selfridge

Shirt - Jack Wills

Jeans - Topshop

Shoes/Hat - Topshop

Bangle - DuttsonRocks

Watch - Daniel Wellington

Loads more exciting features with Holly coming up soon including another swimwear shoot. Keep up with shoots, behind the scenes and everything I get up to on my instagram page @crystallily1 

Farewell Berlin

The first week of February and it is already proving to be a wonderful month. My dissertation is now done, tomorrow I'll be printing it and then FREEDOM (until monday when next semester starts). 

As a result of uni taking over my posts have been so behind but tonight is the last instalment of my lovely mini break to Berlin. I need to get my feet well travelled this year even if it's only a few mini breaks. Paris is definitely on the list. I haven't been for years and really want to adventure around the little streets finding beautiful coffee shops and watching the world go by. 

I wish I had longer in Germany than I did have but the time I had was perfect and met some amazingly inspiring people. I feel so blessed to be lucky enough to have been sent over there. Even the surrounds weren't hard to appreciate as everywhere you go there is something to stop and stare at, or in my case, take photos of. It was freezing cold but there is nothing better in winter than having rosy cheeks because the icy winds have pinched them. It's the little things in life that are memorable and it's these memories we should create more of. 

I have such a fun month coming up, starting tomorrow with rehearsals for a Bridal Show in a couple of weeks, very excited to try on some beautiful fluffy dresses, I absolutely love modelling bridal. And yes, of course you can expect some photos tomorrow afternoon with some sneak peaks, but for now, I wish you all a happy Wednesday. 

Sunday Loving

It's that time of the week again. YAY SUNDAY! Although today has been a little more stressful than I'd have liked, but I have a very exciting post that will go live tomorrow all ready for you so make sure you visit. Now I can spend my sunday afternoon how I love to spend my sundays; warm and snuggled up in comfy clothing having some me time, although Aladdin in on tv so I'm totally watching that with a hot chocolate. Bliss. 

Thought I would introduce you to my new onesie while I'm at it. I have to do a vlog in this. It's so comfy and soft, NEXT do the best onesies by far. If you don't have one, invest! I'm no even sure what this one is...some type of racoon bear? If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Whatever it is it's so cute and I love it! 

Happy Sunday Everyone! 

First Selfies of 2015

A New Year full of firsts to be taken so I'm starting with my first selfies of the year. As you all know when you try take a good photo of yourself it usually takes a good couple of dozen until there is even one you like. The rest get deleted and one gets used. People think it's just since phones with cameras on the front that this has been happening but no, I used to take photos on my DSLR and go through the same process...think it's just a complex we all have now. 

It isn't very often my face had a day of working well with me so I decided to show my first 4 of the year. Since New Years Day I've basically stayed in my little flat getting to know it again and doing uni work so thankfully I haven't needed to put anything on my face. A good few days for my face to breath and be covered in masks and face scrubs to get it feeling baby fresh again. I also really love my new MAC lippy (that I'm wearing in these photos) which I will be sharing with you soon as I'm overly excited about it. 

So YAY for selfies and I hope your first Monday back at work/in education isn't that horrific.

Monochrome Christmas

As promised the countdown posts have started for christmas with only a couple of days left so here is another post from the Christmas booth. Today I'm sharing with you one of my two favourite dresses. This one isn't overly festive but after wearing christmas jumpers, glittering up for parties, sometimes it's nice to make something not so in your face a little bit more christmassy. 

Still obsessing over the monochrome look this perfectly fitting black and white number is one of my favourites for any occasion, but I thought I would make it a bit more wintery with my gorgeous white fur gilet, earrings and necklace from PaperDolls to add a subtle bit of shine to the outfit. Having black pieces with a bit of silver in blend in perfectly with the dress and only noticeable when the light catches it; so after being loud with your outfit choices on the run up to christmas this is my more subtle christmas outfit. 

This kind of outfit would also benefit from some cute dotty tights or plain black ones to keep your legs a bit warmer but keep them look long and slender. This would also hide the fact I'm so pale that my limbs disappear in this post, but nevermind it's winter, just embrace the pale!

Dress & Gilet - TopShop
Shoes - Dune
Earrings & Necklace - PaperDolls

Photography - Olivia Bossert

Cutie Pie Pjs

As you've already seen these gorgeous pyjamas feature in my latest christmas vlog (watch it now) of me decorating my family christmas tree, I had to do a little feature on them too because I'm a little bit obsessed. I absolutely love pjs and loungewear. I blog in them, I work in them, if I could I'd wear pjs all the time. I really needed some new winter ones that are soft and snug for this time of year that would keep me warm but also looked super cute. 

Luckily for me South Beach came to rescue with this adorable cutie pie lounge set. It's so soft and I couldn't recommend them more to anyone who needs some winter pjs or something to be comfy and warm in over christmas. The perfect present this Christmas, I know I won't be taking them off...especially on boxing day.

You can buy them here along with loads more loungesets that would all make the perfect winter warmer gift under your tree this year. www.southbeachofficial.com

Be Brave

So in my last post I said I would explain a little bit more about me and why embracing my natural hair colour was such a hard decision. Before I start this isn't something I normally write about, talk about or even like to think about much, but from writing my other blog and helping people be brave enough to be themselves I thought it was only fair I opened up a little bit more. Please refrain from writing any horrible comments on this post as I will just delete them and I already feel nervous about posting it.

As we all know the teenage years can either be the best or the worst of your life, mine are not the fondest memories I hold to say the least. Once you are told something over and over everyday you do start to believe things you are told, "You're just ugly and ginger" "you won't get anywhere in life" "you're just fat, ginger and you have no friends"...these are just some comments that got rammed into my brain when I was younger. 

There is so much stigma about having red hair in society it's become a big joke, something to laugh at, something to point out in social situations to make others laugh...not thinking that it effects people and makes them very self conscious. As soon as I was allowed I started dying my hair any colour I could to cover it up in hope the comments would stop and I would be accepted instead of pointed out as a freak for it. This was my mask to also dealing with eating problems and self esteem as well as my hair colour. Looking back I wish someone had told me how awful my hair colours were but you live and learn, everyone has had a bad hair experience once in their life, mine just lasted a few years. After going through school and college, I started getting highlights to get my hair lighter and lighter until it was blonde. Weirdly I felt comfortable with myself, like being blonde was who I am. 

Then I started working for a photographer as a studio manager and he asked me if I want to try modelling. I was beyond scared as I had never done it before and knew I wasn't the tallest or skinniest person around, but after I got used to it I became very comfortable and it helped with my self confidence. I moved down to Falmouth and started modelling for Griffin Photography and I actually felt prettier being blonde. I'd get compliments on how nice my hair is, no one pointing it out for negative reasons. This was a first and I was finally getting confident in who I was and feeling like I was one of the pretty people for once.

My lovely photographer Emma became like family to me and she kept telling me to embrace being a red head and dye it back but it wasn't until recently I really thought I should. I wanted a change, a new me and a new start but I built up so much anxiety over it, thinking about changing my hair would make me feel sick, bringing back all the comments that I was ugly when I had red hair. I was scared having red hair would change everyones opinions of me. Luckily for me the fashion world is embracing red heads which made me feel a little better that there are people wanting to have my colour hair and dying their naturally brown or blonde hair to be red. 

I finally sucked it up and committed to the big change, which for everyone reading this won't seem like a big deal but for me it was a massive step in accepting who I am and really being confident in myself; like I tell so many of you to be. I felt I'd be a hypocrite if I couldn't be myself in front of you all. After a few paranoid moments, feeling very insecure and a few days of not wanting to leave my flat I started to get used to it and now I really am embracing my natural self. I am more confident now than I've ever been and to be totally honest it really is thanks to all of you. The lovely comments and the amazing support really helps me to be myself and be proud of who I am. I may not be perfect but I'm the only version of me in the world. Bad times don't last forever. However bad things get they won't last, something good is just around the corner. If nothing bad ever happened we wouldn't be grateful when we have good moments occur in our lives. Never be afraid of who you are, embrace it because no one is the same. You can't be anyone but you so be the best version of you that you can be and show it off!

I hope this wasn't too boring for you all to read but I thought I'd let you in a bit more into why I am the way I am today and if it's just reached one of you and helped you have a little more confidence than I'm glad I wrote it! 

Generic Selfie

Everyone loves a selfie these days so here are a couple in my lovely playsuit with freshly dyed hair. Love getting back to being auburn, it's finally sunk in and I'm getting used to it after the first few weeks of initial shock. I am determind to wear this over christmas even though its summery but I love the colours and with high boots, long socks or tights and a jacket I'm sure it can be wintery too.

After being blonde for years trying to hide my red hair I finally decided to embrace it and be who I am. Will be posting a serious blog post about why this was such a hard decision soon, a chance to get to know me a little better and a chance for those of you who are feeling insecure to maybe get some advice and help from it, I hope.

(Ignore my bruised knee, too much rum punch is never a good idea.)

Love From Milan

I have the absolute pleasure to introduce you all to LoveFromMilan. 

I did post a little teaser on my Instagram and here is what was hiding in the gorgeously wrapped box. They sell the most wonderful statement jewellery and I am lucky enough to bring you a peak at this stunning Grey Snowdrop Necklace. This is definitely going to be my christmas necklace for parties and Christmas Day; how could it not be? I'm sure every girl is just as much of a magpie as I am but jewellery is my biggest weakness, anything with sparkle and I'm head over heels for it and this piece is no exception. This will also be featuring in a shoot next week so see if you can spot it.

With sparkle, glitter, multicoloured stones, big and small, basically anything you can imagine they sell it but with only a few for sale each time you have to get in quick to get your perfect festive necklace or even the perfect christmas gift. It's wonderful knowing they come wonderfully wrapped so each item is ready for sharing. So start shopping for your magical christmas pieces to bling up your festive nights out!

You can place orders here: sayhello@withlovefrommilan.co.uk

And find them on Instagram: @LOVEFROMMILAN

And facebook: facebook.com/lovefrommilan

Favourite Find

On my mini haul I went with the purpose of finding some winter warmers but this caught my eye in River Island and it's just so fitting. Who has ever gone shopping, found something they love but for some reason you talk yourself out of buying it? "I'll come back" or "If it's still here next time I'll get it"; only to return and find that it's gone or they have it but not in your size. This is only made worse when you see other people wearing it and looking fabulous. Yes, this has happened way too often to me and sometimes you should listen to your mother and just get it.

This shirt was one of those items that I didn't know whether to buy it or not but I'm glad I caved. I love it and I'm sure I can find shoots for this to feature in and you can never ever have enough oversized shirts. Love the design and the gold lettering on En Vogue, there is so many ways to style this. Tucked into a skirt, with leggings, by itself for lazy days, wear it baggy with skinny jeans, so many options. Safe to say this was my best buy.