Sunday Lust List #10

1. I went to stay with Carrie last week, and whilst I was there this Topshop skirt arrived in the post for her. I’m a sucker for any kind of animal themed item, as I have said before, and have seen this print on trousers before – so I was quite excited by the prospect of a skirt in the same print. From what I’ve seen, it looks as if it’d be really comfortable and would be a great lightweight item for summer… as if I need any more excuses to want to buy it!

2. When it comes to shoes, I never really wear heels in the day because I walk so fast, and when I’m in heels it frustrates me that I can’t power along in the way I usually would! I think its true to say that these Vans are pretty popular at the moment, but that doesn’t really bother me, and I’d still like a pair for myself in this nice bright turquoise shade. I used to live in my Converse when I was younger, but since I got a bit curvier and started wearing skirts more often, I don’t really feel like they suit me anymore; because the Vans are more like the bog standard canvas shoes that I’ve had before from Primark, I think they would work well with the little skirts I wear!

3. Because it isn’t always about practicality, and because I’m still looking for a new pair of go-to-heels, now that my usual wedges are falling apart… I’m kind of in love with these ones from Boohoo. I love a good colourblock and think these colours are just splendid!

4. Lipstick is a definite staple for me at the moment in terms of my daily make up look, and now summer’s coming along I’m fancying something a little bit lighter and fresher looking than the usual shades of vibrant reds and purples I favour. I think this Rimmel one, that is part of the Kate Moss collection, would be quite nice just to add a bit of a pearlescent shine for the summer.

5. If perfumes were only a few pounds a bottle, I guarantee you that I would have a room full of them at home! Unfortunately, in reality, that isn’t the case, so really, I can only buy a new scent every now and then – and even then, I always end up asking for a bottle for Christmas instead of buying it myself. ‘Flowerbomb’ by that fabulously handsome duo, Viktor and Rolf, is one of my definite favourites that I don’t currently own, and I do enjoy a nice spritz whenever I see it in a shop. Hopefully I’ll own a bottle for myself, soon!

6. This little fishy is someone who really struck me senseless when I visited the Butler and Wilson store last week. At £498, he is more than a little out of my price range, but hey, that’s what lust lists are all about, right? I would love to be able to carry him in my hand, alongside my new goldfishy friend ring, that I bought on my visit – I think having the two would catapult me into my own little under the sea (everybody sing with me now, under the sea!) dream world!

7. I spotted this top in Therapy by House of Fraser when I visited Bluewater earlier in the week, and really wish the price had been reduced further so I could’ve bought it. With an RRP of £28, and even with the reduction to £14, I still felt it was a little pricey considering that the fabric is quite flimsy, and that essentially its quite a plain t-shirt. I know that probably makes me seen really stingey, but I like to be careful that I’m spending my money on the right things, for the right price, which I don’t think is a bad thing! Who knows, maybe it will come to me some day through a charity shop : )

Behind the Magic ★

“A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen.” – JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

To the undiscerning eye, this photograph looks like any other outfit post, outside any other house… but in true keeping with the essence of the magical world that JK Rowling has created, you have to be in on the secret to know that I am in fact standing outside number 4 Privet Drive; home to the infamous Dursley family, and temporary residence of Mr Harry Potter! No biggie.

Infact, this was kind of a biggie. Having spent the majority of my childhood and teenage years falling in love with the books, films, and of course, the characters, being able to spend a day looking around the sets at the Warner Bros Studio Tour really was a dream come true! I’m aware of how cheesy that sounds by the way, but I think the fellow HP fans out there, at least, will let me off because they probably share the same sentiment!

You might remember the exquisite centrepiece above from the Yule Ball scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – it really does go to show the incredible amount of work that goes into creating set pieces that may only feature in the film for a few minutes or so! I was particularly impressed and excited buy the idea of one day having something similar in my house, for party and entertainment purposes… that’s if I ever get a house (or castle… ooh!) big enough to fit it in, of course!

Being able to look inside sets such as Hagrid’s Hut, the Gryffindor Common Room, and Umbridge’s Ministry of Magic Office, as well as being able to step onto the Knight Bus, and sit inside the flying car that Harry and Ron smuggled themselves into Hogwarts in, in their second year of Hogwarts was a real delight – and being able to take photographs with them made it that much more fun! Also, I found myself eyeing up some of the dresses in Luna Lovegood’s costume rail (that girl has great taste!) and am somewhat compelled to try to recreate a couple of the garments at home on my sewing machine, so I too, can pretend I’m going along to a Slug Club party!

Needless to say, the experience wouldn’t have been complete without trying some Butterbeer, which I found to be delicious! Carrie and Miguel didn’t quite agree with me on this, which meant that I got more than a taster, and ended up drinking their share as well, yummy! I’ll have my wizard robes in XXL please? Luckily, despite its name, Butterbeer is non-alcoholic – had it been otherwise the rest of the tour could’ve gone a little differently!

I don’t want to give too much away, because I know how excited I was about going… but one of my favourite parts of the tour was seeing the Hogwarts Castle 23:1 scale model! I actually found myself a little choked up, firstly because it was so beautiful, and secondly because Hogwarts has come to mean so much to so many of us! Also, with the addition of some lovely lighting and music from the films, it really added to the experience and definitely made me appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into turning the books into a kind-of reality for us to enjoy.

And even if you take nothing else away from it, I guarantee you will have a blast looking around the gift shop at the end! Nothing spells Potter fever quite like the uncontrollable urge to spend all of your money on frog shaped chocolates, light-up plastic broomsticks, and various Gryffindor memorabilia. Also, the fact that three 21 and 22 year olds could be jealous of children playing with their £25 a pop wands, was enough proof for me that we are well and truly in over our heads when it comes to our slightly-nerdy, borderline obsessive love for Harry Potter… but also, that we wouldn’t want it any other way, because our lives so far have been a lot more magical for it!

P.S Thanks to Miguel for being our tireless photographer for the day, and to both he and Carrie for letting me use a few of their pictures after my camera died!

Sparkle Filled Dreams

Since one of my best friends, Jodie, introduced me to London based jewellery brand Butler and Wilson back in my first year at university, I have fallen head over heels in love with the loud, sparkly, colourful aesthetic that the brand exudes! Since then, I have been positively itching to get my hands on something for myself; my Sunday Lust Lists are a testament to this, as their collections are never short of pieces that I would gladly and proudly add to my jewellery box. When my mum and I stumbled upon Butler and Wilson pieces in a small boutique in Wells, in my home county of Somerset, she too was dazzled by the affordable extravagance that was on show, and sweetly offered to buy me something as a graduation present, which needless to say I was thrilled about!

Here are my picks… aren’t they wonderful?! I have been wearing both pieces every day since I bought them; even if they don’t particularly match my outfits, that seems to come secondary to wanting to exhibit my new bling! The goldfish ring was featured in my first ever Lust List which I posted almost a year ago, and which I never quite managed to forget about, so when I found the last one in the colour I liked, sitting there (in my size, it was fate!) amongst its fellow jewelled creatures, I couldn’t say no. The butterfly also really reminded me of the ring from my last Lust List, which I fell in love with immediately… there was no way I could resist a blown up, magnified version of this! I’m a sucker for unashamedly loud necklaces, too.

The South Molton Street store was pretty much my idea of heaven; the sparkliest store in London, I’m sure, and not unlike a magical grotto full of delightfully quirky and opulent treasures. In fact, I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack on entering, and the thrill was also doubled with the prospect that I could actually buy something! If glitz is your thing, I would highly urge you to visit the store, just off of Bond Street (there is another on Fulham Road, too) if you’re ever in the area – you won’t regret it!

One of the many wonderful things about Butler and Wilson is the pricing; the sparkle:£ ratio is really impressive, so if you’re looking for flashy looking jewels on a budget, this is the place to go! Besides Cherry Humbug, of course… haha : ) in fact, I like to think of Cherry Humbug as the place to go if you can’t quite afford to get your paws on slightly pricier brands like Butler and Wilson and Tatty Devine just yet… but more on that later!

Sunday Lust List #9

1. I have been a firm fan of Butler and Wilson for a few years now, and when I spotted these dazzling beauties in a little shop in Wells a few weeks ago, I fell in love! A little bit out my price range perhaps, but that doesn’t have to stop me dreaming of them, right?!

2. This dress is a pink, sparkly, princessy dreaaam! I missed out on wearing these kinds of dresses when I was little, because I was such a fiend when it came to pretty outfits – as my poor mum can vouch for! Nonetheless, I would absolutely love to pair this up with the other accessories in this Lust List, and head off to a fun summer ball – a girl can dream 🙂

3. Ever the mermaid wannabe, I would love to be able to carry my essentials around in this cute little Zara Rhodes seashell clutch – perfect!

4. I seem to forever be on the hunt for the perfect heels – practicality always comes above looks when it comes to shoes, for me, which is always what stops me making that purchase; I am currently Carrie and Lucy’s house, which is full of pretty shoes, and am having some serious shoe envy, which is making me increasingly eager to update my collection!

5. I am currently starting to get a little bored of my usual smokey eye look for evenings out, and felt that some fun variation could come in the form of this forest green shade by Bourjois! I am very much an aesthetic-led kind of girl, and have always really loved the packaging of the Bourjois little Round Pots; I’m surprised that I don’t have more of them in my make up bag!

6. After having my last mascara on the go for round about a year, it has finally given up on me, sob sob! I’m always a little cynical as to whether mascaras can realllly be that different, brand to brand, but I’ve been hearing good things about Bad Gal Lashes by Benefit, and would like to give it a go sometime.

7. WOWWWW. This ring is too amazing for words! I’m hoping to be able to buy myself a little graduation treat in the next month or so, and this is currently top of my wish list! At around £30 I think that its pretty reasonable too – I can’t wait to pair it up with some of my favourite summer outfits : )

Down at the Dockside…

Dress Charity Shop
Kitty Flats and Baroque Sunglasses eBay
Tree Frog Ring Cherry Humbug

Because us Brits are so keen to talk about the weather, you’ll know that we have been blessed with some beauuuutiful sunshine over the past few days! Being the outdoorsy countryside girl I am, when the sun’s out, I am completely compelled to get outside and spend as much time in it as possible so nothing makes me happier than some lovely hot sunshine : ) you could say it came at the perfect time too, as I have now officially *finished* university forever – how that happened, I will never know! I’m feeling liberated and excited to be moving back to Somerset for the time being, and am ready to work hard on Cherry Humbug as well as some other fun projects I have lined up – life is good!

You may have noticed that my hair is looking a little more red than in my last outfit post (which was a while ago, ooops!) I feel a bit wary of the fact that red hair is ‘the thing to do’ at the moment, but this isn’t the first time I’ve been a cherry red-head and is definitely not the last, and I actually really love having more of a vibrant colour, and although it might look cliche, I’ve never been one to worry too much about what other people might think! The only downside to having red hair is how quickly it fades… so if you too are thinking of going for a change, be prepared for the regular upkeep that it entails; for some reason unbeknownst to me, red is known to be the colour that fades the fastest, to quote my hairdresser… good choice Katie! Haha.

The dress I have on is one of my favourite charity shop finds as of late, and I feel super summery when I wear it! You can see that the sunshine also puts me in high spirits, as I felt the need to sit on a rock and impersonate my childhood girl crush and hair-icon, Ariel from The Little Mermaid – which got us some funny looks from a couple of men passing by, but hey… : ) I am also bit obsessed with animal themed clothes and accessories (mouse shoes, and now cat shoes… what more can I say?!) so its no wonder these kitty flats found their way into my wardrobe! I might also add that these are possibly the first flats I’ve ever bought that have never given me blisters in the first few wears, quite an achievement I’d say – so when these fall apart, I’ll definitely be purchasing some more : )

Anyway, the sun is calling my name, so I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am, and I will see you soon! xox

Sunday Lust List #8

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before, but River Island is definitely my favourite high street shop. I’ve had some free time on my hands now my degree is finito (yay!) and was browsing the website last night; with too many pieces I luuurve, I couldn’t choose just 1 or 2 items I liked, so I decided to put together a whole River Island themed Lust List this week! Also, River Island haven’t contacted me about doing this or anything (all of the items from past lust lists have been put there purely by my own accord, too!) just incase this looks like a PR jobby/sponsored post – I’m a genuine RI fan through and through and have been for a long time, pinky promise! : )

1. I think I’ve waffled on enough in past Lust Lists over how obsessed I am with baroque/scarf/chain print, or whatever else you want to call it… and paired with a dash of dalmation print (puppy friendly, might I add!) this dress is pretty damn groovy if you ask me!

2. I have this skirt in Hot Pink, which I bought in the sales around Christmas. I’ve pretty much been wearing it with everything, and with the amount of material involved in this case, I’d say for a high street item its a bit of a steal – the cut is really flattering too!

3. I’ve never been one to turn down a Fruit Salad chew sweet (remember those tangy delights?!) so when I see an item of clothing co-ordinated to the colours of a favourite sugary treat, who am I to resist? Also, I’m a huge fan of Hot Pink lately, and alongside orange I would have to say this is one of my favourite colour combos! I’m also surprised that I only own 2 or 3 playsuits, so I feel this would be a worthy addition to my wardrobe.

4. Currently on the hunt for some new ‘going out shoes’, these perspex platforms are more than edgy enough to tide me over and keep any outfit interesting, and black is always a safe bet as far as shoes go, for someone who doesn’t like to buy heels that often!

5. Because who doesn’t love some kind of crazy/clashy print as an addition to their summer wardrobe??

6. This is an idea I wish I’d thought of, and I think its genius! I’m a big fan of mini-skirts, but not so much a fan of the whole bending down and revealing my knickers to the world… so what could be better than a skirt that shows a bit of leg at the front, but helps you save your dignity whilst allowing a dramatic entrance every time? plus, this is my favourite colour and reminds me of a waterfall… little things please little minds, right?

7. This clutch not only looks sparkly and fab, but it has a chain strap too – perfecto! I’m not one to be trusted with handle-less clutch bags, because inevitably unless a bag is attached to me in some shape or form, it won’t be going home with me, which means bye bye mobile phone and purse, and a lot of aggro to follow! I’m a huge fan of dazzling but practical items, so this is a match made in glitzy-bag heaven!

8. Scalloped edge blazer?? YES PLEASE. Not because I want to be jumping on any bandwagons, but I am a huge huuge fan of smart casual with a bit of a quirky edge, and isn’t the colour gorgeous? Anyone wearing this would certainly stand out in any dull and dreary boardroom, I love it!

9. Because sunglasses are fashion’s gift to those of us who’s eye make up refuses to stay put all day, and because the perfect pair of sunnies are also an immediate lift as far as the glam factor goes… and most of all, because personally, I can never have too many pairs, and with a fun little retro pop can you really go wrong?

10. The UK is failing us miserably this year in terms of bringing some serious Spring sunshine… which means the tights are lingering around longer than ever before! So, the best way to counteract the annoyance of having to wear tights when you wish you could be frolicking bare legged, is to embrace all kinds of crazy patterns and have a field day with them. These striped creations may be a little more Beetlejuice than most, but if the fashion myth is true that vertical stripes are flattering, perhaps these could be the key to supermodel pins any day of the week? Bonsoir Beetlejuice… bonjour Victoria’s Secret Angel! *flips hair*

DIY Tutorial: Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats

The Real Mccoy = £235 vs. DIY = £12. Need I say more??

You might remember that I got a little bit obsessed over these mousey chums courtesy of Mr Marc Jacobs when I spotted them a little while back? As much as I would love to be able to treat myself to the real mccoy, I have to admit that as a student, and a general normal person, I’m not really in a position to spend £235 on one pair of shoes. So! With that in mind, and imagining that there are more like minded ladies out there, on a budget, craving these sparkly beauties, I got a bit creative and have done what I can to re-create this look without having to blow big bucks for the honour.

I’ve been wanting to do this tutorial for aaaages now, but due to 3rd year university work, stress related illness, and general wiped-out-ness from dissertation and final major project, I’ve been a bit lazy – but we got there in the end : ) Happy creating, my little Mouseketeers!

1. To start with, you will need a pair of shoes to transform! I really fell in love with the gold glitter versions of the MJ Mouse flats, which is why I chose this pair. You can find all kinds of brand new ballet flats cheaply on eBay, which is where I got these ones from.

2. You will need: Fabric (for the ears and nose), Rhinestones (for the eyes), Some plastic thread (for the whiskers), a form of adhesive (I’m using my trusty old glue gun!) and of course, scissors! I am using some fabric I cut off from a tote bag that I had lying around in my room, but you can use whatever you want as long as it’ll stick to the shoes etc with the adhesive method you’re going with : ) The idea with the tutorial is to be thrifty, so by all means use something you already have if you think it’d be suitable – or if not, you can always get some materials together cheaply elsewhere!

3. You can’t see the thread very well in the other photograph, so this will show you better what I mean (I hope!) if you can’t see it.

4. The first thing you need to do is to decide where you want the eyes to go. This is essentially down to you! I have spaced mine about fingers’ width apart, and have dotted them on with a dry wipe marker. This kind of marker is good because you can rub off the dot if you want to move it somewhere else, as I had to do once or twice!

5. You will now need to cut out some little semi-circles to make the ears with. You will need 4 of these, to make 2 ears for each mouse – unless your mouse is a little anatomically challenged of course, haha : ) The semi-circles I made are approximately 3cm high x 1.5cm wide, but it really is down to individual interpretation, as well as the size/style of your shoe!

6. In order to create the folded over ears, you will need to fold the semi-circle in half, glue/sew/bondaweb (or whatever it is you’re doing!) along the long, straight edge of the fabric, and glue them so they look less like shapes and more like little mousey ears!

7. Now’s the time to see the mice take shape, with the addition of the ears. Simply attach it to the shoe from the smaller edge so that the majority of the ear stands off of the shoe, like ears do!

8. Now is time for the finishing touch, the nose and whiskers! I opted not to put the whiskers on in the end, but if you want to use them you can simply cut them to size and stick them to the back of the noses before they are attached to the shoe. All you need to do is cut out a couple of pieces of material that look like this, and glue them on to the tip of the shoe. I’m not really how to describe them shape wise, but they will look perfect as a nose for your little friends : ) ta da!

I’m going to stitch around the noses and ears when I get some more time (and a thimble!) so as to give them a little bit more staying power. I am planning on wearing these shoes so I want to make sure I won’t potentially be walking the high street with an earless mouse – that’s no good for anyone is it? Least of all the mouse…

If you’d like to have a go at it yourself, here are a few affordable shoe suggestions, all found on eBay! 1, 2, 3, 4.

P.S If any of you give this a go, I would LOVE to see your creations : ) if you do, feel free to Tweet me with a nice picture of them!

For Sale! Zebra Print Denim Shorts

Zebra Print Denim Shorts Size 8/36 £9 including P+P

I’m going to be selling some bits and bobs through the blog from now on – any little things I think you’ll like that aren’t quite right for me, will be getting put on here – who knows, along the way you might find something special?! As for these Zebra Print Shorts, I would love to wear them myself, but I’m a little bit curvier than a Size 8 will allow, which is why I am re-homing them : )

They would look absolutely fab in the summer, worn to a festival with a slouchy graphic tee and some Hunter wellies! Alternatively, if you’re a bit more of a girlie girl, why not pair them up with a block coloured peter pan collar shirt tucked in… rf if you’re feeling a little more bold, why not clash the print with florals? Paired with some cute little brogues they would look perfect! Animal prints come around again every summer, and are great for adding a touch of grunge to any outfit; meaning that you could get a lot of wear out of these babies! I can’t see what the label says but I’m guessing they’re a high street brand.

If you are interested in adding them to your wardrobe, feel free to leave a comment on this post, or simply drop me an e-mail via the link in the sidebar!

Exclusive! Motel Rocks Sale Sneak Peak

Psss… need a new outfit for the weekend?? The Motel Rocks Sale begins tomorrow, but thanks to the lovely ladies at Motel, Cherry Humbug readers can start shopping the sale *early* – that means you’ll get first pick of all of the wonderful items, and can make sure you get your hands on that bargain buy before anyone else snaps it up! Simple : )

Head on over to MotelRocks.com via one of the links in this post, and fill your boots with bargains before the Sale goes live tomorrow for everyone else… not bad eh?! Happy shopping ladies!

Cherry Humbug Spring/Summer 2012

I’m so sorry that I’ve been a bit flaky for the past few weeks in terms of blogging, my final university hand in is coming up in just under two weeks, which means I’m a little stacked up with work at the moment! Luckily, my Final Major Project ties in with my new business venture CherryHumbug.com, which means I’ve been having lots of fun putting together my first ever ad campaign, as well as a promotional video and brand brochure – all of which will be coming together in the next few weeks! So keep your eyes peeled : )

I was lucky enough to shoot at one of my absolutel favourite locations, Kilver Court Gardens once again; the perfect little paradise for the creatures of Cherry Humbug to come to life in! As usual, it was a joy working with my beautiful friend Sarah, who is the first ever face of Cherry Humbug – doesn’t she look beautiful in the images?? We had fun munching on pink donuts, frolicking in the sun, and it was great fun for me to be able to style Sarah up exactly how I wanted to, and to see my ideas come to life.

I hope you’ll enjoy the pictures so far – there will be more coming soon! This is only the beginning for Cherry Humbug, as I will be continuing to work on the brand when I graduate this summer – I’m really excited to be able to put all of my energies into creating something that I am passionate about, and that I hope will turn into really fun and dazzling for you all to enjoy!

P.S I will be running a competition on Cherry Humbug’s Facebook page when I hit 200 ‘Likes’, so don’t miss out, there could be some freebies in it for you!