It's Christmas...Again!

Hi folks, how are you all? I hadn't planned such a break between posts, there's just not been enough hours in the day and I seem to only have HUGE, time-consuming posts coming up, that require a lot of editing and writing. I've definitely come out of my blog slump (for now anyway). I'm just trying to get back to blogging about my favourite things and being a bit less structured and a bit more 'me'. Haha, so with that, I bring you...Christmas presents! Not kidding. I did say, I'd end up getting through my backlog of posts 'out of season', but hey, it's my blog, I can do what I want, when I want, right?  It's a nice random mix of things that I wouldn't otherwise get an opportunity to show you, but I'll warn you it is picture heavy!

Haul: Love Moschino Charming Clutch Bags

I hadn't realised it had been so long since my last post, sorry folks!  Same old story, unwell again, definitely getting bored of telling that one!  I'm not mad on the prospect of 2015 going the same way as 2014, so send your positive healthy vibes my way please.  Anyway, I just have to continue doing what I can, when I can and I have loads of brilliant posts coming up over the next few weeks.  Starting with this Love Moschino handbag haul.

Bought & Thought

Happy Friday!  Today I have a bag I bought months ago, that I'd almost forgotten to show you.  I'm sure I've said this before but the Love Moschino 'Charming' girls range just keeps getting better.  I literally want every single design they release.  This seasons snow scene is absolutely adorable.  I love the chic wee lady in her fluffy red coat and hat, walking through the snow in her high heels.  Look, she even has a big ring on her finger and is carrying a little clutch!  "Love Moschino" is written in the snow and there's a church and some buildings in the night skyline with snowflakes falling all around.

Bag Lady

I hate this 'shoe-shopping-ban', it really sucks! Ok, so I know I just bought the gnomes yesterday, but that was extenuating circumstances, or at least something my family were willing to 'let' me buy. I realise there's space issues etc, but I can't help my eye being constantly drawn to pretty heels can I? My attentions lately though seem to have turned to handbags. Well I have to do something! I used to have quite the bag obsession actually, although I admit, I don't get quite the same thrill or excitement that comes with buying shoes.
 
For the past 10 years or so, bag styles have changed so much and into a shape and style I wasn't all that keen on (good for my bank account), so that 'obsession' fizzled out. I'm not a fan of big and slouchy (can't find anything in them and not my style) or multiple zips and the market was awash with designer, replica or 'inspired' pieces like that. I like clutches, structure, framed bags, vintage inspired 'Granny' bags if you will. I also like quirky prints or shapes, kitsch or pretty. So it's probably no surprise that I'm getting really into Love Moschino. My budget doesn't stretch to Moschino or the Cheap & Chic range of bags unfortunately, but the Love range suits me fine.
I adore the 'Charming' girls that adorn a lot of the LM range and there's usually plenty variations of them each season (you'll maybe recall my gorgeous satin clutch I got last year). I made no secret of the fact I fell in love with the gorgeous green one on ASOS (above) and finally got my hands on it the other month. It's got a real autumn/winter feel to it, with it's rich hues and almost paisley like floral background. I could spend ages looking at each and every girl, they just have so much charm and character! It has a silver frame, a longer chain handle or can be used as a clutch and I love the 'knobs'. I can often be found rather loudly exclaiming "look at these big knobbles" when browsing bags or purses instore! I do like to see big knobbles! These aren't massive, but are the perfect finishing touch. That bag is actually rather roomy, although I don't carry masses of stuff around with me. I also had my eye on one of the summery versions (below).
I ended up buying it directly from the Moschino store during the sale, after selling one of my other LM bags (probably the first time I've ever adhered to the 'one in/one out' policy). I'd seen this one in four colours; orange, blue and red, but the raspberry one appealed the most and I could only find it on that site. On the back is a bold floral print with Love Moschino scribbled and it has two woven chain shoulder straps. The two girls were exactly the same on all four variations, so thankfully my choice was purely which floral print I liked best. It has a flap front and clasp closure with this text on the inside pocket "Lovingly handcrafted and designed from the finest materials. Distinguished by time honored traditions uncompromising attention to detail." It's definitely more of a summer bag, although would look striking against an all-black outfit in winter.
Finally, a couple of weeks ago when shopping, my Mum found a handbag she loved. It was the only one of it's kind and when she pulled it out, this one (above) was nestled behind it. She thought I'd quite like the shape and structure of it. She was right and it immediately reminded me of the Prada pyramid bag which I worshipped, but could never afford at over £2000. It has the same soft, sloping sides and metal framework. This one is called 'Layla' from the J By Jasper Conran range at Debenhams and again it was the only one in the shop and not online so it must have sold out. It was £65 reduced to a bargain £19.50. I think you'll agree it looks much more expensive than that!  It's a taupe/mink colour that is neutral enough to work with most of my wardrobe.  I had a huge bag clear-out last summer and rearranged my collection at the time, so thankfully I had room for these new additions.  What's your bag-life like? Do you wear one to death, then buy another or like a choice for each day or rotate them regularly?  I literally match it to my outfit that day, but tend to get stuck with 2 or 3 on rotation at one time until I unearth some forgotten ones!  I'm certainly not planning on buying more just now, I'm going to enjoy these.    

Sales, Hauls & Back In Stock

The ASOS sale started today, with up to 50% off! I've had a quick look and there's some decent stuff to be found. Last week, I had a discount code that was burning a hole in my pocket and seeing as I'd been stalking the 'wiggle dresses' several times a day for months, I decided to order the two that were left in my size.
I already own the black floral and blue spot above (that aren't available now) and I absolutely adore them, so it seemed a no-brainer to order some alternatives. I was hoping this one would be great for summer as the fabric is different to the others. Sadly when they arrived, they were much, much smaller than the two I own. The wallpaper border print one was the bigger of the two, but I couldn't get it on with the zip closed and couldn't close the zip when I tried it on, with it open. My original two if anything are generous, so I was very disappointed. The summer floral one felt absolutely tiny, the whole of my back was exposed, the zip wasn't anywhere near to closing. I quickly measured them against my others and right enough when lying flat (so the measurement is double this really), there was at least 3 inches less at the waist and around 4" at the bust. No wonder I was having trouble, how the hell were my boobs supposed to fit in a dress 8" smaller? Anyway they're going back and I hope someone else finds them a better fit because they truly are beautiful dresses.
So yesterday as a Premier customer, I received a 30% off code for a wee pre-sale shopping spree! I've been desperate for a discount then all of a sudden it's raining codes! I sent back the other couple of things I'd bought with the wiggle dresses, so I could re-order them with the bigger discount. This is what I've bought, arriving tomorrow. The Jeepers Creepers vintage cat eye glasses (so cute in person) and Love Moschino Charming bag (been lemming it for ages) that I'd mentioned in my other post. Along with some flower hair clips (here and here) and this cute fox t-shirt from the Curve range. I had loads of beauty items in my basket too (which had 20% off), but decided I couldn't quite stretch to purchasing them too. I tried to order items that I didn't think would go into the sale and I made the right decisions as none have.
Also, I noticed this week that my Cat Maxi Dress (£28) is back in stock in sizes 4-18. I know a lot of you missed out on this the first time around.
Plus my unicorn jumper from last year is now available in cream £35 if you fancy that.
While on the subject of unicorns, you'll maybe recall my sister got me a cake sprinkle shaker in the shape of a unicorn for my birthday? Well it's now available here at Topshop. Coincidentally, their sale also started (just last week), so is worth checking out.  Have you bought any sales goodies lately?  

This post contains affiliate links, which when clicked through and purchased from, can earn this blog a small commission. By doing so, you are helping fund the blog, all opinions are still my own and I was not paid to write this post nor gifted any of these items. I just wanted my readers to know of the great deals!

Most Exciting Shopping News Ever

Wait a fre-cheek-ing minute...did you just see what I saw? I can't quite believe it, but it could be the most IMMENSE thing EVER. Primark...wait for it....at ASOS!! Primark!
There are so many reasons I'm excited about this. First it means Primark for all, worldwide! I know you international ladies love a little peek at our fave discount store and they're sparse throughout Europe and usually not with quite the same selection as we have. *update, I notice the items are UK delivery only, that's such a pity.*  For me, it also means, no picking dirty clothes up off the floor and buying because it's the only size left (!), no queueing at the tills or changing rooms, availability of all sizes 6-20 (Dundee I'm looking at you with rails of 8's and 10's and nowt else) and the possibility of discount codes too (try JUNBDAY2013 for 10% off and google for some country-specific codes). Although with Primark prices it seems cheeky getting an extra discount!
I have a premier account at ASOS, so I can order and get free next day or specified day delivery plus free returns, so it's just brilliant to be able to order Primark without the hassle of trekking to my nearest store which more often than not doesn't have my size or the specific item I'm looking for.
That said, there's only 23 items to choose from currently. I suspect they'll get more in though. New Look are another store you can buy from at ASOS and although they only have maternity and Inspire clothing ranges, they've built up quite the range of those clothes and shoes, jewellery and accessories too, so hopefully Primark will follow.
I've picked my favourite pieces throughout this post. Check out the lovely Alex of Odd Socks & Pretty Frocks, looking completely delightful in the floral, cut-out dress £17. If it weren't for the fact I suspect my boobs would look obscene through that cut-out, I'd buy this right now. I am going to get the giraffe maxi dress £10, which I've been unsuccessfully searching for months for in my size. On top of that you have ASOS back on Boots Treat Street, plus shopping through ASOS using any of my links or ads in the sidebar will earn me a little commission with any purchases! It's all just so exciting! While on the subject of ASOS (but not Primark), I adore these vintage inspired glasses £16 and this amazing Love Moschino bag £145, both of which I'm gonna treat myself to, if I have some good eBay sales over the next couple of weeks. What do you think of this, do you think it's a good move for Primark and ASOS? Do you wish Primark had their own website you could purchase through or do you love going instore and hate buying online?
I've also just noticed Primark have joined the Selfridges Denim Studio, so if jeans are your thang, you can get them online at Selfridges.  Yes I did just mention those two shops in the same sentence!

I Do Love Moschino

Just a quick post tonight.  Remember the Love Moschino handbag debacle last month? Well I kept my eye out for further Moschino sales and one day Brandalley had a mixture of items and designers including one of the handbags I'd wanted. It was the nude quilted one and there was only one in stock. Normally I'd have danced around trying to justify the spend, instead I just chucked it in my basket and checked out as fast as I could! I had a £10 gift voucher to use, so that covered delivery and a bit extra. Sadly they didn't have the letter-logo one I wanted and I've still been looking for it, but no luck so far. I wonder if they did have it that day and it had already sold out before I'd logged on, because the items were just disappearing from the site rather than saying 'sold out' next to them. I'm kicking myself-although there's nothing I could have done (I'm just annoying like that). In the end the bag arrived before it would have done if I'd ordered it first time round!

I was a little disappointed with the colour if I'm honest, it's not very nude (although it looks it here), it's a greeny toned beige/ivory. Kind of an odd, spewy sort of colour and I felt maybe I should have gone for the black (although it wasn't a choice the second time-again I'm really annoying). The bag itself is utterly gorgeous though, it's like a 'proper' handbag, I feel all grown up with it! I think I may even prefer the inside more than the outer and it's waaaay bigger than I expected. I like it anyway and thankfully I don't have the stress of checking for it every day (although I'm still doing it for the other one)! So like I mentioned in another post, I keep spending money when I miss out on something...for instance before I knew I would get a second chance at this bag, I ordered this one from ASOS as a substitute...

Yep, another Love Moschino (do you spy an obsession?), a cute l'il clutch this time! It caught my attention the second it landed on the site and I've since seen it elsewhere and drooled!  I managed to get a 30% discount code before the sale started on ASOS and it worked on this item, so I was really chuffed getting "current season" for that price. Again, it was the last one in stock which helped with my dithering!   So it's safe to say I'm trying hard not to spend anything now, because this lot has crippled me!

New Miu Miu Shoes & Love Moschino Brooch

Quick picture post of my new shoes that arrived yesterday. I bought them from Yoox on the 19th, they were shipped from Italy on the 20th and arrived on the 25th, which is excellent!

This Miu Miu box is slightly different to my older ones, with a brocade style lining, ooooh fancy!

You know you're onto a good thing, when you get branded tissue paper and dust-bags. Even more so if they put spare heel tips in a separate envelope!

The shoes are black suede, they sometimes look navy in certain lights, but are black. They have amazing embellishments all over and a softly rounded toe.

The heel is gold metal ('knitting needle' as my Mum would say) with the embellishment detail again at the top, which is just beautiful.

I also purchased a Love Moschino brooch, which was basically free as I had a 10% off and free delivery code which took the total back to the original price of the shoes with shipping!  I'm so crap at maths until it comes to working out discounts on purchases, then I turn into Carol Vorderman!  Who knew designer brooches even got their own dustbags? Lucky little lady!

No idea what I'm going to wear either with, but I'm sure they'll be working their way into an outfit post soon enough.  I'm still sulking after my disappointment over the Love Moschino bags I purchased and didn't purchase at the weekend! I'm stalking the site daily in the hope the sale comes back....and trying desperately not to spend the money I set aside for them! Anyway, glad my lovely shoes fit, have you bought anything this week?

When Shizzle Happens

If you follow me on Facebook, you'll realise I was in a bit of a dilemma regarding the purchase of a Love Moschino handbag. Brandalley were running a sale for a few days last week and there were tonnes of styles I liked, which I whittled down to the three that I thought I'd get most use of and that would work with my wardrobe. I've come to discover I'm kinda hopeless at being pushed to make a decision, at least when it comes to clothes, shoes, makeup and the like. I think it stems from not having a lot of money, so any 'big' purchase feels really indulgent and fills me with fear that I'll regret it..  So I asked you for your help as I trust you lot in these types of situations!

Any purchase I make, especially of considerable value has me in this sort of turmoil of will it be worth it/will I like it/will it fit/will I use it often enough? and so on and I always do my homework before committing. I must have spent at least three days going back and forth with my decision, researching the bags and eventually decided I would buy the striped one.  It was the cheapest and I thought it was quite quirky...plus the nude quilted one! My initial instinct was the black quilted, but a lot of you liked the nude and I came to realise it probably was better for me. At first I wasn't sure if I could afford both, but after working out my finances, I could.  It wasn't a tremendous amount of money for the two, actually it was a great deal, but it was still all the money I have right now!  So anyway, I couldn't believe I'd managed to hold my nerve until they had a free shipping day (extra bonus) and there was actually only 9 left in stock of the nude one (panic panic)! I was finally happy with my decision, used the paypal express checkout and in a matter of seconds my order was final. Or so I thought.

I found it strange that I didn't immediately receive a confirmation email. Then the next day (Sunday) I decided to check my paypal just to verify it had gone through.....my balance was still there as was my bank balance (part of the sale was coming out of paypal and the majority from my bank account). I felt sick immediately, I just had a feeling something wasn't right, so emailed Brandalley (not that there was much they could do about it on a Sunday).  When I logged into my account, there wasn't even any mention of the order, but because I'd used the express checkout, I wasn't sure if it would show up in my account anyway. So today I get an email back (very prompt reply) to say my order didn't go through and could I purchase the items again using a different method of payment.

Erm, GUTTED. I'm practically booking myself into the old folks home beside my Grandad now, because I can't for the life of me figure out what went wrong and I'm trying so hard to recall exactly the stages I went through. I can remember seeing the items in my basket (although I popped them in and out a gazillion times over the weekend), I remember checking out, selecting the express checkout and even signing into my paypal account as directed. I thought I paid and thought I was directed back to the Brandalley site afterwards, but can't be sure.  I can recall looking at the nude bag again though and noting the stock levels were now 8, because I'd bought the 9th! I was so excited that I'd managed to get my hands on two fabulous little bags even if I did have to wait a month for them to be delivered (yes I even recall seeing that at checkout)! With hindsight I should've taken a screen-cap of the order (not that they would've honoured it anyway, but for my peace of mind because I think I'm losing it), but to be honest nothing strange happened to make me think the order hadn't gone through and it was all over in a couple of seconds.  To make matters worse, the sale ended yesterday, so I can't even buy the bags again even if I did have to pay p&p this time. I'm just sooo disappointed about the whole thing-I emailed Brandalley back and they have sent me a £10 gift voucher as compensation, but I just wish I could magic back to Saturday and see what actually happened, before I make myself completely insane!

Normally with things like this, I figure they happen for a reason, but I'm still too gutted to have that outlook yet! I also realise that in the grand scheme of things, it's not exactly the end of the world, it's just been a waste of three days and I got all excited and happy for nothing!  I just have to hope that the bags pop up on the site again and that the ones I wanted are still in stock. In the meantime I have my Miu Miu shoes and Love Moschino brooch to look forward to!!  They are en route from Italy (makes me feel all fancy ordering stuff from overseas) and entered the UK today, which hopefully means I get them tomorrow (and also means people are home and I'll get 'caught' receiving my purchases)! Pretty aren't they?