NEW YORK, NEW YORK....

This is currently how long my hair has grown to, I am desperately due a cut but I am liking the length for the time being!

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of...

The countdown has well and truly began, it is 5 days until I board the plane and fly off to New York, with the hectic workload I

haven't really allowed myself to get too excited about it but as its quick approaching I am becoming very excited.

I leave on Thursday (2nd December) returning on the Sunday/Monday. I have been trying to organise and think about what I will be doing whilst I am out there.

Having never been to NY before I'm planning to do all the sightseeing including the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Central Park, Rockefella Centre, Empire State Building ohh and The Sex and The City Tour!!

I have been thinking about what to pack for my trip to NY, I am trying to pack as light as possible as I want to shop and bring as much back as possible. Bearing in mind I

haven't even started my Christmas shopping I plan to get most of it out there.

I have invested in a couple of essentials for the trip including a fur coat which I have been wanting for a long time now. I managed to find one in a new vintage shop that has just opened up down the road from me in Southampton. I have attached a picture of myself in it, its over sized so I have belted the coat for a more defined waist. However it can be worn loose as well, there is also a picture of it loose.

I will be wearing this coat on the plane to save my suitcase and also for warmth. I have also purchased some black high heels for the trip to NY this is because I haven't got any court shoes that would be suitable at uni for nights out in NY. I managed to find these beauties in TKMaxx, anyone that knows me will know I love TKMaxx and swear by it. I always manage to find different

items in there which your unlikely to see anyone else in.

Along with these items I plan to take a couple of dresses for nights out, one pair

of jeans, my jopper type black leggings, cream cords, several pairs of different tights, a couple of skirts, two blouses, one smart blazer, boots, brogues, going out handbag, jumpers, jewellery and anything else I can think of. This is just a rough list I'm certain more will get added when I actually think about it.

Until I go to NY I have to concentrate on my work and getting as much done as possible, I'm sure I will blog about my purchases and my adventures....

Much love

April x x x x

Winter's Here...

So as I am writing this I'm currently summing up today and the winter conditions we were forced to experience. Having to be in uni at 9 is hard enough let alone when it feels like you have monsoon rains beating against your window panes. So this morning was dull and dismal and made me want to jet set somewhere hot.

However now winter is here it now means my autumnish wardrobe can be used to its full advantage. I am hoping to invest in some warmer clothes when I venture to New York in under a month so I will do a full winter blog on what I'm wearing after I return. However there are a few items I am lusting over right now. These cord trousers are from boohoo.com and are only £20 the camel colour is very on trend for this season as well! They come in lots of other fabulous colours too!!

I am hoping I get to buy a new

party outfit for Christmas season as I've been looking at what Lipsy have to offer and they have a great range of differently styled dresses. I love this one shoulder Grecian dress, however it does set you back at £65...

Here is a Tiered Bandeau Jumpsuit, I would love to be able to wear this but I am slightly vertically challenged. But I can still lust over it just not wear it unless I suddenly have a growth spurt.

Until next time where I will be blogging about more things to lust over and it won't be such a delayed wait (uni has been pretty hectic so that is why the blogging has lapsed slightly!)...

Much love x x x

Man I've been lagging.....

Heyyy sorry to have been so bad with keeping up my blogging act life has been far too hectic for my liking. A lot has been going on since my last blog, I finished my first proper week at work experience it was amazing!! I had a really great experience, on the night I arrived I went to Notting Hill for some drinks with the lady I was staying with.

I have attached a picture of the place I went called: Beach Blanket Babylon it was very quaint!

My week consisted of researching upcoming film releases, cd releases, album releases and book releases which were suited to the publication. After working closely with the showbiz team I then went onto working with the fashion team, I was helping to work on the Christmas edition. I was sourcing pictures for the colour themed pages which usually take up 3 double page spreads in this edition. After my busy week of wining and dining and of course working I was given a goodie bag full of treats to thank me for my work during the week!!

After my work experience it was straight back down to Southampton to start back at uni, since then I have been getting to grips with all the work and generally organising my life. I have been on several shopping trips wince being back purchasing new items to rejuvenate my wardrobe for autumn/winter.... I will post a separate blog detailing a few of my top purchases for those of you that wish to know.

Sorry again I promise the next blog will be sooner rather than later :) x x x

Hi hoe hi hoe its off to London I go...

This is just going to be a quick post today as I'm due to depart for London in a few hours and it's all a bit hectic really! I have packed for my week of work experience as best as I can as I'm really not sure what will be worn in the office.

So as a rough guide for those of you who might want to know I have packed my new zara trousers, a black pencil skirt, some blue capri smart trousers and a new black dress that I wore out the other night (see picture)!! As well as that I have packed another dress which may be suitable for a night out, three vests, 2 blouses and a few other tops ohh and two blazers! One black from warehouse which I adore and one from grey from Primark..

Shoe wise I have a black pair of pumps, one set of black heels, a pair of brown brouges and a pair of short ankle boots.

Hopefully what I've packed will be suitable for the week, I am very excited for it now. I wish I had more time to babble on about it all but I really don't.

I have packed my camera and notepad and pen so will be taking notes throughout the week and taking as many pictures as possible.

Much love x x

End of an era

Right so with the end of Big Brother see's a decade of television disappear, I wrote an opinion piece before the show ended and I thought it would be right to post it now as the show has finished, so here goes hope you enjoy:

So with the end of Big Brother nigh what does this mean for the future of reality television? BB as it has been referred to through its airing decade has consumed screens for far too long now.

The BB phase that has taken over the nation’s hearts is finally closing its curtains for the last time. About time too, that curtain needs to stay firmly sealed, the reality series has well and truly strung itself out. Going from BB to Celebrity BB and then a whole show called BBLB about the live show, how many plugs can you get?

Celebrities soon jumped on the bandwagon when the series starting taking off, it was a way to get back in the limelight and rejuvenate a sour career. So much so that the show actually started creating celebrities, through their appearance on the much-watched show. Some of the most prominent celebrities to come out of the programme are: Jade Goody, Brian Dowling and Pete Bennett. All of whom were handpicked because of their quirkiness and what they brought to the show.

After summer’s consumed with non-stop live streaming of the ‘housemates,’ viewers have continuously been glued to the screen year after year. Is it really interesting to watch the housemates cooking dinner or showering? It has clearly entertained the nation for far too long. Although a drop in ratings has ultimately caused the axe of the series, it’s been a long run for Channel 4.

BB has always set the stakes as to what is acceptable in reality television, whilst causing controversy along the way. The Jade Goody vs. Shilpa Shetty racism debate meant the show was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It was publicized to the extreme with excessive news coverage, it questioned the sanctity of such a show on television. Even after Jade Goody passed away following her battle with cancer her legacy remains that she shot to fame through Big Brother.

But following the tenth and final series of BB will shows like Coach Trip and Come Dine With Me soon faze out and drop off the radar? The Hills is also coming to an end as it reaches its sixth and concluding season, a show that blurs the lines between reality and scripted drama. Is it really time to get rid of all these shows that everyone seems so fascinated with, if so what’s next?

I think anything that tries to replace such shows will be a shambles; they’ve run their course and now its time to move on. Big Brother will no longer be bringing Divina dressed in… surprise surprise black to our screens anymore. What will replace a highly renowned series? Channel 4 needs to pull spectacular something out of the bag if they’re to keep viewers switching on.

Much love x x

Shop til you drop!

Well last Thursday the shopping trip was a success in the end, I managed to find some narrowed legged trousers, not the Dorothy Perkins ones I mentioned in a previous post however! Instead I was overcome by Zara's new season stock, on entrance to the shop I was enchanted by the new colourways and cuts being displayed.

As a result of Zara holding me hostage in there store (it was my choice really!) I purchased these trousers :) at just £29.99 I was pleased with my choice... Another exciting event for Zara was the launch of there online store last week, it is clean cut and nicely set out. But it means the temptation to buy from there is even higher now as you don't even have to go in store to see what's new.

Another website that is due to launch tomorrow is H&M they will now be selling there goods online too! I enjoy a bit of late night online shopping, there's nothing quite like anticapting the arrival of your new dress or shoes. When your knock at the door (or at uni a piece of paper under the door) arrives it's great.

In Look magazine this week I was reading about women who hire designer clothes, handbags and shoes instead of paying out a lump sum on owning them! I personally think that the idea is great, you get to hire the 'must have' clothes and accesories at a fraction of the cost. The feature is entitled "We Hire All Our Designer Wardrobes" and is really worth a read if like me you will continously lust over outrageously priced items!

One of my all time favourite handbags is the Chanel 2.55 and you can hire this on the website for a month at a time for £130! (quite tempting I must admit)

Click on the picture and it will take you to the site or click here if you fancy a look www.fashionhire.co.uk

Whilst browsing on the site I came across the facilate to buy some of the bags as well, I am guessing these bags have gone out of season an

d they are selling them so they can invest in the hottest bags of the season! This is the Fendi B Bag I loved it when it was first released sometime ago and I still love it now! At £400 it's hard to resist.

The other websites where you can rent items are for a snippet of the high life:

For dresses: www.girlmeetsdress.com

For bags: www.fashionhire.co.uk (as mentioned)

Celeb looks: www.mycelebritydress.com

For shoes: www.cinderella-me.co.uk

Cinderella me website for the hiring of shoes is to die for, I am more than tempted to hire some classic black Christian Louboution shoes. It is a different system here though, you hire for a week at a time. These set you back £80 a week, but imagine the looks you would get, I think it's the red soles on these shoes that capture me! I have already

informed my father that when I get married I want to be wearing Louboutions! He said yes, and that he'll start saving haha!

I highly recommend having a look through these websites, it brightens your day to think you could afford to walk in such shoes (even if it's only for a week!)

I will try and blog again before I go off onto my work experience it starts next Monday and I'm looking forward to it. I am staying with a family friend for the week in her apartment she's a personal stylist at Selfridges so it should be good fun!!

Hope you enjoyed.

Much love x x

Bang on trend

I know I only blogged last night but felt I had enough material to go ahead and blog again tonight, I have been flicking through the weekly magazines today and also online shopping with my eyes of course! I enjoy lusting over something and then when you finally get it you appreciate it so much more but recently my lust for some shorts got too much and I was about to give way and buy them. And then what do you know it, my size is sold out! I even bookmarked the website I was that keen haha!

The shorts would of been ideal for wearing with pumps to my upcoming work experience. I have never really got into wearing shorts but I have seen this particular pair featured in a lot of magazines and I thought they looked quite flattering. So at the moment I am disappointed to say I didn't get one of my lust items but here's hoping they re-stock!! I have put the information

in for those of you who care to indulge in the lusting :)

Whilist I was browsing on the Topshop website I came across a small feature on leopard print, it interested me as I recently treated my self to a Suzy Smith leopard print handbag (naughty I know but it had to be done!) Here is the link to the feature: http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaticPageDisplay?catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&brdcrmb_trail=&identifier=ts2-weekly-leopard&intcmpid=W_FEATURE_FLP_UK_WK51_LEOPARD_FASHION_FORECAST

Below I am pictured holding the bag at arms length, the quality of the picture isn't great as I took it with my web cam so sorry about that. Also is the article on how even a leopard print accessorise could brighten an outfit and bring it bang up to trend... It can be found on the Topshop website if you care to take a closer look but its worth investing in one piece of leopard

print to enhance your wardrobe if you dare to! I for one am glad I invested in the handbag, my weakness is handbags, shoes and watches!

I am now on the lookout for the next lust item while hoping they will either re-stock those shorts or I will stumble across them in store somewhere. In Look magazine this week I noticed a pair of smartish narrow legged trousers that are a must have from Dorothy Perkins at £28. I plan to take a trip into my nearest shopping centre on Thursday for a bit of late night shopping so I am hoping to get my hands on a pair. They are definitely the sort of trousers that need to be tried on though so I will post a picture if I end up purchasing them but until then I will leave you in suspense.

Hope you enjoyed reading my late night blog...

Much love

x x x x