Cities are Full of Secrets

When you think of any capital city nowadays, you must think of shopping centers and high sky buildings. We don't often think of the history behind some cities, with the exception of Rome of course. Although I am aware of this, I had never really bothered to learn about the history, even quite recent history of my closest city, Cardiff.

I really like Cardiff for shopping, it has great high street shops and a fair amount of department stores so there is a large variety to choose from. The main streets, for instance The Hayes have an arcade running through in between some shops, but not everyone knows about them or goes there because there aren't many of the 'big brands' there. But, fear not because this post will be a bit about the arcades in Cardiff.

Walking through the arcade is like walking through an old version of Cardiff, because it is:P Nonetheless, there are some lovely little shops and cafes that are sadly neglected due to the huge food halls and stores that the shopping centers offer.

One of my favourite stores in the arcade is Wally's, an Italian Deli that is so sweet and full of amazing Italian style foods (apart from the pop tarts). The truffles look delightful and the pasta selection is a dream.

The best part about the arcade is the balcony. I never knew how to get up there and didn't even think it was possible until my friend, Carys showed me. There are little shops above the cafe's and independent deli's and shabby chic shops. There aren't many, but they are very sweet and small. The teeny bridge and the entire balcony really gives a sense of history and culture to the city and is really interesting to look at.

The architecture is beautiful and I find it so fascinating that it all is still there! If you ever come to Cardiff, I highly recommend visiting one of the arcades as you can find some lovely cafe's and homeware - my favourite has to be Rossiter's for cute decorations. One of the best cafe's is New York Deli which sells huge hoagies for a reasonable price so great value for money!

I hope you enjoyed these pictures of the arcade and I hope it has given you some ideas on what to do when you visit any city that has some culture behind it!

Bits & Bobs for Autumn/Winter!

Over a few shopping trips I've bought new items for the season. I didn't want to put them all into one huge blog post, therefore I'm going to separate them into different posts.

Of course, this is a Bits & Bobs post. A few random things that I've purchased that don't really fit into a category I'd like to discuss separately.

First random purchase is a Raspberry & Papaya candle from Urban Outfiters. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you'll know I bought this the other day and I love it!

The scent is very sweet and strong but it is such a beautiful scent. It may be unsuitable for this season but it's so lovely I couldn't leave it there! It was £6.00 and there were also plenty of other scents to choose from!

Next random purchase could fall into the accessories category but it's quite a random one! It's and ear warmer/knit-band, whichever you prefer and it's just plain white with a bow detail.

I loved the braided knit-bands but then I came across this knit-band and thought it was very adorable and sweet so I bought this instead! This is from H&M and was £4.50, another bargain from H&M!

The final random purchase is a convenient one as the weather is very chilly in the UK. Cosy, sleep socks!

Very comfy and snuggly, they were very inexpensive from Primark (these were the reason for the impulse buy of the hand gel) only £2.50 for the pack of two,  a red and blue pair,  both with slightly deformed white stars on them! They keep my feet nice and toasty whilst walking around the house!

That's it for this category,  thank you for reading! Be sure to follow me on social media with the links below and I'll post soon!

Most Stylish Wellies Ever!

These beautiful shoes came through the door a few days ago and I'm in love! 

With British weather being very damp an drizzly all year, especially Autumn, when I saw these shoes I instantly knew they had to be part of my collection. I hesitated a bit before ordering as I wasn't sure I'd like the fact that they were, in the bone wellington boots. But when I opened the package up they were so beautiful and honestly, I don't think they look like wellies.

Not everyone likes wearing wellies as they aren't always the nicest accessory (unless you have Hunter wellies, which are so lovely) so these boots are a mixture of a classic Chelsea boot and a wellington boot, so you can look very stylish in the rain!

I hate stepping in puddles and getting my feet wet if I'm wearing a normal boot or pumps as you end up shivering which is very impractical when you're shopping! Not only are these boots practical but the color is gorgeous and suits this season perfectly!

I''m sure boots like these will be sold in so many stores this Autumn and Winter so be sure to get your hands on them if you're in a fairly rainy climate. Of course if you don't live in a wet climate you can still buy these as they genuinely look like patent Chelsea boots or you can purchase any boots of your tastes (blog post on Winter Boots here).

I bought these shoes off the River Island Website as they were 50% at only £10 which is such a good price for such good quality (even cheaper than Primark and H&M boots!)

River Island currently have a sale up to 50% on all items in-store and online so I recommend looking at their items, particularly the shoes of course:P

Yankee Candle!

Rainwashed Berry

My oh my, this is such a beautiful scented candle! This is actually the first Yankee Candle I've tried, I've wanted to try these out for so long!

Yankee Candles are very expensive, therefore I've tried avoiding them. But, today I discovered that you can get smaller candles, almost as if they're testers. Of course these are far less expensive but unfortunately, do not last as long. 

As part of my Pamper Evening, I used the Rainwashed Berry candle (a Friday night treat!) whilst in the bath. The scent is delicious! It's as if someone rounded-up all Autumnal berries and put them together! It smells like Autumn/Fall to me which is exciting. I'm hoping this will last quite long, although it is a small candle. I'll be re-purchasing this candle in it's normal size in the near future as it's such a lovely scent!

Highly recommendable! The color of the candle is even pretty!

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Cute, Comfy, Cosy Pajamas!

There's nothing I love more about Winter than snuggling up in a cosy pair of pajamas! It's that time of year where we swap our short, cheeky pajamas and opt for long, soft ones!

Personally, I love polka dots or tartan patterns for this time of year. Polka-dots are very 1950's, therefore are so sweet and look great on everyone when they're a long sleeve, button-up PJ shirt and long, soft trousers.

These pajamas are slightly more expensive as the percentage of cotton used in them is higher than what you'd get from inexpensive items. These are both very sweet styles, if you want an iconic t-shirt paired with sweet bottoms then the second one is best for you. If you want the "whole hog" then the first one is adorable and looks extremely comfortable! 

I adore this onezie from New Look and I want to get my hands on this! This must be a really snug item to wear in Winter in front of the fire, and talk endlessly about your excitement for Christmas :P This is only £15.99 and of course, if you don't have a New Look nearby, there's always tons of shops selling cute onezies like this!

Tartan is so pretty and is available in so many varieties of colors! You can wear this pattern as a set, a shirt and trousers, or you can just wear a basic t-shirt with the bottoms!

I'd also like to add that the patterned jersey pajamas are very pretty and really comfortable, you can wear them all day for a 'lazy day'! Available in so many different patterns and colors! Very cosy!

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Statement Winter Piece!

Hats!

Recently I've had a desire for hats. It's quite different for me as I've never been a "hat person" before. I've always been a shoe girl but never a hat girl.

This season I thought I'd jump out of my comfort zone, miles out of my comfort zone... Anyway :P

Therefore I have my 3 favorite hats for Autumn/Winter 2013, I purchased one last Christmas and purchased the other two a few weeks ago so you can still buy them yourself!

This is my favorite purchase of the season by far! This classic black bowler hat is so sweet and goes with everything. I think it adds a slight kick and flare to your outfit! I'd recommend this style of hat to you hat people as I find it very chic! 

This was from H&M and it was really inexpensive, around £10-£15 which is complete bargain and it is 100% wool so fortunately I think this will last a really long time.

The next hat I purchased recently is this slightly off-white bobble knitted hat. This is absolutely adorable! Perfect for cold winter days and it will complete your layered outfits and the bobble is just the best! 

This was also from H&M (I love that shop:P) and it was £7.99 so another bargain. It's 30% wool and 70% acrylic so it's super comfy and snuggly, love it!

My final hat that I'm sharing with you is this amazing black, sequined beret. I got this in the sale at Dune last Christmas so unfortunately this specific beret isn't available, but there are so many shops that sell berets in all sorts of colors! I'm sure you can find a sequined as well!

 

This is slightly on the pricier side, although it was in the sale it was still £19 which some may say is a rip off but this has lasted since December and I'm very pleased with the quality. I recommend Dune for the higher quality berets but shops like H&M, New Look or Topshop certainly have them but at a slightly less expensive price.

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Oh my, Chanel?!

Well, well, well. How could such a classic, simple bag be so complex when it comes to purchasing?! Of course I'm talking about Chanel.

Now, I wish I could send all of you lovely readers one of the bags above, but unfortunately the price tag is enough to put most people into cardiac arrest.

Chanel bags are a classic. Always have and always will be. These Couture pieces would go with any outfit as there's no crazy pattern or bold print on it. We must wonder, if a piece of such high quality, extremely wearable and will last forever, is really worth spending nearly thousands of pounds on.

A lot of people don't understand the time and effort that's put into couture pieces and that they are very hard to copy or create a 'look-a-like' of. In foreign markets like Spanish markets, I've seen "Chanel" bags sold very often, with people telling you that it's "REAL!" Of course, we know it isn't as you would never find a Chanel bag for 20 Euros!

These bags are one of a kind and a pang of jealousy rushes through me if I see someone with such an eye catching piece haha.

Beautiful. Chic. Elegant. Classy.

If you are someone who loves Chanel then don't give up on buying one of these gorgeous works of art as they are amazing and you can't find much, if anything like this! I'm certainly not giving up anytime soon! 

          "A girl should be two things... Classy and fabulous!"        Coco Chanel

Thank you for reading & be sure to comment what you may think about spending so much on an accessory like this!

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Beauooties!

BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS! Ahh! One thing I absolutely love about autumn/winter is my shoe change! From strappy sandals to cute winter boots.

As you fashion lovers will know, boots are everywhere at the moment, on the high street and a few cheeky ones in your favourite designer boutiques.

In A/W fashion week back at the beginning of the year we saw beautiful boots handcrafted by the world's most appreciated designers, and from this, boots are everywhere!

Styles!

There are so many styles to choose from, whether you're going for an urban, grunge look or a posh totty one!

If you're a girl who likes a classic boot to go with everything for winter, I recommend a patent, below-the-knee pair of black boots.

This look is very classy an ultra chic, keeping things simple and sweet. Of course everyone knows black goes with everything Winter wise, but maybe you might want to go for a pop of colour...

I would definitely recommend Red suede boots, these may sound a bit old fashioned but my pinterest page is covered in these boots from high boots to ankle booties.

(I think I'm starting to fall in love with these shoes now, oh my)

This look could scare a lot of people as it is something quite different but when i say 'red' i don't mean candy cane red, I mean quite a deeper red. 

As I said in one of my previous blogs, a deep red wine colour is certainly beautiful for this season! As long as you keep your clothes and the simpler side, then i do think these shoes could be a very good friend! Or even if you like to wear a lot of colour in the winter time they can jazz up your outfit even further!

Trends

The most recent trend I've seen recently in the past few weeks is boots with knee-high socks. I do love this look with my ankle boots, but I think these socks look lovely with a pair of lace up, to-the-knee boots.

Not everybody's cup of tea but i think they look so cosy on top of a pair of tights to keep you extra warm and extra stylish. This style is similar to a riding boot but with a slight twist as it has the lace up on the front...

I've seen quite a few shops stock this style and a few feet wearing them! Of course if these are not your "thing" then ankle boots still look super cute with many different socks. But be careful not to wear socks that are too heavy or woolly with shorter boots as they, unfortunately could make you appear shorter (unless you have amazingly long legs) and overly woolly socks just may not work with your cute pair of booties. No need to worry as there are sweet and simple socks on the high street for great prices! The pair i recently bought were a plain black pack of three from H&M containing 2 slightly different styles!

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Little Black Dresses!

A little black dress is a key item in any woman's wardrobe!

These are cute, simple, chic and sweet and you can certainly accessorize them in anyway; whether you want a bright pink chunky bracelet or a fine set of silver earrings!

One of the many great things about these dresses are the fact that they are in pretty much any shop you walk into, there'll be at least one depending on the size of the store. They're also easy to order online as most websites have a special category for them, they're just that amazing haha.

The price range for these simple yet sweet dresses are enormous as they can range from £5 to £100 depending on how high the quality or how big the brand is. So there's no excuse ladies! :P

If you are looking for a designer label dress and have the money for it then go for it, but if you're a teenager like I am, who's constantly changing I think a dress with the smaller price tag is the best option!

There's so many inexpensive dresses out there on the high street as well as online. I recommend missguided.com as I have my eye on this particular dress which is only £6.99 but is still beautiful.

 As for high street shops Primark is great for finding dresses that are for a one off occasion. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea so if you prefer slightly higher quality then New Look is always great and H&M always has a bargain.

Sweetheart, square, halter, curved. Empire, natural, skater, bodycon, babydoll. Pick any style that flatters your shape and keep this dress as your savior. The best friend of your wardrobe!

"One is never over-dressed or underdressed in a little black dress" - Karl Lagerfeld