What I Wore

Top and Sunglasses, Zara  //  Playsuit, Topshop  //  Necklace, New Look  //  Sandals, Brazil

I'm not going to lie, this isn't what I wore today. As you may have heard me mention, I've had to plan a few of my recent posts a couple of weeks in advance, as I moved out of my house and have been staying with the hubby's family until we arrive back in the UK this weekend. I may or may not have internet, but at the time of writing this I didn't know either way, so this is something I wore out to do a casual bit of shopping a couple of weeks ago. I've actually had this monochrome gingham playsuit for a good few years now, but it was only when packing for the big move that I found it lurking at the bottom of an empty suitcase that had been stashed away in the store room for goodness knows how long. I tried it on and was thrilled to find that all was well, so I popped on a lightweight long-sleeved top from Zara underneath it, as it wasn't quite the weather for going it alone.

I'm sure it'll come as no surprise to see that I've finished the look with my trusty studded sandals - I still love these, and they go with absolutely everything. They're also incredibly comfy, which is a rarity when it comes to sandals. Speaking of favourites, I'm also wearing my much-loved statement necklace from New Look. I got it as part of my birthday present from my parents earlier this year, and have been mildly obsessed with it ever since.

Normally I'd be a bit more chatty about what I've been up to today, but since I don't have a crystal ball I will just have to guess. Today I am supposed to be in Rio de Janeiro, more than likely sunning it up on Copacabana before leaving for the flight home on Friday. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures along the way, so you can expect so see those some time next week when I am all settled back in the UK.

Between now and then, you should get a couple more posts that I've prepared in advance, and you should still be able to find me on Twitter and Instagram the whole way through - if you don't already follow me on those then just click on the icons over in my sidebar. There's also one for my Youtube channel, so do check that out if you fancy it.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

xx

What I Wore

Studded Lace Top, Topshop  //  Leather Look Shorts, River Island  //  Sunglasses, Zara  //  Ring and Bracelet, Primark  //  Bag and Sandals, Brazil
(Sorry - only the sunglasses are from this year as everything I own is packed away for the move apart from a limited selection!)

Oh hey, hope everyone is having a great week so far. It's been a bit of an eventful one for us, as we moved out of our house on Monday and in with the hubby's parents for the next few days. We're off to stay with his sister and her family this weekend, and then we'll be back here for a few days before we head back to the UK. It's funny, but I didn't feel sad at all when we left our house. Packing was a nightmare, which I suppose did detract from the whole thing - imagine trying to fit the whole of two peoples' lives from the last five years into three suitcases that do not exceed 23kg each!? Not an easy task, I can assure you. To be fair, the hubby was done in a matter of minutes - it was mine that took at least a week of umming and ahhing about which clothes I could part with, and what I could do with the countless books and bags I'd have to leave behind. In the end, the clothes went to a local orphanage, the books to the language school I used to work at, and the bags to a friend. To be honest it was kind of a relief to get rid of them, as I'm looking forward to starting again in a new place, free of junk and clutter. I say that now, but we all know I'll have it full to bursting again before soon.
We haven't got much planned for the next couple of days, as the in-laws are homebodies and like to stay in most of the time. We'll probably be visiting some other family members though (fun fact: the hubby's mother is one of eighteen brothers and sister, while his dad is one of twelve. Can you imagine how many cousins that means!? Not to mention how many years his poor grandmothers had to spend pregnant....), as most of them live in the same town. We're hoping to go to the beach on Saturday with the sister-in-law, her husband and children, so that should be nice - if there's one thing I will miss about this place then it's the sun, although I can assure you that when you live somewhere where it's pushing forty degrees the majority of the time, you do get quite sick of it, just as you do with constant rain and snow! The sun loses its novelty before long, and there actually comes a point where you wish for it to cloud over, just to get a break. If you're on holiday then it's great, but not so much if you have to work.
I'll probably miss my hammock too - I loved lying in it with a good book as the sun was beginning to go down at the weekends, as at that point it was fairly cool and breezy in the winter (hotter than a British summer).
More than anything though, I'm looking forward to getting back to living life in my own language! And being close to my family and friends again, of course, but that goes without saying.
I'll probably pop a slightly more reflective post on my time here up either just before I go or once I'm home, as I think it's something worth addressing. It's changed me in so many ways, and it's been a real learning curve in more ways than I could possibly explain.
For now I'll leave you with my moving day outfit - not very practical, but as I say, our life is now inside three suitcases so there wasn't much to do in the way of heavy lifting!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

xx

What I Wore

Shorts, Miss Selfridge  //  Lace-sleeved top, Topshop  //  Clutch, Primark(old)  //  Sandals, bought in Brazil  //  Bracelet, Ebay

Oh hii, thought I'd pop up a bit of an outfit post today. This is photographic evidence of my new peach studded Miss Selfridge shorts' first outing, paired with a white lace-sleeved top from Topshop. I must admit, in retrospect  I'm not all that keen on this combo as I've since found that the shorts look a whole lot better against black, and accessorised with some golden goodness. Not too much though, as I think the stud detailing speaks for itself, and along with the studded sandals there's already a fair bit going on. You'll probably see what I mean soon enough anyway, as it's bound to pop up in another outfit post. Faux pas wearing the same shorts twice in OOTD posts? Oh well, I'm sure we'll all get over it. 

Hooray for it being Friday tomorrow! I don't know about you, but for me today is always the busiest day of the week. As I've mentioned before though, I do get Fridays off, so it's not all bad!

Last night was the hubby's night off from work, and I finish earlier on Wednesdays too, so we decided to have a bit of a film and foodfest at home in the evening. I whipped us up some homemade spicy chicken tacos with guacamole, followed by banana pancakes, as we had a ton of leftover bananas that needed using up quickly (any excuse!). Needless to say, we pretty much ate ourselves into food comas and collapsed in front of The Lovely Bones - a film I have put off watching for the longest time because it's one of my favourite books, and for me, the film adaptations don't usually make the cut. I have to say though, they did a pretty good job with this one, so there was no shouting at the TV as there was when I watched One Day or The Time Traveller's Wife (don't even get me started!). Anyway, it was quite nice to be a bit naughty and treat ourselves food-wise, as we are both healthy eaters the majority of the time. Saying that, I do have a bit of a tough time saying no to chocolate, but don't we all!? ;-)

Hope you all have a lovely end to the week!

xx

What I Wore

    Leather-Look Shorts, River Island  //  China-Print Shirt, New Look  //  Leopard Print Boots, Ebay  //  Statement Necklace, New Look  //  Chunky Pyramid Stud Bracelet, Ebay  //  Sunglasses, Zara  //  Tan Studded Clutch, Primark (old)

Hello lovelies, I'm posting a bit later in the day than usual, but that's down to not having taken any snaps of this outfit in advance as I really did wear it today. I've also popped up two sets of photos, basically because I couldn't decide which one to go for!

It's still nice and sunny here, so I went with my trusty leather-look shorts from River Island and teamed them with my new china-print shirt and statement necklace, both from New Look. On my feet, I'm wearing some suede black and leopard-print ankle boots, and I've finished the look with a pair of Zara sunglasses and a Primark clutch, which is actually pretty old but is still going strong! Nail-wise, I chose this pretty pastel green, which is called Talisman, from a Brazilian brand called Ellen Gold. Unfortunately you can't get these in the UK, but this one is a really similar shade to Essie Mint Candy Apple, but I'd say it's definitely brighter and slightly less milky.

Today I've been busy running errands with the hubby - just boring stuff like paying bills etc. - and we spent the afternoon reading our books at our local coffee shop, which is always a nice way to wind down on a Friday. I'm currently reading The Age of Miracles, by Karen Thompson Walker, and I'd love to know if any of you have read it and what your thoughts were.

I've also been busy taking photos for up-coming posts, and this evening my plan is to catch up with a couple of people on Skype, burn my new Spring Yankee Candle, in Peach Orchard, and as is customary on a Friday night, do a spot of pampering. I am loving several face masks at the moment, and finding them really effective, so I've been looking forward to it even more than usual.

I do have a few more bits to chat to you about from this week, but I'll save them for my Sunday Catch-Up post, otherwise I'll have nothing left to say!

Hope everyone's had a good week and that there's a fantastic weekend ahead for us all!

xx

What I Wore: The Birthday Edition

Dress, Zara // Collar Necklace, Ebay // Pyramid Stud Bracelet, Ebay // Shoes, Primark 

Afternoon lovelies, hope everyone is having a great week so far. 

I won't bore you with the details about my birthday again, but I did promise that I'd share the outfit I wore out for the evening's celebrations with you today, so here it is.

I picked up this lovely dress from Zara on Friday. It's so comfy, as it's actually made of a kind of jersey material, making it the perfect partner for a delicious meal out at a restaurant - there's nothing worse than wearing something made of a really rigid material and then eating lots, as it's just so uncomfortable! Anyway, I managed to avoid getting any kind of a food baby, and found the dress so comfy and flattering. It's been such a long time since I've treated myself to, or worn an LBD.

Accessories-wise, I went for a pair of black velvet peep-toes from Primark to give me a bit of height and dress things up a bit, and a collar necklace and bracelet I tracked down on Ebay (I love getting jewellery from Ebay, as you can find some really unique pieces).

On my nails, I chose a pop of colour in the form of Revlon Plum Seduction, which is such a gorgeous, vibrant colour and has a really glossy finish. Unfortunately though, I didn't get round to snapping them until they were already looking a little bit less than their best, but never mind - you get the idea.

So that is everything in the outfit department, keep an eye out for a video and post on some of the beauty goodies I received, which will probably be up tomorrow. That will be the last of the birthday-related posts though, so if you are tired of hearing about it then you should be good from Thursday onwards!

xx

What I Wore: OOTN

Monochrome shirt and Coral Sandals, bought in Brazil  -  Faux Leather Shorts, River Island  -  Gold Collar Necklace and Pyramid Stud Bracelet, Ebay  

(Please do excuse my extreme case of red-eye and the rubbish hotel room door backdrop! I was exhausted after a day of travelling and shopping.)

Happy Easter my lovelies, I'm sure you're all as glad as I am to have Friday off this week! Saying that, I'm always off on Fridays, but never mind!

On Tuesday, it was the hubby's birthday, so we went out to Outback for dinner (Spicy Shrimp Dip and Ribs on the Barbie, if you're wondering), followed by a few cocktails at a couple of bars afterwards. We used to be quite the party animals, but haven't really drunk much over the past year or so, meaning it didn't take much! I'll be posting a few pictures of our evening out on Sunday when I round up the week, and you can also keep up with me on Instagram (@melotw - button in the sidebar).

I picked up this monochrome shirt a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting for the opportunity to wear it ever since. I really like the fact that it's quite slouchy and loose, which makes it perfect for a night of eating and drinking! It's also got kind of batwing sleeves which are slit at the shoulder, and doesn't have the standard shirt collar you might expect, which I think makes it quite a unique piece that I can see myself reaching for again and again over the coming months. The good thing about monochrome is that it goes with everything. To finish the outfit, I popped on a pair of coral heeled sandals, a gold collar necklace and a pop of colour on my lips in the form of Mac Impassioned. I went for a muted peachy-nudey-pink (Impala Rosa Candy) shade on my nails, which isn't something I'd usually go for but actually, I've found myself really liking it. It's the perfect low-maintenance shade, as any chips or nicks are almost un-noticeable, and I'm sure I'll be reaching for it on those days where I'm lacking inspiration and just want something smart and understated to get me through the week.

I'm not up to much this weekend - just planning on having a nice relaxing one and catching up on some blogging.

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter.

xx

What I Wore

Crop Top, Topshop  -  Shorts, River Island  -  Bag and Shoes, Brazil  - Sunglasses, H & M

I'm sorry for posting a sunshine outfit. Don't hate me.

 Having seen everyone's photos on Instagram, I gather that Spring has not exactly sprung back home, with lots of you experiencing a complete white-out yet again. It's getting a bit ridiculous, isn't it? Nearly April, and yet still behaving like the middle of Winter. I hope it eases up soon!

I have to admit, this outfit shot was actually taken last week, before I had my hair cut, but I wanted to save it as I usually post my outfits on Fridays.

Today we are going to explore the new shopping mall which has opened here. It's kind of a big thing, as the town where we are currently based is a bit behind the times, to say the least. Not just because this is a developing country though - if you go to a main city such as Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo then you'll find that you've got plenty of options. But here, things are, and have always been, very limited, making it difficult to lay hands on anything from outside. 

So as you can imagine, being the shopping fanatic that I am I'm quite excited to go and see what's occurring, though I'll have to keep my purse firmly closed, as I'm saving up at the moment. Hopefully a sneaky bit of sushi for lunch and then a coffee in the coffee shop will keep me satisfied!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

xx

What I Wore

Cullottes, Miss Selfridge  -  Monochrome colour block top, Primark  -  Bracelet, Ebay  -  Sandals, Brazil

Ok, I'm quite sure you're bored of seeing these sandals by now, but I'm not bored of wearing them yet. They are the comfiest pair of shoes I've ever owned, and they go with absolutely everything!

Today, we have just been for a bit of a wander round the shops in town, and had lunch, which in my case was a big chicken and avocado salad - yum! Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of it, which is a shame as I know how you all like to see pictures of food ;) Me too, actually. This afternoon, we're just going to chill out and do a bit of reading and coffee drinking in a coffee shop nearby, which seems to be a bit of a ritual of ours when we are both off work and there's nothing else to do. There's something so nice about sitting quietly, each engrossed in something different, but still together. 

I'm wearing Mac Vegas Volt today, which is by far my favourite lipstick for the warmer months, and I had been looking forward to cracking it open again this year! Now that I have, you can be certain you'll be seeing it on my lips a fair bit. The formula is lovely and moisturising, and doesn't feel heavy at all, which is a huge bonus for when the temperature heats up.

This evening is very much reserved for pampering and blogging, and catching up on the week's Youtube videos, and I can't wait to get all settled and cosy and lose myself in some of this week's posts on my Bloglovin' feed.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

xx

What I Wore - Outfit and Nails

Shorts, Zara  -  Shirt, Zara  - Spike Necklace, Ebay  -  Sandals, bought in Brazil   -  Bracelet, Ebay  -  Sunglasses, H&M

Buongiorno, it's a little bit late in the day, but better late than never is what I say, and anyway, who makes the rules? I like living on the edge.

Today's outfit is a bit of a Zara-fest, and is finished off with a pair of sandals that you will probably keep seeing popping up in my OOTDs, as I rather like them.

Nail-wise, I've opted for a spot of glitter, in the form of a Hit Nails polish in 'Rio' (how fitting) over Essie Liquorice (a creamy jet black), which is a current favourite combo of mine. To be honest, I think their are few pairings that look better than glitter against black or white.

I had the day off today, as I don't work Fridays, and neither does the hubby, so we went for lunch together and spent the afternoon chatting over coffee. He's headed off to work this evening, which means I'm left to my own devices, and am going to take full advantage by having a bit of a pampering session. My skin has gone a bit mental lately, and I seem to have constant break-outs on my skin, so I'm trying to do a detox mask a couple of times a week to help it along. Other than that though, I'm trying to keep my skincare pretty basic, as I'm not sure what exactly it was that was responsible for my skin troubles. With this in mind, I'm sticking to a couple of products that I know I can always rely on to keep my skin in check, and yesterday I finally caved and bought the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, which I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing about, but needs must now that my skin is misbehaving. If anyone is interested in my fail-safe 'back to basics' routine, then I'm most probably going to be posting about it next week, so keep an eye out for that.

I haven't got much planned for the weekend, as I'm trying to save my pennies for our big move, but I've decided to go back to my Sunday 'Week in Photos' posts, as although I know they are a bit of a blogging cliche, I enjoy sharing my snaps at the end of the week. I've been getting much more into Instagram lately which means I will have plenty of photos to pop into the post, and I miss having rounding up my week on a Sunday, and having that weekend routine. What I post during the week is very much what I feel like at the time, but it's nice to have something regular for Saturdays and Sundays.

I hope you've all got some lovely things planned. Have a fantastic weekend.

xx

What I Wore: Outfit and Nails

                    Denim and Lace Short, Ebay  -  Leather Look Shorts, River Island  -  Studded Sandals, bought in Brazil  -  Spike Necklace, Ebay  -  Ring, Primark

Since I very first began blogging, I've wanted to make outfit posts a part of it, but when you don't have a tripod or a willing photographer, it can prove a little bit difficult. However, now that we've got a better camera, the hubby is suddenly much more willing to get snap happy, so I'm 100% making the most of it and will hopefully now be doing these sorts of posts quite regularly! 

Now, I understand that the majority of you will think me insane for getting my pins out, but if you read regularly then you'll know that I'm abroad, hence this outfit, and the next few, being quite Summery. I'm hoping that with the warmer months on the way, this is ok with you - I definitely didn't feel like posting such outfits during the darkest depths of the British Winter, but as we're pushing March now, I think it's alright.

Yesterday was a pretty chilled out day. We went out for lunch, and I had grilled salmon and roasted veggies, which was delish, but later on in the day I started feeling a bit ropey, so we just came home and read our books, accompanied by copious amounts of tea and get-better smoothies. Our air conditioning is broken at the moment, which means we've been having to make do with the ceiling fan for the past couple of days. Luckily it hasn't been all that hot, but fans always seem to make me ill, and I wake up feeling all fluey and horrible.

I'm really glad I took photos of my nails with Model's Own Freak Out on them, as after just one use I knocked the bottle on the floor today and it smashed everywhere! I'm pretty gutted, as I was really loving this combo. Here, it's layered over a dusky indigo nail polish I picked up here in Brazil.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend and is making the most of the last of it.

xx

What I wore....

...On Sunday.

Studded Leather Biker, Zara  -  Denim Shorts, River Island  -  Studded Shirt, Ebay  -  Spike Necklace, Ebay  -  Boots, Ebay

Yes, yes I have decided to use a hideously done cut-out job for this outfit post, and why? Well, because I had an awful background, and because I'm less than skilled when it comes to photo editing! I really wish there was a simpler way to remove a figure from an image and replace it onto a more suitable backdrop, but alas, it seems, there isn't. Or there is - and I just don't know about it! If the latter turns out to be the case then I will be most annoyed, as I have spent hours fiddling around with this and trying to make it blog-worthy, before finally giving in and having to make do with the cut-out sans backdrop. To be honest, I've only just started dabbling in the world of photo editing, so I suppose I couldn't really have expected much more! Anyway, I wasn't about to let my efforts go to waste, so....voila!

I have been wanting to do more outfit posts for an absolute age, but various things, including the lack of a decent camera (it's broken) and willing photographer, have hindered my efforts, But I thought it was about time I showed my face on here again, as I don't think you've seen me in a while!

I'm wearing my gorgeous new studded biker from Zara, which my hubby kindly bought me for Christmas. The eagle-eyes among you may notice that Christmas hasn't actually arrived yet.....yeah, I snuck it a bit early. I can never resist when people buy my presents well in advance, especially if I know what they are - I just have to have them, immediately. But then, of course, I'm the first to be disappointed and do a sad face  come the big day, when there's nothing for me to unwrap. One day I'll learn!

I've been absolutely living in this studded coral shirt, too. Yes, indeed it is more of a summery shade, but I am all for injecting a bit of colour into a cold and dreary winter's day. I found the beaut on good old Ebay for  a snip, which was a bit of a win, I think.

On my lips is the Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie, which I have dug out again for the winter months. Berry is just the perfect lip colour for the festive season, and this one is really pigmented as well as moisturising.

Hope you lovelies are having a good start to the week - not likely when it's Monday morning, but sending positive wishes your way regardless!

By the way, if anyone does know of any easy peasy ways (without Photoshop) to pop a figure in a photo onto a new background then I would be ever so grateful if you would share it with me in the comments below!

xx

What I wore Today: Printed Jeans

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how very much in love I was with my Topshop Baroque print jeans. I had originally missed out on them in store, as they never had them in in my size, but I was lucky enough to pick up these babies off Ebay and was pleased to bits. I wear Petite jeans, so it can be a bit of a pickle trying to find ones to fit me, and most shops only usually bother doing the plain, basic jeans in shorter lengths, so these really were an exciting find for me.

I actually took this photograph for the lovely Lisa over at Topaz and May, to appear in her 'Any Size' post, which you can find here (I'm looking a bit squinty because of the sun in my eyes, but go and check out Lisa's post to see how lovely everyone looks in their prints). I wore this outfit on Friday for a bit of a chilled day with the hubby (I don't work on Fridays!), so I wasn't going anywhere special, but I was pretty happy with it, as it can be a bit of a mission to find things which look good with printed jeans, and until then I had been teaming them with a white lace top and a bleached denim jacket, which I also really like, but I wanted a new way to wear them.

Jeans: Topshop

Belt: Topshop (free with a skirt)

Jumper: Ebay

Spike Necklace: Ebay

Bracelet: Miss Selfridge

Headband: Primark

Sandals: Bought in Brazil

Do you have any printed or bright-coloured jeans?

How do you wear them?

xx

What I'm Wearing Today

Leopard Print Top, Topshop

Black Faux Leather/ Wet-look Shorts, River Island

Cardigan, Topshop

Tights, Primark

Cat Pendant, Primark

Earrings, Vintage

Bow Headband, Primark

Sunglasses, Primark.

Boots, New Look

Lipstick: Mac Vegas Volt

Actually, this is what I wore yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to post it! The weather has been a bit rubbish, so I had to resort to a cardigan-and-tights combo, rather than risk it in bare legs, though the sun did show it's little face at one point, prompting me to get my sunglasses out. Any excuse!

I was just going for lunch with my other half and his family, so I fancied a casual, relaxed look.

I'm wearing my favourite boots here too, they are a bit battered and showing their age, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of them as they go with everything and I love the stud detailing. But recently, I took them to be re-heeled, and the man who did it (he's independent) really made a mess of them! He even thought he'd give them a bit of a polish for me - shame the colour he shoes was an orangey-brown and didn't match the colour of the boots at all! Lesson learned, won't be going to him again!

I haven't really got much planned this weekend so I think we will just be chilling at home again. The spending ban continues, so that means shopping is off limits! :( As I mentioned in my last post though, I haven't completely stuck to it, and I've got some Benefit, Revlon and Maybelline goodies I shall be reviewing for you very soon.

My in-laws have literally fed me SO much cake over the past couple of days! I did go for a good run in the park yesterday evening, but that far from makes up for the volume of sugar I have ingested! I think I should invest my free time today and tomorrow in exercise as I feel a bit lethargic and gross because of it.....it was good cake though!

I was really looking forward to a couple of days away with the hubby next week, as we haven't had some decent 'us time' for ages, but right on cue, Friday the 13th and the car starts making funny noises on the way back from his parents' house. 

Not. Impressed.

Seriously, our car always seems to throw a spanner in the works when we are planning to go somewhere! Anyway, fingers crossed that it's nothing serious and we can get it sorted - cheaply - before then.

:)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xx

Little Catch-up

Hi lovelies, as I think I mentioned in my last post, I'm away at the moment, but I didn't want to leave my little blog unattended, so I thought I would post from my phone for the first time and show you a few photos from my week so far (so if it all looks a bit higgledy piggledy then that is why!) I was planning to save them all up for the end of the week, but I don't see the harm on mixing things up a but and doing it mid-week for a change.
I've been so healthy of late, but we are currently visiting yet more of my other half's family, and all they do is feed me cake! Seriously, they do not stop, and whenever I finish eating my lunch, they insist that I have more, and look really disappointed when I decline! It has been nice to relax a but and not have to cook though!
Anyway, the photos. There is cake, obviously. Then there is the outfit I wore yesterday, and the Benefit goodies I got this week. I'll leave it there for now, proper posting will resume tomorrow!