Cure for the Mid-week Blues #2

Wednesdays. The mid-week hump. Where the weekend seems like a happy memory and you've still got the rest of the week to go. Some people are saying that Wednesdays are the toughest day of the week to stay feeling energised and it's easy to see why. But I'm all about staying positive, so in my Cure for the Mid-week Blues mini-series, I'll be dishing out my top tips to keep those warm and fuzzy feelings going all week long...

This week, my advice to help keep the spring in your step on Hump Day is:

 This is actually something I believe in doing every day, but it can be particularly uplifting during the midweek slump. Now, I know that it may not be possible to rock up to work in your frilliest party dress and killer heels but to me dressing like it's your birthday is a state of mind. What I'm getting at is wear something that makes you happy. When an entire outfit isn't possible (especially if you have a dress code to adhere to), wear something small that will make you smile. For example, a vintage brooch that reminds you of that time you and your best bud went thrift shopping, or that new nail polish you've been dying to try out. It could be a new pair of shoes or your favourite sauciest underwear. However big or small, throw your chosen item(s) into the mix on a Wednesday and you might just feel like the birthday girl (or boy!) every week of the year.

Enjoy your week, and keep on celebrating! 

Weekend Wear: Garden Party Getup

The sun came out this weekend (and he's still here!) and The Boy and I were invited to our first barbecue/ garden party of the summer. Never one to shy away from a theme I decided to dress in what I am now calling my Garden Party Getup - featuring lots of florals, GIANT sunglasses and a straw hat!

The dress is actually the Only White Dress I Own - and even at that, it isn't completely white. It's adorned with big yellow flowers and has a heart-shaped cutout on the chest. Sound familiar? I was in love with this dress from the Luella (RIP!) Spring/ Summer 2010 collection, but when I was unable to get one I discovered this shameless ripoff 'inspired by' frock from good old Florence + Fred at Tesco (DING!) at a fraction of the price. I'm not sure which one was responsible for creating such a good knockoff, but my money's on Fred.

A couple of years ago I bought these sunglasses from TK Maxx. They're Vivienne Westwood and a really pretty pink/ purple colour. They were £14 and even came with a proper Westwood case to store them in - I love how treasure hunting at TK Maxx can totally pay off! Even though I had just bought another pair of VW sunglasses about a week previous (AT FULL RRP, who's idea was that?! Probably mine, whoops) I still couldn't resist adding these to my ever-growing collection of sunnies and wear them the most.

OK, so the straw hat. I know, it all looks a bit like the part in Mary Poppins when they all jump into the picture - but I think it looks really Summer-y and I never get the opportunity to wear it since I appear to be in a wind tunnel at all times. And the hat was an even bigger bargain than the sunglasses - it was a mere 50p from Primark! When I had the hat and dress on together I wanted to carry a croquet mallet around as an accessory and find some penguins to dance with a la Bert from Mary Poppins. That didn't happen, but I did listen to old pop songs in the back garden with family and friends and eat lots of yummy food so it was still an awesome day (despite the lack of dancing penguins).

Finally, with sunny skies and little chance of rain, I wore my little Marc Jacobs-esque mouse flats from Primark. I know that these shoes will surrender at the first sign of water so I'm trying to wear them on dry days only. They are so adorable though, and an affordable alternative to the Marc Jacobs/ Charlotte Olympia animal flats that I covet so much.

What did you wear this weekend? Did you get out and enjoy the sunshine? Have you ever felt the urge to dance with some penguins?

Thanks for reading! 

PS: I've linked this post up to the lovely Melaina's blog -  you can check out her What I Wore Wednesday feature here and maybe even get involved yourself!