WestEndGirl Stays: London Calling

Last weekend The Boy and I took a trip to London to celebrate our anniversary. It's been 12 years since we started going out (although it only feels like 12 days...) and we decided to mark the occasion with a couple of nights away. We've been to London many times together over the years and normally stay at the Hilton in Kensington. This year we decided to switch things up and stay at The Hoxton in Shoreditch. I'd read about The Hoxton (or 'The Hox' as it's known by the locals) in a couple of magazines about two of three years ago and since then had wanted to stay there.

I don't normally blog about hotels but I enjoyed my time at The Hoxton so much that I wanted to share it with you lovely readers, in case you're thinking about booking a trip to London at some point.

You only need to cast your eye over the hotel's website to see that this is one seriously stylish place. Every square inch of The Hoxton has been carefully thought out and it looks fantastic. Far from looking generic, the decor is vibrant and eclectic from floor to ceiling. Although many of the fixtures feel like carefully-selected works of art, The Hoxton doesn't have that awkward "I'm too scared to touch anything" vibe and I felt comfortable immediately. As well as the interior design, there was also a mini-exhibition of prints by Pure Evil Gallery (whose studio we strolled past while out exploring the area) in the public area behind reception. I get the impression the exhibitions change periodically so I will definitely have a peek at what is on display next time I'm down.

Something that was clear from my stay at The Hoxton was how proud they are to be part of their area. Their 'Love Thy Neighbourhood' motto was a theme that ran throughout the hotel, from supporting local art and businesses (curated flyers were available at reception) and giving newbies to Shoreditch (like us) a guide complied by them of recommended places to shop, eat, wander and explore. The 'Hox Guide' (supplied in our room) proved to be a very valuable resource over the weekend and we visited quite a few places featured in the guide.

The room itself was beautiful. As well as the 200 regular rooms (which are pretty swish already), The Hoxton also has 8 individually designed concept rooms which can be requested (although not guaranteed) at no extra cost. I had originally requested the Hoxton Manor room, but on arrival we were checked into The Nelson room. I didn't mind, as I knew the concept rooms can't be guaranteed and The Nelson was chic and comfortable (I'm obsessed with the carpet, which looks like a piece of art on its own). The Hoxton website describes this room as: "Relaxed, stylish, fun and creative. Shoreditch is the main influence – it is fast paced, ever changing and the capital of London’s art, home to the young, the fashionable and the design savvy". It sums up the room (and in my opinion, the hotel in general) perfectly. We both agreed it was the most well-presented and comfortable room we'd ever stayed in (The Boy especially adored the gloriously fluffy-as-a-cloud mattress that guaranteed a very peaceful sleep - apparently the same kind used by the Queen. Well, if it's good enough for her...).

The hotel staff had even put balloons in the room for our anniversary - how kind! I've never (even in all my years staying at The Hilton) had small touches like that to make my stay feel more special before so it was really nice. The staff throughout our stay were friendly and helpful and nothing was ever too much bother.

There are loads of places to eat in Shoreditch (more on that later) and The Hoxton provides a small breakfast delivered to your room included in the price of your stay. An orange juice, banana and granola yogurt pot (each) - it's just the right amount so you can go out an enjoy a big brunch somewhere if you like. The hotel restaurant also offers a cooked breakfast if you prefer. We had dinner in the restaurant (The Hoxton Grill) on our second night - it was yummy and very fairly priced.

Apart from a quick tube trip to Johnny Cupcakes (and Topshop Oxford Circus OBVIOUSLY) in the centre of London, we spent our trip happily exploring Shoreditch. I was hoping for a hairstyle at Rockalily Cuts, but alas, I had not booked ahead and they were closed the Sunday we were in town (they normally open on a Sunday). I will book ahead next time because I'm always "ooh"-ing over their Instagram pictures! No trip to Shoreditch is complete without a stroll down to Brick Lane and we chose to do so on the Sunday since all the markets would be in full swing. We made a quick trip to Tatty Devine  and then headed along through all the markets and onto Spitalfields where more weird and wonderful markets were found. We grabbed bagels and home made cake from Brick Lane Beigel Bake (the oldest bagel shop in London - delicious) and got free Ben and Jerry's ice cream in Spitalfields. There was no way we managed to see even half of what was there, but that just gives us a good excuse to book another trip!

One place that was on my must-visit list was The Diner on Curtain Road - an American style diner serving up huge portions of heaven! I had the Yankee Pig Dog (a massive hotdog topped with pulled pork - what the what?! I want to meet the creator of this and shake their hand) and offically The Best Onion Rings I've Ever Had, whereas The Boy munched on the Arch Burger (topped with - you guessed it - pulled pork) and sweet potato fries.

The Boy had read about 80s-themed eatery The Breakfast Club so we made that our last stop before heading home on Monday for a big brunch to set us up for the journey. I loved this place so much, I wish we had one here in Glasgow! With it's retro interior (including He-Man wallpaper in the toilets!) and huge choice of food, it was one of my favourite parts of our time in Shoreditch.

We really enjoyed our trip to Shoreditch and our stay at The Hoxton and I hope we return sometime inn the future. It was nice to get away for a couple of days and celebrate our anniversary in style!

Have you ever stayed in The Hoxton? Or visited Shoreditch? What do you think of a hot dog topped with pulled pork - yes please or no thanks?

Thanks for reading!

Weekend Wear: Warehouse Wandering

So it's May and the weather is still horrible. We had one freakishly lovely day on Tuesday and it has been raining ever since. SADFACE! I'm dying to wear all my cute summer dresses but it's hard to justify it when everyone else is still wearing scarves and coats. It also means that whenever you go out, you turn up to your destination looking a bit bedraggled and mildly-traumatised-looking (if you're anything like me...). Not cool, weather gods. 

When The Boy and I went to SWG3 this weekend, it was cold, wet and truly miserable outside. A cardigan was definitely an essential so I wore my H&M leopard cardigan to add a pop of sunshine to the dreary weather. It's one of the brightest items in my wardrobe, I love it. I wore it with my NFD (new favourite dress) - a speckled purple Topshop cotton t-shirt dress that I can see myself living in in the coming months. This baby will go with everything. I had been silly enough to wear ballet flats during the day and my feet were soaked so it was time to call in the big guns for the evening in the form of my shiny, violet Doc Martens.

For those of you who haven't been to SWG3, it is a converted warehouse now home to a multi-functional facility and venue. It hosts a diverse range of events, exhibitions, performances and programmes. I was a bit skeptical at first but it is a huge space and after visiting it this weekend, I'd like to go back and see what a gig or art exhibition might be like.

I wore Louise Gray x Topshop lipstick in Legend which isn't very prominent-looking in the pictures due to the low lighting of the warehouse but it is a shocking pink very deserving of its name! I also wore accessories by Tatty Devine and H&M (I'm actually wearing a small feather fascinator from H&M's Fashion Against AIDS collection from last year but it is totally invisible in these photos due the the lighting and my wind-beaten hair!).


What did you wear this weekend? Did you avoid getting soaked? Do you have an NFD of the moment?

Thanks (as always) for reading!

Feelin' Lucky, Punk?

Last weekend was the much-anticipated Tatty Devine Sample Sale. This event is held every year at their Brick Lane store and for Londoners (and those able to travel of course!) it means an opportunity for perspex princesses and jewellery lovers to get their hands on Tatty Devine pieces at sample sale prices for a whole bank holiday weekend. Score! These are, predictably (and quite rightly) very popular events and photos from the weekends always show oodles of shoppers crammed into the store to try and snap up a bargain - be it that statement necklace they have been eyeing up for moths, or something special from the Tatty Devine archives.

Unfortunately, I never manage to time my trips to London to be able to hit the Sample Sale myself (this year is no exception, I'm a whole month behind) but us more remote fans are still able to join in the fun thanks to the Lucky Dip Weekend on Tatty Devine's online store. Anyone that knows me knows that I am obsessed with lucky bags, mystery boxes and everything in between (I'm blaming all those Kinder eggs as a child...). I just can't resist the lure of them! In fact, my friend was kind enough to get me a gorgeous Illamasqua mystery selection box for Christmas last year, because (in her words) "it combines two of your favourite things: lucky bags and make-up". What a doll!

That same friend shares my Tatty Devine obsession and it is rare that a birthday passes without us buying each other a little black box. You can keep your little blue boxes, I'm a little black box girl through and through!

With a love for lucky dips and Tatty Devine, it is no surprise that I am a regular shopper at Tatty Devine's Lucky Dip Weekends. Although tempting in terms of value (£15 for a small box and £35 for a larger box) I do limit myself to buying just one box. Last year I bought a big box which I adored, this year with an imminent holiday followed up by a trip to London to pay for, I chose a small box. Following placing my order, I saw other shoppers start to receive their orders and post
pictures online. It was fun to see what everyone else was getting in their Lucky Dips. Anticipation was building, hurry up postman! I got home from work yesterday to find my white and pink package waiting for me. "I've arrived!" it exclaimed. Hurrah!

I was really excited for this, I was just hoping that I didn't get anything I already had. I opened up my package and was really pleased to find what was inside: a necklace, earrings, and brooch. Getting a few different types of jewellery was really great and I'm over the moon with the actual pieces themselves. I got the original (and much-copied)  Moustache necklace (from The Best of Tatty Devine collection - normally £25 if you're wondering), an Anchor brooch (from 2009's Button Up collection) and a little blue ring (I'm not 100% sure which collection this ring is from but from he design I think it might be either the Leisure Pursuits or the Pierrot collection? If you know what it is, please leave a comment - I'd love to know for sure!). There is no doubt that the contents were worth far more than the £15 price tag, making the Lucky Dip boxes excellent value.
 
For anyone that maybe received something they already had in their collection, or just not their thing, Tatty Devine have set up a Swap Shop on Facebook which is running for one month.

This year's Lucky Dip weekend was a roaring success - with all of the boxes being sold out by Saturday teatime, I was glad to have ordered mine early. I'm delighted with my goodies - so much so that I decided to wear my new necklace immediately and took it on an outing last night! I hope other people were as happy with their boxes as I was with mine - I love surprises and being able to add to my ever-growing Tatty Devine collection. The boxes also make great gifts for other people (as well as yourself!). I'd certainly recommend checking it out next year.

Did you get anything from Tatty Devine's Lucky Dip Weekend? What is your favourite Tatty Devine piece? Were you obsessed with Kinder eggs as a child?

Thanks for reading!

Weekend Wear: Parklife

This morning I woke up and the sun was shining. Like, REALLY shining! It was the perfect weather to go for a walk in the park so to my (and The Boy's) surprise, we managed to leave the house while it was still in the AM and headed over to Kelvingrove Park for a stroll in the sun.

What I wore today: I'm basically living in skater skirts at the moment (or as I like to call them, 'cheerleader skirts') and this black one from Topshop is my current favourite. I wore it with a bright  pink knitted popcorn sweater from Primark with the pink spiked denim shirt I bought recently underneath (can never have too much pink...) and purple Docs.

Even though it was bright and sunny, don't be fooled - it was still a bit chilly today so a jacket was still a must-have. I was happy to hang up my Westwood peacoat for a day (no offence Viv, but I'm sure it was getting sick of the sight of me too) and wear my trusty Topshop biker. There's something about wearing Doc Martens and a biker jacket that makes me feel like a tough chick from a B-movie girl gang, I'm sure I even walked with a little more sass! I wore my hair in a little half-beehive at the back, so happy that my hair is growing longer and I can start to do more interesting things with it now!

Accessories-wise, I took full advantage of the sun and wore turquoise sunglasses (bought for only 3 Euros in Barcelona, nothing fancy but remind me of Alabama Worley every time I wear them). I also wore my new satchel that I got in the Urban Outfitters sale this week (£34 down to £18 if you're wondering), it's small but perfectly formed and is great for being out and about.

Finally, I wore some jewellery by some of my favourite design mavens, Tatty Devine and Bonnie Bling. I got my beloved Peely Wally necklace by Bonnie Bling repaired this week so it looks good as new, and my Party Ring brooch is classic Tatty Devine awesomeness.

All that frolicking in the park worked up an appetite so we headed over to Smoak's new pop-up residency at The Sanctuary, Dumbarton Road, yum!

Have you been out and about today? What did you wear? Do you ever feel like a film character?

Thanks for reading!
 

Tights, Camera, Action!

As someone that lives in skirts and dresses, tights are a daily wardrobe staple. Usually at this time of year there are a few updates to my (and fellow tight-tastic people's) rotation of tights. There are two reasons behind this:

1. Thicker tights are required to combat the cold, and 

2. Fancier tights are desirable in anticipation of the Christmas parties

Point 1 is a no-brainer, last winter it was freezing and if it wasn't for Primark's Super Cosy microfibre tights with fleecy lining (a godsend and only £3 - bonus) I am sure my legs would have snapped in half like a pair of ice poles (the blue ones, obviously). Normally I am firmly in the 'cheap tights are a false economy' camp, but these ones do last pretty well and are cheap as chips so I am more than willing to make an exception.  With loads of other affordable thick tights on the high street, there's no excuse for cold legs!

Recently I treated myself to some new 'dressy' tights for the party season. A while back I blogged about La La Land, a local boutique in De Courcy's Arcade which has quickly become one of my very favourite West End shops. At the time I had spied a very awesome pair of pink tights by Les Queues de Sardines, but at £35 I didn't get them. But! Good things come to those who wait - I got them at the weekend for £20, result! And I love them, they make me feel like a superhero:

Disco Zeus tights, £20 (was £35) by Les Queues de Sardines at La La Land

They will add a pop of colour to my LBD and I can't wait to show them off. Speaking of Les Queues de Sardines, Tatty Devine now have a selection of their cult tights available on their online store. My favourites are the Bouba Bear ones (£40), bringing a whole new meaning to 'bare legs'. In a similar vein, Scotland's own Tights for Sore Eyes have a brilliant range of quirky designs.

Gold by Giles at New Look have a range of pretty tights just in time for the party season. I really like the leopard mock knee high ones - they remind me a bit of the excellent House of Holland for Pretty Polly ones - and at £7.99 they won't break the bank:

Leopard Mock Knee High tights, £7.99, Gold by Giles at New Look

Will you be dressing up your legs for Winter?

They did the Monster Mash

Halloween is always a fun time of year for me. I think it's my inner 16-year old goth girl screaming to get out. As the years go on, more and more people start to embrace all the spooky festivities and Halloween gets increasingly popular. I noticed some stores in Glasgow starting to stock their Halloween wares as early as the end of July this year. Decorations, costumes, sweets and yes, even greeting cards - it seems Halloween is big business.

Like Christmas and New Year, Halloween weekend is now cause to go out  - with several themed club nights and events advertised every year. Last night seen Ashton Lane's Creatures of the Night, a full after-hours street party with each pub/ restaurant in Ashton Lane taking on a Halloween persona, proving that Halloween's popularity is not lost on Glasgow's party-goers.

Despite the choice on offer - with the above event in particular being right on my doorstep - I have my own tradition for this wicked weekend and it would need to take something pretty incredible to change that. Halloween movie night in our flat has been how I prefer to spend Halloween weekend for the last few years. Call me boring, but I look forward to it every time and this year has been no exception. With friends,  junk food galore (candy coma, anyone?) and the horror genre's good, bad & ugly on DVD (and if we're feeling flush, blu-ray), I always have a great time. This year we watched Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, which was a bit like Saved By the Bell but with lots of people getting stabbed. There was also a pumpkin that accidentally ended looking like John Waters after we carved it and of course, the endless supply of sweets:

As well as watching films  and eating enough rubbish to horrify my dentist, Halloween also gives me an excuse to wear my more eerie ensembles (I did say I was a goth kid at heart) and enjoy the themed pieces that come out. I've always been a fan of Tatty Devine's Ghost necklace (£27) - simple and very cute, it's remained a classic and makes me smile. I also really like this Werewolf Tee by Urban Outfitters, with it's comic-book style print and hole detailing:

Werewolf Tee, £30 at Urban Outfitters

The other day the Boy pointed out these Rosario shoes by Pretty Ballerinas - in perfect Halloween colours featuring pumpkin and witches hat detailing. Good eye! Although at over a hundred quid they may need to be admired from afar.

A couple of years back I won a dress from the totally awesome and now defunct Lady Luck Rules OK website as part of a Halloween contest. The dress has everything you'd expect from a Halloween print - vampires, skeletons, gravestones and pumpkins. I love wearing it and make sure it gets trotted out at this time of year:

One of my favourite dresses ever - thanks LLROK! 

Finally, a quick word on decorating - it's been a total joy to dress up our new flat for Halloween this year. I really think we outdid ourselves and struck a good balance. I just wish I'd seen this cute Halloween bunting (I love bunting!) by John Lewis sooner:

Ghost & Bat bunting, £4 at John Lewis

Ah well, there's always next year.

Happy Halloween everyone! What's YOUR Halloween style?

Tutti Fruitti

This season, fresh, fruity features are everywhere, not just the supermarket and the local greengrocers. As well as bold colour-blocking in shades such as candy apple-red and vibrant banana-yellow on the Milan runways, there are lots of cute fruit-themed accessories available now to start putting you in the mood for Spring/ Summer (even if it is still freezing outside).

I first noticed the recent rise of fruit motifs when I seen Miu Miu's cute apple embellished plexiglass bangle (£180) a little while ago, closely followed by Prada's fun banana earrings:

Earrings, (£140) by Prada

Other high-end designers such as Stella McCartney have shown their fruity side this Spring, with the look also being adopted on the high street. Bright fruit shapes and coloured clothes and accessories can be found at Debenhams, New Look and Topshop to name a few. Topshop in particular have a pretty varied collection, raging from hosiery, jewellery (like this apple locket pendant, £8.50)and clothes . Even Primark have got in on the act with this sparkly apple brooch, a snip at just £2.00 - an affordable way to update your wardrobe with this juicy trend:

Brooch, (£2.00) Primark

Tatty Devine have dedicated their new season collection to plastic fantastic fruits featuring mouth-watering pineapples & peeled bananas with prices starting at £45. Also, super-talented Punky Pins have a great and affordable selection - my favourites are this watermelon brooch (£7.50) and these excellent pop-art style banana earrings at £6.00 (a bit like the Prada earrings but much more purse-friendly) which also come in a range of colours.

With so many fruity motifs around to brighten up our outfits this Spring, from high end to high street, how will you be getting your fashion five-a-day?

The Look of Love

It's Valentine's weekend and love is in the air! Time for people to make bold declarations of their undying passion to each other while the folk at Clintons et al rake in the dough. Actually I'm not quite as cynical as that. Yes, many stores jump at the chance to hawk tacky and overpriced goods at this time of year in a bid to convince shoppers that said goods will validate their devotion to their significant other but I have found there are still lots of affordable, worthwhile and style savvy ways to get the message across. And besides, even if it's not considered 'cool' I like the cheesiness of Valentine's Day, I suppose in the same sort of way I like Christmas and Halloween (but on a smaller scale). Valentine's Day can be silly and fun if you don't take it too seriously.

I considered writing a Valentine's Day gift guide as I really feel sorry for all the nervous and perspiring gentlemen hanging around outside La Senza and Ann Summers, plucking up the courage to eventually go inside (you know the ones I mean, and if any of them are reading this, you know who you are). But, I am not best placed to give advice on gifts for people I haven't met so the only thing I will say on the matter is: buy them something they will like, and if it is to wear make sure it is the right size!

Instead, as I tend to enjoy a good theme, I wanted to share my top picks for Valentine's Day themed clothes and accessories. And if they happen to inspire anyone that still hasn't bought a present along the way, that's fine by me too. First up, I noticed a trio of cute and purse-friendly goodies at H&M. This peppermint coloured cardigan with a sweet kissing love birds design is perfect for Spring:

Cardigan, £14.99 at H&M

Also spotted was this bold 'Be My Valentine' slogan tank top, which at £6.99 is an affordable and confident way to get the message across if you aren't the secret admirer type:

Tank Top, £6.99 at H&M

And I couldn't resist this Lulu Guinness inspired lips shaped coin purse:

Lips purse, £3.99 at H&M

ASOS also have their share of loved-up accessories, my favourite being their Heart Shaped Ring with Cat Portrait (£8.00) very cute! A close second was these amazing Gipsy Back Seam Hearts tights (£7.00) and a special mention goes to this Wall Street-esque Two Tone Metal Bracelet watch, as wearing it will no doubt ensure it' always love o' clock (sorry, couldn't resist). ASOS (who at the moment are offering free delivery on all offers) have an extensive collection of heart-print clothing ranging from their own brand to garments by designers such as Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, all of which are worth a browse if you're in the mood for love.

Finally, one of my favourite jewellery brands Tatty Devine have top marks this year with their 'For your Valentine' selection at their online shop. Featuring earrings, necklaces, brooches and rings in heart-shaped and other sweet designs, Tatty Devine also sell a selection of cards by artists such as Lisa Jones and Rob Ryan (who also collaborates with Tatty Devine on a wonderful and whimsical jewellery collection inspired by romance and adventure) in their Valentine's section. Prices start at £2.50 for a card and can range up to £230 for a special edition necklace.

That concludes my top choices of love-themed items just in time for Valentine's Day. How are you spending this weekend of grand amour, and who are you going to spend it with? Also - what will you be wearning?

Shop: Jodie's Jewellery Boutique

When an outfit needs something special to give it that extra bit of va-va-voom, only a good piece of statement jewellery will do the job. The cherry on top, the icing on the cake. After the shoes, the dress and the hair are sorted out, it is the jewellery that is the finishing touch and can set you apart from the crowd.

Which is why, tucked neatly in Argyll Arcade, Jodie's Jewellery Boutique is where fashionistas in the know go to accessorise.


The store opened in summer 2008 and is a Glasgow family-run business. With its bubblegum pink carpeting, big mirrors and pick n' mix selection of jewelry & accessories, it is pure girlie fashion indulgence. Jodie's carries the popular brands that we know and love like Tatty Devine and Disney Couture, and introduces us to ones we may not be as familiar with, for example Glasgow's own And Mary and the quirky and fabulous Silver Service.

Disney Couture 'Alice in Wonderland':

Tatty Devine:

I am a firm believer that the shopping experience is almost (if not as) important as the items we purchase, and with its friendly atmosphere, cheerful staff and wonderful attention to detail (from the themed cabinet displays to the cute carrier bags), Jodie's makes for a very pleasant customer experience indeed. The girls in the shop know their jewelry and have the same passion for the designs as their customers.

New season Tatty Devine:

Attention to detail is in the bag:

What I also really like about this store is their knack of knowing what brands people want, ones that may be difficult to get (even online) and they make them accessible. I had to resist buying one of the Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers-style brooches by No Tail (maybe next time...) and caught myself looking longingly at the new-in handbags by Helen Rochfort. Back to the task at hand, I chatted to Louise of Jodie's, who filled me in on their best selling items and the store's annual birthday bash (which unfortunately has just passed - but there's always next year). The birthday events are very special, with a prize draw, champagne, cake and discount vouchers all featuring in the celebrations!

Ruby Slippers brooches by No Tail:

With prices starting at around a fiver, Jodie's is refreshingly unpretentious. They are worth visiting because they offer high quality and unique pieces that don't cost an arm and a leg, and provide a lovely atmosphere to browse for them in. And isn't that what it's all about?

I finally asked Louise why people should visit Jodie's Jewellery Boutique, and her response?

"If you haven't seen this stuff, you haven't lived".

And I can't say I disagree.