Wednesday Wisdom:

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Mini Primark Haul:

Sunglasses - £1

Hamburger PJ leggings - £3

Halterneck Striped Team - £4

Disney Tee - £6

Another tiny Primark haul thanks to my spending ban, I thought I'd feature these little bargains I picked up this week. I've been after some new, squarish sunglasses for the summer and when I saw these beauties for £1 I knew i had to have them. The shape is so flattering on my round face and thanks to the black frame I know they'll go with everything. I was also um-ing and ah-ing about a really oversized, round pair that I'm now kicking myself for not buying! 

I also picked up this little mermaid tshirt that's actually in the normal clothes section but I'll wear for bed - I love these inexpensive logo tshirts Primark do for loungewear, especially paired with leggings (like these hamburger print ones I picked up in the sale). 

Finally, the striped crop top was only £4 and I've already worn it a few times paired with my Miss Selfridge button up skirt and my New Look ripped jeans - definitely a really simple and cute summer outfit additional; I can just see it paired with my cut off Levi's when the sun eventually comes out! 

Have you picked any bargains from Primark recently? 

G 

Leeds Food & Drink Festival Launch:

On Thursday night I headed to Epernay in Leeds with one thing on my mind: food! 

It was the launch night for Leeds' annual food and drink festival and I was invited to Epernay to see the line up and get some tasters. I've never been to Epernay but I was wowed as soon as I walked in- with its exposed brickwork, well stocked bar and friendly staff it's definitely somewhere i'll be heading to again. Not what I expected from a Chapamgne bar but even better; it was intimate and relaxed and it's definitely the kind of place you can relax after work with a few drinks - definitely a Friday night kinda place. 

 On arrival we were given the choice between champagne or a early tester of the new Red Bull flavours - my friend and I both tried the new Red Bull Cranberry mixed with Vodka (which we loved) before I moved onto the new Red Bull Tropical mixed with Rum which I can quickly see becoming my summer drink of choice: it was fruity without being sickly and went down very well. After a couple of drinks and a quick explore we were told we'd be getting some 'samples' from Almost Famous, the burger joint across the road, and when they arrived we were all amazed! Teeny tiny (and very filling, don't let the size fool you) burgers arrived on plates and there was more enough, i'd say it was more like a course than a sample! I did feel incredibly sorry for the boys that dropped them off because they were mobbed but hey, great Instagram-worthy food is no joke. I tried out the plain burger and the pulled pork and coleslaw topped burger (much to the delight of the photographer who snapped a whole host of cringe pictures of me tucking into my burger!) and both burgers were amazing - another place to add to my never ending 'Must Go' list for Leeds. 

Armed with a mini burger and another Red Bull & Rum (I told you they went down well) we got the chance to pour over the information i'd been given out the festival and my friend and I both agreed that, if you're West Yorkshire based, you definitely need to head down and check the festival out; there's everything from Thai to burgers and even a full week dedicated to cocktails (which runs over my birthday! Coincidence? I think not..). It's amazing that we get such a great event to celebrate some of the cities best eateries and bars and any festival where we get to stuff your face with fresh food and potent cocktails rather than Strongbow is my kinda festival. We wrapped up our evening after having another explore and checking out the incredibly well stocked bar in Epernay before heading for our train home. 

I had a great evening at Epernay with its beautiful interior (those Champagne bottles with candles in are offically my new interior inspiration!) and massive thank you's to the people from Almost Famous and Red Bull for their tasty extras - I can't wait to check out the rest of the Food and Drink Festival now!

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Brow Zings:

Benefit Cosmetics' Brow-Zing: 

You might have seen me raving about the bargain Collection 'Work The Colour' Eyebrow kit and I really do love the Collection kit and wish it well in future but the truth is, well, i've met someone else.... 

Progressing to more natural eyebrows has, for me, been a very long time coming but i'm hesitantly giving it a go armed with this little Benefit beauty... ok it's not so much a 'new' product as a revisit; i've used Brow-Zing in the past and I love all the stuff and the guide you get included. Previously, though, I used all of the powder, the angled brush and the tweezers but truthfully, I never really knew what to do with the wax which meant I totally wasted it. However, after giving the Brow-Zing lesson a proper read, I felt ready to tackle natural brows and, wow am I glad I did! First of all I use the angled brush to apply the dark wax over my natural brows, then use the blending brush to apply the powder to any sparse areas and to define my brow arch (because those things do not define themselves, let me tell you!). Finally I pluck out any strays with the amazing mini tweezers and ta-dah! I'm ready to rock my new, more natural looking brows.

What's your must-have brow product? Any other natural brow converts? 

G 

Temple Newsam:

When Saturday rolled around this week we decided on a slightly spur of the moment family trip to Temple Newsam, a house with expansive grounds in Leeds. If you're of a certain age and West Yorkshire based you'll know it as the home of Party in The Park where I spent many a teenage dream pretending it was Glastonbury while watching Tinchy Stryder perform... anyway I digress. What I didn't know about Temple Newsam back in the day is that it's also home to an amazing working farm, a really interesting museum and the biggest and most adult friendly* playground i've ever seen.

We started our day at the playground which has tonnes of different parts (including the amazing reclining swings I just had to test!) and, the best part, is completely disability friendly including the swings above, lots of low level activities and lots of flat ground. After we'd exhausted all of the swings, roundabouts and even the zip wire we headed to the farm. I actually wasn't aware there's a farm at Temple Newsam so it was a pleasant surprise for me because sheep, especially tiny lambs, are my favourite animals. We paid £3.60 per adult (with our under 5 going free) and it was definitely great value for money; as we arrived a flock of lambs were running around the farm and it was feeding time for the kid goats. What I also didn't realise about the farm is that it's also a museum as well; there's a blacksmiths, a farm managers room and a store for all the carts / tractors (pictured). As a huge history geek I absolutely loved this; it was really interesting to see the buildings being used as there original purposes and there were loads of signs and posters explaining everything. After checking out the website I also noticed they do themed activities such as actually making things in the blacksmiths and butter making where you can go along and get involved (and feed the lambs while you're there!). 

After a quick history lesson and a wander through the expansive farm land area (complete with another play ground and even more friendly animals roaming wild) we headed home completely worn out but haven't really enjoyed our day out. As a family we really enjoyed the outdoors part of Temple Newsam; the farm is fun and educational, the playground is expansive and there's even an olde worlde garage to keep the men happy! I can't wait to head back to Temple Newsam to explore the grounds and the farm again and also to rediscover the house which is a beautiful old manor house. A total gem hidden away in Leeds and definitely a cheap, fun day out! 


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* ok, maybe it's not supposed to be adult friendly but those swings are so cool...

Wednesday Wisdom:

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#21:

AKA 'The Little House On The Prairie'

Midi Floral Dress - H&M (similar)

Blazer - George @ ASDA (similar) 

Barely There Sandals - Primark (similar)

Fringed Bag - H&M (similar)

Midi Rings - Primark (similar)

I know the recent weather would have us fooled, but I promise it's supposed to be summer and i'll be dammed if i'm wearing a coat in May. As a result i've been braving the cold and pulling on lots of pretty dresses recently, including this H&M dip hemmed midi dressed I picked up for a bargain £10 in the sales recently. I was worried the long length and sleeves would swamp me but the varying hem and nipped in waist keep it flattering. I mostly love the pattern; it's a black base with a gorgeous riot of yellow flowers which has a really country feel and makes me feel like a southern belle floating around my plantation..

To ward off the cold I paired the dress with my favourite ASDA blazer and my favourite love-to-hate heels for a slightly more smart look. Through the day i'll pair this dress with my block heel sandals and my crochet waistcoat when the sun does eventually come out!

G

Dorothy Perkins Heels:

T-Bar Heels - Dorothy Perkins:

You might have seen these heels featured in my latest OOTD and I just had to feature them in their own post. I picked up these sandals in the Dorothy Perkins sale a couple of weeks ago for only £14 which is a total steal. They make a nice change from my Primark barely there sandals (affectionately named the 'devil shoes') as they're slightly more comfortable. With their pointed toe, siletto heel and snakeskin effect they're perfect for dressing up casual outfits in, of course, my favourite outfit. I've been teaming them with my ripped knee New Look jeans for the perfect smart-casual look. 

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#20:

Blazer - George @ ASDA (Similar)

White Top - ZARA (Similar)

Ripped Jeans - New Look

T-Bar Heels - Dorothy Perkins 

I'm not normally one for mirror OOTD's now that I have my white background, but I just had to show off my new favourite monochrome outfit. I did actually originally feature this Zara cut out top in a very similar OOTD last year after picking it up in the summer sales, but I feel like my ripped jeans and swapping ankle boots for these beautiful Dorothy Perkins heels gives it a more grown up edge. I threw on my River Island long cardigan to keep my warm against the elements. I love reinventing my favourite pieces and favourite outfits - it's interesting to see how my style never really changes, but just matures and evolves. That's what fashion's all about, right? 

What are your favourite wardrobe pieces? 

G

Tour De Yorkshire:

Last week there was a pretty major event in Yorkshire that you may / may not have heard about - The Tour De Yorkshire! That's right, Yorkshire loved being a part of the Tour De France so much last year that this year, we decided to throw our own event (complete with hilarious pronunciation of 'Tour De' and more Yorkshire hospitality than you can shake a stick at).

My mum and dad had been out into the country to see the Tour De Yorkshire so we were really excited when we realised the Yorkshire version would be passing right by our favourite pub - if that's not fate then what is? We headed down at 11.30, queued to get to the bar and took our places outside to see the spectacle - the actual cyclists whizzed by at 12.30 but it wasn't just about the bikes - we were kept entertained by a live band, the police escort, the motorcyclists before hand and the team cars afterwards - even the police escorts were cheering, waving and really getting the (huge) crowds fired up for the main event. As you can see from my pictures, there were huge crowds gathered that were a mix of young families, cycling enthusiasts and people, like us, that were just there for a fun day out. As a result there was such an amazing atmosphere and everyone (crowd and staff) were so cheery and excited. We even managed to get a picture of Bradley Wiggins as he went by although, unfortunately, no selfie with him! We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying a BBQ, propping up the bar and enjoyed a slightly scenic walk home all while talking about how much we're looking forward to (hopefully!) next years Tour. 

For us, we really enjoyed our day; it was the perfect way to celebrate the Yorkshire spirit (and sport) and to spend some quality time as a family. If the tour does happen again we'll definitely be out to support it and if you're also Yorkshire (or nearby!) based, I couldn't reccomend it more for a really good feeling, fun day out. 

Did you see the Tour De Yorkshire? Would you go to see another one? 

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Wednesday Wisdom (4):

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HAUL:

Floral Dress - H&M (Similar)

Floral Jumpsuit - TFNC @ Topshop (Similar)

Patterned Playsuit - H&M

Black Playsuit - H&M 

Checked Dress - RARE @ Topshop (Similar)

You might have seen my post on Le Crepe Boutique after I headed to the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds with my mum for some retail therapy. I feel as though I haven't posted a haul in forever and despite my current (failing miserably) spending ban, I couldn't resist the sales some H&M basics.

You're not seeing double, I did buy two almost identical playsuits: I actually already have this playsuit in leopard print and live in it when the summer comes round so couldn't pass up enough two to wear to death! For £13 these playsuits are so comfy, easy to dress up and last really well- I've have my leopard print one for almost 4 years and there's still plenty of wear it in. 

From Topshop I picked up the gorgeous blue, long sleeved floral playsuit which is so seventies and on trend. It nips in at the waist too so it's really flattering - I always worry about long sleeves drowning me because I'm petite but that's not a worry with this playsuit! It's by the brand 'TFNC' who I'd not heard of but after checking out their range on the Topshop website, they're definitely going to be a brand I'll be buying from again. I also picked up the RARE navy, checked shift dress for a bargain £15 and although it'll be mostly heading to my work wardrobe, I love how thick the material is and the clean pattern - I can see this becoming a dress I wear to death either with a blazer for work or with my sandals and a kimono at home! 

I'm so happy with my buys - what have you been buying lately? 

G

Primark Kohl Eyeliner:

Kohl Eyeliner - Primark 

Anyone that knows me will know I like my eyeliner dark. I channel a Effie Stonem look pretty much 90% of the time and as much as I admire people's nude / subtle smokey eyes, I know I'll never give up my beloved Kohl. 

I actually picked this Kohl up last year when my boyfriend left it until I arrived into Birmingham at 7.30pm on Halloween to tell me we needed to be at a fancy dress party in an hour's time. Panicked, I rushed to Primark, bought some cheap eyeliner and drew whiskers on myself (original, I know!). However I ended up really loving this eyeliner for its actual purpose - it's thick, dark and the crayon like texture means it's precise to put on and barely budges. For some reason I had a preconceived notion Kohl was really smudgy, dark eyeliner but this £1 beauty is easy to build up- one swipe is perfect for an every day, wearable look but a few applications give me the dramatic look I love. 

After using Primark's Shampoo and now their eyeliner I can't believe how impressive the Primark beauty range is for such good prices - I can't wait to try out more! 

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