Another bank holiday, how lucky we are! I've spent most of the weekend so far organising my office, catching up on my way too big pile of washing, cooking me and my man some tasty treats to eat while watching Boardwalk Empire and working my way through Blog Life. I've also done a bit of online window shopping (I'm trying to save for a very busy August and September) and found some really lovely pieces - why am I torturing myself?!?
First up I had a look through ASOS Curve's new in section and there are some real beauties available! Firstly this ASOS Curve Salon Dress With Heavy Embellishment is just divine, a modern shape with a 1920's feel from the beaded design it is just perfect for the season with it's pale colour palette and relaxed, dipped back fit. At £140 it's pretty darn pricey, especially as the beading is only to the front and the shape is hardly complex and fitted, but you can't deny it's pretty as hell.
You'd have to have been living in a cardboard box for the last few months to not be aware that midi skirts are the key skirt look for the spring and I for one am very happy about this. Below the knee length is so much more feminine and pretty but on plus size gals they can look a bit frumpy. This Midi Skirt In Sheer Check takes this classic style and gives it a contemporary twist with a cage style overlay in either black or ivory. If I had to choose just one thing from this wish list it would be this skirt as I can see me wearing it in so many ways, it's hardly a bank breaker at £38 so let's see how long I can resist it...
I've been trying to find a nice blouse with a kitschy print for a good while now as I'd love to try some bow neck tie's and this darling Blouse with Cat Print is just up my street! It looks like a nice relaxed fit too so hopefully the dreaded boob gap wouldn't be an issue.
Last up is this amazing Kimono Maxi Dress in Bird Print which I would just adore to swish about in on a warm summer's day. This would be what I'd wear to a festival if festivals weren't my idea of absolute hell, with a messy up do, lots of hair flowers and lashings of eye liner (as usual).
More clothesies and here are my picks from Simply Be's new in selection. As you know I can't resist a good kitschy cutesy print and this little Praslin Heart Print Dress is a great example, simple and pretty and perfect for flouncing around the park in.
I'm not a trouser person and the thought of a jumpsuit scares me, but this Print Jersey Jumpsuit is pretty enough for me to want to give one a try. I have no idea what size I'd go for as my top is two sizes smaller than my bottom but if it's in store next time I visit I'm definitely trying it on!
Super sexy with a delightful rose print wrap top is this fantastic AX Paris Curve 2 in 1 Midi Dress. I want it, I need it, I desire it. Such a classic pin up style, it belongs in my wardrobe for sure.
I may have mentioned it before but I have a huge adoration of Biba. My mum was a big fan of the brand originally and she has quite a lot of original make up containers and books. Unsurprisingly her love for Biba passed on to me, I think mainly because of the influence Barbara Hulanicki took from 1920's and silent cinema style.
Biba is back with us again at House of Fraser and still offering gorgeous clothing, accessories and homewares but has recently released a dining range too which has stolen my heart. The Starburst Dinner Range and Odette Cutlery Set make my dinner party dreams come true, if only I could afford them! If I could I'd toast my new fancy dishes with some champers from a Gold Rimmed Champagne Saucer (in case you didn't know, champagne flutes are for losers) while wrapped in this super sexy Animal Beach Towel and sniffing some gorgeous Black Orchid Candles and lovingly placing a Reed Diffuser by my bed.
I'm so excited for when we move house in October because we'll be going for somewhere a little bigger than we're in now and I want to make the living room super cosy and decadent. I adore listening to the radio, most often Radio 4 Extra for all the dramas and comedy shows, but at the mo I just do it from the iPlayer radio app on my phone. Not so glamorous. I think this beautiful Roberts Revival Radio would make the whole affair much more civilised.
I'm definitely going to aim for a bit of a trashy but classy early Hollywood vibe so a few Palm Tree Candle Holders will definitely not go amiss, especially next to a fabulous silver Penguin Lamp from Abigail Ahern.
Now we already have some black leather reproduction chesterfield sofas, but I do adore a bit of velour! This royal blue would look great with my blonde hair too, so I could lounge about in style all day long! The Large Chesterfield Deluxe Sofa and the Footstool would perfect the look topped with a beautiful mirrored tray loaded with dainty teacups full of earl grey and plates of delicious cakes and pastries.
My Amazon book wish list is pretty out of control so it's kinda hard to pick which one's I'd currently want the most. It is ridiculous to think that I don't already have enough baking books but I've wanted Joanne Chang's 'Flour' since I saw some chefs praising her sticky buns recipe on Food Network.
Twenties hair is the era I find most tricky, there are such specific techniques involved and the styles are not the kind of thing you can freestyle so I always like to collect more resources to perfect my technique. Art Deco Hair by Daniela Turudich is reviewed pretty well so despite not having a preview I'd be up for adding it to my collection very soon.
We all know I'm a fan of pin up girls and have such admiration for artist like Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas who brough these cheeky, pretty ladies to life in art form. Olivia De Berardinis is the modern queen of cheesecake pin up art, regularly creating pieces for Playboy and gaining a lot of notoriety from her amazing paintings of Dita Von Teese. Malibu Cheesecake celebrates her work in a gorgeous coffee table book which I would happily while away hours reading on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
My skin is at an all time low at the moment and I'm trying anything I can to try and improve it. One thing I know I need to do is give my diet a healthy kick and as I've heard great things from my friend Sophia about The Clear Skin Cookbook by Dale Pinnock I think I'll be giving this a read to send me in the right direction.
As I mentioned earlier I've been giving my office a bit of a sort out this weekend. I went out and bought myself a few stationery sorting bits but was disappointed with the lack of stylish office goods in my town so went for a look about online. Papermash is one of favourite online stationery suppliers and when I saw this lovely Rifle Paper Co Polka Dot Recipe Tin on their new in page I fell in love! I currently jot down my recipes in a pretty leather bound book with a gold rose embossed on the front cover which is indeed very lovely, but it isn't that easy to use without a recipe book stand as it closes of its own accord so writing recipes on cards instead would be a good move for me to make and I'd love to keep them safe in this tin.
Papermash will also soon have these amazingly gorgeous Gold Wire Baskets in stock. They're pretty pricey but I can honestly say I've never seen a prettier way of storing magazines and papers. As these lovely baskets are not befitting of my bank balance at present I will instead be storing my stacks of Martha Stewart Living's and Jamie Magazine's in these Tjena Black Magazine Files from IKEA as long as I can persuade Pete to take me over there with the promise of a meatball dinner.
While I'm there I might pick up one of these lovely Ranarp Reading Lamps too, but that will go in the living room rather than the office. The Alma Otter Tape Dispenser from Modcloth will however go straight on my desk!
Well those are my current wants, but have you spotted any lovely things this weekend too?