1920s Flapper Outfit and A Night of Poker

Dress: River Island. Shoes: Clarks. Necklace: eBay. Earrings: Asos. Headdress: DIY.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to play Texas Hold Em for charity by Ladbrokes. The event was held at the stunning SkyLounge, the breathtaking cocktail bar and afternoon tea lounge overlooking Leeds at the DoubleTree by Hilton. It's a recent discovery for me, but after trying the afternoon tea at Christmas, it's become one of my favourite places for a special occasion. 

I've never played Texas Hold Em before but it was so much fun! I must admit that I was so much braver given that I wasn't playing with real money. We quickly learnt what was a good hand and what wasn't and at one point I had a decent pile of chips. However, as the blinds got bigger and bigger, my pile got smaller and smaller, and soon I was out. You can check out a video of the evening here.

The evening was Great Gatsby themed and I was so excited to put together a 1920s outfit. I have always wanted to go to a Great Gatsby fancy dress party, as I think it's such a glamorous and impressive theme. Importantly, it's also really easy to put an outfit together and still look good.

Most girls will have a swing or sequinned dress in their wardrobe, and I grabbed this neglected velvet swing dress from the back of my wardrobe. I love the luxurious navy colour and the detailed lace sleeves add something pretty and feminine to dress.

Rather than splash out on a headband, I decided to be thrifty and make my own. I had a length of elastic and some sequins in my sewing basket, so I simply sewed these randomly onto my elastic to create a glittering headpiece. I popped on a feather hairpiece, picked up in Poundland, and secured the headband with some velcro - easy peasy!

I found a long string of pearls in my fancy dress box to finish the look (no, I'm not five, but I haven't let go of my university days quite yet!) Thin eyebrows and some bright red lipstick finished off my 1920s inspired look and it's one of my favourite fancy dress outfits, despite being so easy and simple to put together!

Have you ever played poker? What do you think of my Great Gatsby look?

Jess

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Do It Yourself Skincare

I do love a bit of a DIY and since I attended the Preloved Bloggers' event in Manchester, I've been converted to the wonders of creating beauty products yourself. Combining coconut oil with coffee grounds left my legs feeling the smoothest they've ever been and I now regularly repeat the trick - although I now use sugar rather than coffee grounds as it's easier to get hold of and less likely to ruin the drains! Today I wanted to share some other DIY skincare recipes and get messy in the kitchen:

Mira Showers wanted to show how easy it is to make quick skincare fixes from store cupboard ingredients and some water from the tap and Naz from Midas Touch Crafts designed some DIY recipes for me to try. First, I wanted to try a DIY Face Scrub, so I took some simple porridge oats and added some lemon juice and honey. I then mixed it with water and gave my face a scrub. Yes, it felt a little odd but it only cost about £1! Lemon juice is great for brightening and you can even add some cocoa powder for some colour.

I love making my own DIY Lip Scrub - sure, Lush is nice but, for me, it's so overpriced when you can just do it yourself. I use an old sample pot, wash it out and add some coconut oil - coconut oil really is the magic ingredient for all DIY skincare! I then like to mix in some brown sugar, which tastes delicious, and some honey for even more sweetness and its restorative properties. If you keep it in the fridge, it's sure to last and the coconut oil is a saviour during these cold, windy months. My Mum doesn't understand the point of lip scrubs, but I think they're key for leaving my lips feeling nourished and new.

It's really that quick and easy to make a DIY face scrub and lip scrub - these probably took me about five minutes and used ingredients which were already in my cupboard. Have you ever tried the DIY approach? What are your favourite DIY recipes?

*This post is in collaboration with Mira Showers and the Midas Touch Crafts*

Jess

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Give It Some Welly with Joules

I don't normally share competitions on my blog, but when Joules contacted me to explain their latest competition to design their new welly, I knew I needed to share it with you all:

The competition itself is really simple: you simply pick the colour of the main boot, the trim and sole and then design your pattern. You can either choose from existing prints, including the iconic hare, stag or dog prints found on current Joules pieces, or you can draw your own design which is then added to the welly design. I'm a bit of a sucker for 'design you own' websites - I love customising Nikes with Nike ID to get as many fun and different options I can - so I think this is a really fun competition. In case you were wondering, the print on the boot on the right is supposed to be lemons, inspired by my love for gin and tonic - drawing is harder than it looks!

If you are more creative than me, the prizes are fantastic. The best welly designer will win a luxury break worth a massive £5,000, including 3 nights in a golden oak treehouse cabin plus lots more surprises. A stay in a treehouse is one of my holiday dreams, so I would love to win this! The winning welly will also go on sale on the Joules website, with all proceeds from the sales being donated to charity via Charitably Joules.

10 runners up will also each receive a £250 Joules gift card so there are plenty of chances to win, but it's also an easy and fun competition to enter. I've already played around with a few designs to give you some inspiration and I think even a scribble looks pretty cool! 

You can enter the competition here and the closing date is the 4th December, so get creating!

*I received compensation for this post, but views are, as ever, my own*

Jess

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A Dress From A Duvet: That's Sew George

I have finally handed in my Masters' dissertation! I can now no longer describe myself as a student (although part of me will continue to be in denial until I get confirmation that I am actually graduating and my student card expires). Now I have a little more time to catch up all things blogging and today I wanted to share a crafty post, with the help of George at Asda:

Dress: DIY from George at Asda duvet* Heels: Primark. Belt: Primark. Necklace: George at Asda*

George at Asda offered me a new duvet cover from their amazing homeware range to update my bedroom with a fresh new set of bedding. Then, they explained the twist; I was challenged to use this bedding to sew into something completely new. Using a duvet cover as a fabric for a dress is a concept which I had come across on Pinterest before and I immediately knew this was what I wanted to try and do. It's such a cheap way to get your hands on some interesting cotton fabric rather than buying by the metre. George at Asda have an amazing range of duvet covers with brilliant patterns and colours, so I eventually settled on this cute fox print for the basis of my dress.

I decided to make a simple shift dress, without the need to include a zip or buttons. I say 'simple' but it wasn't quite as easy as I thought. With the help of my Mum and after recutting a couple of sections so the foxes weren't upside down, we managed to sew something that resembled a dress. Now, I must admit, that I feel a little like Dobby in his pillowcase as the measurements somehow came up much bigger than we expected. However, for today's photos I cinched in my waist with a tan belt and added some heels to lengthen my legs. Hopefully, it's only because I know it's a duvet that I'm a little self-conscious and nobody else can tell! What do you think?

I also have some amazing unicorn patterned fabric from Asda which I am dying to turn into clothing, but I think I need to practice before I try again. I can't risk ruining the incredible unicorn pattern! Have you got any sewing tips for new sewers like me? Have you ever made a dress from a duvet cover?

Jess

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Preloved Bloggers Event

Hello! I’ve been a busy bee lately, spending the last week in London then Leeds. Today I’m skipping to my weekend t’up North, as I was kindly invited to an intimate blogger event in Manchester for Preloved. I was so excited to receive the email from the wonderful Terri Lowe because I have been a fan of her blog for a long time and always wanted to meet her. I headed over to Manchester for the day, with my fellow blogger pals Kel, Simone and Sammie, for some lunch and blogging.

Preloved are a company I was already aware of as our dog was listed on there as a puppy – something I will be talking about in more detail in another post. Basically put, you can list anything you wish to sell, unwanted or second-hand for free. It's a great website to check out at this time of year if you are spring cleaning! To keep with the ethical and DIY ethos of the website, the event centred around some craft activities. I love getting crafty and trying out the various DIYs from my Pinterest account, so this was the perfect event for me.

We started by creating our own coffee body scrub. These have been floating around to buy on Instagram recently and I couldn’t understand why you would pay for something which is so easy to do yourself. It was great to try and make my own, although it was a pretty messy task! I was a little sceptical of this, I must admit, until I tried it. Oh wow, I was genuinely blown away. My legs were instantly smooth, soft and hydrated and I couldn't stop touching my legs all day. I prompty bought a huge tub of coconut oil as this is now going to become a major part of my skincare routine.

Then, Terri’s granddad had kindly provided us with a pile of keys to paint and turn into necklaces. We used some nail varnish to add some colour to our keys and then threaded them with a pretty ribbon. I love quirky jewellery so this is something I will genuinely wear – in fact it went straight around my neck to wear home!

The event was one of those lovely, friendly events and I had a wonderful afternoon. The venue was also really interesting. It was called Ziferblat and is an exciting new concept; tea, coffee, cereal and biscuits are all free but you pay for your time. It costs 5p a minute to do whatever you like in the café, whether that be study, hold a meeting or turn a key into a necklace! I thought the concept was great fun and something I would definitely use to study. It is a different way of looking at things, much like Preloved, and I had a lovely day out in Manchester as a result. So thank you to Terri and the Preloved team!

Have you used Preloved? Do you have any favourite DIYs to share? 

P.S. Don't forget to enter my competition to win an awesome Game of Thrones book!

Jess

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OOTD and DIY: Re-Adorn

Hello! Today's post is a bit of a combo one, including both an outfit post and, more excitingly, a 'refashion.' I picked up this dress from Adorned as I was drawn to its beautiful print, but I knew that I wanted to chop it to bits to create a new, updated piece of clothing:

Skirt: Adorned (DIY). Top: New Look. Sandals: Topshop. Necklace: New Look. Coat: Asos.

What I Did:
I took the dress and promptly chopped it in half with some fabric scissors. The top half I hemmed into a crop top, which still needs shortening by another inch or so to fit me perfectly. The bottom half I shortened to a more flattering knee length and hemmed. I also made sure that I left enough length to roll the top of the skirt, in order to thread it with elastic for an elasticated waist. There are some useful instructions on how to do this on Pinterest, such as this elastic waist skirt tutorial.

The skirt becomes much more modern with a shorter hemline and by hemming it myself, it means that it hits me perfectly just about the knee. I love the button down style, which is very on trend for Spring. It just shows how vintage pieces come back into fashion and a little editing can breathe new life into something which could have easily been neglected.

How I Styled It:
I paired my new skirt with a crop top from New Look. I've been on the hunt for a v-neck crop top for a while, but they all seem to have ridiculous straps which aren't very appropriate. This New Look version is perfect, both for daytime and nights out. Although it could do with perhaps an extra inch, the top works well with the blue skirt. I added a statement necklace and my favourite Topshop sandals. These are still going strong after over two years and are my favourite thing to wear in the Summer.

What do you think of my DIY refashion? Do you have any tips for transforming vintage pieces?

Jess

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Thrifty Tips for Christmas

Hello! Since it's Christmas Eve (eek!), I wanted to put together some last minute tips for those of you who aren't quite organised yet. Every year, my family and I make use of some simple tips and tricks to save money and make Christmas run a little smoother:

1. Use old Christmas cards as labels
One way to stop myself hoarding Christmas cards is to use last year's cards as labels. It's a great tip when you end up spending Christmas Eve wrapping only to realise you didn't buy any labels for your gifts. I cut the picture from the front of the card out, write my message on the back, hole punch a hole and thread a ribbon through. I can then add this to my present as a thrifty label which is personal and Christmassy!

2. Keep the drains fat free!
It may be a slightly odd topic, but keeping your drains free of fat can really make a difference over Christmas. We have always poured our fat into a separate beaker to ensure that our drains don't get clogged up and nasty - the end result isn't an attractive photo as you can see above, but it works! Yorkshire Water have released a much easier way of doing this and importantly it's free! You can pick up an EkoFunnel from local Sainsburys or a Fat Trap from Waitrose if you're lucky enough to live in Yorkshire. Richard Flint* points out that "it only takes a couple of extra seconds to get rid of products like fat by putting it in the bin" but will save Yorkshire Water millions - and yourself a few quid too!

3. Create a Christmas wreath
A few years ago, I visited Wicken Fen, where I created a wreath base out of wicker - you can make these yourself or even buy the base. Then, every year, all I need to do is add some decorations using fresh plants, fruit and berries. This year, I used offcuts from our Christmas tree, oranges, berries and chillies. It's completely eco friendly, gives you the chance to be creative and doesn't cost a penny!

4. Add scratchcards to cheap crackers
Everyone knows that the inside of crackers are normally full of rubbish. Rather than another plastic toy which will end up in the bin by the end of night, my Mum adds a scratchcard to each cracker. Normally at least one person will win some money and it's certainly more exciting as we all race to see if we have won a million - now, wouldn't that be a lovely Christmas present?

What thrifty tips do you use this Christmas? Will you be using any of my tips today?

Jess

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Bloggers' Holiday: DIY Eton Mess

My latest posts have all been about our Bloggers' Holiday (you can read all about the location and food here) and now it's time for my third and final post. On our last evening, we ended the holiday with some true indulgence - our very own Eton Mess creations served out of some fantastic cocktail glasses. I was going to include this in my Bloggers' Holiday food post before deciding it deserved a post all of its own, including the instructions to make them yourself:

We were kindly sent these cocktail glasses by drinkstuff and as well as using them for their obvious use throughout the weekend, we also decided to fill them with sweet treats for a tasty dessert! I'm currently obsessed with exciting cocktail glasses, so I loved these Z-Stem Martini glasses - they're the perfect size and the shaped stem makes them easy to hold. I also managed to grab one of the Mason Drinking Jars, which are huge and simply the most exciting way to serve cocktails!

I was inspired to make this DIY Eton Mess from some Ringtons ginger biscuits we were kindly sent as part of a selection. We also received some proper traditional tea, strong enough for 2 cups per teabag, which the biscuits paired with fantastically. Sometimes, the tried and tested traditional brands are the best, and Ringtons delivered high quality tea and biscuits, with no messing about.

Back to the pudding! To start my Eton Mess, I crumbled some of the ginger biscuits into the martini glass. I then added a couple of scoops of clotted cream ice cream.

For the following layer I added some defrosted raspberries, which added some much needed fruit as well as some liquid to the pudding. I crumbled on some more ginger biscuits and then some of Kel's marvellous white chocolate flapjack (which I need the recipe for!)

Finally I added plenty of whipped cream and topped with miniature marshmallows. For such a mismatch of ingredients, it certainly tasted delicious and looks very pretty in its cocktail glass. It just shows that sometimes, when you're craving something sweet, raiding your cupboards can result in a surprisingly tasty dessert! Have you unexpectedly thrown together a dessert that just worked? I'd love to hear what it was!

Jess

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DIY Christmas Wreath

It's getting rather Christmassy in our household, so today I wanted to share with you one of my yearly traditions - decorating our Christmas wreath:

You will need:

Christmas wreath base

Fir tree branches

Dried orange slices

Red berries

Ribbon
Large ribbon for bow

Scissors

I made the base of the wreath many years ago at a workshop in Wicken Fen, a local National Trust site. Using local willow and reeds, the wreath is both natural and sustainable and provides the base for my decorations. However, if you don't already have something similar, Martha Stewart explains how to make a Christmas wreath using wire as a base instead.

Once your base is ready, we can start the fun part - decorating. This year I decided to use a selection of fir branches from our Christmas tree, rosehip and other red berries, and dried fruit. To dry the fruit, I sliced some oranges and placed them on a wire rack. I then slowly dried them out in a preheated oven at just 80C for about two hours. I kept some of our fir branches left over from trimming our Christmas tree and collected my red berries whilst walking the dog.

First, I began to bulk up the wreath with my fir branches. I threaded the branches under my plaited reeds, which ensured they were kept secure. You could also use wire to keep the branches in place.

Then I began to add some colour with the berries and orange slices. I started with the orange slices by punching holes in each slice and threading it with gold ribbon, which I then tied onto the wreath. To finish off the ribbon, I curled the ends with the blade of the scissors.

I then added my red berries to the wreath by threading the twigs underneath the reeds and into the willow. I arranged them into bunches sporadically around the wreath to add some Christmassy red colour. Finally, I tied a bow on the top of the wreath, added some ribbon to use to hang on the front door and it was finished!

What do you think of my DIY Christmas wreath? Do you make your own or just buy one? I'd love to see your versions!

<3

xx

Queen of Hearts Fancy Dress

As you may have guessed by my heart-shaped shoe-clips DIY and Alice in Wonderland themed party post, I decided to dress up as the Queen of Hearts for my birthday. It's my birthday today so I'm looking forward to an evening of food, cocktails and champagne with my housemates to celebrate turning 21. However I wanted to share with you my look from the weekend as it's probably my favourite ever fancy dress costume. I'm pretty proud of the result and hope that you like it!

Dress: Jones and Jones (via Topshop.) Shoes: c/o Barratts. Shoe clips: DIY. Floral headband: DIY. Crown: DIY. Earrings: New Look. Ring: c/o Temp Sec.

Ever since I decided on the Queen of Hearts I had a very specific dress in mind - bright red, with a lace top and full-on tutu flared skirt to give a striking impression. It took me way longer than it should have done to realise that Jones and Jones are the experts for this look. When I discovered this beauty in the Topshop sale for just £27 including a student discount and free p&p, my search was over. I was worried that the puffy tutu wouldn't suit me and that it would be too short, but I was overjoyed with how it looks. I ordered a 10 after reading some reviews that the sizing was quite small and I was glad I did - it is slightly too big around the waist, and the shoulders and back gaped a little, but I don't think I could have managed to squeeze myself down a size! The height was short but not too indecent on me, but watch out taller ladies because a couple more inches would have made it quite inappropriate! I love the deep open back, lace overlay and focus on my waist - I even like my legs in these pictures, which for me is quite an accomplishment!

My legs are of course helped by the assistance of some heels. I wanted something sparkly yet comfortable and luckily I had these amazing shoes from Barratts already in my wardrobe. I added my custom DIY shoe clips, which I explained how to create here, as a key heart-themed accessory to the costume

The other key accessory to the Queen of Hearts theme was of course my crown. I created the floral headband earlier in the summer by simply wrapping some red paper roses from Hobbycraft around an old headband. I made the crown by using some pliers to wrap and shape gold wire on another headband and then adding some pearl hearts. I didn't think to take photos of this process, but I hope you understand what I mean!

Finally, I added a glitzy pearl necklace and some heart-shaped earrings and a ring. I curled my hair and added some simple make-up focusing on my bright red lips and nails and a simple heart shape below one eye. With such a showstopper of a dress and a crown, I wanted to keep the make-up simple and regal so my outfit didn't become too costume-y - it was my birthday party after all, not Halloween! I then had some great fun acting all moody and Queen-like in my garden for these snaps before the party kicked off.

So, what do you think? Do you feel inspired to try an Alice in Wonderland party or perhaps dress as the Queen of Hearts this Halloween? Please let me know your thoughts!

<3
xx

DIY: Sequin Heart Shoe Clips

In one week's time, I will be 21 years old. It's a scary thought, which is starting to hit home when I look at all my current bio descriptions which I will soon need to update - the downside of including your age on your profiles! However, the exciting part of this milestone is the birthday party I have planned this weekend. I am a massive fan of fancy dress, as you may have now realised, and my favourite part is creating an effective costume on a very low budget. Therefore I wanted to share with you a few of my DIYs for my costume before you see the finished look. Perhaps they can offer some clues on my theme and character!

Today I made some simple heart-shaped shoe clips and I was surprised at how easy and effective they were. If you want to make some too, you will need:

Red felt (eBay)

Red sequins (eBay)

2 hair grips

Pen

Scissors

Fabric scissors (if possible)

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

I have linked the two eBay sellers where I bought my felt and sequins from because they were cheap and arrived quickly, meaning that I didn't need to brave the cold to make a trip to my local craft store (I'm that lazy!)

1. Print a template (I used a simply drawn heart shape on Word) and trace around it onto the felt:

2. Cut the shapes out of the felt using fabric scissors, if you have a pair. If not, normal scissors are fine:

3. Heat up your glue gun and start to glue the sequins from the outside into the centre of the heart:

4. When complete, cut the sequin strand and do the same with the other heart (can you tell which one I did first?)

5. Glue a hair grip onto the back of the heart, ensuring that it is the right way up! I clipped mine onto peep toe heels so I glued the hair grips with the opening at the top. They therefore slide from my toes up towards my ankles, which is far more comfortable.

And you are finished! I found the clips very cheap and easy to make and I feel that they add an extra touch to my outfit, clipped onto my Barratts shoes. I love the Melissa Vivienne Westwood vibe that they channel, without the price tag or need to buy a new pair of heels. I think that they are a really cute accessory that can be used in many different ways and for many different occasions; I have also seen them used as hair clips or on wedding shoes - adorable! How would you style yours?

What do you think of the DIY? Will you be giving them a go? Let me know how you get on!

<3

xx