Craftwork – Contrast Cushion

I’ve been feeling super creative this week, what with unemployment and boredom taking their toll, and I’ve been meaning to make a quick and easy cushion for a while. I do love me a good soft furnishing, and these are just so easy to make, there’s hardly an excuse not to!

I started by cutting two pieces of contrasting fabrics. I used Tilda by Tone Finnanger fabric which I bought in Sweden, which you can order online here for £3.99 per 1/4 metre. Then I placed them together, right sides facing, and hand stitched all the way round, leaving a 20cm gap in one corner.

Next, I pulled the cushion cover outside in, and filled it with toy stuffing. Then I sewed up the closing and hey presto! my cushion was complete. And ready to be covered in cat hairs by my beloved Hercules.

Wednesday Wishlist – 30/05

I spent the best part of today trawling the shops at Westfield – unfortunately, to no avail. A combination of too-hot weather and too many people just made the shopping trip a chore, and I came back empty handed. But there were a few pieces that caught my eye on the rails.

Summer is all about florals for me, and these floral print shorts, £35, Topshop, have a particularly pretty pattern. River Island were also on trend with this mixed print mini-skirt, £30.

Marc B bags have been a favourite of mine for a few years now, and their Lolita bag, £49, Topshop, is the epitome of ladylike style. Also a bag worth a mention is this adorable bow detail bag, £25, Topshop.

Last but not least are these pink patent wedges, £24.99, from the new Kelly Brook collection at New Look. Perfect for summer!

Only two days til the weekend everyone!

Swedish Sun

So last Thursday I jetted off to the beautiful city of Sundsvall in mid-Sweden to visit my boyfriend’s lovely family and take a well-needed, post-uni break. The weather was gorgeous and I think I may have even caught the sun!

After a very relaxing few days, I’m back to reality now. Hope you’ve all had a good week so far!

Cannes Day Seven – Favourite Frock

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it’s that Diane Kruger can pull off just about any look imaginable. A fashion favourite of the last week in France, Diane impressed again yesterday in this very pretty Nina Ricci dress. Isn’t the detail just lovely? The delicate netting and corsage at her neck is perfectly complimented by Diane’s natural make-up look. The feathering at the skirt also gets my vote.

But it wasn’t all a pretty picture last night. British socialite Lady Victoria Hervey partnered a tango-tan with a horrible neon pink confection, while the Hilton sisters maintained their poor fashion reputations in two very unflattering get-ups. Well, we can’t have it perfect!

Cannes Day Six – Favourite Frock

As Cannes reached its sixth day yesterday, the festival had one of its worst fashion days so far. However, among the many faux pas – horrible clashing patterns and fabrics, bizarre designs and just general no-no’s imho – there were a few glittering diamonds, actress Li Bing Bing being one of them.

Her glamorous Gucci gown oozes of old school elegance. The dark teal colour of the dress is perfectly matched by Li’s on-trend dark lip and eyes. The up-do reveals beautiful detailing on the shoulders of the dress, and dark nails and a tasseled clutch complete the look. Lovely.

Image from Styleite

Cannes 2012 – Weekend Catch Up

It was yet another star-studded few days as the Cannes Film Festival continued. And as the celebrations have drawn on, things have hotted up on the fashion front, with some of my favourite looks of the festival so far.

Naomi Watts looked stunning and sophisticated in this gorgeous Marchesa gown, which was embroidered with delicate petals. Jessica Chastain, who bored me a little at the start of the event, seems to have come out of her shell a little now, and wowed the red carpet on two occasions over the weekend. First, in a flowing Gucci number with sparkling embellishment at the empire line, then once again in Armani Prive (below) on day five of the festival.

Her beauty look has also been a highlight of my style observations thus far. Jessica’s pouty lips, bright eyes and ginger locks lend themselves well to her Hollywood starlet appeal; the red lip and side-swept set curls of yesterday’s look capture this entirely. In contrast, her nude make-up paired with the ethereal flow of the Gucci gown is just as beautiful a look.

Diane Kruger had yet another good dress day in her custom designed Vivienne Westwood strapless confection. Embellished all over with sequins, what I really love about this dress is the shape of it, and the way the material is gathered and held at the skirt.

I can’t wait to see what gorgeous outfits await us over the next day of festivities!

Beauty Lust-Have – Pixi Glow Fairy Face Palette

My make up routine mainly consists of the basics – foundation, blusher and mascara. My daily beauty look is usually a very natural one; if the mood takes me, I might jazz it up with some liquid eyeliner and a slick of lip gloss. Generally, eyeshadow and lip stick won’t make an appearance until a night out, but recently I’ve felt like being a little more daring and trying out a pretty palette, adding shadow to my daytime look, and I’ve fallen head over heels for this gorgeous set by Pixi cosmetics.

Available at Boots for £32, this adorable palette includes five eye colours, ranging from a dark brown through to a blush pink. A selection of five lip creams are also included, and in the middle of the pretty packaging is a blusher pad.

My bank balance is shouting, “No!” but my heart is definitely not listening. For what you get – three brushes are also provided – it’s worth the money. Pixi are a London-based company with a strong stand against animal testing and an encouraging ethos “to bring out the natural beauty in all women.” What’s not to love about this palette?

Summer Wedding

I’ve been meaning to try out Polyvore for a while, so I thought I’d give it a whirl today, what with it being a lazy Sunday afternoon and all. Once I got my head around the technicalities of it, I found it fun, easy to use and addictive – with so many pretty templates to choose from, I could play around with it all day!

For my first set, I compiled a ‘Summer Wedding’ outfit. This gorgeous lace dress, £80, Warehouse, is an ideal frock for a prom, wedding, or any special occasion. The lilac T-Bar heels go perfectly with the pretty dress, and the mint green clutch bag, £35, Accessorize, completes the pastel-perfect look.

Of course, no wedding outfit would be ready without a hair accessory, be it a hat, fascinator, or, in this case, a pretty comb, £15, Accessorize. Just add some natural make-up, contrive the perfect up-do, and you’re good to go!

Wednesday Wishlist – 16/05/12

Usually my wishlists tend to feature at least one ‘realistic’ item – that is, an item I could actually afford to buy. Which kind of defeats the idea of a wishlist…which is why today’s compilation of pined-after pieces are far from affordable for me at the moment. Here’s to hoping!

I’ve liked Tara Starlet’s stuff for a while now, and when the beautiful Mollie of the Saturdays rocked this co-ordinating tie top, £40, and shorts, £50, ensemble on the cover of Cosmo this month, I knew this would be a look to add to my wishlist. So summery!

This week, my quest for the perfect denim dress continues, and has reaped some rewards in the form of this belted shirt dress, £50, from Oasis. It’s very similar to a denim dress that caught my eye a few weeks back, but this one combines my love of denim with the utility dress style, a favourite of mine at the moment. Definitely a strong contender.

Wedges are my ideal summer shoe, and I love the ones with a pretty length of ribbon to tie up your ankle. These lovely blush pink wedges, £48, Miss Selfridge, would go perfectly with the denim dress. Here’s to hoping we meet again in the sale!

H&M have really upped their accessories game this season, and with a collaboration with Japan Vogue’s editor Anna Dello Russo on the horizon, it’s set to get better and better. I love the vibrant turquoise edges of this straw clutch, £12.99, and the price is closer to my current budget. 

However, there is something on this list that could make the leap from wish to reality, and it’s these fabulous skull earrings by kooky jewellers, Kitsch & Bows. At a bank-balance friendly £6, they’re a treat I can afford to throw cash at this month. Yay!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Preview – Primark’s New Summer Pieces

Primark has long been one of my go-to destinations for a cheap, quick fashion fix, and as I’ve grown older and realised the financial truth about adult life, it really has become the only high street shop I can afford to pop into between pay days. As luck would have it, their summer collection has been great this year, and with new pieces geared up for release in the next two months, it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

I’m very excited about the pink plastic tote, £6, which is due to land in stores at the end of this month. The Aztec print backpack, £9, due around the same time, is also a strong contender. Lots of glamorous, art deco inspired jewellery is on its way too, but won’t be available until the end of July.

As far as the clothes go, I’m very excited about the tassel jacket, £25, which is arriving at the end of May. I’m a little scared of tasseled clothes, but this jacket does look great and at that price, I’d definitely give it a try!

Which pieces do you have your eye on?

All images sourced from Instyle.co.uk