#CheapNChicChallenge: 22/30 AUTUMNAL CHARITY SHOP FINDS!

 Aloha,

I'm hoping you are enjoying the #CheapNChicChallenge so far. I've got just one more week left & I have a few great posts lined up for you, including an exciting giveaway-so stay tuned! I shot these photos a few weeks ago when it was actually still summery. I am dressed 'neck-to-knee' in charity shop finds! I thought I'd style an outfit that has a vintage feel but still nods to the trends for Autumn.

Coat, Jumper Belt, Skirt -All Charity Shop Finds

Boots-New Look

The coat is my fuzzy lil bear baby. I bought it from a charity shop in St Annes where everything was only £1! The only downside was on that fateful day it was about 25 degrees out & I'd just been to the beach & the last thing on my mind was a huge furry coat. However this is a prime example of shopping for upcoming seasons. If I wanted to get an over-sized furry coat in the height of winter I'd definitely expect to pay more! It's originally from BHS & is a size XXL, again not my size but I want it to fit over 3 jumpers & a scarf :) 

The jumper was from the same charity shop (so again only a quid!) I'm a little bit obsessed with roll neck jumpers & the bright orange shade is perfect for Autumn. When I wear it with my glasses I do feel a little bit like Velma from Scooby Doo but I think it's a strong look :)

The Houndstooth skirt is an original 1960s St Michael found in a charity shop in Cleveleys. I can't remember how much this one was but it's a pretty snug fit! I'm a fan of houndstooth & I don't think  a pencil skirt ever really goes out of fashion.

The belt was 50p from St Catherines Hospice in Preston. I love the detailing to the buckle, it's almost a bit cowboy/western inspired. I tend to buy black belts so this brown one is a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

Have you found any amazing autumnal charity shop pieces?
Thanks for reading :)
Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: WILLIAMSON'S PARK

Oh hey there, s'been a while...

On bank holiday Monday we had a little venture to Williamson's Park in Lancaster. It's one of my favourite places to visit as it's sooo pretty. The monument is beautiful and there's 360 degree views of the Lake District! 

 Dress: Tesco (about 3 years ago)

Sandals: Vintage via Charity Shop

Sunglasses: Betsey Johnson via TKMaxx

I wasn't planning to do an outfit post hence why it's not the most exciting outfit. It was actually pretty warm so I decided to wear my super-old, Tesco floral dress that I bought for holiday aaages ago and I thought I'd give my newly aquired vintage sandals a spin for the first time. I bought them from Banardos for a mere £2.99 and they look brand new :) I noticed they had very similar styles in Topshop this summer too so I'm really happy with another charity shop gem.

So since my last post you may notice that I've had the chop, I'm loving my new coupleofmonthsoldnow bob style hair. It was actually a purple-toned black when I first had it done but my hair fades so quickly.  It's kinda weird purple, brown again now but I like it. Still dreaming of a lilac bob but ohhh so much hassle/maintenance....

I hope you're all well. I have been pretty quiet in bloggyland but I've still been catching-up on bloglovin'. The combination of working lots, practically living in my uniform/pajamas & broken camera doesn't exactly make the recipe for the most thrilling blog posts. I've had a bit of 'blogging block' but now I'm inspired again I'll be updating a lot more...

Have you visited Williamson's Park before?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: CLARKS #FREEYOURFEET CHALLENGE!

Hellooo!

What absolutely gorgeous weather we're having and as per usual I'm cooped up inside a shopping centre for the best part of the day and unable to enjoy the sunshine boo!

However yesterday was my Mumma's birthday so I made a surprise journey back to the Lake District to spend the afternoon with the birthday lady! We ended up going to the local park which is lovely at this time of year as all the bluebells are out and everything is colourful :)

I was kindly sent these sandals from Clarks so I could take part in the blogger #freeyourfeet challenge. I have to admit, I don't like my feet so it's rare that they actually get to see daylight-saying that a couple of coats of  Barry M-Green Berry polish and a generous helping of body butter and they don't look too bad!

The 'Studio Beat' sandals are really great quality as you would expect from Clarks. The metallic leather is really on trend & I love the simplistic T-bar design. They are also super comfy thanks to the padded insoles and softwear technology. Another point to mention is that Clarks are amazing as they always do half sizes. I must have odd shaped feet as I'm usually a 7-8 (hello bigfoot!) so these sandals in a 7.5 are perfect :)

Clarks have a bit of a rep for being a bit old-fashioned but their latest collections are really trend-inspired. I'm loving the hot pink, snakeskin & buckled ankle strap details in the new summer range!

Cropped tee: Primark

Silk Skirt: Oilily via Charity Shop

Denim Jacket: Charity Shop

Sandals: Studio Beat, Clarks

So my outfit is reflective of every outfit I will be wearing this summer. A cropped tee & high-waist skirt/shorts is pretty much my go-to outfit topped off with my denim jacket.

I found this gorgeous Oilily skirt in the charity shop last week. I originally saw it in the kids section and picked it up for my little sister but when I got home I tried it on and it fits me! The pattern is really cute and it is made of silk. On the website they cost around 50 euros but this one was only £1.99! I LOVE it when that happens.

Thanks to Clarks for sending me these lovely sandals. Also thanks to my mum for taking these photos! Darn it I wish I had a photographer & a gorgeous location all the time for outfit posts...

Have you had chance to #freeyourfeet yet? Do you wear Clarks shoes?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: #NWBLOGGERMEETUP

Helloo there!

My goodness what is this? An outfit post?! It has been a long while since my last outfit post and for that I do apologise. I don't have a big enough bedroom, or garden or any real space where I can set up a tripod and get a few snaps of my outfits. That being said I did take these photos in my living room! Usually the fireplace is stacked full of musical equipment so doesn't make the best backdrop. It's still not the greatest but I am trying for you guys :)

So this is the outfit I wore for the North-West Blogger Meet-up. I didn't get any good photos of my outfit at the actual event due to heavy rain and the evil winds of Preston!

 Denim Jacket: Charity Shop

 Polka Dot Crop Top: Charity Shop

Tutu Skirt: Lipsy via eBay

 Hair: Directions-Tulip & Dark Tulip mixed!

Tights: Olddd from M&S

Shoes: Adidas via Amazon

Holographic Nail Varnish: Urban Outfitters (borrowed from my housemate :P)

Kitten Nail Stickers: Claire's Accessories

Rings: eBay, and stolen from mum!

I'm making it my mission to do more outfit posts, so watch this space!

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: I'M SO GLAD THAT I LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE OCTOBERS

 Shirt Dress: C/O Bench

Faux Leather Jacket: C/O Bench

Tights: Happy Socks via TKMaxx

Hunters: Stolen from Mum

Hat-Accessorize

Scarf-Charity Shop

Lipstick: Eurydice by Illamasqua

So I have to admit Bench is a brand that hasn't really been on my radar for a while. I remember doing a fashion show at secondary school for Bench & Hooch and wearing the massive slogan hoodies that Bench are pretty well known for. However when I checked out their latest lookbook for the A/W collection I was pleasantly surprised, it's laidback, street style vibe and gorgeous coats and knitwear really appealed to me.

As I mentioned in my last post, Bench very kindly let me pick a couple of items so I could style them in an outfit post.

The dress is super easy to throw on, I didn't own a shirt dress before-hand and I really like the colours of the check pattern. The jacket is going to be my new wardrobe staple! I love leather jackets and even though its faux leather it feels incredibly soft & the contrasting knitted fabric makes it really comfortable to wear. Another awesome thing is the collar, it zips off so you can wear it like a casual biker style or a more slick, collarless neckline. It's the little details that I really love about the new A/W collection. 

It was a little nippy in the Lake District today so my favourite old man scarf came out of storage as did the hat but they weren't worn for long as the sunshine must have tried a bit harder and I did warm up :) 

We went for a walk in Cartmel woods today & they look so, so pretty at this time of year! Cartmel may be boring but it is very pretty :)

Right now on the Bench website students can get a generous 25% off with a NUS card or you can get 10% off  your order by using the code: SELFMADE12

Let me know your thoughts on the new collection, did you used to wear Bench when you were younger?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY!

Hello ladies and gents,

 I thought I would post about what I wore the other day to my great-aunties 89th unbirthday. Her birthday is actually in December but she celebrates it early as it has been snowed off too many times before and hey she's 89 so she's allowed more than one birthday a year right?

Anyway, as it's quite a fancy affair I thought I would wear my Oasis dress that was a bargain sale find a few years ago.  I absolutely love the feather print and the cute teadress fit.

The boots have been mentioned a few times on the here before. They have to be my bestest bargain ever! My £1 Andee boots from Miista. Yep I snagged them in the cheaper with a tweet competition in January and they get soo much attention, especially from all the oldies at the party haha ;) 

 Miista boots & sparkly socks=love

 The party was at the Netherwood Hotel in Grange-over-Sands, a gorgeous building with a amazing view across the bay :)

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend :)

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: AUTUMN DAYS, WHEN THE GRASS IS JEWELLED

Army Jacket-Vintage

Scarf- Really old (16th birthday prezzie!)

Ruffle top-TKMaxx

Shorts-River Island

Socks-River Island

Boots-Dr Martens via TKMaxx

Autumn is here yaay! I love Autumn, super layers, halloween, bonfire night & my birthday :)

Anyway I wore this the other day. Most of the outfit is old apart from the top & lovely Dr Marten boots both from my trip to TKMaxx the other day.

I've said it once & i'll say it again, I really do not need to wear heels but when I spotted these, they were the only pair in the store and they were in my size-fate huh? Plus they were reduced from £100 to £29.99 BARGAIN! TKMaxx also had other styles of Dr Martens so you should check out your local store to see if they have any left. I love the oxblood leather and I can't wait til they look a bit more worn and battered.

Also I want to mention my love for this army jacket- its the real deal not some high street knock-off and the best part? It was only £1 from Preston flea market :)

 Photos are taken in my mum's overgrown garden!

 Whats your best TKMaxx bargain? What do you think of heeled DM's?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx

PS The post title is from my favourite song at school-Who remembers it?!

Outfit Of The Day: I'M BLUE

Cropped tee-Tesco (dyed by me!) Shorts-Charity shop (see my DIY post here)

Tights-Henry Holland via TKMaxx

Silver Earrings-Vintage

Velvet Belt: charity shop-20p!

Velvet boots-ASOS sale £19.50! 

Rings-Vintage, local jewellers , Ebay and stolen from mum!

Here's a quick outfit post for y'all!
Sorry I've been quiet on here for a while I've been in Cornwall (pics to follow!) and working at a local festival plus I've been a super busy bee looking for jobs and somewhere to live in Manchester, being back at mums is driving me up the wall, that combined with too many episodes of 'homes under the hammer' & 'country house rescue' are making me yearn for my own place again...

If anyone is fancying a move to Manchester or is looking for a housemate there lemme know!
Hope you're all well :)
Thanks for reading,
Rachelle xxx

Outfit Of The Day: DYEING WITH DYLON

Me being a goon and splashing in the puddles!

Tee-DIY

Shorts-DIY

Sunglasses-Betsey Johnson via TKMaxx

Wellies-Hunter (stolen off mum!)

One thing I love about living back home is the gorgeous scenery around the village. So whilst the sun has been shining we decided to make the most of it and go for a long walk, complete with splashing in puddles and eating ice cream :)

 Previously me and my neighbour Stace had decided to have a DIY day and customise clothes that we no longer wore! First up was the levis jeans, my mum had bought them off eBay as full length jeans but they didn't fit her (they are apparently a size 16 which is LIES!) so I cut them off and decided to dip dye them in Dylon Flamingo Pink dye, they frayed really well in the wash and I'm so happy the way they have turned out!

The New York Yankees top was actually my brothers (he doesn't know I've stolen it shhh) but it had several holes so I decided to cut it into an oversized crop top and throw it in the left over dye, Its kinda patchy but I think it works!

So this outfit was essentially free :)

Stace made an amazing bleached jumper & the bright orange skinny jeans pictured below ...

Pretty woodland

Amazing ice cream, I got thunder & lightening which was yummy :)

DIY essentials 

Shorts in the dyeing process

Pretty pink and blue!

I really love dyeing my own clothes, it really can completely change a boring item of clothing into something more on trend and wearable.

Have you dyed any items of clothing before?

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle xxx

Outfit of the day: BACK IN BLACK

So I finally got around to doing an outfit post for you guys! The weather in the Lake District has been shockingly bad, and whilst the rest of the country sizzles we've got yet more rain here-boo!

These photos were taken by my talented six year old sister! She wants to be a photographer/artist when she grows up (n'aww) When I was six I think my career choices were ballerina or princess!

Leather Jacket: River Island

Lightning Tee-ASOS

Snakeskin leggings-eBay

Boots-Clarks

Sunglasses-Betsey Johnson via TKmaxx

Most of this outfit is old, apart from the ASOS tee that I got last week in the sale. I *accidentally* ordered £254 worth of sale clothes but I ended up sending most of it back as they were all funny sizes or just didn't suit me, which tends to be the case with ASOS, it's very hit and miss. Anyway I love this t-shirt. It's a size 8 but its incredibly over-sized. I feel very Vince Noir with the lightning bolts and the chelsea boots!

I bought these leggings for a shoot and decided to keep them for myself. At first I thought they were super tacky but I'm actually in love with them now. I bought them from this seller and they have other designs too.

I don't really have anything too interesting to report, I've spent most of my time job searching & sorting through all my belongings-boriing!

I spent the Weekend in Sheffield at Tramlines festival which was brilliant but I'll save that for my next post :)

Did you get any sale bargains recently? Does anyone know of any fashiony jobs in Manchester? I swear I've exhausted the job search tools ha!

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx