You just get more beautiful with age

Sometimes there is nothing more annoying than getting your, "Oh your bag is so amazing, where's it from?" answered with the classic, "Thanks! I bought it in a charity shop." I mean, GRR! Why was that bag not in there when I went in? However, beautiful leather satchels that look exactly like-the-one-that-I-just-spent-fifty-pounds-on do tend to be a one off and take a lot of dedication to find (or just luck. Damn their luck.) Therefore, if you really are looking specifically for a leather satchel, I'd say charity shops aren't always the best way to go about it. 

However, recently I was introduced to the serious bargains that can be found by second hand 'interior' shopping when I was re-organising my room (something that I seem to do a lot...) and was looking for some pretty storage pots/jars. Normally I would have headed straight for the highstreet but it just happened that I was walking passed the local community centre shop and I thought I'd take a peep. And lo and behold, I was presented with some li'l gems! After some sifting, I picked out this lovely glass jar and bowl for a grand total of £1.20. I mean really, how could I say no?? I then glanced through the window of a second hand shop just up the road and this adorable little glass bird stared straight back at me. I'd been looking for a small pot or dish to keep my day to day jewellery in when I was asleep, so you can imagine how chuffed I was when I found my own Li'l Sparrow to keep guard for me. (The shopkeeper had labelled it a robin but I say it's cleeaarly a sparrow...)

Glass Jar: Charity Shop (75p)

Glass Bowl: Charity Shop (45p)

Glass Bird Pot: Second Hand Shop (£4)

So, I'm aware that I'm now doing precisely what I just said really annoys me, but my point is that there are some items that are far easier to find when looking in charity shops. Glassware is a classic category that is almost always in abundance (please notice my almost) and will always look in good condition (I mean, you can hardly sell broken glass can you?) In the future if I'm looking for any other li'l extras for my room, and especially if I haven't got my mind set on anything in particular, I will definitely be heading straight for the charity shops before I lose all my cash by hitting the highstreet!

I'd be interested to know whether you've managed to find any second hand gems recently? What are your favourite items to go shopping in the charity shops for?

Essie x

A week of sun, sea and many a cheeky cocktail

Now, if you aren't managing to get away at all this summer and are feeling a bit bitter then I promise I won't be offended if you stop reading right now. I just thought that as I haven't shut up about my holiday excitement recently, I would share a little with you all now that I'm back. If you are getting away, or are feeling smug because you've actually had the amazing weather without the empty bank account (I mean, who's feeling rather proud of the British weather right now?) then I really hope that you enjoy, and I seriously apologise for the gushing that is about to commence...

So, Rob and I just spent a really wonderful week at the beautiful Savoy Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh. Due to it being the hight of their summer (and perhaps a few other reasons too...) the place felt almost deserted when we first arrived, which meant that there wasn't a single brutal fight for the best sunbed in sight. It was bliss! 

The temperature flitted around 36 degrees all week, which sounds really hot but it was kept feeling perfect by a lovely (and thankfully relentless) sea breeze. We spent almost every day lying on the beach, swimming in the sea and drinking reeeally tasty banana milkshakes, which definitely have to be up there in my top ten favourite drinks of all time. Each evening we would head to one of the restaurants in the hotel or in the square just outside before cracking out the cocktails at the hotel's bar. I think that Rob's main amusement was probably watching my determined and energetic attempts to play table tennis and pool, neither of which I'd say are my strongest talents... although I'm convinced that I got better after a couple of cocktails!

We did manage one day out on a boat to the coral reefs around Tiran Island. We saw two ships that had been wrecked on the reef in the eighties, which were really awful to see but also quite amazing. As well as snorkelling in two different places, both Rob and I went diving, which was something that we had been really excited about. It was incredible! I mean, I know it sounds silly but there are SO many fish down there!! Sadly there are no photos of us diving as you had to buy them along with the a video that cost a fortune, but you'll have to take my word for it. Stunning!

The lovely view from our terrace

So there you are. Sorry for being a tad picture heavy but I hope you enjoyed taking a little peak into our glorious week in the sun. Right, that's it, I promise I'll stop talking about holiday now...

...oh but holiday, I miss you alreadyyy!
 
Essie x

If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

I am obsessed with smock dresses at the moment. I saw this on asos when I was looking for a dress for my brother's wedding and, although it is so wrong for any kind of wedding, I cheekily bought it anyway because I lurrve it. Asos have a fab collection at the moment so I'd say that if you fancy a smock, it's the place to look :)

Dress: Asos / Shoes: Old Kew / Necklace: Not on the Highstreet / Sunglasses: Old Topshop (similar here) / Nails: 'Rainy Day' from Topshop

Because this dress has a really comfy, oversized style (believe it or not I'm actually wearing an XS here), I feel a bit like a small child when I'm wearing it and want to run around bare foot with my limbs flying all over the place (thankfully for everyone, I restrained myself).  I've gone for quite subtle accessories here but I'm also looking forwards to wearing it with sandles and and a chunky necklace when I'm away, and hopefully it will look much better with a tan too. Oo and maybe a floppy hat...? Oh dear, you'll be able to spot the Brit a mile off!

Essie x

My bikini buys

As I start to think about packing for holiday, (I haven't quite got round to actually packing yet, but surely thinking about it is a good start...?) I thought that I'd do a quick post to show you my new bikinis. I would love to write about how I went for purely monochrome swimwear because I think that it creates a great contrast with their typically tropical environment, but that would just be a lie. The truth is that I came home after a li'l session in London, took a look at what I had bought and realised that it was all black, white and grey. Whoopsie! To be fair, this was before the weather had picked up so maybe that had an influence on me? Anyhow, that aside I'm actually very happy with what I ended up with and can't wait to test them out in Egypt (two days eeeek!!)

Grey Bikini Top: H&M (£12.99) / Grey Bikini Bottoms: H&M (£7.99) / Black Bikini Top: Topshop (£13) / Striped Bikini Bottoms: Topshop (£12)

As you can see, I'm a big fan of structured bikini tops. I think that swimwear is very much an each to their own situation but I prefer a bikini top to give me a bit of shape and still make me feel 'safe', if you know what I mean :) They're also great for minimum tan lines as they stay put when you undo the halterneck straps and, as they're 'bra-shaped', your tan lines should never be visible once you're fully dressed. I bought the Topshop set separately and it came to £25. I love a mismatched bikini and I've also already got some black Primark bottoms that I could wear with the top, so in a way I got two bikinis for one! I wasn't as keen on the colour of the H&M set (although keener on the price as it was £17.98), but the shape is so lovely and flattering that I was totally swayed once I tried it on, and grey's hardly offensive is it?

What do you like to wear around the poolside? Do you stick with bikinis or would you rather a swimsuit? I'm always so tempted by swimsuits and think that high waisted bikini bottoms are gorgeous but I get worried about strange tan lines. I'd love to hear what you think :)

Essie x