My Summer Fashion Wishlist

I don't know about you lovely readers, but I am so ready for the sun to come back! As much as I love winter and the showers in spring, it is May tomorrow and I think it's about time we had some (lasting) sunshine!

Saying that, I do need to upgrade my summer wardrobe; I feel like I have nothing (although I probably, more than likely do!) Myself and Coddy are planning a trip to Meadowhall, in Sheffield, very soon and *hopefully*, by then, I will have some pennies left to spend... but just in case, I have found lovely pieces of clothing online which are on my wishlist. 

Raffi Asymmetric Jersey Skirt -
£14.99, Missguided

I have been dying for an asymmetric skirt for months now; I think they are a bit more dressy than your average skirt but still casual enough to wear in the daytime with a nice, summery top. Coral is the perfect summer colour and is great for the neon trend... and £14.99 - bargain!

Disco trousers - £70, American Apparel at ASOS

 These are slightly expensive, but for me, they are ideal for a last minute night out when you need a quick but chic outfit - and look incredibly sexy for date night! Until I can get these, I am upcycling my old wetlook leggings which do the trick just fine! They would also last through to the winter season too and can be dressed down with a chunky-knit jumper, now where to find that £70...

Cream Boxy Slub knit top - £19.99, New Look

 I saw a similar top to this in the New Look store in Grimsby a while back; it is so easy to throw on with jeans on a lazy day or shorts for a cool, casual look. I think a simple, cream vest top would look just as nice as well as a splash of colour like in the image above.

White & mint chiffon blouse - £25, Lavish Alice
(Please excuse the arrows on the pic!)

Oh Lavish Alice, where have you been all my life? Their site is full of pretty, on trend pieces - and all at great prices too! This ticks all the boxes; contrasting pastel colours, light and floaty fabric, dress down or dress up! The collar is really feminine and is just that little bit different to the usual Peter Pan collars, which I really like.

Tanya sleeveless floral crepe de chine playsuit -
£25, boohoo.com

Adorable! I must admit, I haven't always been a fan of playsuits but there has been some lovely designs about! I loved this one which I bought a couple of months ago but unfortunately it didn't suit my body shape, but I saw this one on boohoo.com and now it has made my way onto my wishlist! 

Sequin Flash in coral leather women's smart sandals -
£64.99, Clarks

 

Shoes, shoes, shoes - it has been a while! Clarks as a brand has really grown over recent years from nunty to real high-street contenders - and with the likes of Mary Portas on board, it is easy to see why! These are from Clarks' 'Urban Safari' range and look incredibly yet very fashionable! Again, these would be great for the neon trend and would brighten up any outfit. One of my favourite wedges I think!

Lisabeth - £18, Linzi Shoes

 

Linzi shoes may be my new favourite shoe brand! They have some fab shoe boots and I absolutely love these sandals - not too plain, not too fussy, full of colour but yet still wearable with practically anything! And for £18, it won't matter if you completely wear them out!

And finally...

Navy chiffon cross bust maxi dress -
£46,  LOVE

Not your average seasonal outfit but you may have the opportunity to go to an event, and my special occasion this summer will be one of my best friends' wedding! I love the colour navy and this asymmetrical dress is like a dream! I have some beautiful rose gold heeled sandals waiting in their box; I'm very excited!

P.S: All of the images in this post have been sourced from the retailers' websites.

My Pinteresting Fortnight (7)

Well, what a miserable fortnight it has been! Weather-wise I mean; rain, wind, an odd bit of thunder (which I actually don't mind as long as I'm at home and ready to get comfy!) I really hope the sunshine comes back soon! And when it does - and stays - I am ready for a good summer season clothes shop... in the meantime, I've been admiring some lovely little bits on Pinterest! Here's a few pins...

I really, really would like a summer outfit similar to the pin above, I just need to get a good tan on my legs first! I like how laid back it looks thanks to the baggy t-shirt, but still very girly and summery at the same time. And I'd love to perfect the waterfall braid, although I know it would take a good few attempts. 

Just like many people at this time of year, I am dreaming of summer holidays and getting away for a few days. One of my most favourite places that I have been is Rome and I really would love to go back. The pin below, which is on my 'Favourite Places and Spaces' board is of the Trevi Fountain; I first saw this on our first night in the city - it was so beautiful lit up! I'd definitely recommend going to see it at night; it was so much quieter than during the day.

As always, I have been drooling over the sweet, chocolatey goodness in the Food & Drink section of Pinterst, and my own 'Delicious Foods' board has loads of dessert ideas that I need to try.

Of course, I am still on my fitness plan and I have been so good with chocolate (apart from Saturday night when I had a big bag of Maltesters!) In the week, I saw this 'Daily Workout Plan' so as of tomorrow (Monday), I am going to be adding this to my fitness routine. 

I can spend absolutely ages on Pinterest, laughing at the random comedy pins; this one has to be a favourite purely because it incorporates both the brilliant 'Mean Girls' and my future husband Leonardo Dicaprio... perfect!

I have also been going through old posts on my blog to update my TLCI boards; they looks a bit bare at the minute but I will be adding more images very soon...

P.S: If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest, please feel free! My account can be found here!

My (slightly naughty) fruit smoothie

Last night I was faced with a dilemma... I didn't have any chocolate! Instead of going to the shop (or asking @ultimatecoddy to go for me!), I had a bit of a brainwave and decided to make myself a fruit smoothie but with a liiiiittle bit of naughtiness...

I used the basic recipe from the Activia TLC Plan (which I did back in January) but I had to amend it slightly. On Thursday, I bought bananas, strawberries and raspberries from the market, which I can not rave about enough - these pieces of fruit, salad vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes and onions came to just £6, yes £6! Unfortunately they didn't have any blueberries so I couldn't include these in my smoothie (obviously!)

For one serving, start by chopping up a couple of strawberries, just over half a banana and a handful of raspberries.

Put them into a jug and add the strawberry pouring yoghurt... then blitz! This is the stage where I added a little bit of milk too.

And that is your smoothie done - simples! Now for the naughtiness...

Pour a bit of double cream into a bowl and whisk! (Note: it may take a while if you use a standard whisk like, me - and prepare for your arm to ache!)

Finally, pour it into a glass, add the whipped cream and serve!

A quick, easy, delicious snack... and healthy too! (Minus the cream, of course.)

One for the Gleeks: One to go...

I have had so much fun over the past few months writing these 'OFTG' posts, looking back at all the genius quotes from different characters, and I am actually feeling a little sad that this series of posts is coming to an end!

As I said many moons ago, the scripting of 'Glee' is one of my favourite parts of the show and I really have enjoyed researching the best one-liners, but sadly there can only be so many characters in a show and so this will be my last quote-based post. This week, I will be taking a look at the few-but-sweet offerings from Coach Beiste, Blaine Anderson and Becky Jackson!

Image sourced from here.

Image sourced from here.

Becky: Give me some chocolate or I will cut you.

Beiste: Do not get up in The Panther's business, lady. You're all coffee and no omelette.

Blaine: Roxy music makes me want to build a time machine just so I can go back to the 70's and give Bryan Ferry a high five.
  
Becky: I, Becky Faye Jackson, am the hottest bitch at McKinley High School. I'm not only co-captain of the Cheerios!, I'm president of the Perfect Attendance Club and I've won a participation award in rhythm gymnastics. You may be wondering why I sound like the Queen of England. It's simple: in my mind, I can sound like whomever I want, so lay off, haters. Okay, let's get reals. I could easily snag any dude east of the Mississippi, but I'm extremely picky.
For instance, Rory grins too much. He looks like an insane person.
Is that a mohawk, Puckerman, or did someone glue a squirrel to your head? No Chang do. I'm no rice queen.
Now that's more like it: sweet, sexy and handi-capable like me, with a voice as velvety as my favorite Sunday church dress. It's decided: Artie Abrams, you're my new boyfriend.

Beiste: You crap on my leg, I'll cut it off.

Becky: What about toast? Bread's already been baked. I don't get why you need to cook it again.

Beiste: Early's late if you make tomorrow yesterday.

Image sourced from here.

Kurt: I'm just wondering, have you ever had the urge just to rip off each other's clothes and, get dirty?
Blaine: Er, yeah, but that's why they invented masturbation.
Kurt: It's so hot in this room, can we, can we open up a window?
Blaine: Hey, I'm serious! We're young, we're in high school, and yeah, we have urges, but whatever we do I, I wanna make sure that you're comfortable, so that I can be comfortable. And besides, tearing off all of your clothes is sort of a tall order.
Kurt: Because of the layers?
Blaine: Because of the layers.
 
Beiste: That’s a steer with six teats and no oinks. (Makes squealing oink noise!)


P.S: I still have one post to go, and although it isn't going to be quotes, it's going to be a good one... get your hairbrush 'microphones' ready!

P.P.S: Quotes sourced from here, here, here, here and here!

Wardrobe Peek: A laid back Sunday

Sometimes you just need a jeans and t-shirt day, and with the weather being as temperamental as it was, Sunday was one of those days. To get out the house for a little bit, myself and @ultimatecoddy went for a quick walk around the park and this is what I wore.

Cardigan: Primark, T-Shirt: Truffle Shuffle, Jeans: New Look,  Boots: Jonathan James

If you love all things 80s and 90s, then you need to take a look at Truffle Shuffle. I am a big fan of The Goonies and so Coddy bought this top for me for Christmas from the site - I absolutely love it! When I looked out of the window, it would be dull and windy one second and bright sunshine the next, so I just teamed the top with this plain black cardigan which I got from Primark; a wardrobe essential. My skinny jeans are from New Look and my military-style boots were cheap as chips from Jonathan James - perfect for a day when the weather doesn't really know what it is doing!

Bring on the burn!

Waaayyy back in December/January time, I started receiving press releases at work about a new product in the fitness market that enables women to drop dress sizes four times more quickly than normal without using pills, extreme dieting or starving yourself... enter HotPants!

Being a girl who always wouldn't mind losing a few pounds and toning up a bit (as I eat far too much chocolate than I should!), I was intrigued as to what this product actually was. HotPants by Zaggora are a garment you wear for exercising and they increase your body's natural temperature by 18% more than what an ordinary item of workout clothing would, meaning you use more energy and therefore burn calories more quickly. The result is a weight loss which is four times greater than normal... sounds simply brilliant, doesn't it?! Well, this is what their website says anyway, and it is backed up from testing on women at physiology laboratories; you can see more information about it here.

Over the past month, I have been lazier than what I should have been due to being poorly - zumba just hasn't been the same and I haven't been able to go running - and so I have been feeling a bit sluggish. BUT I am feeling a lot better now and I am ready for a good workout. I ordered my very own pair of HotPants - the capri flares to be exact - to get myself motivated. These are the three-quarter length trousers but there are also shorts and flares (full length leggings) available; the thought of shedding a few pounds faster than usual in a completely natural way was highly appealing - how has this not been invented before?!

To be perfectly honest, I didn't do too much research into this product before buying which is silly, I know - I just saw the figures and was sold! So I didn't really know what to expect when they arrived... And boy, was I surprised! It turns out these fitness pants are actually thick, really thick, so much so that they resemble a wetsuit - can't you just smell the sweat now? 

My plan was to wait until I was better so I could establish a fitness plan which would allow me to keep track of the HotPants' results more easily, but I was just too excited to wear them! So, I gave them a go during zumba last week as a trial run just to see what they were like.

I will admit, I did have some concerns; I suffer from eczema and was a little worried about how the heat would affect the skin on my legs (which is where I am mostly affected), but as I found during and after the hour's workout, I had nothing to worry about!

The pants themselves are made with a Celu-Lite technology lining which is incredibly soft and soaks up the sweat which you produce under your HotPants. One of my concerns was how the garment would feel when you do start sweating like a pig as it can be incredibly gross and off-putting, but I found that you couldn't really feel it at all - I kept touching my legs to check I was sweating but all I could feel was heat! After the hour was over, I was told my legs felt like they were on fire but all I could feel was warm; my legs genuinely did not feel irritated in the slightest. It is not until you take them off that you realise just how much you have sweated!

So now that I have given these a trial and am genuinely delighted on first impressions, I am ready to get into a fitness routine:

Monday: Squash

Tuesday: Running

Wednesday: Zumba

Thursday: Night off (usually I go to bingo with Mother!)

Friday:  Zumba for the Wii, Yoga or Pilates

Weekend:  I'll see how it goes....

+ at least 20 sit-ups and each of the six exercises on the Powerspin every day

I will be taking part in the Zaggora two week challenge to see how much weight I can lose in a fortnight. As of today, my measurements are:

Weight: just over 9.5 stone (according to the Wii Fit)

Waist: 36.25 inches

My goal is to lose at least 5lbs over the two weeks and I will attempt to eat better too, i.e. no crisps and no chocolate (apart from on cheat day, Saturday... of course.) I honestly believe you need a little a cheat as a bit of normality to keep you going ... no really, I do!

Let's see how this goes... wish me luck!

Instagram (1)

Yes, I've jumped on the bandwagon! Actually, I've been on the bandwagon for very nearly a year (50 weeks to be exact!), but I just haven't used Instagram like I should have been... and I don't know why because I think it's great! I have posted some pictures occasionally in the past but, from now on, I am going to be Instagramming whenever I can and posting the photos on here every two weeks in between my Pinteresting Fortnight posts!

The below pics are from the past month or so - I hope you like them! 

1. My (well, Coddy's) monkey socks all packed ready for my trip to London on 13th March! 2. When Brandy came to visit!
3. First anniversary! (Sorry for being soppy!) 4. My piece which appeared in the Grimsby Telegraph.

5. The mobile version of The LC Issue 6. My delicious tuna melt baguettes 7. Chicken with a lemon and herb crust with potatoes and salad 8. My blog appearing on the Collections Cosmetics website this week!

9. My Zaggora Hotpants arrived. 10. Homemade cheesy tuna pasta bake with garlic bread. 11. @ultimatecoddy playing on his PS3 - lazyboy chair included! 12. Saturday's thunder and rain from my window.

Next week will be the return of My Pinteresting Fortnight, then I shall post another Instagram blog the following week - don't you just love social media?!

The IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto

A blog's content is something that crops up regularly on #bblogger chats (for obvious reasons, of course!) and what I always say is that good quality editorial content is essential! Don't get me wrong, I love looking at photograph posts and often feel inspired to better my own images, but personally, I like to read blog posts - just like I like to read magazines. This may be because of my occupation, or simply because I am a big mag-oholic - to me, blogs are the next generation of magazines, only with a first person twist!

And just like most bloggers out there, I am always looking for inspiration and trying to come up with new post ideas to keep my blog looking fresh (I hope!) For some, this may mean posting content on behalf of brands. Personally, I do not see a problem with this and am massively, incredibly grateful to the (very, very) few that have approached me in the past, but I honestly think that in order for collaborations between brands and bloggers to work successfully, there needs to be honesty and fairness.

There is no doubt that bloggers are becoming more mainstream and are often involved with the media and brands, and there are a lot of determined people out there who want to make their blog the best it can be and 'play with the big boys' so to speak (including me!). Because this is such a new, innovative movement, I personally am unsure as to what the exact laws and ethics are and actually would really like to find out; I am a bit of a geek when it comes to behind-the-scenes media and find the background info quite interesting!

One of the things I have come across - and I can't believe I haven't before - is the Independent Fashion Bloggers' Fair Compensation Manifesto. To be honest, the compensation part doesn't really affect me, but I completely agree with the IFB's stance on the difference between promotional content and editoral content. If there is one thing I have learnt during my time as a Features Writer, it is that there is a great difference between the two and they should not be confused, the main reason being to not manipulate your readers. And of course, it is only fair that bloggers receive what they deserve should they post any promotional material - I'm all for establishing blogging as a credible medium! This is a great start for anybody, like me, who wants to learn more about the business of blogging.

If you are interested in seeing the Manifesto, click here. The IFB site also has some brilliant tips and advice about many aspects of the blogging field including traffic and moneytising; I joined yesterday and I am so pleased I did. I have yet to have a proper look at the site and their features but I genuinely think it is a great tool for bloggers who want to grow their blog; there is a great sense of community which makes me proud to say that I am a blogger!

This was initially supposed to be a quick post to mention the Manifesto, but it appears I have gone off on one! I just personally feel that this is an exciting field to be in and I want to learn all that I can about it!

Do you have any good advice for bloggers? Or any good website suggestions? 



P.S: I have written this post because I have been inspired by what I have seen, not because I have been asked to (just to clarify!)

One for the Gleeks: Two to go...

I'm afraid this is it lovely readers, we are nearing the end of my OFTG posts! I have just about exhausted quotes from many of the characters but there have been some brilliant gems from characters come and gone, so these final couple of posts will be dedicated to them.

This week, I will be looking at the brilliance that is April Rhodes, trouty-mouth Sam and Lauren Zizes!

Image sourced from here.

April: Alright fellas, grab a gal! Or, grab another fella if that's the way the good lord made ya!

Puck: Dude, your mouth is huge. How many tennis balls can you fit in there?
Sam: I don't know, I've never had any balls in my mouth. Have you?

Lauren: I want to be like a Kardashian. I want a TV show, and a fragrance. It'll be called "Zizes," and the slogan will be "You just got Zized."

Will: Listen, I gotta run. I've got an appointment to show my apartment.
April: What's this now.
Will: Yeah, so... I need to rent out my apartment and find a smaller place to live... uh... because I'm getting a divorce.
April: Divorce! So you're free to date? And by "date," I mean sleep with people, and by "sleep with," I mean have sex with people - people like me! Kidding. Not really.

Sam: (talking about Kurt) He emailed me like 60 MP3s of him singing and I thought he was Faith Hill.

April: Wait... I smell somethin'. I smell a duet comin' on!

Lauren: Mr. Schue, let me be your Britney! 

Image sourced from here.

Lauren: Look at me again and I'll break your nuts, and also the candies you gave me they sucked.
Puck: But you ate all of them.
Lauren: I had to make sure they all sucked.

Santana: Better start working on those abs.
Sam: Are you kidding me? You can cut glass with these babies. I have no problem showing off my body.

April: I haven't had a drink in forty-five minutes!

Lauren: I spell woman Z-I-Z-E-S, and I need to be wooed. You understand me? Wooed.

April: I was so jazzed about sobering up and starting a new life, I had to stop at a bar to get a drink just to calm down.

Sam: Chicken, egg whites, fish (no salmon), oatmeal, brown rice but not after 6pm, no butter or oil, and no soda...
Finn: That’s all you eat?
Sam: Ain’t no carpool lane to sexy
April: Well as I live and breathe! Will Schuester? I just had a sex dream about you!
 
Lauren: If I was a country, my flag would be a big fist giving the rest of the world a finger, and 'I Know What Boys Like' would be my national anthem.

Brittany: I'm super looking foward to seeing Sam in his gold bikini.
Sam: It's gonna be ab-ulous.

Image sourced from here.

April: Excuse me, do you know where a gal can find a pipin' hot cup of Will Schuester?
 
Sam: Who is more rock 'n' roll than Justin Bieber? No one. That's who.

April: You know what I call an afternoon where I get drunk? An afternoon!
 
Sam: Is there a way I could wear some gold board shorts or something? These are really short. I’m afraid I’m going to show off some nuttage.





 P.S: Quotes have been sourced from here, here, here and here!  

Wardrobe Peek: A Friday Night Out

Where I work, we like a good trip to the pub and a drink (or five) on a Friday night every now and then, and this Friday was a special occasion - we were saying goodbye to one of our Graphic Designers! He is moving onto bigger things so we had to wave him off in true Waltons' style, and this is what I wore.

Top: New Look, Belt: New Look, Wet Look Leggings: AX Paris, Boots: Warehouse

Yes, an overload of New Look once again! Retailers really need to start investing in Grimsby a bit more... but then again maybe not as I would be permanently poor... anyway!

I got this top about a year or so ago and I absolutely adore it. I loved it so much that I bought a bigger size because they didn't have mine in! Luckily I can team it with this belt to pull it in a bit; the belt came with a dress I bought from, yes New Look, a couple of years ago and it is just so handy!

I'm dying for a pair of disco pants and as soon as I have a little bit of spare cash I sure am going to treat myself! So in the meantime, I have dug out my old wet look leggings which were from AX Paris within a concession at House of Fraser - I thought I'd out these away for good!

My black ankle boots were an absolute bargain! They are a good two, maybe three, years old and I bought them from the Shoe Studio Young Fashions concession at House of Fraser where I worked at the time. They were in the sale, had big reductions, then I was able to get my staff discount on top - oh how I miss that!

And what I like best about this outfit... I didn't have to spend a penny on it! As much as I love buying new clothes (and don't get to do it as much as I'd like!), it does feel good to find some forgotten gems, and even though some purchases may seem a bit 'unnecessary' at the time, bringing them back out again just proves they were worth the investment! 

My Pinteresting Fortnight (6)

This fortnight on Pinterest, I have definitely been into my fashion pins - clothing, shoes, beauty! I have found some beautiful Art Deco inspired pieces which I have fallen in love with, for example, the beaded All Saints skirt and deco Louboutins below (definitely shoe love!)

I need some disco pants in my life!

I have also become very broody - no, not for a baby, but for a little puppy! I love my Sandy pops to bits and lately I have been missing her; she's 14 now and is truly a little old lady who likes her sleep. When I go home to the parents' house, I can guarantee she'll be on her bed, dreaming about cheese (no doubt!) Luckily, myself and @ultimatecoddy get to have the pleasure of Brandy every now and again, but these adorbable pictures of puppies on Pinterest make me want another little baby! I think it is safe to say I am definitely a dog person...

One of my favourite parts of Pinterest has to be the comedy pins, and the other night I spent absolutely aaaages laughing at two of the below; you HAVE to see the images which were taken at the exact right time as well as the newspaper headlines - simply hilar!

 
And of course, there is the usual chocolate overload; I am determined to make the Nutella Oreo Truffles, and what a great idea for hot chocolate - a chocolate cup! I have a feeling that could get a little bit messy though...

Waaaay back in September, myself and Coddy started to redecorate our flat and got as far as the living room. Now, we have officially decided to revamp our bedroom so I have been spending a bit of time looking at interiors; we have decided to paint our bedroom similarly to the picture below... excited!

A grey and white theme for the bedroom - and the wallpaper art idea!

Pinterest has also been inspiring me to become more crafty, and if I had more spare time and money to buy some bits then I think I definitely would! There really are some fantastic tips about, and without Pinterest, I probably wouldn't have found them!

Finally, a few weeks ago, I started new TLCI boards where I can pin images from this blog; the first pictures onto the TLCI Places board are just a couple from our walk around People's Park in Grimsby - and there are plenty more to be added over the next few weeks!

And that has been it for this fortnight! I am thinking of moving these posts to a Sunday as a nice little round-up at the end of a week... I'll see! I have also decided to use Instagram a lot more - I have used the app literally 60 times since joining 49 weeks ago, I need to step up my game! So be warned, there may be Instagram posts on the way...

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest, you can do so here. Or, if you're on Instagram, you can find me at @lindsaycowie!