Tag: Asos

Live Simple, Dream Big, Give Love, Laugh More

This is my first blog post in just over a week, I think this has been the longest amount of time I’ve not blogged for in a while. It’s funny that I now see a week as a long time to not have blogged, seeing as when I first began blogging my posting was somewhat sporadic but what can I say, since the start of this year, I now have the blogging bug. Anyway, sometimes life gets in the way or even the words just don’t quite flow and I go into a bit of a ‘bloggers block’, especially when I feel like in have lots of other things on my mind. Last week I spent a couple of days in London, which might also have something to do with it and although I’m down there again this week, this time I plan to be more organised with my blogging schedule…

Anyway, onto the focal words of this post: Live Simple, Dream Big, Give Love, Laugh More – Four simple hashtags on my t-shirt. I spotted this top in H&M and although it’s not the usual style of Tee that I go for, I really liked the fitted, slightly cropped style and decided to purchase it. Also I think the hashtags are some pretty good points to live by.

#Live Simple
This is always something I have often struggled with, what can I say, I’m a consumer, I want more, I buy more. I enjoy acquiring ‘stuff’ and even when I go away for just a week I struggle to fit all my ‘essentials’ into one decent sized case. However to ‘live simple’ is something I have been trying to do more in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t see me giving up my home and living out of a backpack anytime soon but I’ve learnt that certain extravagances don’t always bring you happiness and sometimes (just sometimes), the simple things are the best.

#Dream Big
I’m the biggest dreamer, some may even say, ‘too much of a dreamer’. I often need to remind myself to put my plans into action instead of just dreaming about them but over the years I’ve got better at that and I’d say to anyone else, why limit yourself. If you have dreams, chase them.

#Give Love
Never were there wiser words. Without sounding all hippie dippy, if we all just gave a bit more love (not just to those we know), the world would be a much better place. Enough said.

#Laugh More
Laughing is infections, it makes you smile, it makes other people smile and most importantly, it makes people happy (unless your laugh is the start of a manic breakdown instead of actual happiness of course), so when you can, do it more. Don’t take life too seriously, enjoy the moment and surround yourself with those who bring you joy.

What I wore:
T-Shirt – H&M
Jeans – Gap
Belt – Primark
Shades – Vintage Christian Dior
Backpack – H&M
Shoes – Asos (old)

So I hope you all have a fabulous week and remember some of those hashtags as you go about your day.

Samio x

April 20, 2015
The Blue Floral Print Coat & Dinner at Solita

I think I need another month of not eating meat as since going back to my carnivorous ways, I’ve not stopped eating burgers. With so many great burger joints in Manchester though, it’s often rather hard to resist. On Friday I met up with the boyfriend after work and after going for a few drinks around The Northern Quarter, we ended up in Solita for a meal.

It was my first time at Solita, so I wanted to try as much as I could by getting starters and mains (any excuse). To start we went for the Buffalo Wings and the Deep Fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls to share. The wings of course were splendid and the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls were delicious, I only wished there were more of them.

For the main, Damien went for the Catalan burger; Consisting of grilled chorizo, roasted red peppers, pepperjack cheese, roasted tomato aioli, nicely presented with a padron pepper skewer. I went for the Manc-Hattan burger; Consisting of pastrami, melted Lancashire cheese, fried black pudding, Lancashire sauce and Coney Island mustard. Both were served with skinny fries and we went halfs on our burgers (because I really wanted to try Damien’s Cajun burger). I loved both burgers but my favourite was the Manc-Hattan burger. I would rate it high up there on the burger scale in terms of creativeness and taste. We washed our meals down, with red wine for me and a beer for Damien. The staff were friendly and attentive and the food was delicious, so I’m sure I will be back again soon.

What I wore:
Coat/Jacket – Lavish Alice (Last Season)
Tank Top – Primark – In Store Now
Bracelets & Necklace – Primark – In Store Now
Earrings – Topshop
Black Skinny Jans – ASOS
Bag – Zara (old)
Shoes – Urban Outfitters (old)

Samio x

March 23, 2015
The White Backpack

I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love Zara bags (and of course Zara in general). They always seem to do such well made handbags, that I often find are sturdy and last a long time in terms of faux leather bags, not to mentions the designs are always super cute too. This backpack was no exception and after being on the lookout for a new gym bag, then spotting this appropriately sized backpack, I just had to purchase it.

So I don’t know what me, one of the clumsiest people ever is doing purchasing a white bag but like I said, I just could not resist and as I’m a lover of the whole monochrome look, I’m quite pleased of how well it goes with my black attire.

As handy as it is for carrying round my gym kit, I’m sure I’ll also get plenty of use out of this for overnight trips too as it’s the perfect size. I just love it.

Backpack – Zara
Roll neck top – New Look
Necklace – Primark
Jeans – Asos

Samio x

March 17, 2015
Fred Perry Polo Shirt & Polka Dots

On Friday I met up with my friend Dale and we headed for lunch before I helped him spend some money clothes shopping (my speciality). For lunch we had planned on burgers but after a last minute change of plan we opted for Zizzi. I went for the Pulled Pork Rustica pizza while Dale opted for a calzone. As delicious as our dishes sounded and looked, we were both pretty disappointed with our meals. There was nothing wrong with them as such, we just found that they were both pretty bland for our pallets. I’d only been to Zizi once prior to this occasion and had gone for the calzone containing meatballs, which I think I enjoyed. I guess it was just a case of wrong choice for both of us on this occasion.

To make up for our failed lunch however, we later headed to the Northern Quarter for some tea and cake and both opted for a slice of carrot cake each and traditional English tea. I can’t remember the name of the cafe we went in but it’s on Oldham Street right next to Afflecks Palace and I walk past it all the time but this is the first time I popped in. Anyway, it cost only £3.50 for a tea and a slice of cake, which is pretty good and the carrot cake was really tasty too.

Later we saw street style blogger The Mancorialist and got a few snaps. I’ve been photographed by The Mancorialist a number of times and always like the cool and quirky street style shots. You can check out The Mancorialist here.

Here’s a shot of Dale captured by The Mancorialist.

What I wore:
Polo shirt – Fred Perry
Skirt – Asos (last summer)
Shoes – Office

Samio x

March 4, 2015
1940’s Style

Yesterday the boyfriend and I had another day off together and so we spent it doing what we do best, shopping, eating and drinking. Well maybe the shopping part is what I do best but the eating and drinking is definitely a joint effort as we are both big foodies and also partial to the odd cocktail… Or five.

Shopping turned out to be more successful for my boyfriend than it did for me, however I did manage to purchase a big cosy scarf and my second pair of winter boots, which I love!

I wore this vintage dress that I’ve had for about a year but never actually worn until yesterday. I’d bought the dress off eBay and it is slightly on the large size, (probably the reason I’d never previously got round to wearing it). Thanks to the large waist belt (which also came with the dress) I was able to really nip it in at the wait and also roll up the sleeves to give the dress a more fitted look. I decided to team the dress with a faux fur shrug I’ve had for a while from Asos and together it gave it gave the outfit a kind of 1940s look, although the dress is most likely from the 80s.

The afternoon soon crept in and so we sampled a couple of yummy cocktails at the Botanist before heading to Evuna in The Northern Quater, for a late lunch of tapas.

After lunch we went to Hard Rock Cafe for more tasty cocktails, starting with milkshake cocktails, me opting for the one with bacon bits on top, which was surprisingly delicious. And after drinking our way into the evening it was then time for dinner, so we decided to go to one of our favourite burger joints, Almost Famous. I went for the Smokey and The Bandit burger and we shared morning after fries and suicide wings. As usual, it did not disappoint.

What I Wore:
Dress & Belt – Vintage (80’s)
Fur shrug – Asos
Shoes – River Island
Bag – Zara

Samio x

October 9, 2014
Faux Fur Coat Weather

Today I purchased my first pair of boots for the winter and it was also the first time I was able to wear my new faux fur coat. Yes, it looks like Autumn is finally here.

My boyfriend and I had the full day together and after a long relaxing lunch we headed to the shops and joined the rush of people all hunting for winter clothes. For a Monday I was surprised how busy the shops were but I guess everyone had the same idea and winter wardrobe shopping was on most people’s agenda.

I bought this grey Vero Moda faux fur coat a few weeks ago off Asos. Always one for a bargain I managed to nab this one in the sale before my size sold out. I like to be prepared, so I was glad I had this snug coat to hand today when the cold weather set in. I’m still on the look out for another winter coat though, as although I love faux fur, it’s not always the most practical.

Speaking of bargains, I got this mock croc patent bag last week in the sale from Urban Outfitters. I love it and it’s the perfect size for on the go when I just need to carry the essentials.

These patent loafers are also a new purchase from F&F. That’s the second supermarket brand item I’ve bought in a month, this time from Tesco. They are really comfy, I love the colour and at only £15 they were a complete bargain too.

What I Wore:
Coat: Vero Moda
Top: H&M
Jeans: Topshop
Loafers: F&F at Tesco
Bag: Urban Outfitters

Lunch was delicious. We went to Rosylee Tea Rooms and enjoyed a tasty three course lunch. I opted for the baked crab to start, the wild rabbit for main (with a side of chips of course) and the dark chocolate tart for dessert. Each course was gorgeous but I have to say that the dessert was an especially scrumptious treat, each mouthful was heaven! It certainly kept us going for the rest of the day, although I could have easily gone for a nap after it.

Samio x

October 6, 2014
You Don’t Fool Me – Biker Jacket and Tee

On Saturday I took a trip to The Trafford Center. I’d gone with my boyfriend just to have a browse and grab some lunch but obviously, me being me, a ‘browse’ soon turned into a mini shopping spree as I ended up purchasing several new items. All the autumn winter collections are in the shops now, so I couldn’t help but getting sucked in by all the shiny new items and wanting to fill my wardrobe with autumn ready looks.

I’d been looking for a new handbag for a while and as I’ve mentioned previously, Zara is usually the place I go when I want a good shopper/tote style bag. Zara’s handbags are usually good quality and value and so they are perfect for me as I like to swap and change my bag quite often. I spotted this large brown handbag in Zara and thought it would be the perfect size (for those days when I need to carry round my life in a bag), I also really liked the colour and for £29.99 I couldn’t complain.

Keeping with the colour scheme, whilst in The Trafford Centre, I also purchased these chunky T-bar shoes which I found in River Island. They caught my eye because of the colour but then the deal was sealed when I saw the price as they were £20 down from £35. As well as the fact that the shoes were a similar tone to my newly purchased bag, I’d also wanted something similar for a while, in a colour that wan’t black. So the shoes were a perfect find.

The T-shirt I purchased the other week from H&M and the jacket I bought off Asos. I’ve been wanting to wear this jacket for a while now and although I finally got round to wearing it today, I still don’t think I was weather ready. This biker jacket is actually super thick, so it’s going to be great for some of those chilly autumn days. However as for today (once again), I think I misjudged the English weather slightly as the sun decided to show it’s face and it was actually rather warm.

What I Wore:
Biker Jacket – Asos
T-shirt – H&M
Jeans – Gap
Bag – Zara
Shoes – River Island
Necklace – H&M

Samio x

September 8, 2014
Girl In The Red Coat

It’s only eight days until Christmas Day and I can certainly say that I am finally feeling ‘Christmassy’. My presents are wrapped (bar a couple that I’m still waiting to arrive) and I’ve even been getting crafty by creating a few hand made cards. With more festive outings and gatherings ahead, I’m looking forward to getting even more into the spirit of things over the weekend.

At the moment I’ve been living in this coat I bought from Asos. Not only is it a bold yet festive red, which I love, but it also keeps me super warm and the faux fur detachable collar is great at keeping me snug, especially on cold winter mornings. Unfortunately I didn’t do a very good job at neatening myself up for these shot and so the coat looks a bit creased and twisted but at least I was warm.

Samio x

December 17, 2013
Jazzing Up The LBD

It seems that the festive season is upon us and so queue the Christmas dos and holiday gatherings. With so many outings to attend and so little time for planning and outfit shopping, I think this month accessories will become my new best friend!

On Tuesday evening I went out for a festive meal and drinks with LBD. I opted for a little black dress (which has been my go to piece as of late). I didn’t have much time to plan an outfit, so it was the easy ‘it will do’ option.

As I feel I have been living in black lately, I decided to dress my outfit up with a bright turquoise necklace. I feel it made all the difference by adding a pop of colour to the look. I finished off my outfit with a pair of 80’s looking sheer black tights and a pair of black Jeffrey Campbell wedges. Not forgetting my Pearls & Lipstick clutch bag, a quirky eye ring and super cute star friendship bracelet off LBD.

What I wore:
Dress – Asos
Tights – Primark
Heels – Jeffrey Campbell
Clutch Bag – Pearls & Lipstick
Ring – eBay
Friendship bracelet – H&M
Necklace – H&M

Samio x

December 12, 2013