Tag: Manchester

Two New Additions & A Spring Wardrobe Update

Ready For Something New

Through January and February I managed to purchase only one new item of clothing and that was a much needed, very practical, padded coat for my trips to Hamburg and Oslo. I guess you can say that purchase was more out of necessity than being an actual style choice, but I was definitely glad of it when I was out in below minus temperatures.

Whilst I had been quite happy with my wardrobe over winter, living mostly in a selection of roll necks and go to layers, I’ve been feeling rather eager to have a bit of a wardrobe update recently, ready for Spring/Summer.

Now you’ll know I’m not often one to jump on trends, longevity and wearability are always factors I take into account when acquiring new pieces. However I’ve been wanting to inject a bit of ‘fun’ into my wardrobe lately, as I feel I’ve exhausted my outfit combos over the winter period and have been feeling a desire for something new.

When Pinko reached out to me asking if I’d like to pick out a few pieces, it was perfect timing. When I spotted this new Pinko Love bag in their SS17 collection, it was just the sort of thing I’d been looking for. It’s fun and a bit out there, whilst still fitting in with my colour palette of muted tones. Most importantly I knew it would go well with denim, which means I can wear it with about 90% of my wardrobe.

You’ll likely be seeing a lot more of this bag in my future outfit posts as you know I like to wear things to death, plus it says ‘Love Me Tender’ on the side, which is very fitting considering I’m a big Elvis fan! I think I’ve made it clear that I love this bag (no pun intended). It’s trashy and fabulous at the same time, whilst still being very me and it’s nice to add a new piece to my wardrobe that I feel excited about.

The second new addition is this jacket which is also from Pinko. I love a good denim jacket and the fact that last summer I wore my black one almost everyday meant that I knew I’d get plenty of wear out of this one as it begins to warm up. I also love that the jacket is in this oatmeal shade, which I think is a nice contrast to my blue denim jeans and I think makes a great combination.

Now I’m on the look out for a few tops to add to my wardrobe, as I feel a decent selection of light weight spring/summer T-shirt and tops is what I’m seriously lacking at the moment and this grey Asos T-shirt you see here gets worn A LOT. I’d also like to incorporate a couple of dresses into the mix this coming summer, as although I’m sure my love for jeans will never die, I’m keen to change things up and bare some leg as the weather hots up too.

All in all I’m very excited for the change in seasons. Lighter mornings, longer days, milder weather and lighter layers, what’s not to look forward to!

Samio x

Jacket – Pinko | T-shirt – Asos | Jeans – Asos | Boots – Topshop | Bag – Pinko

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March 16, 2017
Prioritising Time

Photography by Rosie Butcher

The Struggles Of A Procrastinator

I just watched a Ted Talk on How To Gain Control Of Your Free Time. It came at the most appropriate point as I’d planned to get to work on a blog post straight after it. Needless to say, it has sparked some inspiration for the topic of this post, as well as given me a much needed kick up the bum when it comes to thinking about working on my own time management.

I’ve always been somewhat of a procrastinator, if I’m honest. I can often become idle, working on meaningless tasks for long periods of times, or simply find myself not working at all, when I have more important things that I really wish to focus on.

I always say that you’ll prioritise what’s important to you, but my problem is often that I don’t. It’s easy to make excuses and say that we don’t have enough time but as that recent Ted Talk rightly highlighted, it’s usually just that we aren’t prioritising the time that we have in order to do the things that we would like.

The women from the Ted Talk uses a great example about prioritising time, she says ‘I could tell you I don’t have time to dust my blinds but that’s not true, if you offered to pay me $100,000 to go dust my blinds, I would get to it pretty quickly.’ Aside from the fact that I actually do dust my blinds (erm, what did I say about procrastination earlier), although she makes her point in a jokey manner, it’s still very much a clear one. We always have room to make some time for those things that are important to us, we just need to make them a priority.

Are you a fellow procrastinator or are you good at prioritising time for all the important things?

Samio x

Coat – Asos (similar here) | Roll Neck – F&F (similar here) | Jeans – Asos | Bag – All Saints | Boots -Asos (similar here)

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February 10, 2017
Personal Shopping & A Festive Party Outfit

On Tuesday I was invited into Manchester Arndale’s TopShop store for my first ever Personal Shopping Experience and my quest was to find a festive party wear outfit. As part of the personal shopping experience I had the luxury of my own private changing room and my personal shopper, Hannah, was on hand to show me all the jazziest and new in party wear pieces, which definitely took the hassle out of the shopping experience.

Topshop really do have a party wear look for every occasion and so I was spoilt for choice. You know I like my understated outfits but this time, rather than play it safe, I really wanted to jazz things up a little for the festive season. So whilst sticking to a quite simple base outfit, I decided to go for something a bit different by glamming up the look with a very bold (yet might I add fabulous), emerald green leopard print faux fur coat. I don’t think you can get much jazzier than that!

The coat was a piece that Hannah had actually picked out and it had been hung on my rail when I arrived at my appointment. Had I of seen the coat whilst browsing around in store, I admit I probably would have walked straight past it with my bikers on in search for something simpler, but as Hannah presented it to me styled with a selection of outfits, I instantly took a shine to it. I began to see a number of styling opportunities with the coat piece, both dressy and casual, and so before I knew it I was swanning around my changing room in it, quickly deciding that I had to have it!

Another piece in my outfit that I absolutely feel for were these fabulous boots. Ahhh, look at them. I’d actually spotted them earlier whilst browsing around in store and after I mentioned them to Hannah, she kindly went and grabbed them for me in my size and brought them to my changing room. Not only did they fit perfectly (and look amazing) but they actually felt really comfortable too, which I think is quite important when heading out to party!

No party wear look of mine could be complete without a bit of lipstick and yes I was enticed by Topshop’s amazing beauty selection. I had to stop myself from going for five different lipstick shades and managed to narrow it down to just one. I went for a beautiful brown shade called Muse and then I spotted their beautiful Chameleon Glow eye shadows. Just when I thought I didn’t need another eyeshadow in my life, one jumped out at me that was like nothing else I owned. It was the shade called Shuffle The Cards and it has a beautiful rose gold two tone effect that I instantly fell in love with.

I left my personal shopping appointment feeling my shopping trip had been a success. It’s not often I go into a store and am able to find a full outfit I love all in one place. The best part about the Topshop Personal Shopping is that it’s completely complimentary! So if you’re in need of a wardrobe revamp or just a quick fashion fix, it’s the perfect place to go to get style advice and help you shop with ease. I’d definitely recommend it and it’s available in selected flagship stores, you can book an appointment here and if you’re planning to book in Manchester I definitely recommend Hannah Twist who was my personal shopper on the day.

Also, if you are Manchester based, then you should check out the Get Party Ready weekend, which is taking place on the 17th and 18th December in Manchester Arndale’s Topshop store. Customers who spend £40 in store that weekend will be eligible to receive a complimentary express gel manicure, mini party makeover! Th

Samio x

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This post was sponsored by Topshop, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

December 15, 2016
A Life Update & Some New Jeans

Welcome Back

It’s been well over a month since I last shared an outfit post here on my blog and whilst things have been pretty quite over here lately, behind the scenes things have been quite the opposite. After a bit of a lull I feel I’m finally back in my creative zone.

Whilst I haven’t been very active here, if you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel you’ll see I’ve been sticking to my schedule over there at least. I’ve really gotten back into it lately and I’m continuing to feel inspired to keep making new and creative content. As well as working on my own stuff I’ve also been busy creating content for some really cool brands and it’s been so much fun to take on new challenges as work takes me down new and exciting routes. Along with that, modelling work, birthday celebrations, events and continued house renovations I’ve been keeping pretty busy…But, I don’t plan on neglecting my blog for too much longer (she says for the 100th time). If you’re familiar with my space over here, you’ll notice it’s had a little bit of a revamp and long overdue too. I couldn’t spend all that time doing up our house and not give my little blog some T.L.C too…

So here it is. The new and improved samio.co.uk – I hope you like it! I could waffle on about all the things you can expect to come from me over here in the new year but I expect much of the same and more…and hopefully I’ll get back to being a little more consistent too!

Onto The Outfit Post

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Anyway, enough with the rambling life updates. You’ll see I’ve traded in my well loved and used Whistles tote bag with a little black All Saints number. I’ve had it for around two months now and I have to say that I love it. It’s my new everyday bag, so expect to be seeing this one alongside lots more outfits to come.

The jeans are new, sort of. Yep, you may have spotted I’ve gone for a pair of Farleigh jeans AGAIN, this time in a lighter stonewash. Now I have three different (the same) pairs of jeans that I can wear on repeat. I do tend to live in my Fairleigh slim fit mom jeans as you may already know.

And the shoes…I featured these in an Autumn Asos haul over on my YouTube, as I was updating my wardrobe for autumn with a few much needed essentials. These boots made it onto the keep pile and you guessed it, I’ve been wearing them a lot. They are also really comfortable to walk around in.

That’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed this somewhat rambling life update/outfit post and don’t forget to check back again soon. I plan not to leave it so long next time!

Samio x

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December 14, 2016
Not So Summery, Summer Days

Hello August, you came around fast! Is it just me or are the months actually flying by? So much so that we’ve approached the last full month of summer and I’m yet to buy any summer clothes…What is all that about!?

Clearing out my wardrobe did give me the opportunity to retrieve ‘lost’, barely worn summer type pieces, like this long, white, sleeveless roll neck from Free People, however I’m still yet to wear an actual summer dress this season!

Jeans have been my go to this summer, as bar the few super sunny days that we have had, the UK has been a bit of a let down weather wise. I guess I can’t complain, as overall the weather here hasn’t been horrendous, it just hasn’t been consistently amazing either, which is something I should be used to by now.

I guess you can’t go wrong with denim though and when you opt for a light blue shade of denim, like with these Topshop skinny jeans, it instantly gives a more summery vibe to your outfit…Teamed with these faux suede heeled sandals from Asos, I think I’ve found the perfect combination for those not so summery, summer days.

Jeans – Topshop (similar here) | Top – Free People (similar here) | Bag – Matt & Nat | Heels – Asos

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Samio x

August 1, 2016
Practice, Perseverance and Pursuing Your Art

Inspiration can come in many forms; It can come in words we hear or read, music we listen to, imagery we see or even people we meet. I feel lucky to have friends who regularly inspire new thoughts and ideas in me but I also love meeting new people who I can share different creative ideas with and feel newly inspired by.

Onyi is someone I met recently at a blogger event and after hearing about her photography, I was instantly inspired by her passion to work hard at improving her skill in something she loves. We instantly got on and on Sunday after meeting for the third time, Onyi took some snaps of me in what I was wearing and effortlessly captured the vibe of how I was feeling that day; Relaxed and happy.

We chatted a lot about our creative goals on Sunday and one thing I think that we both agreed on is that whichever creative outlet you decide to pursue, it takes time, effort, patience and persistence in order to improve at it and get to where you want to be… I think Onyi’s work (just check out her Instagram, her self portraits are amazing!) is a great example of how time spent working on something your passionate about can pay off.

All too often we can envision the end result of where we want to be but forget about the hard work and practice it takes in between, in order to get there. If you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall or a creative slump, keep going. Create anything until you start create something. Often we are our own worst critics and if you don’t continue to try and work at it, you’ll never know what could come of your hard work and effort…and remember what they say, “practice makes perfect”.

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Check out Onyi’s blog here and Youtube here.

Samio x

July 27, 2016
Dressing Up The Basics

I mentioned in a recent post how I’d ‘fallen out of love with shopping’ in the typical sense (as in acquiring new pieces impulsively) and since strategically downsizing my wardrobe, I wasn’t joking when I said I’ve taken things back to basics. My wardrobe now consists of a selection of basics that I find easy to mix, match and style, whilst being comfortable to wear, even when dressing up.

You’ll see me wearing these black skinny Topshop jeans on repeat and I’ve already mentioned my love affair with these mules from Clarks…

There are a few pieces that I have kept in my wardrobe however, that don’t seem as obviously wearable, like this white double breasted blazer for instance. This is one of the pieces that had been neglected in my previously over stuffed wardrobe and now that I’m down to only a few jackets, this is the one that I tend to go for when I want to dress up my outfit slightly and I’m pleased to say that recently I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of it. I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect black blazer, which is proving slightly more difficult than I had imagined (tall girl problems) but there’s no rush, as for now this white one is serving me well during the summer.

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I wore this outfit the other week to the opening of the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, where I’d kindly been invited along to preview the exhibition with a private tour. It was a fabulous event and the exhibition is great, as those of you who already saw it in London will know. So if you’re in Manchester I definitely recommend that you check the exhibition out, it’s free and it’s on until the end of October.

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Samio x

July 4, 2016
Black Biker Jacket & Skinny Jeans

The older I get, the more I realise that it’s some of the simplest things that make me the happiest, like spending time with loved ones and enjoying every good moment (however small), or on this particular occasion, having an afternoon with a couple of my besties whilst chatting away over cups of tea and coffee…

The sun was shining for once in Manchester (or there were blue skies at least) and although maybe a little premature, I decided to brave it with a slightly less layered outfit, having only my faux fur scarf for added warmth. I have to admit, it was a little breezy on the ankles wearing cropped skinnies and my favourite Clarks loafers but it felt nice to get out of boots and opt for something a little different. I can now confirm that spring isn’t here just yet and it may not quite be time to ditch the layers but the blue skies are certainly getting me excited for longer days and milder months. Yes to more daylight!

Samio x

February 10, 2016
Burrito Party Challenge at Revolución de Cuba

Revolución De Cuba in Manchester is a restaurant and bar I know all too well. I’ve enjoyed many a meal in there, sipped on numerous cocktails and partied the night away there – on several occasions… It’s a place I’ve often gone to enjoy good food, some really good cocktails and they often have a live band playing which always crates a great atmosphere. This occasion was no exception and this time I was invited along with a few fellow bloggers to take part in a burrito and mojito masterclass and challenge.

On arrival we were welcomed with Cuba Libres and nibbles and it wasn’t long before chef Jaymi was giving us our burrito making masterclass…

Of course being a chef, Jaymi made it look so easy and for most people it probably actually is, however for me, the challenge proved all too much and as you can see, my burrito didn’t quite turn out how I had hoped.

It’s probably no surprise that I didn’t win the burrito challenge, however looks can be deceiving and my burrito actually tasted rather good (if I do say so myself).

Emma’s creation (left) is an example of how a burrito should look and mine is, let’s just say, a unique creation.

After a few more cocktails it was time for the mojito making masterclass and challenge. This time we were expertly shown how to make two types of mojito – a classic and a Cuban. Then it was our turn to get behind the bar and have a go at doing it ourselves. The challenge was to see who could make a mojito in the quietest amount of time.

I decided I’d mix it up a little by making a passion fruit mojito. My time was 1:10 but unfortunately I was beat, with the quickest time being 55seconds. My passion fruit mojito was pretty tasty though – I know what I’ll be making on the weekend.

After our burrito and mojito masterclass and challenges had finished, a few of us hung around to enjoy some more cocktails. I decided to try something different and go for a pineapple and chilli flavoured mojito and it was really good!

Overall the evening was really good fun. I’d be love to go back and do this or something similar again with friends, as it makes a change to your average evening eating or drinking out and it would be perfect for a birthday or special occasion with a group of pals.

Have you ever tried a cocktail/food masterclass or something similar?

Samio x

July 30, 2015
The Vintage Kilo Sale

On Saturday I was invited along to the Vintage Kilo Sale, it’s a vintage fair that’s held all around the country and this time it was in Manchester. The difference between this vintage fair and most others, is that you pay by weight and each kilo costs £15, which generally speaking, seems to make it cheaper than most vintage fairs.

I was given a complementary kilo and after being handed my plastic bag to fill, I hit the rails to see what vintage gems I could find.

I have to admit, for me personally, I didn’t find it the easiest shopping experience. If you’re like me and feel like you’re being too rude to shove your way to the front, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on the best pieces. However if you’re a pro sale shopper or the type of person who likes to rummage for a bargain, then this could be the right kind of fair for you. Of course, as all the garments are vintage, it means that each piece is one off, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. So when you see a gem, there’s no hesitation, you’ve got to grab it!

I did manage to grab a few garments once I got into the swing of things and although there was a designated area to try items on, I decided to just get them and then see what they were like once at home.

The lovely Jenessa (manager of The Vintage Kilo) and I.

I got this check dress which is cute for summer. It’s a little big on me but luckily the waist tie means I can pull it in to fit a little better.

This skirt was my favourite item out of those I picked up. I love polka dots, so of course I as drawn to the print. It’s a tiny bit big but I plan on taking it in at the wait slightly for a better fit.

I also got a pair of black and white cropped trousers (which I forgot to photograph) but these are unfortunately also a bit on the big size. I’m undecided yet if they can be pulled off wearing them with a waist belt, as I do really like the vintage high waisted look of them, so it would be cool if I can wear them still.

Next time I’d probably be sure to get there a little earlier and for those who plan on going, I’d say it’s probably worth paying the small bit extra to get the early bird ticket so that you can get in there first and nab the best pieces.

Have you ever been to a vintage fair like the Vintage Kilo Sale?

Samio x

May 11, 2015

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