Tag: Winter

Partywear Investments – 3 Festive Looks

This content has been produced for advertising purposes in collaboration with French Connection

When transitioning into the festive season, I often tend to find my overall style moving more towards a dressier vibe. I find myself re-kindling my love for black and whilst this may seem an obvious and somewhat safe choice of ‘colour’ for the winter season, I see it as the perfect way to play around with laying whilst styling together a mixture of different textures at the same time.

This is my favourite season to dress for, and I play dress up with my outfits on an almost daily basis. I’m quite often going from daytime meetings, straight to evening events and so I love putting together looks that can easily take me from day to night too.

French Connection has such a strong collection of beautifully designed partywear pieces and I feel they have really ticked all the boxes this season with a diverse and standout selection. I wanted to put together some partywear looks to share with you that really highlighted this, and showcased the rage of their new collection, whilst still being very much me. Like I said, I really do love playing dress up over the festive season. For me it’s all about having fun, experimenting and playing with textures, and oh my does French Connection have some gorgeous textures in this collection. From faux fur, to sequins, this really is a winter collection that has it all…

With that in mind, the Northern Quarter made the perfect backdrop to shoot the pieces from this collection, as French Connection as a brand has a strong creative background, with great craftsmanship and quality going into each of their designs. It ties in perfectly with the area of the Northern Quarter, as so many creative businesses have previously inhabited the space. It has also become a hub for the fashion conscious, who not only want to look good but invest in quality when it comes to their garments too.

Something A Little Different

When heading out for festivities during winter, there’s sometimes that fine line between wanting to get your glad rags on in order to be the belle of the ball, and wanting nothing more than to head out wearing the cosiest piece of knitwear that you can find in your wardrobe…apparently French Connection have decided you can do both this season, and I’ll tell you what, I’m all for it!

Now I’m no stranger to French Connection’s knitwear, I practically lived in one of their jumper’s last winter and let me tell you, they really do know how to make a cosy pullover. Something I’ve noticed that French Connection does very well time and time again, is a standout knitwear piece. I love the attention to detail that’s put into designing these types of items, from wonderfully embellished sleeves, to in this case, a decadent mesh skirt. The mesh panel is meant to be floor length, however as I’m 5’9, this comes up slightly shorter on me but I still love the way it looks, and it creates such a wonderful silhouette when given movement.

I decided to do a little bit of layering with this look, so I went for these velvet skinny jeans underneath. I feel the two pieces complement each other very well and I love the mixture of textures with the mesh panel and satin hemline of the jumper flowing over the velvet trousers. Not only do the two pieces combined look great, but of course it provides you with another layer of warmth too, which is always an added bonus at this time of year.

I felt a heeled boot finished off this look perfectly. I love this pair as they provide just enough height to elevate an outfit, yet they are still practical and comfortable enough to walk in. They are certainly the type of boots that you can wear from day to night with ease.
For the bag I thought a pop of metallic would work really well. This structured faux croc silver bag is one of those ultimate partywear bags that will go with a multitude of outfits. I prove this point as you’ll see it also works perfectly with the next two looks…

Velvet Jeans | Knit Dress | Silver Bag

Something Effortlessly Simple

This next outfit is one of those ones that I can easily see myself wearing from day to night when I have no time to go home and change in between, yet I still want to look effortlessly glam.

I was first drawn towards this wrap jacket, with it’s gorgeous jacquard print. Each festive season, I always find myself fitting some form of tailoring into my partywear collection. I feel a good blazer/jacket can instantly dress up any look and give it more of an evening vibe. I love the quality and fit of this French Connection piece, with its robust fabric and chic yet effortless wrap design, it’s one of those pieces that you could easily have in your wardrobe for years and pull out winter after winter.

For this outfit I made use of the velvet skinny jeans once again.They are such a comfortable pair of trousers and yet the fact that they are velvet instantly makes them look party worthy. Again, I teamed these with the boots as I feel the two work perfectly together and also do wonders at elongating the legs.

The buttoned-up shirt gives the look a slight masculine edge, whilst this gorgeous faux fur cuffed cardigan adds the finishing touch. I’m a little bit in love with this cardigan and whilst again it’s another cosy piece, it also looks effortlessly luxurious and unashamedly glamorous too!

Velvet Jeans | Shirt |
Wrap Jacket | Faux Fur Cuff Cardigan | Silver Bag

Something To Sparkle

No festive, partywear look book would be complete without at least one standout glitzy piece. French Connection actually have more than a few to catch your eye this season, but the one in particular that took my fancy was this beautifully embellished sequin number. This dress is the showstopper, the one to dance the night away in and likely still find yourself wearing it the morning after. It’s the ultimate party dress and one that will make you feel a million dollars (or pounds).

Again this is another beautifully designed piece with a modern take on the classic sequin party dress. It’s a dress that needs little to no accessorising, and so I’ve simply let the dress do all the talking with this look by pairing it with black heels and the (I told you so!) versatile silver party bag.

Sequin Dress | Silver Bag

So there we have it, a selection of looks for the party season, with something for every vibe and occasion. Now I just can’t wait to begin the festivities!

FC Link

December 3, 2018
Lifestyle Changes & A Wardrobe Update

This post is sponsored by hush

Over the past few months there have been more than a few significant changes in my life. I guess you could say I’ve really grabbed the bull by its horns this year and took a leap in more ways than one. I’ve mentioned several of those changes here on my blog, a few of which I rounded up in this post here. I definitely feel like I’ve made it my mission this year to challenge myself to do a lot of the things I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time.

Most recently Damien and I have gone on a bit (actually a lot) of a fitness journey. We’re currently working with a PT and it’s changed our whole perspective when it comes to health and fitness. Whilst this has been a whole new challenge for us, it’s one that I’m loving and I think it’s definitely changed our fitness habits for the better.

Spending a lot more time working out has made me really appreciate comfortable dressing. In reality, it’s nothing new, I always like there to be an element of practicality and comfort in most of my outfits (because feeling good is intertwined with looking good IMO). I guess now however I’m really embracing coooommfortable clothes, and by that I mean I’ve actually been investing in sportswear and things to wear to and from the gym as well. In the past I’d continually wear the same gym gear on repeat (between washing of course!) and for me sweatpants were strictly confined to the comfort of home.

More recently however I’ve really felt the need for comfortable laid back outfits such as this one, especially on days when I’m heading to the gym and want to comfortably layer up. So of course I was super keen when hush wanted to work with me to style up some of their ‘grown up sportswear’. They have some absolutely gorgeous pieces in for autumn/winter and I got all the comfy cosy feels just eyeing up their lookbook.

What I love about pieces like these is that they’re so easily interchangeable with your everyday wardrobe. For example, if you don’t want your look to be too relaxed, then swap out the sweatpants for your favourite pair of denim and you instantly have a slightly smarter, yet still very comfy outfit. Or equally for days when you want all the comfy layers, you can throw your cosiest hoody into the mix and you’ve got your own little portable cocoon of snugness.

Speaking of snugness, this jumper is so cosy and snuggly that I’ve not stopped wearing it (I’m actually even wearing it now FYI). I can tell we’ve moved into autumn because I’m now already living in knitwear and it’s great to have such a versatile piece which I can wear with a multitude of outfits.

I’m also really loving this bomber jacket. As I mentioned, I’ve been spending a lot more time at the gym, which has included many 5:20am wake ups to head to our PT sessions of a morning (I know, we must be mad). This jacket has become my go to when I’m heading out on those super early mornings, the main reason being that the faux fur lining makes me feel like I’m wrapping myself in a cosy blanket. This definitely helps when your body is telling you that you should still be wrapped up in bed, so anything to help create that illusion certainly helps. Again this is another great versatile piece that I’ll be able to wear day to day throughout autumn/winter too.

Overall I’m embracing the clothes that work with my lifestyle right now. Sometimes you need to update your wardrobe accordingly, and I am more than happy to be incorporating more cocoon worthy pieces into my wardrobe as we move into the new season.

Samio x

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Trainers – here | Cotton Tee – here | Stripped Joggers – here | Nana Jumper – here | Bomber Jacket – here

September 27, 2018
How To Stay Focused and Get Stuff Done

I’ve mentioned before that I am a huge procrastinator and it whilst it’s something I’ve had to learn to deal with over time, I’m also aware that it’s a trait I may never fully get rid of and so instead of letting it take over my productivity completely, it’s something I’ve learnt to manage over the years. I’d definitely say it helps to focus on one thing at a time and these are some things that help me when it comes to staying focused and getting stuff done…

Keep Your Area Tidy

If the thing you’re trying to get done is clean, then you’re basically already doing the task by doing this…but anyway, I’m definitely in agreement with the saying that ‘a tidy space equals a tidy mind’. Clutter can easily pile up, be it at your desk or in your home and often this can be a big distraction. I know if my area isn’t clean/tidy my focus will be drawn to the task of tidying up and it will get in the way of me solely focusing on something else.

Put Your Phone On Airplane Mode

I don’t know about you but for me one of my biggest distractions when it comes to getting things done, is my phone. I’ll find myself checking my emails, replying to friends messages and having a quick scroll through Instagram…I’ll basically find myself doing anything which doesn’t involve the task in hand. Even when you’re not actually on your phone, it’s easy for it can still be trying to grab your attention. I learnt a long time ago to turn app notifications off but I’ll still find myself at the beck and call to emails, phone calls and text messages.

The best thing to do when you’re trying to stay focused is to simply turn your phone onto airplane mode. If it so happens that the task at hand is replying to emails (oh how they can quickly pile up), then do it on your laptop or desktop if possible, close all tabs and have just that page open so you can focus on the task.

Set Yourself A Timer

This tip flows on from the previously one as I feel the two go hand in hand. Whilst checking out from the online world for a time can be great at eliminating a lot of distractions, it can also be somewhat daunting for us internet reliant folk. So give yourself a light at the end of the tunnel and set a timer. There’s no point torturing yourself, if you feel your attention span to stay 100% focused will only last 20 minutes, then set your timer for 20 minutes. After that time you can give yourself a five minute break. Maybe you really do need to check those emails. Do it, then get back to work. You might work like this in 20 minute time blocks with five minute breaks in-between and before you know it you’ve actually had a solid hours worth of focus.

Keep Hydrated

Whatever you’re doing, be it cleaning the house, sitting down to write, or replying to that overwhelming backlog of emails, make sure you keep that brain focused by hydrating it. I always drink plenty of water throughout the day and the times that I don’t get enough of it, I find myself losing focus on tasks very quickly.

Aside from the boring water talk (sorry for sounding like your Mum), it can also be nice just to have a cup of tea to hand (if you drink tea). For me it’s a bit of a ritual. I make a cup of tea and I sit down to work. It can also be a great way to stretch your legs during those ‘beaks’ you give yourself and it can work as a nice little treat. I’m currently eyeing up an empty cup and I know that once I’ve finished this I’ll be making myself a nice hot cup of tea. Like they say, it’s the little things.

So there you have it. Those are just a few things that I like to do to stay focused and get stuff done. Do you have any tips for getting stuff done?

Boots – Finery | Shirt Dress – Finery (similar here) | Stripe Top – Weekday (similar here) | Jacket – Topshop | Bag – All Saints

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January 29, 2018
How I’m Incorporating Spring Pieces Into My Wardrobe Early

Oh winter weather how I am so over you. I think it’s nice before Christmas and all, you get a bit of snow and everyone is off their heads with excitement ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ and all that…Then January comes along, it seems to get even colder and I am well and truly, completely, over it. Such a positive note to start a blog post on, but who is with me here?

It’s not often I feel obliged to focus an entire blog post solely on the subject of clothes these days (as we know I like to chat about other things on my brain and rather share my outfits in the photos) but it’s actually something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

I really do think the way you dress can affect your mood and whilst I’m mostly a happy person, I’ve began to feel a bit ‘meh’ about my current outfits of late. Whilst a winter wardrobe can be exciting, there’s only so many times I can go out in the same roll neck and jeans combination before I become utterly unenthused about it. Now this of course is partially my own fault. Whilst the winter wardrobe can become repetitive due to having to opt for those ‘go to’ layers, I also don’t think I’ve helped myself by mostly opting for a selection of muted tones and very safe pieces. Don’t get me wrong, I like my muted tones and easy re-stylers, those are my staples which I will of course pull out year after year but I am now feeling more than ready to inject some colour back into my wardrobe.

Not only am I looking to bring more colour back into my wardrobe but I also want to mix things up with my style a little bit too. I recently did a video all about this, where I planned my style for spring/summer and it actually got me excited about my outfits once again. I however am impatient. I want to wear my spring pieces and I want to wear them now. So that’s exactly what I am going to do.

I got this fabulous polka dot skirt from Finery in the sale recently and as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it. It adds a little bit more fun to my look whilst still being a very ‘me’ piece. I’ve always had a thing for polka dots and it’s a pattern that my wardrobe has seen plenty of throughout the years. I feel a print like this is so versatile and will easily see you right through from winter to spring.

I’ve missed wearing skirts and dresses and I love how a midi skirt like this is actually a great alternative to jeans when you’ve started to feel a bit ‘same-y’ and want to mix things up a bit. From the biker jacket to the boots, these are the usual pieces that I’d wear day to day with jeans, but by swapping out the jeans for a flowing skirt, it gives the outfit a completely different look.

But what about the cold? I hear you say. Well don’t worry, your girl has got you covered, quite literally, because I am all about the layering. You probably already spotted the leggings here in this outfit combo, although I think if you have some knee or thigh high boots, this could also work fabulously, as I’m just sort of faking that look here. And what if one layer of leggings isn’t enough to keep you toasty? Then add a pair of tights underneath those, heck, add a pair of jeans whilst you’re at it too. Who knows what else is underneath there, that’s the beauty of a skirt…and on that note, let’s end this here.

That’s a lot of outfit talk from me for one post but if you couldn’t tell I am very excited for spring/summer and all of the fabulous outfit combinations it will bring with it. Until then, plan ahead, have fun and remember, layering is your best friend! Have you started thinking about your spring/summer outfits yet? Are you impatient like me?

Samio x

Boots – M&S (similar here) | Leggings – M&S | Skirt – Finery (same style here in pink) | Roll Neck – similar here | Biker Jacket – Topshop | Bag – Pinko (similar style here)

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January 24, 2018
Five Things #5 – Creating a Routine and Keeping Up With Content

Welcome back to another instalment of my Five Things series here on my blog and actually my first of 2018. If you didn’t know, this is basically just a post where I chat about five things as they pop into my head, so here goes…

One

I feel like I’m off to a good start this year. January is often a bit of weird one, it’s half filled with motivation and a fresh outlook and half filled with January blues and a desire to emigrate to somewhere with a warmer climate. I’m happy to say that I seem to have beat the January blues this year and whilst I still wouldn’t mind some slightly warmer weather right now, I’m still quite content and feeling really motivated whilst keeping busy with work.

Two

I’m feeling much more work focused this year. I feel like each year sort of falls into a personal theme. For me, last year’s theme was definitely that of travel, exploration and having fun, and whilst this year I still definitely want to enjoy myself (self confessed hedonist over here), I also want to priorities my blog and work a lot more. I’m feeling focused and organised which is a good way to start.

Three

One thing I’m really enjoying right now is my routine. Being self employed it’s often hard to to stick to a particular routine and you have to create your own kind of structure. I think I’m finding this slightly easier right now as it’s January. The party season is behind us and I haven’t had to venture too far for work just yet. So right now I’ve been able to create a routine for myself and I’m actually really enjoying it, not to mention it’s doing wonders for my productivity levels. Of course I know as we move further into the year, this is bound to change and be disrupted, as travel plans arise, events occur and the social calendar hots up once again. For the time being however, I’m fulling making the most out of it and I’m massively appreciating the early nights, productive work days and party-free weekends.

Four

I’m making more of an effort to keep up with my content over Winter this year. Usually my blog posts become somewhat sporadic over the Winter months and style related posts become less frequent. This is of course due to the awful weather we tend to get here in the UK over Winter. This year though I’m making no excuses. As you’ll know if you follow me on Instagram, I’ve got into the habit of shooting self portraits, which is something I’m really enjoying right now. Along with that I’m making more effort to shoot outdoors too, no matter how cold it is. Sharing my day to day outfits is something I miss and so I’m making a concious effort to start doing more of it again.

Five

I met up with Rosie last week and between catching up over coffee and lunch, we managed to take some shots for our blogs (you can check out Rosie’s blog here). At the time I really wasn’t in the mood to shoot my outfit but in the end I’m glad we did because like I said, I have missed snapping and sharing my day to day looks here on my blog. I think I just need to remember that even when I’m not quite in the mood to shoot (especially when it’s cold), I should always just get on with it because I’ll thank myself later.

Coat – Asos | Roll Neck – (similar here) | Cardigan – James Lakeland | Jeans – Asos | Boots – Office (similar here) | Bag – All Saints

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January 15, 2018
3 Mottos To Live By In 2018

We each have our own individual things that we want to achieve and focus on this year, be it wanting to save, reaching those work goals, or working on our own happiness. Whatever your focus, it’s always good to have a little reminder or prompt to go to in order to help keep you on track. That’s where mottos come in handy, you know, those cheesy little lines that we tell ourselves to give ourselves a boost of motivation.

Maybe you don’t have a motto, maybe you already have several that you like to remind yourself of frequently. I myself have drifted in and out of having my own mottos over the years but more recently, I’ve found myself thinking of certain mottos in my head and often they have given me that little motivational push when I’ve needed it most. So in this post I’m sharing three mottos that I intend to live by this year…

It’s okay to think it over but don’t overthink it

This is one of my own quotes that I actually came up with last year, or the year before (I can’t quite remember when). Whilst I agree it’s wise to think something over before going ahead with it, there’s a point when you need to draw a line and make a clear decision, to avoid overthinking it.

It’s funny, I can decide to book a trip, with not much thought or planning, yet I can find myself overthinking something as simple as what I write in an email. This year I aim to put a cap on my overthinking. I’m going to give things a second thought where a second thought is due but I’m going to try and worry less and not overthink things that really don’t need overthinking…So if you’re like me, then this might be a good one to add to your mottos too!

Your dreams don’t work unless you do

I couldn’t do this post without having a really cheesy one in there and admittedly this is one of the most overused, cliché quotes out there. But when it comes down to it, it’s actually a pretty good motto to live by.

Now in terms of dreams I’m talking about things that are existent or within our own realms of possibility. No matter how hard you work, it’s unlikely you’ll end up living on the moon, not in this lifetime at least (if that’s your bag anyway). But the realistic goals we want to achieve and the things we want to do in life, are things that we can work at/or towards, a little bit each day.

I like this motto because it’s simple, to the point and it’s great for someone like me who is a self confessed procrastinator. I almost picture me giving myself a lecture as I’m saying it, ‘girl, stop wasting time, come on, you’re dreams don’t work unless you do’. So maybe this cheesy motto isn’t such a bad one after all.

Jeans – River Island | Jumper – Warehouse (similar here) | Coat – Asos | Scarf – Mint Velvet

Do not strive for perfection. Strive for consistency

This next motto in some ways flows on from the last, in the way that it once again relates to working towards goals. This is another one of my own motto creations and if you watched my most recent YouTube video about how to achieve your 2018 goals, you will have already heard me mention this one.

Firstly, as we all know, perfection is something impossible to strive for, because in reality it doesn’t exist. The problem however, is that many of us quite frequently dismiss this, myself included. For example, if your aim for this year is to eat healthily, by putting pressure on yourself to constantly eat a restrictive ‘ideal’ diet, it’s more likely that you’ll eventually fall off the bandwagon and slip back into old habits. Whereas if you plan to consistently eat well and make better choices but with less pressure to ‘be perfect’ all the time, then it’s something that you’ll likely find easier to maintain and in the long run you’ll actually see the difference and feel the results from.

For me striving for consistency over perfection is something I need to apply more with my work. As a creative (and I’m sure many will be able to relate), it’s easy to have thoughts that our work or what we produce isn’t good enough at times, or that it needs to be better and the reality is that the more we create and share, the more we are able to improve and grow. Improvement comes with practice and time. Whilst things may not be how you want them to be right away, keep at it and in the long run you’ll develop and growth.

So those are three mottos that I’ll be trying to live by this year. They are just friendly reminders to myself to worry less, work hard and be consistent. Maybe some of these were relevant to you, or maybe it even inspired you to think of some mottos of your own. Are you into mottos? If so what’s a motto that you like to try and live by?

Samio x

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January 10, 2018
Things That Scared Me That I’m Glad I Did

It’s funny how some of the best things in life can come from taking a leap, diving into the unknown and doing something that ultimately scares the crap out of you. I’ve had my fair share of these moments in my life and I’m pretty sure there’ll be many more to come but for today’s post I’ve whittled it down to a few…

That First Date That Turned Out To Be The One

I still remember walking up to Damien’s car when he came to pick me up on our first date. The reflection on the windscreen obstructed my view and oh my was I nervous – would I still fancy the guy I was about to get into the car with? Having only met the evening before on a night out, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been more than a bit tipsy that evening. Sure I’d fancied him then but did my drinking goggles elude me? I had no way to be sure, this was before the days of easily accessible social media profiles, no prior stalking had been done. I didn’t really know much about him and so of course my mind raced a little…what would we talk about? Would we have stuff in common? Would we enjoy each other’s company? Would we still fancy each other? Would there be a spark?

I got into the car and it was instantly clarified that yes, I definitely did fancy him and once we got chatting I found we did have things to talk about and that yes, there was a spark. Now don’t worry, I’m not about to make you do a mini sick and tell you that it was love at second (sober) sight and that we lived happily ever after…but we did pretty much hit it off right away. Once we started dating, that was more or less it and then the rest (as they say) was history. So don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the full soppy love story today but that’s how things started and how basically something that initially had me shit scared, turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life and I’m so glad I went on that first date (n’aaaaawww). Okay enough of that.

Boots – Asos (similar here) | Skirt – Topshop (similar here) | Jumper – Asos (similar here) | Coat – Mint Velvet (similar here) | Bag – All Saints

Going To Live In Barcelona For A Month

‘Wait, what!? How is getting to spend a month in one of the coolest European cities, scary?’ I hear you say…Well, let me divulge…I remember being on a modelling job in Majorca when I got an email from my agency manager saying that an agency in Barcelona was interested in me and if I’d like to go over and model there for the summer, once I returned from my shoot in Majorca.

I’d been to Barcelona before, so I already knew I loved the city, however I’d be lying if I said going there for an indefinite amount of time and living in a model apartment with people I’d never met, didn’t leave me feeling a little aprehensive. I love to travel but I also like my home comforts and some of the stories I’d heard about model apartments in the past had been a little more than off putting. I also thought about missing Damien but luckily we’ve never been the type of couple who need to be attached at the hip 24/7 (and I always think it’s important to also do your own thing, even when in a relationship). In the end I decided to just go for it, because if you don’t try something, you never know right?

It turned out to be one of the best times of my life. Initially I was going for two weeks but as I started to get optioned for jobs, my stay extended. I’m not going to lie, on my first day I thought I’d made the wrong decision and this was the real moment of ‘fear’ for me. Attempting to navigate the city whilst trying to make it to a load of castings, whilst also being put in a room with a girl who couldn’t speak English, all on the first day, was a little overwhelming. But quickly after, myself and the girls in my apartment all settled in together. My room mate and I soon learnt to communicate in our own way and she was actually the best roomie I could of asked for, not only that but the girls we shared the flat with were great too.

It was so much fun getting to know and spending time with people from different parts of the world with completely different backgrounds to my own and we quickly developed friendships that made it feel like we’d been friends for years. I also got booked on two really fun commercials whilst I was there, one of which took me to Madrid to shoot. So all round it was a pretty incredible experience, it took me out of my comfort zone, I had so much fun and I made some great friendships in the process.

Buying A House

I’ve always enjoyed my freedom and for a long time I saw buying a house as something that epitomised the opposite to that. I enjoy to travel, I enjoy going out (quite a lot) and I enjoy being able to do as I please to put it quite simply. In my head buying a house threatened to put an end to all of that because it just sounded so…grown up!

I hadn’t ever imagined buying a house in my early 20’s and I’ll be honest, it was Damien’s idea before it was mine. Initially to me the idea was scary, it was adulating on a whole other level and I was just about getting my head around how to do my tax returns (seriously that is the biggest bane of my adult life).

It wasn’t until the apartment we were going to rent fell through (due to the landlord deciding to sell it instead), that I started to think about things differently. Although we continued to look for somewhere else to rent, the seed had already been planted and the idea of owning our own place had began to grow in my mind. Suddenly something that had initially scared me, quickly became something that filled me with excitement, not only that but it started to make far more sense too.

Don’t get me wrong, buying a house isn’t easy. Finding a house in the location you want, within your budget is a hard enough task alone, and then we decided to add to that stress by buying a house that needed completely refurbishing (biggest project of our lives). But I honestly couldn’t be happier with our decision. It’s certainly not stopped us living life and I travel more now than I ever did before, so if my past self could have seen into the future it would have definitely made her change her mind sooner.

So that’s it, that’s just a little bit of insight into a few moments in my life that scared me but then turned out to be things I’m really glad I did. On reflection, I realise that many of these moments have shaped my relationships, who I am and where I am today. Further still, I’ve come to realise that what’s actually scarier than when I took on these experiences in the first place, is the thought of what things would be like now if I’d never had them at all…

What’s something that initially scared you but in the end you were really glad you did?

Samio x

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November 30, 2017
Moments From The Weekend

Boots – M&S | Jeans – Asos | Roll Neck – Asos (similar here) | Faux Fur Coat – Storm & Marie | Bag – Kate Spade (similar here) | Watch – Thomas Sabo | Bee Necklace – French Connection | Belt – Dr Martens

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A Saturday Vibe

At the moment I’m enjoying my weekends more than ever. Being self employed it’s sometimes hard to strike balance between when the working week starts and ends because let’s face it, for a lot of self employed folk, it never really does. When modelling was solely my full time job, I found it easier to get to Friday and go into full weekend mode but now that blogging and creating content is a job for me too, I constantly find myself thinking about ideas and what my next piece of content will be.

A good thing about what I do in the realm of blogging, is that all aspects of life can inspire me and sometimes I do love utilising my weekends to think up ideas and create new content.

At the moment I’m really enjoying capturing my shots more candidly. Most of the outfits I share here on my blog are things that I was actually wearing on that particular day, however I often tend to shoot quite statically, which doesn’t give as much of a vibe of my overall day. Obviously depending on who I’m with or what I’m doing, it’s not always possible to shoot this way but I really like this style of capturing different moments from my day to not only show what I was wearing but what I got up to whilst wearing that outfit too.

Last Saturday was one of those really good, not overly planned days. I headed out with Damien and other than having a meal booked in for the afternoon, we didn’t have any particular plans and so we decided to wonder around town and go for a few drinks.

For our meal we went to Mr Cooper’s in The Midland Hotel and had a delicious three course meal. I had the calamari to start and it was some of the best calamari I’ve had in Manchester for a while. Damien went for chicken wings and then for our mains, I went for the snapper and Damien went for the steak. We both really enjoyed our mains and then for our desserts we shared chocolate salted caramel slice and elderberry pavlova. All three courses were really good.

After our meal we met up with our friend Cameron and after a few drinks a couple more friends joined us and before we knew it we were dancing the night away. Impromptu nights out like that are my favourite and all in all, it was a pretty perfect Saturday, creating content, spending time with Damien, catching up with friends and having fun.

Samio x

November 23, 2017
The Party Wear Challenge

Prepping For The Season

The party season is definitely one of my favourite times of the year. Aside from the weather getting considerably colder and the urge to hibernate being somewhat tempting at times, I can say that the one thing that does get me in the mood to head out during the colder season is the excuse to get dressed up and get into party mode.

If you’re a regular to my blog you’ll know I love finding good quality pieces that I can get plenty of wear out of and the same goes when I’m shopping for party wear too. Right now there is an extra big delivery of party wear pieces in store and online at TK Maxx, so when TK Maxx set the challenge for myself and a friend to head in store to find party wear outfits for under £100 each, I was excited to see what we could find.

My friend L’Oréal and I always seem to have super busy social calendars at this time of year, which is great for us because it just means more excuses to go out and have fun together but it also means that there’s often a lot of ‘what to wear’ moments. Luckily TK Maxx has something for everyone and they also have an amazing range of designer party wear at up to 60% less than the RRP, so when we headed in store we were spoilt for choice.

We each picked our outfits from a variety of ranges in store. I love the Gold Label section for finding great value designer items but to be honest if you take the time to look around anywhere in store you’re bound to find something you love. Whilst browsing through the trouser section I came across these fabulous velvet trousers. I seem to have developed a thing for flares and velvet at the moment, so velvet flares obviously make the perfect combination for me. I absolutely love the fit and as they are stretchy, they are really comfortable too. No doubt these will be my go to trousers of the season.

The faux fur coat instantly caught my attention whilst browsing through the Gold Label section as it’s such a gorgeous yet practical piece for when heading on nights out. And I am in love with this beautiful silk collarless shirt that I got online from tkmaxx.com. It’s such an effortless yet chic item and of course it’s really versatile so I’ll be able to wear it with a number of different looks too.

My favourite piece in L’Oréal’s outfit is this gorgeous black black blazer with a navy collar (you know I love a good blazer). She also found some amazing thigh high boots whilst looking for shoes and I love how she’s mixed tailoring with this white tassel skirt to create a smart yet sassy look.

Between the two of us we found such a good mix of party wear both in store and online and I love how we both found some great quality pieces and for such great value too. You’ll no doubt be seeing me rocking these pieces a lot over the party season, especially that fab furry coat! I’m looking forward to creating lots more night out outfit combos with these party pieces and you’ll likely see more of those coming up over on my Instagram @samiorenelda. And if you don’t already, you can also follow TK Maxx on Instagram @TKMaxx or become a TK Maxx fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tkmaxx.

Samio x

*This post was sponsored by TK Maxx

October 26, 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

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