Wrist wear loving

When it comes to jewellery I am such a minimalist, and at this moment in time it’s wrist wear and nothing else.

So, today I thought I would share a few of my favourite pieces. The first one is a plait pastel threaded bracelet with rose gold detailing. I got from AliExpress for something silly like 80p, this included free delivery! I really like this bracelet, it has a t-bar style fastening and the colours are just beautiful. It also has a cute, pastel blue tassel on the side, with a gold coin design. LOVE.

My next favourite piece is of course my new Daniel Wellington watch, in St. Mawes. I have had this for almost a month now and have worn it near enough, every single day. I just love the way it looks, so classy yet stylish. The leather strap is high quality and the winner for me was the rose gold watch face. I find gold looks a little harsh on me so the rose gold option was totally welcome. Oh, my 15% off code is valid until the end of this month (31st) so make sure you type in ‘aleelily’ to get a cheeky little discount.

 Last but not least, my Pandora bracelet, of course. I have wrote more in depth about this before, but thought I would feature it again as I absolutely love this little bracelet. I really appreciate the fact you can purchase charms, each holds a different memory and meaning. I have a HUGE list of more charms I want so I really need to pop into Pandora soon. I have the Pearl, woven leather bracelet and find it matches with pretty much everything. I really like the look of their new ROSE GOLD charms.

You can also see my Rose gold bar bracelet, I got this sometime last year and again have been wearing this a lot. I love how it is 18k rose gold plated, I sometime wear it without taking it off and it hasn’t tarnished at all.  // sorry for the blurry pic! 

I hope you enjoyed this little post, let me know what you think? I always find I gravitate to the same few pieces, do any of your guys do this too?

♡

Daniel Wellington: St. Mawes

I am so happy to bring you this review, I have been wanting to purchase a Daniel Wellington watch for a while now, especially after seeing so many blog reviews, particularly last year.  So you can imagine I was absolutely amazed and ever so delighted when the brand offered to send me one to review!

After spending quite some time comparing a few different styles, I finally settled for the Daniel Wellington, Classic St. Mawes watch. I absolutely adore this watch, I picked it because the brown leather strap will go with everything be it a smart or casual outfit or a day or evening outfit. I am glad I went for this shade as I have worn it almost every single day since receiving it.

With Daniel Wellington watches you have the option of selecting silver or rose gold for the watch face. I am totally a silver kinda girl, but I felt rose gold would match the strap colour a lot better.

You also have the option of changing the strap, this I what I am looking into next. I really want the 'Glasgow' strap,  this nylon strap has blue and white stripes.

The watch is really high quality, the strap took a few days to mould around my wrist, being leather. I have had so many compliments on it already, it just looks so classy. I absolutely love it. The watch face size I went for is medium/large, there are so many different options on the site. I found this size to sit on my wrist a lot better. The watch comes well presented in a box, and you can also use this as a place to keep your watch safe when not in use. 

Daniel Welligton have kindly given me a discount code to share with you all. If you type in ‘aleelily’ you will receive 15% off the website, until 31st August.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what you think?

LoveSales

For the majority of last year I was on a spending ban - I’ll be honest and say that it was really difficult. This year however my savviness has gone up a notch after discovering the website LoveSales. This way I can essentially buy what I want whilst make a saving too ... so my purchases are now totally justifiable, right?

Lovesales is a website where you can save items you are currently lusting over to a board, a bit like Pinterest but the added feature is that you will be notified when said item goes on sale. This allows you to save some money! 
I absolutely love this concept and have already added so many items to my ‘watch list’. I have in the past tried to find a similar website to no avail. By using Lovesales I am able to collate everything I want on one site rather than bookmarking everything. The website is well organised and easy to navigate through which is an added bonus. If you don’t want to add items in yourself you can use the site to see their top picks, all the items are from popular stores and the discounts vary from 25% - 75%!
Have you used Lovesales before? What do you think about the concept?
♡ *sponsored content

Wishlist #7: Spring

  Elise Ryan Grecian pink trim dress - Dorothy Perkins White mini tote bag - New Look @ ASOS Nothing to wear tee - New Look Pastel blue faux leather jacket - Dorothy Perkins Olivia Burton Big Dial dusty pink watch - Tophshop Striped tee - Topshop
My last wish list post was in October last year, so long ago! Spring is just around the corner so I thought today I would feature a few of things I want for the warmer weather.... well actually, whilst adding the links for the items I went ahead and purchased a few of them, oops. 
Pastel colours make me happy - this comes from someone who lives in black, white and grey clothes. I do however like to wear say, a pastel top with a pair of light blue skinny jeans and my white converse when Spring and Summer hit. I feel I can do the same with the light blue faux leather jacket pictured above. I am so excited for this to arrive and hope I can get a decent amount of wear from it. 
I absolutely love the ‘Nothing to wear’ tee. I have seen so many people wear this in real life and on the tv, would you believe its only £7.99 from New Look? It also comes in 3 other colours. I ordered the white and grey, is that a little excessive? Maybe, maybe not. The monochrome look is really in this Spring so these will do nicely and can be paired with anything, a must have! 
Hope you enjoyed this post, let me know your faves!
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Sneaker love

Blue and white stripe, sneakers - H&M White mock croc, slip on - MissGuided TIPI Snake, skaters - Topshop Leopard, skaters - Shoebou Black snake print, skaters - MissGuided Vans holographic, skater shoes - Net-A-Porter Leopard, sneakers - H&M Holographic, skater shoes - Ebay
My recent love for sneakers/skate shoes, has rapidly grown into a little obsession almost. I went a little WILD and purchased a few new pairs the other day after scouring the internet for ages. My justification for this was that I think they will be perfect not only in the Summer but also in a few weeks for when Spring comes around... and well Autumn too! I find that sneakers are so versatile and can be worn with almost anything.
I have compiled a little list of the ones I like and it also includes a few of the ones I’ve purchased. I can see my collection growing in the coming months. They are just too comfy!
Let me know what you think of skate shoes? ♡

The Atlas watch

I’m such a watch lover. I have actually lost count of how many I have, too many. I just love how they can dress any outfit be it casual or something a little more swish. Late last year I saw a few bloggers post about the Atlas watch. There were a few stores selling these for quite a price online but I of course went onto eBay to see if there was anything similar, for cheaper. I found this little beauty for just under £1.10 posted! It took about 2 weeks to arrive - (here) or you can purchase it from a UK seller and pay a little more (here).
I love this Atlas watch, it’s quite a simple design but the gold rim definitely makes it something else. It has a medium watch face and a black leather strap. For the price the quality isn’t too bad - it’s pretty decent, I have worn it a few times already. This watch is also available in a few other colours. 
I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what you think in the comments.
♡

Text Santa 2014

Just a quick little post, something a little different to what I normally write about. As you may be aware Text Santa will be on tonight at 8pm. Text Santa is an annual Christmas Charity appeal which raises money for 6 UK based charities each year. This year the charities are Teenage Cancer Trust, Guide Dogs, WellChild, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Alzheimer’s Society and Together for Short Lives.  
The Hut have a range of Text Santa merchandise available and if you buy an item from them 25% of the sale will go to the Text Santa Appeal. They have items available for adults as well as children. I chose the Text Santa Snowflake Onesie* (£18) it’s so pretty and pink! (the colour is true to life on the webiste, I have had lighting issues today! It’s bright fuchsia pink) TheHut are also offering free next day delivery on all TextSanta merchandise with the code TSANTA.
I will be wearing this whilst watching the show tonight. It has cute little pockets either side and I like how the material isn’t thick like some onesies. This is the same onesie Amanda Holden was wearing on Philip Schofields Text Santa 24 show that was on the other day. She looked lovely in it!
You can make a donation towards the Text Santa Appeal here.
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Wishlist #5: Autumn

Camel Coat - New Look  Berry Slouch cardigan - Topshop Stripey boxy top - River Island  Chelsea boots - H&M  Pale blue zipped bag - Dorothy Perkins
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Wishlist 5: ebay edition

pink crop top | planner/journal |  celfie tee | ted baker phone case | satchel | white chic & mint candle
I’ve not posted a wish list in a while, I’m hoping to post one every month now because you seem to like them, plus I always have a list of things to buy - makes sense. 
The pink eyelash cardigan is something I’ve wanted for a while, Primark has a longer line one in store currently and I purchased that the other day, but I really want this one too. I’m so late on the bandwagon for these jumpers!  The planner/journal doesn’t look like much on this picture but on the listing it looks amazing! There are slots for you to store little papers in and it kind of doubles up as a scrapbook. I really need a new planner.  Celfie tee because why not. My ‘Celine’ t shirt is kind of overrated now.  I love this Ted Baker phone case, it’s pink and pretty.  Satchels are still big this season and theres something about this lilac colour and AW, I think it looks classy. It's in my basket.  I couldn’t not put a Yankee Candle in my basket. This white chocolate and mint candle is usually so hard to get a hold of. I remember burning this candle around this time last year. Nostalgia.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know your favourites!
♡

Dainty jewellery

Today I thought I would share with you a few of my recent jewellery loves. I’m an avid jewellery collector so have been adding to my already huge collection. I’ve noticed that 925 silver is best as it doesn’t tarnish that easily. And the style I go for is usually anything dainty as it is easy to wear and perfect for layering and stacking.

So for starters..

Fashionology had a sale on recently and after seeing Barbara and Sammi’s glowing reviews I just had to place an order. These 2 Above Knuckle rings were around £8 each, (half price I think). Barbara has been wearing hers for quite a while and they haven’t tarnished; this is usually the problem with cheaper jewellery so It made sense to pay more and buy these as they’re 925 silver. I love them, they look so delicate yet grungy - perfect. I have been wearing them for a few weeks now and they still look brand new; no green marks! 

 

A jewellery brand I recently came across was Jewellery Box who only recently launched. This is the same good quality silver so I was excited to receive these, they are also really affordable. I have been wearing the cute Swallow necklace and the Heart charm Bead bracelet since they arrived. I tend to layer them both with other jewellery - I really like that look. I’m loving the layered necklace trend in particular, I think it’s a great way to dress up plain outfits. I chose the Mother of Pearl ring also as I don’t own anything like it, it will be perfect worn with smart or more dressy evening outfits as its quite a statement ring.

Both brands made an effort with packaging which is a win! Gift boxed items will always have a safe place to be stored in, it also makes gifting easier as you don’t need to package it yourself. I love when companies make an effort with boxes and ribbons!
Have you got any favourite jewellery brands? What do you think of layering and stacking jewellery?
♡

New Satchel - The Hillingdon.

Satchels were a big thing last year when they were first introduced by the creator of The Cambridge Satchel. Since then many high street stores have created their own versions of the must have bag at a much affordable price. This tan Hillingdon Satchel* (£24 & free delivery) from LYDC is the perfect bag for me and can be worn throughout the whole year because of the versatile colour and style - I thought it would be perfect for reviewing when offered. The bag itself is made from faux leather but it honestly looks real, the inside is lined with a suede effect material and this gives the bag more structure as well as making it feel more luxurious. The buckles have a tarnished gold effect. Last year I purchased their version of the Celine bag and was absolutely chuffed with the quality of that one so I knew this would be of great quality too.

When I saw it online originally I didn’t expect it to hold so much but I was proved wrong. The inside of the bag is really spacious, so much so that it can hold an A4 book and ring binder. Win right? The opening of the bag is via two buckles and the bag strap is also adjustable via a buckle. The front of the bag features a smaller pouch which is perfect for holding a phone or even cards. The  design  of the bag is simple but it still has the ability to smarten up any outfit. I know I will be getting so much use out of this satchel throughout the year.

Do you own a satchel?

♡

New In: home, jewellery, beauty and more

Hello! Today I thought I would show you some new things I have purchased recently, a little collaborative haul. I don’t think I’ve done a post like this before!

I have been looking for some cute jewellery holders for a while now and spotted the rabbit one on a few blogs. I managed to find it in Home Bargains and it was only £1.99 and then I also picked up the little bird jewellery holder too for the same price. They are great little decor pieces, so cute. The only thing is they are quite fragile - or I’m just really clumsy. On the way back I managed to break the ear off the rabbit one because I didn’t wrap it up well. Fail. I glued it back on but if you are buying anything ceramic just be careful!

Lip balms just because. Well actually I also saw these on a blog a little while ago and then a few days later whilst casually strolling through B&M Bargains I spotted them. They were such a bargain, only £1.45 for a pack of 3. I love bargain stores, they are so good for little gems like this. I will be reviewing these on my blog soon. But for the price this is such a steal. They are perfect for the Summer and come in so many different flavours.

I picked up this cute candle from Asda. It was around £2 and is unscented but I liked the colour of it and the little typography. You can never have too many candles right? This colours on this candle make me so happy, they are so bright and pretty.

I have seen this necklace on so many websites recently and they cost around £20, me being the thrifty person I am decided to go onto eBay and have a browse. I found this one which looks really similar for a fraction of the price. It was £1.89 delivered and is called a Point Necklace (link). You need to attach your own chain - I used an old one. I really want to order more as they have so many different colours.

I have recently been getting back into wearing jewellery and saw these on eBay too, 3 rings for 99p and delivered free too (link) - another steal! They are advertised as being ‘midi’ rings but if you wear a S/M ring size they would fit like regular sized rings. I think they look really pretty regardless and stacked up they fit into the current trends.

 

I have started the ‘diet’ again as of yesterday. I am such a bad yo-yo dieter it’s ridiculous but I’ve found snacking throughout the day has been helping a lot. And by that I mean healthy, low calorie snacks not full meals like I would usually do. Oloves recently sent me a stack of different Olives to try, and can I just put it out there - these are THEE best Olives I have ever had. Normally Olives are quite bland but these just burst with flavour. They come in four different varieties in a great snack sized pack which serves two people; so 25 calories each. These little packs are really versatile, perfect for travelling or in lunch boxes - I have also been making pasta with them. Add a little Philadelphia cheese into the pot and it tastes amazing. Because the olives are seasoned already thats literally all you need to do. I’m also hoping to make olive bread soon with these Olove packets so keep an eye out for a post. They are available on Amazon and Holland and Barratt, and are affordably priced. What I also like about Oloves is the fact when you read the ingredients I know what everything is, if that makes sense? The ingredients are literally olives and whatever its flavoured with - nothing nasty and processed.

I can’t believe how warm the weather has gotten recently, it was actually 25C yesterday. Can’t say I liked it - yes I’m definitely one of those people who complains about the warm weather, oops.  

I also can’t believe how close I am to 1000 followers on bloglovin’, thank you so much I am currently planning a little give away too. And a big thank you to those who have ordered from my little blog design shop. I am really enjoying being creative and working with other bloggers!

Anyways, let me know what you think of this warm weather and your thoughts on my purchases.

♡

Pretty pink personalised case

It has been a little tricky buying cute phone cases for my phone, much to my dismay most of the bigger retailers favour iPhones, so a personalised phone case was definitely the only way forward. I actually designed this personalised phone case* myself. I change phone cases almost just as much as the weather changes in Scotland.

When you think of personalised you instantly thing collages of pictures don’t you? Well I do anyways but I wanted something a little different. I couldn’t decide between florals or geometric patters but in the end I went onto Paint, yes Paint and designed a little case. It looks very Victoria Secret’s-esque, and so saying that wasn’t my inspiration would definitely be a lie. I opted for pale pink stripes and then an initial on the bottom corner, which also looks like a logo or corner design of sorts. I think it looks cute. The best thing about the company also is that they cater for most phones and even iPad cases. You can chose leather too, this case is clear and then it is printed just on the back and is matte.

The design process is very simple, if you are opting for a photo collage then just chose the collage style and insert your pictures. For a custom design like mine just make up a mock design (or search google), install it on the phone template on the site and see if it fits, there should be no blank spaces. If there is then alter it a little. 

The delivery was prompt, it came within around 4 days- they aim to design and post it out the same day which is very rare for a personalised item, this is a really quick turn around. At £14.95 it is worth the money, the case is sturdy and appears to be very durable.

Do you collect phone cases? I am always looking for new ones, let me know your favourites!

♡

Chanel Executive Tote dupes - that CITY bag

1. H&M

2. Accessorize 

3. Zara

4. Zara 

Not many people were aware of the Chanel Executive Tote bag that came out recently until Zara made a dupe - the Office City bag then made an appearance. Unsurprisingly this soon became The Blogger Bag and everyone snapped it up; to the point were it sold out in most Zara stores and people started selling theirs for hundreds on eBay. Yup, true story.

Anyways, I compiled a few alternatives that are perfect for those on a budget. I just very recently purchased the Accessorise version and I love it! It is so sophisticated looking and I can fit so much into it too. A majority of the bags are big enough to fit in folders etc.

On my recent travels to Primark I also saw they now sell it too for around £12, absolute bargain!

What are your thoughts on this bag?

Fashion: SS14

Hello 2014! Todays post features all the trends this year brings. A few of the trends we saw last year have crept into 2014 and are still going strong! Some of the items featured below are currently on sale, so you can be on trend whilst still watching the pennies.

Sports luxe

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 77

Prints

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Midi length

1 / 2 / 3

Pastel Pink

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Monochrome

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

My personal favourite has to be the midi skater dresses for sure; I’ve already purchased a few from ASOS. I am on the hunt for the perfect running trainers in order to get fit now 2014 has arrived, the new balance ones are lovely - they have mint accents! 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what trend(s) you will be wearing this year.

wish list #2

1. Heart shirt (black) - eBay / Heart shirt (red) - eBay

2. Yankee Candle, White chocolate and mint - eBay

3. Cath Kidston 2014 Diary -  Amazon

4. Bare Minerals foundation kit - Bare Minerals

5, Deer hot water bottle -  Urban Outfitters

6. Buckle boots -  New Look

Hope you’re all well. A few days until the new year, can’t believe this year is nearly over. My new wish list consists of a variety of products this week. The heart print shirt is everywhere at the moment since being made famous by Harry Styles! This eBay bargain is around £7 posted and the burgundy version is only £5.99. I need want a new candle. White chocolate and mint are 2 of my favourite things so a candle version sounds great. yum. Definitely need to be more organised next year so I will be snapping up this Cath Kidston diary which is half price just now. The make up is added in this post just for good measure - I have enough but really want to try something from the Bare Minerals range. Was told I need to buy 2 different foundation powders to achieve my colour. Meh. Deer hot water bottle will come in handy soon; wonder if it will snow next week? I need these buckle boots in my life, I have been saying this for ages but I think now is the perfect time to buy them! :)

I am so pleased to have reached 270 Bloglovin followers, a big thank you to all my readers. My aim is 300 followers by the new year. I have also now got a new blog layout which you might have noticed - I have been longing for this for AGES! Waiting on the blog header now - eeeek!

Let me know what you think of my wish list and also my new layout please! x

wish list #1

1. Mint Fair Isle jumper - New Look

2. La Sardina Camera Möbius Camera - Lomography

3. Vintage Jar - Dunelm Mill

4. Pastel Geometric print - Etsy

5. Cath Kidston Little Bird case - ASOS

6. Teddy Fur coat - Topshop

Happy weekend everyone! I have come across a few good finds this week and thought I would feature them. I originally saw this style of post from MilkBubbleTea, I love her blog you should check it out!

The Fair Isle print is something I love, super festive and this mint jumper is so stylish, it looks snuggly too. The Lomography camera is so cute isn’t it? I saw a great post on Pinterest of a glass jar filled with pink bon bons, It made such a great display! I need some new prints for my frames and this Geometric print is modern yet chic. I have just placed an order on ASOS with the 20% off code currently advertised and this cute Cath Kidston purse may have been one of the items I purchased :) and last but not least how lovely is this coat, I love it and they have it in a few other colours too. I feel this cream one would look great with pastel accessories! 

I really want to post more than once a week and will try my best. To keep up to date please follow me on bloglovin! I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what you think!

My Primark A/W wants!

Now that I successfully completed my 1 month spending I will be heading over into Primark to make a few purchases from the new Autumn/Winter range.

I am loving the jumper dress trend we are seeing in a few stores recently, they look so cosy. I am in need of a new winter jacket too as well as new boots. Primarks range actually looks pretty good this season.

Have you made any Primark purchases recently?

My Aldo watch

  

I have been loving my ALDO watch this year, so versatile! At only £30 this watch is a steal, not only does the watch face look designer but it also features 4 other straps. 

Each season they come out with a new range but the watch straps are designed so they will take you through to the whole year!

Available to buy through ALDO

        

That white tee

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Some might call this the ‘hipster tee post’ but hey! Some months back while the Celine tee was all the hype in the blogging world, I have been wearing my Celine tee all summer and have slowly transitioned it into Autumn by layering with hoodies and jackets. I’m all for comfy wear so I know I will definitely be making a few cheeky bargain purchases on eBay in the next few weeks. These t-shirts are so versatile - perfect on top of skirts, jeans and leggings! They are super cheap too!

Let me know which is your favourite?