Manchester

I try not to get too political or emotional here on my Instagram/blog however the heinous, callous attack perpetrated by a radicalised 'Islamist' has left me deeply heartbroken and that is nothing next to what people have had to suffer today. No one should have to lose a loved one in such an awful way and no parent should have to witness the death of their child. These people, and I use that term very loosely, don't represent Muslims, they don't represent me. They have no compassion for anyone; no man, woman, child, religion or race.. Terrorism has no religion, the countless Istanbul attacks are evidence of that.. these scum are nothing more than cowards lurking behind a religion to justify their actions. I'm proud to be British, I'm proud to be Mancunian and I'm proud to be a Muslim. And I'm proud of my city and the unity, diversity and love that it harbours, I'm proud of all those who cooperated to save lives and deliver the victims safely to their families. I'm proud that many chose not to respond to such a hateful act with hate. Peace be upon you all.
❤️

Outfit & Guide: 14 Ways On How To Shop On A Budget!

Hi there and welcome back lovely readers of this humble little blog!

Today's blogpost is presented to you from Quarry Bank Mill greenhouse, and alongside this outfit post I thought I'd rekindle my love for sharing retail related advice by imparting my hacks that I always find myself referring back to when it comes to affordable, carefully curated and effective shopping. For me shopping has never been about keeping on top of the latest trends or spilling the contents of my purse over. By all means I adore shopping, but more specifically I enjoy careful shopping. What on earth is she going on about you may ask, well from my humble perspective anyone can see an item in a shop and purchase it there and then for the full price, whether it's a long term investment or not.. who knows?! For me, each shopping venture is a little game and each item I buys is an investment as nothing beats the satisfaction of acquiring a must have for an absolute bargain. The little quest I like to entertain's ultimate purpose being to bag some amazing finds that will astonish both you and others that ask you how you always mange to find such steals. Yes, the prospect of affordable shopping and the compliments that succeed it, strokes my ego. Sorry not sorry.

So without much further ado, here are my top tips to dressing affordably:

1)   Four words

Set yourself a budget.

2)   Do I need this?

We don't want to find ourselves in the I.R.L sequel of Confessions of a Shopaholic, so ask yourself this; Do I need it? Will it revolutionize my wardrobe in a way that an pre-existing similar item doesn't?

 3)   Don't sell your soul over an item

If you spot something that will result in you emptying the entirety of your pockets' contents and possibly searching in the crevices of your purse, consider waiting for the sales unless of course it occupies your mind to the point of possession, then for health's sake buy it.

4)   Until our next meeting

If you do consider postponing an item purchase until the sales, make sure to get there at the start of the sales or else it will be a grim case of 'finders keepers, losers weepers'.

5)   Shop turn-arounds, friend or foe?

Shop turn-arounds don't necessarily mean your item has vanished from the face of the earth, they often reappear in the sales!

6)   Stalker shopper

Keep tabs on the impromptu sales that pop up rather than depend on the end of season sales!

7)   'One man's trash is another man's come up'

The end of the sales doesn't necessarily mean the dregs, there may be the occasional prince amongst the hundreds of frogs for the price of almost nothing (I'm not a romantic).

8)   True love requires sacrifices in the form of a purse

If there is a piece you're lusting after to the point it's infiltrating your dreams. Just put yourself out of the misery and get it.

9)    Sleep on it

This may be an obvious one however if you're indecisive about the use you'll get out of an item... leave it, at least for a while.  In most situations it is a temporary blip from your usual bearings and disappears almost as instantly as it appears. Sleep on it, if after a sufficient amount of time has passed and you are still keen, go ahead!

10)   It's a keeper

If it's a wardrobe staple, consider it a justification for paying the full price. The cost per wear will even it out eventually!

11)   She who hesitates is lost

Whilst being an exclusive sales shopper is perfectly commendable, don't let it cloud your judgement. If you've been lusting after an item that is both popular and has miraculously made it's way to the sales rack.. don't risk leaving it for the next round of price reductions, seize it, she who hesitates is lost.

12)   Mixing and matching

Sale or no sale when you're intent on a piece, consider the various different outfits you can pair it with. If it's not a very versatile piece that barely complements anything in your wardrobe, it may result in you not getting enough wear out of it. My personal purchase barrier is 5; so if I can come up with at least 5 outfits off the top of my head I would consider it a worthy purchase.

13)    Outlets are your new friend

Do your research on whether there are discount outlets of the shops you love!

14)   Play your quirkiness to your advantage

Deliberate over the item of interest as to whether it is a popular, sought after piece at the moment. If your style is quite quirky and the demand or hype for the item may not be very high, consider leaving it to enter the sales. Pieces that don't immediately strike people's fancy often find their way to the sales rack!

Today's outfit is an accumulation of all my aforementioned tips: My H&M mustard jumper was a mere fiver from the remnants of the sale, my Zara skirt was £12 and I decided not to leave it for another price drop as it already ticked all the boxes and missing out would be truly a great loss. You may roll your eyes at the sight of my trusty brogues, but they are a classic, a wardrobe staple for me and a shoe I can always depend upon. Since Clarks always produce the same shoe which rarely graces the sales section, I ventured into the Lowry Outlet Mall and after a fair bit of rummaging emerged from the shop with a whopping 40% off. My denim jacket was an investment piece, one of the rare moments I have spent the full price tag's worth of money on something. You see, being petite whereby the grand majority of items hang loosely or make you appear frumpy means that when a rare gem crops up that fits you as snug as a bug in a rug, you just buy it. Treat yo'self!

I really do hope you guys found my tips conducive! Do you have any personal shopping hacks? 

 If you came solely for the outfit, there is something here for everyone.....

My mama, bless her golden heart not only took these pictures for me but also offered to do so. Considering the fact she occupies the highest band of technophobia, let us take a moment to appreciate what a fabulous job she has done of it.

Outfit Details: Zara cropped denim jacket, H&M jumper, tights that have existed from the beginning of time, Clarks' brogues and Accessorize Bag.

Outfit Post: Welcoming Spring!

Hello there beautiful people! 

 As this is my first post of March, I wanted to honour the occasion by infusing the spring vibes into my blog! I could not be more excited about spring as I am so over wearing coats! Not to mention being able to experience spring in Manchester which I haven't been able to do in quite some time! For the first time in four years I'm welcoming the vast blue skies, nature walks, waking up every morning to the view of our blossoming mighty plum tree and having the liberty of wearing spring colours without having to be bundled up in layers! My outfit is one that I have been living lately; it has been over six months since I purchased these dungarees and have worn them so often they've become a sort of uniform if you will, however I haven't had a chance to formally introduce them to you guys! For as long as I can recall I had been on the hunt for a pair of wide legged, cropped, cute as hell, dungarees and could not believe my eyes when they fell upon these at Bershka.. and with that my dreams had finally come true, yes I am very easy to please. 

My candy cane striped blouse is the result of months of waiting for it to enter the sales, patience really does pay off...when it comes to pretty, frilly blouses apparently! My coat is the prominent reinforcer of the candy floss vibe to my outfit and I whipped out the first ever novelty bag I owned, which is in the shape of a milk carton and my t-bar school girl shoes to complete the look! 

I also have a couple of updates up my sleeve: Since permanently moving back to Manchester, this resulted in a profound lack of people that I can plague about blog photography. Having always had the luxury of my friends and loved ones being willing victims of my photography sessions, the comfort of it made me lazy and I never researched into the self timer option of my camera. Now left to my own devices, I've sought the aid of the self timer option, which can be tricky and not always ideal as my camera isn't the best admittedly. However it does the job meaning I will be able to produce blog posts more frequently, something I have always wanted to be able to do!

Secondly, I've also started taking sewing classes, eeeeek! I physically cannot contain my excitement at the prospect of making my clothes, who's with me on this?! My first project is a plaid midi skirt, which I hope to be styling for an upcoming blog post! Would you guys be interested in seeing my sewing endeavours (successes hopefully)?

Outfit Details: Zara coat, Bershka denim dungarees, H&M blouse (currently on sale), Accessorize bag and Clarks shoes.

Featured: Cut Out and Keep Weekly Superstar

I was kindly offered to feature as a weekly superstar for Cut Out and Keep! A range of my Diy tutorials are present on my profile including: a miniature artist palette pin/brooch, my hanging vintage school map, an incredibly easy method to achieving the Scandinavian honeycomb shelf look, naturally a Harry Potter themed necklace, a braided turban tutorial and lastly, how to easily create a cute bow tie with any collared blouse! 

Home Sweet Home...

It has been a while since I last picked up my laptop and wrote a blog post,  and I do feel rusty whilst doing so. In honest truth it was the very last thing on my mind. Over the past few months I faced a series of unfortunate events mostly involving my university status. I don't wish to delve into it too much as lamenting about what could have been doesn't really aid the situation. I have retuned to Manchester for good whilst waving goodbye finally to Istanbul. As dismayed as I am by the sudden turn of events, I don't believe I've returned empty handed from my experience; even though one of my degrees was discontinued I still have a degree in psychology, I have been blessed to have formed lifelong friendships with some of the most awesome people I have ever met, and lastly I feel I truly came out of my shell over the course of my abroad experience. Living alone in a unfamiliar city meant that I had to work many things out for myself in result making me a self reliant, resilient person. I don't have many regrets about my decision to study abroad and I'm ready for the next chapter of my life.  

Enough about me though, what have you all been up to in my absence?!

Today's outfit post is set in Dunham Massey which I felt was complementary to the look I was going for as it was inspired by the early 20th century. The high-necked, ruffled, Victorian-esque blouse tucked into the black velvet skirt echoes the style of women's clothing in the early 1900s with a contemporary twist to it. I'm not very accustomed to wearing skirts that hit my ankles but I must say it definitely makes me feel very ladylike and sophisticated. As someone who is a deviant to trends and tends to avoid them, I have to admit that the velvets, ruffles and embroidery designs trending at the moment screams me all over and has me totally on board.

Outfit details: Zara Coat, Blouse and velvet skirt (all in the sale), Clarks shoes and Bershka satchel

Pictures: courtesy of my younger brother 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!

Having been a die hard Harry Potter fan for as long as I can remember, it only felt right to honour the latest Harry Potter instalment, *drumrole* 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' by wearing a Newt Scamander-esque outfit. I know that some were crestfallen, however as sequels go I found Fantastic Beasts to be pretty good considering (controversial much). Although admittedly anything related to the wizarding world can do no wrong in my eyes. I initially intended to wait and watch the film in the form of a group, celebrating the end of our brutal Midterms (it took every ounce of self restraint I could possibly muster).. however after my final exam, I was strolling the streets of Kadikoy and was welcomed with posters in every direction I headed. It was a calling for sure, so there and then I caved and made an impromptu visit to the cinema... sorry not sorry.

I fell in love with the character of Newt Scamander, possibly a little too much. I loved becoming acquainted with his quirky, adorable character and his undying love for his fantastic beasts. I was overcome with emotion at the beautiful, heartwarming relationship of Jacob and  Queenie. ..what can I say, I'm a sucker for wizarding world romance. As if the film could not get any better, it is set in the opulence of the Gatsby era which would have had me sold if it weren't already for the fact that it was Harry Potter related. It was intriguing to get a glimpse into how the Ministry was run elsewhere, and this added another dimension to the wizarding world in my mind. I'm exhilarated at the prospect of getting some insight into Dumbledore's youth and what went down with Grindlewald in the next film.... 2018 will you come already!

Now over to my attire for this post; so whilst peering into my wardrobe I rediscovered my neglected navy oversized duster coat... and an outfit started to formulate itself in my mind. Feel free to call me sad.

Outfit-wise I wore my Peter Pan collar blouse underneath a thrifted  jumper all tucked into my navy Zara skirt.  I created Newt Scamander's trademark bow tie by simply tying a 1 pound velvet ribbon beneath my collar. The socks were the final touch, despite myself being a proud Ravenclaw I don't own any socks in allegiance with my house so I made do with my good ol' Gryffindor pair.

Gallivanting around Kadikoy!

Hello there, after having resided in Istanbul for over three years it was about time I ventured on an excursion around Kadikoy. Kadikoy is a rather small, eccentric town and is the home of all things Hipster. In Kadikoy you can find various hipster cafes with quirky concepts; particular favourites of mine are Academia, Mephisto and Cosmos! Sipping at a dainty glass of piping hot Turkish tea, savouring the soft acoustic vibes and playing an intense game of chess with your friends all whilst surrounded by books and quotes is indeed all very pretentious yet refreshingly different from the mainstream cafes in the city. Kadikoy is on the same wavelength of  Manchester's Northern Quarter in that you find yourself  walking along the graffiti covered streets with passers-by sporting different decades; grunge 90's, flower child 70's etc. Kadikoy maintains an antique-retro vibe with hoarders galore, charming local boutiques and shops selling eccentric furniture, popular merchandise, souvenirs and bohemian inspired clothing. A word of caution though for they are often outrageously overpriced but nonetheless pretty to behold. Kadikoy’s perimeters extend to the coast which seems to be the favourite haunt of couples taking romantic strolls and people who just want a peace of mind. Bearing in mind this is my first ever encounter of Kadikoy, I do hope to further explore this enchanting little town in the future...

I'm quite tired looking in today's outfit post because I genuinely was exhausted however didn't want to to let up on this opportunity for a blog post!

Outfit Details: Koton Skirt (old), Primark blouse and bag, my little sister's school cardigan and Clarks brogues 

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