Gathering some new basics

Hi Sweethearts,

I really feel that I'm falling so behind in trying to get new blog posts out to you all, and it's just because I'm so busy at the moment.

What's new with me? 

Well, not terribly much! I've been doing well at being an ex-smoker (which isn't easy, let me tell you!), working and failing at being healthy.
 Being so exhausted after work leaves me no motivation to cook or eat healthily at all. Even though I'm at spin classes 3 nights a week, and generally eating less, I've still managed to gain weight due to the amount of crap I'm polluting my body with.
 However, I have managed to lose an inch off my thighs, which is great, however I've gained that inch back around my waist....what kind of sorcery is this?!?!!?
 I suppose that means I'm on the look out for an ab workout that won't affect my back, in addition to attempting to eat right and not just quick and lazy!
If you have any ideas for me, please leave me a comment below! 
I'm also looking at those waist trainer fad-trend-current product - do they really work? 


Moving on, I've been trying to renew some basics in my wardrobe (read: my current ones are literally falling apart or are ripped to shreds with wear and tear) so took a little trip around the high street with my other half before dinner to find some staples.

So, these are what I came away with today!

I've been in desperate need of these items for a while, and after being moaned at for the state of my work jeans (they were ripped from the inner thing almost 3/4 around to the other side!) I finally gave in and got some new ones.

 These 2 pairs came from Primark, for £9 & £11, and DAMN is it difficult to find bootcut jeans on the high street! I had to venture to Glasgow just to get some. Everywhere is skinny, Skinny, SKINNY...and I'm sick of them!
 They don't look good on someone pear shaped and short like me, unless I have a long top and heels on. I much prefer to try and balance myself out with bootcuts, that to be honest, are far comfier on my legs. (does anyone else find that skinny jeans are uncomfortable on the calves after a while, or is that just me?)  

Unfortunately, as usual, I'm going to have to either roll these up or cut them to make them a proper length for my 28inch legs...it's either that or I fork out 4times the price for ones built for shorties!
(whilst I'd have no problem doing this for nice jeans, work ones will just get ruined anyway so it's a waste of cash) 

I also bought a few Bras from H&M as I don't really have enough that are the proper size, so in order to throw them out I needed to restock.
 I got the same style in black, white and light pink as they're super nice, comfy and most importantly...really padded! I have a bit of a complex about my bust size, much like most women on the planet, so I don't feel comfortable wearing bras that aren't padded...I guess that makes me a cheater/let down...right?
They came in at £14.99 each.

Finally...something even less exciting (can you handle it?) SOCKS.
Seriously. Socks.
I am utterly convinced that either my cat steals them all, they magically grow legs and run away at night, or that the washing machine eats them!
 No matter how many pairs of socks I have, I can guarantee that before long they will be long gone! Even a full gutting out of my flat yields no results...this can't be normal, can it? Do they really grow legs? 


Moving on to something a little more interesting to look at, is my outfit for the day!

I really do have a thing for white jeans at the moment. Even though I have to be super careful not to mess them up, I always seem to feel really good and dressed up in them...even if my outfit is casual.
I recently picked up this knitted slouchy Cardigan from Ebay after being after one for a good while!

I never really thought that I'd wear something like that until I saw a picture of Ozaki Sayoko in something similar, and I absolutely love her style so I just had to find myself something similar!

I teamed this up with some white heels (on sale at New Look the other month), offbrand dangly earrings, bracelet, and a strappy black top that my mother gave me a long while back.

I actually used this Cardigan for a photoshoot on Sunday, where I did a little experimenting! Here's a sneak peek/behind the scenes from the shoot whilst I wait for the images! Hopefully you'll like them!

Silly VS super Serious face!

Anyway, that's all I have to report for the moment, as usual please leave me your feedback below! ^_^

Love,

           Kasumi x

Mini High-street clothing haul (including the Bank closing down sale)

Hey Sweethearts,

So this week, I'm going to chat about another little clothes haul, but this time from right here on the high street!

I met up with my Mum last week for coffee & a girls day out, and we went bargain hunting on the high street (Scotland, UK).

I'm a sucker for sales and love bargains, but who doesn't, right?

We walked through the main shopping area and I spied a sign saying that Bank fashion is closing down, so I popped in for a look.
 For those who can't get to a store, the website is http://www.bankfashion.co.uk though if you pass by a store, the items will vary depending on what they have left in stock.

I've always found bank a bit hit-or-miss for me when it comes to my personal tastes, and it's usually way out of my price range, but when I spotted a good sale I couldn't resist dragging my Mum in for a nosey.

I didn't actually think that I'd find anything that I liked enough to buy (I like a lot of different things, but realistically I'd buy them, wear once, then into the cupboards they go) so I was really pleased when I stumbled across some lovely, spring/autumn type jackets at the back of my local store.

This comes with it's own set of problems though....

I said above that I tend to wear things once, then put in cupboards, remember?

Well....I seem to have accumulated 35 jackets/coats over the years. Yup, 35...plus the 2 new ones makes 37 of them. I have a little bit of a problem (read: I have a massive jacket obsession) >.< I will be aiming to half my jacket collection in the near future, so that's my justification...and because they were super cute!

Here's what I ended up buying:
This Jacket is by the Pink Soda brand that I came across in Bank-fashion. It's a soft, dusky pink, faux leather jacket with wool on the inside. 
 I thought when I first saw it that the material would be pretty stiff and hard, but it's actually pretty soft - the wool on the inside makes it lovely and warm too! 

If I remember rightly (this one isn't available on the website any more) this jacket was £65 originally, or there abouts, but in the sale I paid £20! 

This 2nd jacket is also from the Pink Soda brand.
Again, this is a faux leather jacket in pastel pink. This one is a more biker styled, cropped jacket with plenty of attitude. I really love the black accents on the zips, and the overall shape - it really caught my attention.
I've been looking for some fresher styled jackets that fit in with my style a lot more, I'm not the girl that can wear black constantly any more so a lot of my black jackets will be going to new homes soon.
This one is still available online, and is reduced from rrp: £50 to £25 http://www.bankfashion.co.uk/products/pink-soda-pastel-biker-jacket/152534

          

This trip also re-enforced why I'm not that bothered about dress sizes in clothing. The first jacket is a UK8, and the 2nd is a UK10 - both from the same brand, but there was no way I'd get into the 2nd one if it were a size 8! It all very much depends on the cut of the clothing, I've seen myself wearing a size 16 lingerie waistbelt before from h&m that fit me perfectly!

Speaking of H&M, after my massive £75 saving in Bank, I headed on over to h&m to see if I could find myself a cute jumper or some new jeans.

Unfortunately the jeans didn't happen, but I did pick up this super cute jumper!

I absolutely fell in love with this jumper when I spotted it! It's (again - I think we're starting to see a colour pattern here) pale pink, with "Amour" spelt on it - so cute!
It retails at £12.99, and I chose to get it in the biggest size they had in stock, which was Large. I really wanted this to be quite casual and baggy, as I'm really loving oversized jumpers at the minute. They really feel quite Spring-y to me.

Of course, I had up pick up some cute Hello Kitty socks too! They were £7.99 for a pack of 3 in assorted designs - they're really thick too, so perfect for wearing with boots or around the house to keep your tootsies warm! ^_^

What do you think? Are you feeling the oversized cute jumpers? What is in your Spring wardrobe?
Love,
          Kasumi x