Next and RocknRollBride.com Send Challenge: Message Received

Imagine spending £20,248 in one day. And you don’t walk away with a single Mulberry handbag. 

Harsh, right?

According to this article here that’s the average cost of a wedding this year. Whilst some brides think it’s worth every penny, there might be some who feel they should be spending less. Other star-crossed lovers delay the big day for months or even years to scrimp and save.

 It’s no surprise that a huge chunk of that budget goes on that all-important dress, suits and other fashion accessories.  The typical cost of the dress is around £1500. But I like a challenge people. What if you had to style the wedding for a fraction of the average price?

What like, £10,000? £5000? £1000?!?

No. £500.

Say what?!

Yep, you heard right. Budget: £500. Mission: One snazzy wedding. 

Well that was the brief from Next and  Kat from wedding planning website, http://www.rocknrollbride.com.  

Sometimes people think cheap means trashy. In fact some of you might be thinking trash collecting would be the only way to dress the wedding party on that budget. 

Enter the ultra-personal and relaxed wedding with a hint of DIY craft magic.

Think country barns, jam jar vases, lace doilies, wood painted white and anything with a rose print.

And most importantly think of a day centred on the bride and groom with lots of personal touches. This style is associated with Shabby Chic and I love it.

So what would a bride wear to a Shabby Chic wedding? 

Pearl earrings, Comb, Bracelet, Lace shoes, Rose bundle and Dress Total: £155

This beautiful tiered lace dress, lace shoes and pearl accessories have that easy romantic charm that would make any man swoon.  Kick off the heels for the evening and throw on some cowboy boots.

And the groom?

Shirts, Pocket Square, Shoes, Herringbone Vest and Trousers Total: £154

Who says a man needs a jacket to look smart? I can just imagine my floppy haired prince standing at the end of the aisle in his waistcoat and herringbone trousers smiling sheepishly at me.

And for the girls standing by the bride’s side:

Dress, Wreath, Shoes Total: £83

Who needs to spend lots of dosh on fresh flowers when carrying these rose wreaths would be extra sweet.

And the day wouldn’t be complete without styling the venue to look gorgeous and romantic. Add candles, bird cages and rose fairly lights to create a dreamy atmosphere.

Rose fairy lights, Candles, Candelabra, Birdcage  Total: £93

Allow guests to add their own personal touch to the wedding. How about using the memo board so guests can write messages to the happy couple:

Memo Board £10

Then add your own personal touches like dressing the tables with wild flowers (or silk ones) in jam jars and candles. I stuck some silk flowers I had into clean jars and placed them on the table. I think they look gorge and it’s a great way to reuse and recycle. 

So that’s my gorgeous, romantic wedding on a budget with some awesome pieces from Next. And how much did it cost? £495. Not too shabby, huh?

All the details of the competition can be found here.

Till next time lovelies,

Deja xx

Fresh Start

Dear Readers,

It's been a while, but don't worry, in the time I was away I was busy making myself employed (whoo hooo!), housed (double whoo-hoo!) and healthier (whoooooo hoooooo!).

Forgive me, but I'm baaaaaaack!

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Later lovelies,

Deja xx

Valentine's Day Treat

What could be more of a treat than David Beckham? Whether you're single or attached, this video will appeal on VDay. Promise.

Who says men can't be pieces of meat?

Till next time beauties,

Deja xx

The Mother of All Fashion Weeks

When Sister Act 2 came out I was pretty sure the fashion pinnacle could get no higher than Lauryn Hill in her wide leg trousers and peach top. 

But the biggest influence on my love of fashion and beauty has been my mother. She wore suits with shoulder pads, red lipstick and super high heels. She was a business woman and wanted to look the part. Sometimes bold and eccentric, she once picked me up from school sporting a new platinum blonde do. Now her power suits are in the back of the cupboard but it hasn’t stopped me from loving the power and confidence her clothes gave her. In a recent interview with Marie Claire, Domenico Dolce said “Style is all about the attitude of the person, her way of being. You can’t learn it. You either have it or you don’t.” She has it.

Style is in abundance in New York with gorgeous prints at Cynthia Rowley, the lace, leather and dark colour scheme at Jason Wu and the fairytale theme at Marc Jacobs. What can I say I’m a sucker for Disney. 

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I can close my eyes and imagine the excitement, the thrill of seeing fashion as it happens and being able to blog about it. I’m so excited I put together an outfit in homage to the marrying of colour and texture at William Okpo. 

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Mum never got to go to a fashion week, but I hope one day she can live vicariously through me.  

Fashion Frenzy: London Fashion Week

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Forgot your grandfather’s Easy-chair (with lifting foot rest of course) and make way for the most coveted seats in the house:  front row at London Fashion Week. That’s right, that fashion bonanza is returning to the capital city this February 17^th-21^st. The Autumn/Winter 2013-2014 collections are going to explode onto the runway and there will be a plethora of cross-legged, sunglassed beauties (and beaus) pouting appropriately at this year’s festivities. And I’m not the least bit jealous. Ok, well maybe a little. I mean I love clothes. Probably more than Simon Cowell loves black tee-shirts. Or more than Leo DiCaprio loves models. Or more than, oh you get the point. 

There are some great spring and summer trends in fashion and beauty that I’m looking forward to seeing the guests sport and forecasts for the new trends will be designer-tastic. They’re all going to be showcased in venues around the city and since my grandma refused to be loaned out for a front row ticket I’ll have to make do with all the press that will inevitably surround the event. That woman never gives me anything I want.

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So what are going to be some of your favourite trends at the moment? I love the gorgeous pastel shades that remind me of Disney princesses at Ellie Saab, Louis Vuitton and Versace. 

See what I mean????

And I love how the high street has responded with some gorgeous goodies. New Look has me wanting to break out my plastic crown. 

Newlook.com

I am totally in the mood for the Olympics after seeing the offerings at Alexander Wang and 3.1 Phillip Lim. 

Warehouse has some great pieces to help recreate the trend and I can't wait to rock my inner Sporty Spice.

warehouse.co.uk

I’m a great lover of print (in my other life I was a leopard) and colour so couldn’t mention the current trends without mentioning the great prints gracing last year. The prints at Jill Sander and Dries Van Noten have blown me away.

Karen Millen got the memo and her prints are beautiful and bold.

karenmillen.com

There is so much more on the way and I’m really excited. Is it wrong to sit cross-legged wearing my biggest sunglasses whilst reading the Grazia edit? Hmm. It might be a bit strange for the housemate. Who cares! Now where are my Primarni sunnies...

Till next time beauties,

Deja xx

Spring Delight

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In some parts of the country there's a quiet blanket of snow announcing a winter that many thought would never come. But all I can think about it spring! I'm in love with the pastel hues and candy tones of the spring and summer collections and have been tempted by many lots. I'm currently on the job hunt at the moment so there's not a lot of scope to go mad at the shops but a girl can dream. A couple recently won £44 million in the lottery and I couldn't help feel a little jealous! 

If I won the lottery today there's no hesitation that the Mulberry Shop would be my first port of call. I love their spring/summer shoot in Brighton and how bright and beautiful the new collection is. My favourite is the Candy Pink Quilted Dyed Denim Bayswater.

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At the bargain price of £595 it might be slightly (only slightly) out of my league. Bring on spring!

Till next time beauties,

Deja xx

Tech Me Out: TechCular.com

Have you ever found yourself knee deep in wireless access points, registries and widgets (whatever they are)? If all that sounds like gobbledygook to you you’re not alone. Sometimes when we think of tech we picture nerds. Yep, pocket protectors and all. That’s not a diss to nerds by the way. I am one of you gentle folk. Anywho, I digress. The fact of the matter is I actually love technology and if you’re reading this on your mobile, retweeting the details to your friends and sharing this on facebook, odds are, you love tech too.

But I’m the first to admit I don’t always understand what certain things mean. I have done simple registry repairs in the past with the help of some incredibly knowledgeable forum users and whenever my Blackberry playbook decided to do its own thing and stay firmly switched off there was a bevy of cyber heroes waiting in the wings with answers to my questions. I also love the fact that consumer information has never been so accessible. Remember when you would buy a camera, a phone or even a laptop without doing much research? Eek! Now all that stuff is on the net for you.

I recently stumbled upon tech website TechCular.com

It describes itself as “a tech blog that covers Apple, Android, Microsoft, Google, Gadgets, and internet news” with its main aim to “have a database of sharp, accurate, informative, and useful contents.” Well that’s a claim and a half, right? I decided to have a mooch around the site to see if it could find a place in my very exclusive collection of helpful and handy tech websites.

My first impressions are good. The navigation bar at the top of the website provides an easy way for users to look around the page. The best way to get a large subscriber base is to make sure anyone can access it. And it means I don’t have to trawl through the millions of iPhone posts I might have encountered on other sites. 

There certainly seems to be an emphasis on providing breaking news to the discerning tech fan. Lots of posts talk about upcoming releases and product updates and high resolution pictures and easy to read text ensure all readers can access the information.

But is it, as the advert says, “informative and useful?” Well yes and no. It depends what you want to you use the site for. My favourite section is labelled “Internet.” It’s got more tips and tricks that odd socks in grandpa’s sock drawer. I now know that there are Facebook games that I shouldn’t be missing out on and the must have add-ons for internet browsers. For someone who spends a significant amount of time on the internet that’s the kind of stuff I wanna know.

So what isn’t useful? Well, I doubt the Telecom section will get your motor running. There may be better platforms to compare phone tariffs and deals but who knows this may be expanding and will include more for European users.

All in all I would use this site again for a variety of purposes. So if you find yourself caught out in a proverbial tech storm this website might just be the answer. Turning it off, then on again can’t always work.

P.S. Some of you might be thinking, why has she chosen to write about this?? I’m sure many of you blog or use your computer to upload make-up looks, OOTD and video tutorials. We need tech too!

Till next time,

Deja

Glossybox and Pinspire Competition

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For those of you who don't know, Glossybox is a luxury beauty subscription service in which you receive different beauty samples every month with an option to buy the full-sized product at a discounted price. And at £10 a month it's not a bad deal either. 

They've teamed up with Pinspire.co.uk to offer a new competition with some great beauty prizes. Pinspire is an image sharing website that allows you to "pin" images from all around the web onto "collections" not unlike mood boards. They can be used to help you get creative whilst completing projects like planning your wedding, redecorating your home or planning a party. 

Glossybox want Facebook fans to sign up to Pinspire and create a collection that sums up your "Glossy Style." And get this chicklets, you can win a Clarisonic deep cleanser or a NARS gift set! All the details are here.

My entry is here and I would be ever so grateful if you'd have a look! Let me know what you think, please "Like" if you like it and let me know if you enter.

Until next time beauties,

Deja xx

Throwing Away the Falsies?

I’m jumping on the Benefit bandwagon and I finally bought their new mascara, “They’re Real.” I’d never normally spend £18.50 pounds on a mascara but there I was in the shop being sweet-talked by a shop assistant with words like “new stock,” “sold out” and “exclusive” being batted around. Suddenly my hand was in my purse, cash was handed over and it was all over in minutes. And to my shame, after she applied the mascara I thought it was good but not great. No better than my favourite False Lash Effect mascara to be exact. That was until I applied it myself at home (or in the car to be more precise). 

Before Mascara.

After application to one eye I looked up and the magic had begun!

After both eyes were done I was sold. This is the longest my lashes have looked with mascara 

and I think I might swear off the sticky messes that are false eyelashes. It didn’t smudge 

when I rubbed my eye during the day and my lashes didn’t feel crunchy. Now I’d love it if it 

didn’t take a million coats to achieve this look, so be careful when putting it on because too 

much can make you lashes looked weighed down. I’d even like a bit more separation.

All in all, I’m loving this mascara and I hope to have an even better experience when I apply it in a stationary setting!

Until next time beauties,

Deja xx

Fashion for Free?

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So it’s been verified that someone in the UK has won £40 million pounds in the Euro Millions Lottery. And I can now reveal...that it wasn’t me. But who hasn’t imagined what it’d be like to be rolling in the dough? My friend and I have already made a pact that if one of us wins we’ll become “ladies who lunch.” But what if suddenly you had access to free money overnight? The stats are that that is quite unlikely. But is it?

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I have just discovered website www.fantasyshopper.com. It does what it says on the tin, so fashion-addicted shoppers can peruse all their favourite high street shops, buy items with fantasy money and build their dream wardrobe! You can collect a payday every hour and get badges and rewards for interacting with the site. It’s marketed itself as a completely social way to shop.

Some of you might be totally frustrated by a website like this. I mean I hate shopping when I’m broke and how much satisfaction can you get from collecting clothes that you don’t actually own? I hear you on that but I do like creating outfits. Other websites like ASOS Fashion Finder and Polyvore are examples of how popular this is. Fantasyshopper.com also gives you the opportunity to win real shopping vouchers in special events which is why I was initially attracted. 

Here is an outfit I created for an event called "It's a Date." My date night outfit is available for the entire community to comment on and like. 

So if you like shopping, having the whole of the high street at your fingertips and connecting with other passionate clothes enthusiasts then perhaps this site is for you. Sign up here to get shopping and whilst you're there please feel free to like my current outfit here! I hope you follow me and I’ll follow you back!

Until next time beauties,

Deja xx

St. Christopher's Inns Travel Writing Competition

My posts may seem like buses (none for ages, then three in a row), but I have good reason. I'm literally bursting with things to write about. Including this amazing competition with St. Christopher's Inns. They provide hostel accommodation across Europe and I've used their services many times when I studied abroad in college. Over a month ago I spotted an invitation on their website for travel stories. If your story is chosen you get published in their E-Zine and win 2 nights at any St. Christopher's Inns hostel. 


Cool beans, I thought. I submitted mine...and won! 

I am the first winner of the year and am so excited to have been chosen. If you've whizzed around the world, have a story or two you want to tell and enjoy writing give it a go! You can find details of the competition and how to enter on St. Christopher's Inns' website and at the end of page where you find my article, here. And hey you might even want to read what I've written whilst you're there. Look for more travel-related posts in the very near future.


Until next time beauties (and beaus),


Deja xx

I won £100. I never felt so poor...

So absolutely ages ago I won £100 shopping voucher. “Gee willikers!” I hear you shout! Like you, I believed I was entering into a splendid shopping union until I clicked onto my intended’s website: www.matchesfashion.com. Go on, look around, have a leisurely stroll down the virtual aisles (well after you’ve read this of course). 

See what the problem is? No it’s not the beautiful jewellery, or expertly cut pieces: it’s the price tags. With designers like Balenciaga, Burberry and Stella McCartney gracing the website’s pages that’s no surprise. Their designs usually demand hefty price tags.

To be fair to Matches it’s not a real life, I've run out of chocolate chip cookies, problem. But good gracious, great balls of fire, £100?!!

There’s a sale on which would have been perfect except I’m not allowed to use it on sale pieces. So after careful consideration here are a few things under £100 I wouldn’t mind owning from Matches.

The Diane by Diane Von Furstenberg printed umbrella, the Weekend by MaxMara Timore Embossed Tote, the Anya Hindmarch Girlie Stuff bag, the Mulberry Heart Friendship Bracelet, the Lily and Lionel leopard print scarf, Diane by Diane Von Furstenberg Kendra sunglasses, MIH Jeans t-shirt and the Mulberry bow-front sandals all caught my eye. 

And if money were no option...

The Stella McCartney Palm Tree brooch. Gorgeous, elegant and a snip at £315.

What do you think? Have you browsed the site and found something gorgeous and pretty for £100 or less? Maybe you saw a must have piece over £100. I'd love to hear about it!

Until next time beauties,

Deja xx