My favourite shops of 2012

As 2012 draws to an end I thought I would share with you some of my favourite fashion finds of the year...

Independent Boutiques:

Despite now living in London and being able to find a large amount of the brands sold in these independent outlets, I would still rather travel and visit these shops than head to Harrods, it's much more personal and I love a good natter with the people that work there.  I am looking forward to searching all the nooks and crannies of London to discover some more hidden gems I can fall in love with. I think it is important to support independent traders so if you can check out these places below:

Rumpus Resort Beachwear, Wilmslow, Cheshire. http://www.rumpusresort.com/
Even if I am unable to make it back up to the North West before I go to Barcelona in June, I will be ordering all of my swimwear online from this fantastic beachwear shop on the outskirts of Manchester.  Stocking a range of well known swimwear from Vix and Missoni to Melissa Odabash, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable and if you are lucky you may even be treated to a glass of champagne whilst you are trying on their fabulous spoils.

Vix Bikini and Kaftan and Melissa Odabash Hat from Rumpus Resort

The Style Clinic, Allerton Road, Liverpool. http://www.styleclinic.co.uk/
This friendly and on trend boutique in the heart of Liverpool's Mossley Hill is great for unusual and edgy wear.  It stocks a range of smaller brands such as 18 and East and Ella Luna (my two favourites) as well as being a big stockist of Ash footwear (I have some of their wedged trainers and am hoping Santa will deliver some of their studded biker boots - well one can dream).  Follow them on Twitter @style_clinic and you may get some good offers on their stock.

Ash Studded Biker Boots available at both Style Clinic and Think Bubbles

Think Bubbles, Cleethorpes (no website but they are on Facebook).
Situated on Cleethorpes seafront this designer boutique is now stocking a range of labels that all the trendsetters in East London are going mad for due to their buyer being based in Shoreditch.  Marc Cain is still their biggest seller but if you are looking for a younger, more affordable look check out their stock of Wildfox, The Pretty Dress Company and MinkPink.  You can also find a range of this season's favourite platform boots by Jeffrey Campbell as well as Ash Footwear, previously mentioned above. They also stock a range of designer childrenswear (my favourite being their Baby Dior collection which is to die for)!


Sonia Rykiel Trench from Vintage Rose in Richmond and Jeffrey Campbell boots from Think Bubbles, Cleethorpes

Vintage Rose, Richmond Hill, Richmond (no website).
This fabulous designer vintage shop has given me some fantastic bargains from a Sonia Rykiel trench for a mere £65 and an amazing pair of Alexander McQueen heels at a fifth of the cost of their original £600 price tag.  You have to search regularly to grab a bargain and when you see something you like in your size consider it fate and snap it up immediately.  Currently in their window at the moment are a stunning pair of John Galliano heels, Louboutins and a tweed Chanel jacket for just £450.  It really is a label whore on a budget's treasure chest.

International Labels:

Cop Copine. http://www.cop-copine.com/
Chic, timeless, structured, classic, quality cuts are what spring to mind when thinking about this label.  Their clothes are all monochrome and are guaranteed to make you look and feel fabulous.  Their designers are Japanese but the brand is French and the fusion of these influences create a fabulous look.

Maje.
Keeping with my love for all things French, Maje is the home to my favourite purchases of 2012 in the yellow cape dress and jewellery I purchased for a wedding earlier in the year.  Although I stocked up in Lille and Paris there are plenty of stores splattered around London as well as being stocked on www.net-a-porter.com.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed with their collections.

High Street:

Zara and River Island remained my favourite High Street go to places this year.  Zara has a range of high end looks at affordable prices and River Island is the best for summer dresses at ridiculously cheap prices.  Of course when times are really hard and you still need a fashion fix Primark and H&M never disappoint.

A selection of dresses from Zara and River Island with my Maje cape dress at the top

2012 - The best year of my life!

Here we are again, on the eve of the final week of another year, excited to have some time off work and gather with our families for Christmas festivities.  I always feel quite nostalgic as the end of a year approaches and like to reflect back on the events that have passed and decide whether the year was a success or not.  Life is a rollercoaster of a story, it has its ups and its downs, and a year is a small representation of the story you are creating, the legacy of your existence.

Unusually, and refreshingly, 2012 has not been a rollercoaster of a year for me; it has been an exhilarating zip wire of excitement and joy, a year unrivalled in the happiness and good times it has given me.  I will be lucky to experience another year like it, a year packed to the rafters with fun, laughter, joy and love.  I will always hold 2012 dear to my heart as the year I got married, but I never anticipated that this occasion would shape the whole year into the magnificent event that it has been.  I am sorry to leave behind 2012 but excited and eager with anticipation for what 2013 holds.  I left 2011 with mixed emotions, I had been dreadfully unhappy in my job and had just lost my Granddad when I secured the position I have been working in since September and ended the year knowing it would be more than 8 months before I would start it, which seemed so far away.

My highlights of 2012 have not just been personal experiences but also sharing the joy of the nation in the jubilee celebrations (if you followed my old blog you will know I am a closet royalist), the London Olympic games, Felix Baumgartner’s death defying leap and, despite being a Liverpool fan, a new football team taking the Premier League title when Manchester City secured their trophy in the dying minutes of the season.  In all it has been a fantastic year for our wonderful nation.

On a personal level, I have loved the amount of time I got to spend with friends and family on my three hen dos and at my wedding.  I am disappointed in the fact that next year there will not be as many excuses to meet up with my loved ones and I hope that we still make the effort for fun times despite being more than 200 miles apart.  My wedding day was undoubtedly the best day of my life, it is probably the only time that every single person you love is in the same room and having fun and, if there was one day I could go back and relive again it would unquestionably be 4^th August 2012.  My honeymoon experience was unspeakably fantastic and I am happy to have been able to cross off two other lifetime goals of mine in sailing around the pacific islands of Fiji and staying in LA’s The Beverly Wilshire, both experiences I will hold dear in my heart for the rest of my life.

As well as the massive landmark of becoming a wife, August also saw me move to London and start a new job.  Whilst I will not deny it has been stressful, I am resolutely convinced that I made the right decision and I am ecstatic to be enjoying the experience of living in London, one of my favourite cities in the world, as well as having made some great new friends in the process.

So as I say goodbye to 2012, I look to 2013 with hope and excitement at what lies ahead.  Normally I set myself goals and aims for the approaching New Year but this year I have but one and that is to enjoy myself.  This is the first year I will be able to enjoy not having to plan or work towards anything in particular and I look forward to exploring London further, visiting some Southern Cities I have yet to acquaint myself with such as Oxford, Brighton, Bath, Bristol and Cambridge as well as reacquainting myself with my two favourite European cities of Barcelona and Paris.  I hope to have plenty to write about and plenty to smile about. 

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2013 and hope you are looking to the future as optimistically as I am.  Remember, you cannot change or revisit the past but you can shape your future.

Winter Red

Today I was feeling extra festive as we went for a walk in Suffolk thanks to this Winter Red Coat from H&M! I love it!! It is also the same colour as my new Lusso London Cashmere gloves which I also am loving! Just a shame I've gained some festive pounds and I'm starting to have a belly resembling that of that famous old man who also likes to wear red! Ho ho ho! Back in the gym big time tomorrow!!


I am wearing:

Coat - H&M
Gloves - Lusso London
Trousers - Armani Exchange
Wedged Trainers - Topshop
Sunglasses - Miu Miu