Tough Love and Cut Backs

I’m having to be careful because I can feel myself slipping again. Slipping back into those bad buying habit shoes. So for the rest of the month it has been re-decided that I need to teach myself some tough love and clamp down on spending again and maybe into next month as well. It happens gradually and I have begun to see where the problems lie in momentary purchases . . .

As a perpetual shopper I have learnt increasingly bad habits over the years since leaving the little town of Hitchin (where clothes shops were short on numbers) going from that to London full time meant that having hundreds of shops at my disposal more than nine hours a day meant that my shopping went up, my cash went down and my style with it! But you knew that!

What perhaps you didn’t know is that I do still feel pressure to bring out new items here on the therealjlow, which is silly really when I set out with the idea that this would be “the real jlow” not the girl who constantly shops because for most people that just isn’t a viable options and really I don’t think it should be. After a year of this blog I decided to try focusing more on quality over quantity and doing more with less so as I caught myself this morning I realised I need to look more in my closet rather than online and in other peoples so from here on out this month (and maybe next) no more new and far more remixed! I’ve also realised that if I have ten minutes I buy more and buy with less thought yet when I go out with several hours a whole afternoon I am far more sensible and hold on to more of my cash. So I’m cutting the spending and upping the time when I do go!

So here goes . . . it’s those blasted pink jeans again!

A Merry Little Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all! Whats your favourite thing about the festive season this year? My favourite thing is having my macbook back, granted I lost every document and picture including my dissertation and CV but now at least I have a shiny new feeling computer I even have the old apple screensaver going on!

Because of this merryness I thought it would only be right that I would take some photos and give you a christmas post, although to be honest I think i’ve eaten way too much bad food this week – I was feel decidedly podgy during the photos today.

I already know what my new years resolution will be to truly go lactose free rather than fighting my intolerance all the way. While also getting rid of all this bad food we’ve been indulging in as of late!

I’m also very excited for the up coming christmas sales, can you say booties? I could but im not a big fan of the word, so ill just say im buying boots, thats my plan, that and a new bag! So much to look forward to!

Have a merry Christmas everyone! and if your lucky you might just get to see me and the boys and christmas day outfits!

Jessx

Lucky you.

Tee- H&M, Skirt – H&M, Boots – Cavalier?, Scarf, FatFace, Cross ring – Dorothy Perkins, Watch – River Island

So I had thought that I would only give you the two previous posts but then I realised that that was a bit mean, considering seven/eight? days have gone by without all too many posts! So I wanted to give you an outfit I wore earlier on in the week, and never got time to post. (Because I was crashed out on the couch – but you didn’t hear that from me!) 

This is a neat little work outfit thats both easy and professional to put on as well as uber comfy, its perfect for when I have to be smart but really don’t want to wear structured clothing. I mean waist bands that cut into you when you have to sit all day, do I really want that? never! 

My only complaint is I love this v-neck t-shirts from H&M but a, they make them to short on the length firstly and then secondly the things shrink! Before I washed this T for the first time I was actually able to wear it with jeans, now however, not so much. Unless I want to wear a crop top.

Which I don’t, ever, this is not the nineties, thank god.

 

So until next time . . . . toddles . . .

 

First Challenge issues and realisations.

 

Its only been a week of this challenge so far but I feel its already started affecting my wardrobe, the way I view my clothes and fashion and also the way I view myself. 

Surprisingly, I’ve found that I enjoy and find getting dressed in the morning to be so much easier than before! I believe that whats helped is in cutting down my wardrobes colours and by only picking out things I know suit me very well that I can make better and quicker clothing choices.

What I have also found is that taking a picture everyday? Its hard to find the time! Some I had to do earlier in the week when I have time rather than on the day and then sometimes I feel like wearing something different to what Id planned and I end up with the above, a photo of me in the mirror very early in the morning.

I’ve also realised that although a knit skirt is great and cute in principal in reality it stretched out strangely before lunch and looked bad for the rest of the day, so iv taken it out of the challenge. I can’t be doing with saggy skirts in the evening after all!

Lucky Sundays.

Its been getting cold, cold. Like so cold my normal hour and half journey to work took four. Cold enough that my car wouldn’t start and we had to push it out of the garage and jump start it kinda cold.

Im not a huge fan of the cold. And an even smaller fan of snow. Ok, lets be honest here snow is like my mortal enemy, its pretty and I used to like walking in it but then poorly ankles happened and the idea of falling in the snow became the worst prospect ever.

In fact I’d say the only snow i like is that in movies. In particular Camelot the musical is where I like snow best, which reminds me I must collect my christmas movies together as sundays in December aren’t Sundays without christmas movies.

Mondays unlike Sundays . . .

Don’t give you time for photo-shoots.

Unfortunately for you guys my work day means I don’t get home until eight o’clock at best, so taking photographs tend to take a back seat to things like catching up on news, Kate Middleton is pregnant? (Im hoping its a girl) and eating dinner etc . . . So for todays out fit all I have is this ->

2

Top – H&M (Current Season) Skirt – H&M (Past season – Basics Collection) (Skull) Scarf – Zara (Portugal) Belt – Next (2009)

And its in a mirror! double wammy of rubbishness! So I figured, this is a Monday! I cant be giving all you poor worker bees such a boring post so luckily the other day I shot some fun shots for date night, because too much work attire drives anyone crazy!

3

Jumper (Dorothy Perkins), Scarf (Fat Face), Top (H&M, this season), Necklace (Accessorize), Belt (Next, 2009), Skirt (H&M, this season), Boots (New Look, This season)

My apologies for the blurriness but we had to take these photos with our tiny camera (mini me). But also don’t you love the funnyness of these boots, I like to call these my cowgirl boots, but I like the whimsy they add to this outfit without them, this could be a bit plain!

Until next time, Have a lovely week! xoxo

Gull Guards and Dog Days.

Myself and my partner took our (now) almost tradition, sunday walk around one of our local parks and decided that a sunday sandwich in the park was just what we needed. However what we weren’t prepared for was the seagull that kept protecting us from the other seagulls and birds who were trying to get our sandwiches from us! Were still not to sure what he’s motive was but he certainly kept the birds away from our food nicely!

Top – H&M, Jeans – New Look

A bit of Oxblood and Red for a saturday. This top is actually one of the basics tops from h&m that looks a lot more like a dress on the hanger, but being tall means its definitely a top for me, but for many you could double this up as a great t-shirt dress.

Sunday however I went for something to kick off my 30×30 Challenge, so here is number 1!

Pom-Pom Scarf, Accessorise – Black Sweater – Dorothy Perkins, Bird T – Dorothy Perkins, Brown leather belt – H&M, Super Stretch Skinnys in Blue – Dorothy Perkins Tall, Converse trainers.

While our food was being guarded by the seagull, my legs were however not. So if you can see any paw prints, it was because I must have had my dog attracting perfume on today, as at least three jumped up and tried to get on my lap in about the space of ten minutes!

They must have known I was going to take pictures today!