Game Day Ready

If you're a sucker for sports, you'll know that we're being spoilt for choice when it comes to dramatic finales. With the Australian Open in tennis and the British football's League Cup reaching a crescendo, sports fanatics have much to anticipate. The upcoming months are also sure to entail a blissful indulgence in women's cricket, the Six Nations and of course, the 50th Super Bowl.

In preparation for Super Bowl Sunday, I've created a game day look incorporating the iconic colours of the New England Patriots. After their disappointing defeat last week, I wont be singing #GOPATS on the big day, but regardless, I'll be cheering someone on. Like most Brits, I'll be watching the game on some big screen at some bar with some mediocre beer and some shoddily applied Eye Black. Let's go!

Scarf - New Look

Shirt - H&M

Jeans - Zara

Boots - Ebay

On game day, comfort is paramount. Warmth is also favourable. If you can do both with style, then you're already on the winning team. Wrapped in winter's tartan, I am a firm believer that a good outfit speaks for itself. I have also begun to appreciate the casual vibes that come with sartorial simplicity and this gosh-darn great white shirt.

Styling and shooting this look was so much fun and for more game day outfit inspiration, be sure to head to the TickPick blog. TickPick.com is a globally lauded ticket marketplace for sports as well as music and events. For all your Super Bowl and NFL queries, I would highly recommend them - particularly as they offer negotiable prices and acclaimed professionalism!

I hope you enjoyed this look! If you'll be participating in Sunday's sporting fanaticism, then feel free to tag me in your game day looks (@colour_me_in) or leave a comment below! Have a wonderful day, enjoy Super Bowl Sunday and thanks for stopping by.

(Shoutout to my housemate for lending us the ball. Sorry I held it incorrectly.)

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It's officially 'back to school' season, and I couldn't be more excited.

For me, it's back to University - undoubtedly something to look forward to after months of summertime slumber. My excitement for returning to uni completely overlooks the suffocating workload, painfully slow lectures and excruciating dissertation - all to be completed while hungover.

The real joy is in the anticipation: the grand build up that involves a whole lot of hoarding.

Stationary, books, desk decorations; all are necessary items that consume an unnecessary amount of thought and money. Every year.

Here are a few of my back to uni favourites:

Glass Jar - B&M

Floral Tin - TkMaxx

Books - Urban Outfitters

Perfume - Paul Smith ' Rose'

Each September means a new place to live. This year is my first in a student house, and I wasted no time with decorating! Fairy lights and flora up and we are good to go.

I haven't yet moved all my belongings, but this is my desk décor currently. A few plants completely tranquillises any space and I am eternally grateful for these white walls (seriously, student housing is a gamble on the interior design front).

Lost In Translation - Ella Sanders

Conversation Sparks - Richard Chapman

Filofax - Paperchase

Floral Case - Tesco

Cupcake Case - WHSmiths

Heading back to university means books and stationary - and a lot of them! These two wonderful books were a gift from my boyfriend and they are the most delightful reads. Lost in Translation is a gorgeous illustrated book of untranslatable words from around the world while Conversation Sparks is the ultimate book of trivia.

It is absolutely irrevocably essential that each new school year comes with a new pencil case. It is absolutely necessary, and the updating of the contents inside this new pencil case is of tantamount importance.

Lace-Up Shoes - New Look (ASOS)

Secondary to the stationary upgrade is the wardrobe upgrade. I thought I'd better start the new year with a solid shoe as part of my everyday fashion uniform. Pointed oxfords and loafers have been taunting me for weeks, so I finally picked up this patent pair. I adore the lacing detail and cannot wait to style them with a simple monochrome look. Watch out, Charlotte Martin.

BarryM Nail Paint - Fuchsia Generation

Along with new shoes is a new addition to the varnish collection. Although it benefits my note-taking and information absorbing skills in no way, Fuchsia Generation is a glorious colour. It's definitely my ultimate autumn berry shade.

So that's what I've been loving recently! Are you excited about returning to school / work? What are your back to school essentials?

Thank you for reading.

Have a wonderful day!

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The elusive English summer. It's temperamental, but only so we may appreciate the good days with characteristic British gratitude.

Summer  /ˈsʌmə/ : the season in which to fall in love

These are the months that are saturated with festivals, barbecues and and sun-fuelled smiles. My boyfriend treated me to a glorious festival for my birthday, and the day was truly spectacular. Waves of happiness washed over the thousands as we indulged in the sweet sounds of Ben Howard and Bombay Bicycle Club.

I purchased whole outfits (and potential outfits) in blind anticipation of this festival. Bit embarrassing. Of course, my 70s obsession is still unshakable, and the thought of festivalling without a flower crown disgusts me. I settled on this bell-bottomed, flicky-haired combo and assumed the role of sassy boho birthday gal. I thought I'd recreate my festival look for this shoot with my lovely friend Catherine.

Flower Crown - Topshop

Crop Top - Topshop

Bell-Bottoms - Topshop

Sandals - Zara

Bag - H&M

Running through fields is socially acceptable if you're sporting flowers and lace, right? It seems anything goes at festivals, and it's all beautiful. 70s dance teepees, roller discos and group yoga sounds pretty perfect to me. I was shamefully late at getting on this festival bandwagon; this was my first, but sharing the experience with my best friend was perfect.

I hope you enjoyed this look! Have you been to any festivals this summer? 

These photos were taken by the talented Catherine Baker! Her photography is outstanding, so you have her to thank for my photo's quality upgrad! You can check out more of her work here:

Website / Blog

Have a beautiful day

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What is the first thing you do in the morning?

If you're anything like 80% of the population, you spend the morning's first conscious moments groping for your beloved phone. Emails, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter soak up our attention even before we've stumbled out of bed and usually before we've made any 'real' human contact.

Nurturing your notifications first thing in the morning can be great; you never miss a birthday, text or celebrity selfie. Keeping up with daily politics is a luxury that we can enjoy under the warmth of our duvets and browsing vine never fails to induce morning breath chuckles. Checking your phone can be a wonderful, mood-boosting way to start the day.

But not always.

Recently, I have come to terms with the reality that checking social media in the morning directly affects the rest of my day. A positive effect is infrequent. I love waking up to notifications and messages - we all do, and getting all my social media-ing done and dusted in the early hours is the perfect way to ensure that the rest of my day is spent productively. So why then, do I feel so depleted after this morning ritual?

The problem is not that I'm checking my phone, but it is that I am being exposed to a certain type of content. My feed on most social networks consists of Teatox drinking, Valentino wearing, sun-kissed mega babes. All with killer bodies. Most with brows on fleek. Although I know it's just a push-up bra and a few MAC products, I can't help but feel pressured by social media giants. And it's not just me. Individuals tend to share only the best snippets of their lives, but in doing so, they create an illusion of perfection. No matter the vastness of our influence, we all strive to create the best image of ourselves on the internet. Knowledge of this, it seem, is very difficult to remember when you're scrolling through a model's holiday photos. Especially first thing in the morning.

"I wish I looked like that!" "I wish I had that!" "Why aren't I that successful?" "You're so amazing!" "Perfect."

Getting consumed by the bubble of social media is effortless, and the further you go, the more difficult it is to remember that it is just a bubble. It's merely a screenshot of a handful of people's lives and you have no obligation to strive for their façade. Instead of being a slave to the media and internalising its ridiculous standards, I decided to do a crazy thing. I stopped checking my phone in the mornings. Astonishing. It made all the difference.

Your first waking moments are crucial in determining your mood for the day, and should be a time for positivity, love and appreciation for yet another 24 hours of life. Just a shower and a bowl of fruit is enough to get me in high spirits, and you know what, it's hard for social media to bring you down when you're bright-eyed with confidence in full grasp.

Thank you for reading - what are your thoughts? Does social media affect you?

Have a wonderful day

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Hello! Welcome to the 70s.

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may already be aware that this summer I graced my wardrobe with a pair of flares. Exciting. This season has seen the recreation of an array of 70s trends - from tasselled suede to round-neck tees. The sartorial timeline has been disturbed, as items from the 70s have been dragged from history and dumped into Topshop - and not a single item has escaped the retro resurrection.

This, however, is not a complaint. My affection for all things vintage allows me to embrace the trend, and realise my affinity for flared jeans and striped tees. I have aspirations of becoming a retro-boho-groovy extraordinaire, or something of similar implications. I'm not there yet, but these jeans are my time machine.

Sunglasses - Next

Top - Primark

Bag - Vintage

Jeans - TkMaxx

Platforms - Primark

The flared jean has, admittedly, been overdone in the bloggersphere, but I'm certainly not ashamed to add my rendition to the archive. Interestingly, the internet is saturated with images of women rocking these 70s staples, yet seeing flares being worn 'in real life' is a rarity. Perhaps I just need to surround myself with a more groovy crowd.

The funny thing with trends is that they don't always infiltrate the high street. With the exception of Next and River Island, no stores had a flare in sight as I desperately hunted.Thankfully TkMaxx came to the rescue with this pair and my faith in the retro resurrection was thus restored. Unlike the elusive flares, platformed sandals are absolutely in abundance on the high street. Options were plentiful, but I found myself lusting over these Primark heels - much to my surprise.

What are your thoughts on denim flares and the 70s trend in general? Team skinny or team flare?

I hope you enjoyed this photo-heavy post, featuring the photography of my wonderful friend Catherine. She's a glorious portrait taker, and you can view her work here!

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day, groovy chicks.

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I have a thing with orange.

I have an affinity for this colour. I find myself pulling out various items from my wardrobe all. in. this. colour. It seems to be my summer motif. It's a very distinct and specific orange. Not the orange of juicy clementines or fresh carrots or voluptuous pumpkins. Not the orange of autumn leaves or sweet peppers. No.

This is the orange of the African Daisy.

Playsuit - H&M

Kimono - Select

Sandals - Zara

Bag - House of Holland

This colour is sun-kissed, vibrant and beautiful. Summer goodness is all this soul needs. 

My adoration for this silky playsuit is never ending, and on a glorious day, my trusty kimono is the perfect coverup. And, of course, it's back to '95 with my velcro Zara sandals.

Dancing in sunlight is one of my favourite pastimes. 

This was a picture-heavy post, but I hope you enjoyed it! You'll no doubt see this allusive colour on here some time in the near future. For the mean time:

Have a beautiful day!

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