These are a few of my favorite things

I'm wearing aaaall of my favourite things in one outfit today. In fact, I've been wearing this pretty much every day and just changing the t-shirt because I love it all so much. I've not stopped wearing my leopard print coat since I bought it in the sales and my boots have only left my feet when I swapped them for wellies in the snow. I do wish I had kept this for the gig I'm going to tonight but then white t-shirts and people spilling beer do not mix.

My bag is probably my all time favourite thing I've ever owned and I feel super grown up walking around with it although I'm worried it has sparked some designer bag desires and I'm eyeing up another one already... I bought it with a mixture of store credit, my own money and a 20% discount code through Spartoo who always have good sales on bags.

Coat: Mango

Boots: Blink c/o Spartoo
Bag: Vivienne Westwood

T-Shirt: Topshop

Skirt: New Look

I'm going to see Two Door Cinema Club and Bastille tonight, have a meeting tomorrow night and I'm in Paris all weekend so I hope you all have a lovely weekend and this is the last you will see of me for a few days. Au revoir!

17 Facts About Me

I enjoyed lots of other bloggers posts like this recently so I thought I would give it my best shot. 17 is an odd number but I ran out of facts. Anyway, here we go:

1. I don't have any tattoos (too much of a wimp) but if I did I would probably have FAC.33 on the back of my neck.

2. I get most of my inspiration for my outfits, music I listen to and books I read from Nicky Wire and Richey Edwards from the Manic Street Preachers. They are the only beautiful thing to ever come out of my home town. I have so much love for them, they are my heroes. Make up inspiration comes from Caroline over at Sparkly Vodka and my female fashion icons are Daisy Lowe and Marina Diamandis.

3. My favourite book is The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

4. I lost 6 stone in two years. My weight has always been an issue and I find it hard to talk about. I was happy when I was bigger but I am happier now. I wish weight wasn't such a big issue in our society, I wish people didn't feel pressured to look a certain way and I wish some people hadn't said I only used the tag 'Fat' when it suited and dropped it when I lost weight. I love clothes and wanted to be a size 14-16 to be able to shop anywhere on the high street. I've kept it off by keeping a food diary and being good all week and letting loose on the weekend. My weight is such a confusing topic and I've given myself a headache thinking about it...

5. I have a scar in my right eyebrow where I had two stitches after falling off a wall when I was five.

6. I love Manchester. Most of my favourite bands are from there, I love the city and its history and the people. I wish I had gone to uni there to do an MA after graduating but I was too scared to go on my own. I have been to Manchester five times now and I would quite like to move there before settling back down in the Valleys.

7. I have always lived in Wales and the longest I have ever been away from home is for three months when I went to New Zealand. I'm close to my mum and brother and get home sick quite easily.

8. My teenage crushes were a little odd and included Jarvis Cocker, Matt Bellamy, JC Chasez from *NSync and Reece Shearsmith.

9. I got full marks in all of my History A Level exams and then went on to do spectacularly badly at university because I lost all interest in being academic.

10. I have dyslexia and dyspraxia but didn't find out until I was 20, which meant spending the first part of my life thinking I was an idiot.

11. I have been to see Britney Spears with my brother three times, I am not ashamed.

Me and my brother

12. Not sure if the happiest moment of my life was getting my dog Sookie on Christmas day three years ago or seeing Morrissey at Wembley Arena.

13. Working in a library was never something I planned or dreamed of doing but I am enjoying it. I wanted to be a radio DJ or be in a band but I lack any musical ability and I am the least rock and roll person ever. Previous jobs include barmaid, cleaner, sales assistant at Topshop and club promoter.

14. I had about 40 driving lessons but never took my test. I have no interest in driving, my dad made me have lessons.

15. I'm scared of the ocean and going on boats. I went on a cruise down the Nile as a child and saw crocodiles in the water and cried.

16. I am a member of the Labour party and try to be as actively involved as I can be.

17. Most people want to travel to exotic destinations, I just want to go back to Florida as an adult and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm such a big fan, 'Always' *sobs*

On holiday in Florida when I was 7.

I would love to hear some facts about you!

NTAs

I really was spoiled rotten on Wednesday. I attended the National TV Awards as a guest of Echo Falls wine and I had a truly memorable evening. Not only did I get to hang out with Sarah, Ashley and Charlie, I also had the opportunity to watch all of the awards ceremony live and and feel like a VIP for the night. I spent all week worrying about getting stuck in London because of the snow and had to wear my snow boots until we got to the venue but quickly changed into heels once I got inside. A bit of snow would never stop me from being in the same room as the cast of Dr Who.

We had a great view of the ceremony from our suite and got to kick back with some lovely nibbles and a glass of wine. I would normally be watching the show with a mug of tea in my dressing gown so it all felt very posh.

Charlie and I were whooping and cheering when Sherlock and Dr Who were up for awards but sadly they lost out to (in my opinion) far inferior shows.

There were performances from Kimberly Walsh (who sounded fine in the arena) and Ella Henderson. Two of my favourite women, Mary Berry and Clare Balding presented awards.

I had a bit of a nightmare trying to find something to wear and I currently have five dresses waiting to go back to ASOS because nothing was quite right for the event. I eventually ended up buying this dress from Whistles the day before the event:

Dress: Whistles (£50 in the sale)
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

I also paired it with some long gold earrings, my mums gold and navy blue ring and my black patent Vivienne Westwood clutch bag. Sarah looked very glam in her green sequin dress and Ashley and Charlie both had gorgeous long dresses which were very awards appropriate.

stolen from Sarah

I will always remember the NTAs as the day I shared a lift with Clare Balding and shook Arthur Darvill's hand. I was so very star struck and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm going to have to plan something fun this weekend to get over my post NTA blues. Thanks again Accolade Wines.

Dune Studded bag

Not being able to take photos outside was starting to get me down a bit, I always prefer my shots in the garden with my stone wall and some greenery. Never mind, I will probably be housebound over the weekend in the valleys because snow is on the way and I can take photos outside to my heart's content.  I was either delirious or having some sort of crisis brought on by S.A.D when I took these photos. I do hope you have a little chuckle...

Jumper: Primark
Bag: Dune c/o Very.co.uk
Belt: ASOS
Skirt: New Look
Necklace: eBay
Boots: Blink c/o Spartoo

My rather lovely handbag is from Dune via Very.co.uk. It's huge! I used it as a weekend bag last week and managed to cram a clutch bag, bottle of rum, heels, full outfit, pjs and toiletries in there. I've also been using it for work because I can fit my book and lunch in there instead of carrying them in a separate tote bag. I also love all the studs and buckle details and it the neutral colour leather makes a nice change for me because all my bags are plain black.

Here we go, my mental face:

Hope you all enjoy the snow that is forecast for tomorrow, I personally HATE snow because it means I'm stuck in the valleys and wont be able to go out for a dance boohoo. Also, if you're based in South Wales I would love to see your face at cdfblogs tonight.

Summer Holiday

It's cold, wet and I'm trying to have a 'dry' January, all rather dull and uninspiring really. A conversation with friends on the weekend has sparked a need to visit West Wales this summer, it's nice to have something to look forward too when the start of the year is a little bleak. I'm not sure how much sun we will have, West Wales really isn't the French Riviera but I'm sure we will have fun.

We rarely get to go away together at the same time so I have started to plan our little trip in advance so everyone can book time off work and I have to admit I'm pretty excited.

We are keeping it classy (not really) and staying in a caravan. Forget the amazing holidays my parents took me on as a kid, the best fun I had was in a caravan in Wales, mad ey? I want that traditional seaside break I'm thinking beer gardens, ice cream on the beach and board games if it rains. I'm already planning the road trip CD which will be an odd mixture of show tunes, pop divas and classic indie. Getting carried away, me? Never!



The caravan site I've chosen has an indoor pool so I'm looking out for cheap bikinis and swimsuits. I want something sturdy with underwire because there is a watersports centre next to the park and I fancy trying something out. Usually I prefer to sit on the side and watch while reading magazines and drinking a cocktail but I will be in West Wales with my best mates so time to get stuck in! The black is classic and would also be great for when I go swimming at home but the purple one is a tad more exciting and the bands around the middle would help to define my waist.

All these swimsuits are made by Panache and are stocked by My Curves & Me.

Are you planning your summer getaway yet?

*collaborative post

Felt - Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow

I've listened to the track in my title about 50 times this week, so 80s, so good! I thought I would share some of my instagram photos with you, wont be making a habit of this because if you follow me on there (fatfrocks) it will get boring but I've had so much fun using my new phone. I think I might try and take at least one photo a day and print them all off at the end of the year and put them in my scrapbook, a bit of a 365 project. I know you're all old hands at this instagram malarkey but I've only just joined the modern world with my new android phone.

1. Wednesday saw me face my fears and do a talk about blogging in work. Scary stuff! I did eat a few too many Welsh cakes during the tea break though, can't be helped.

2. Treated myself to lots of new Lush goodies. I'm loving Herbalism, great product for those with acne.

3. Made a cheeky little sales purchase from McQ, I'm allergic to most jewellery so the leather strap is great.

4. Trying walk a bit more on my lunch breaks and with buildings like this where I work I certainly don't get bored. Cardiff civic centre is gorgeous. This is the the Main Building at Cardiff Uni which is Grade 2 listed.

5. Bought this coat from Mango after trying to track down the perfect Glamour Twin leopard print coat for what seems like a lifetime. So happy to get my hands on this beauty and I can't stop looking at it.

6. Saw one of the greatest films ever on Saturday. Took my breath away, been listening to the soundtrack non stop since and I want Jackman to win an Oscar. AMAZING.

Oblivion - Outfit Post

The first two weeks of January have flown by and my inbox just keeps on filling and all my free time is disappearing, maybe that's just part of growing up? I started my first ever full time position on the 2nd of January and it is taking a little while to get used to. I feel like I've not had time to read any of my favourite blogs and when I get home from work I just want to listen to music and cook. Can I be 19 again please?

Apart from being a bit ill and worn down this week was rather exciting because I did a presentation in work about blogging and what makes good content for professional library blogs. I've never done anything like that before so I was rather scared. It all payed off and I'm going to be repeating the presentation in front of a bigger crowd later on in the year, eek!

This type of outfit is slowly becoming my favourite type of thing to wear to work. It's smart but I can add some fun with a band t-shirt or lots of jewellery. I'm lucky because I really can wear anything I like to work although I try to be a little smart because I don't want anyone to mistake me for a student.

T-Shirt: Topshop
Necklace: eBay

Skirt: New Look

Shoes c/o Spartoo: Boots by Blink

I've really not been as excited by clothes recently, I think I've just discovered what I like and I'm sticking to it. However, I have been rather excited by music again and I made a little playlist of some of my favourite songs of all time as well as a few bands that you should look out for in 2013, enjoy!

Polkadot Dress

Week one of 2013 was pretty quiet for me but that's probably a good thing after the excitment of Christmas. I've been treating myself to a few bits in the sales and booked a little weekend in Paris for February which I'm pretty excited about. I visited back in September and saw a lot of the touristy things but do you know about any interesting and more unusual places for me to visit in Paris? I'm only going to be there for two days but I'm hoping to cram a lot in.

I've got a feeling I will be taking this new dress to Paris with me. It's nice an girly with a polka dot print but I also love the zip detail which stops it from being too prim.

Dress: ASOS

Shoes c/o Spartoo: Boots by Blink
Bow: New Look

The records weren't strictly a sale purchase but I got them all for a bargain price on eBay. I used to buy one 7" record a week when I was in uni and I don't really know why I stopped, I love owning a physical copy of my favourite tracks. I suppose I'm quite old fashioned because I don't like downloading music and films. I'm building up my collection which as you can has a pretty early 90s vibe. You can see Nicky and Richey rocking the leopard print on the picture disk which is where I get my love of leopard print from.

I did manage to pick up this Naughty Alice set for a bargain price of £26 when this size bottle (without the body lotion) normally retails for about £45.

Crucifix Kiss - ASOS Leopard Print Dress

Are we all having a bad case of the January blues? It was such a struggle to get up for work this week after staying up until 3am watching films all over Christmas. I miss my bed and I miss carbs. I feel very sorry for myself so I've been making an effort for work to feel a little better about myself and my Christmas bulge. I always feel a bit sassy when I wear leopard print to work, I suppose its a bit trashy for someone who works in a library but I wont let that stop me.

Dress: ASOS
Belt: ASOS

Shoes c/o Spartoo: Boots by Blink

Cardigan: H&M

I love the little cross detail on my belt. I think £8 was steep for one belt when I can get two from DP for that price but I didn't really see much that I liked in the sales so I  treated myself. I also love my Blink boots that arrived before Christmas and I've worn them pretty much everyday since I got them.

I'm planning on having a quiet weekend, catching up on some sleep and booking some trips to look forward to in 2013. Hope your 2013 has got off to a good start.

NYE 2012

I had a lovely night in with some friends and their adorable kids last night which was the perfect way to see in the new year. You can see all of my highlights of 2012 in my last post. I don't think I have any new years resolutions this year, I'm just going to try and make 2013 as fun and action packed as possible.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has read my blog or left a lovely comment here this year, it means a lot to me.

Happy New Year

Gem xx