Pay Day Lust List: Disney

It might surprise you to find out that I'm a bit late to the Disney party. When I was a kid, I was more focused on growing up than watching cartoons and as a result, I never really had an affinity with Disney that most children seem to. In the last five or so years, I have really begun to enjoy the films and have built up quite the collection, with my boyfriend and I making our way through old favourites and new additions.

When I graduated from university four years ago, one of our first holidays together was to go to Disneyland Paris for the week and I have never experienced anything quite like it. Completely surreal and magical, there is nothing that matched the feeling of walking through the gates to the park each morning, the lingering scent of sweet treats and sound of music in the air. 

Four years later, I'm being whisked away to Florida to Disneyworld and I can't quite contain my excitement - with just over six weeks until our getaway, I've started reading as many blogs and articles as I can to plan our holiday of a lifetime! Here's my payday lust list for heading off to experience the magic!

The first major thing on my list is this beautiful bead. A great addition to my Pandora bracelet, it reads 'Believing is just the beginning', a quote from Cinderella. I've been looking for something to commemorate the Disney trip and this would be a wonderful item for my birthday wish list!

Walking around the Disney parks in the heat of Florida's sunshine is going to mean decent shoes! These lovely Finley sandals from Topshop are not only suitably pretty but also brilliant for putting in the miles. Want!

Alright, so I can't see myself wearing these without feeling like I'm about five years old but how cute are they? Topshop are brilliant for pyjamas and these Disney Princess ones would make a great gift for die-hard Disney fans. 

Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favourite Disney film and this dress from Hot Topic is subtle enough to be worn outside without feeling embarrassed! I love the stained glass window effect on the skirt - the ideal outfit choice if you've been lucky enough to get a reservation at the Be Our Guest restaurant! 

Finally - something I will actually be treating myself to! The one thing I never did when visiting Disneyland Paris was buy some Minnie Mouse ears but I'll be rectifying that with this rock n' roll headband from the Disney Store. Well, you've got to look the part - haven't you?

Any die-hard Disney fans out there? Until next time...

The Sunday Review

Another beautifully sunny weekend. This one has been really relaxed- some blogging, Household DIY, a bit of running and making my way through a stack of magazines. I had my last day at work on Friday and was given a huge bunch of flowers that are now brightening up my living room. I start my new role tomorrow and I am nervously excited.

I have been listening to...Coldplay's Ghost Stories. I've been a big fan of Coldplay since I can remember. One of the best gigs I have ever been to was seeing them on their Mylo Xylto tour in 2012. I'm really liking the mix of trademark old-style Coldplay tracks on this album with the more upbeat dance tracks.

I have been watching...Orange is The New Black. I have been meaning to start watching this series for ages but hadn't got around to it yet. The release of series two was a good a reason as any to start binge-watching series one. A quarter way through the first season, we are already hooked.

I have been reading...The Fault in Our Stars. This book was recommended to me a long time ago and I've just finished reading it. Funny, witty and beautifully written, you won't be able to put it down. Review coming soon.

I have been buying...This cute little jewellery holder for my wall. This nifty little holder is a brilliant way to display my statement necklaces so that they don't get all tangled up and lost in the depths of my wardrobe. It was surprisingly cheap, too. Check out Sass & Belle for similar styles.

Birthday Lust List

This week I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday. It only seems five minutes ago that I was celebrating my 18th, so it is a little scary to think that I'm not technically in the mid-twenties age bracket. Nevertheless, I won't be acting my age- I've taken the day off to challenge Liam at the bowling lane followed by watching the new X Men film on the big screen. Proof I'm still a big kid at heart.

Remember the days when you would receive enough birthday money from various family members to make you feel like a junior millionaire? I used to love the trips to the shops to spend my birthday money on new clothes (leopard skin leather jacket...one of the most memorable and regrettable fashion decisions of my youth..), big bags of pick n' mix and endless supplies of stationery. These days, I don't receive many ten pound notes through the post. Definitely doesn't stop me making a birthday list, though...

I love this Initial necklace in Rose Gold from Etsy. I've always been a bit of a fan of anything with my name on it and this is a great alternative to a name necklace. I love the flattering shade of rose gold that looks great with any skin tone and the long chain means it'll look great with anything from a ditsy tea-dress to a smart shirt and blazer combo.

For anyone that reads my blog regularly, they'll know that over the last eighteen months, I've become a bit of a running fan. Whilst I love my old faithful Adidas trainers, I'm definitely ready for a change. These lovely Nike Lunarglide running shoes are just the ticket- brilliant technology, great stability and they come in this gorgeous shade of pink. Definitely an incentive to clock up the miles each week. 

Right now, I feel like I'm the only person in the world that hasn't seen Frozen. Just about everyone I know has been raving about it and I cannot wait to see what all the fuss is about. Liam and I have our very own Disney shelf at home (in chronological order, no less!) and this would be a great addition to it. Sounds like the perfect feelgood movie for a Sunday afternoon!

I'm grateful to be starting a brand new job in two weeks time! I am pretty excited as it is exactly what I want to do and is a massive step in the right direction. Lately, I've been clearing out my wardrobe in the hope it will soon be filled with new work clothes. Whilst the dress code is fairly smart casual, I'm looking forward to working in a creative industry where I can express myself a little more with what I'm wearing. Knowing me, this will mean a lot of smart printed dresses, Chelsea boots and brogues. I'm also loving this Pink crepe Knotch Blazer to smarten up simple outfits for work. This bold shade of pink will add a pop of colour to any outfit and will also look great with a floral dress for my friend's upcoming wedding in September. 

This perfume is a bit of an old favourite of mine. I was first bought Vera Wang Princess Perfume when I began seeing Liam over four years ago. Since then, I've made my way through the Vera Wang princess range but nothing matches the original. The scent has notes of waterlily, apple, mandarin, apricot, dark chocolate and vanilla and smells wonderful. I'm lucky enough to get a bottle of this for most birthdays and I just love it. 

Birthday cake

Although it only Thursday, this week has been nicely busy one already and with the jubilee long weekend coming up as well as seeing Coldplay tomorrow, I'm having a really lovely time at the moment. Yesterday was my 22nd birthday so I had a rather self-indulgent day shopping, reading in Starbucks and then eating Chinese with my family.

As the weather has been hotting up, I am desperate for some summer clothes so I headed to old favourite New Look for some affordable pieces I could wear in the sun. I found these high-waisted shorts as part of Kelly Brook's new summer collection, comfortable as well as very flattering. As well as these, I managed to grab myself this fail-safe floral sundress (my wardrobe is full of them) and a swallow print tee which I'm sure will serve me well for the Isle of Wight festival this summer. The best bargain, however, was this lovely red lace dress which was cut down from £26 to £12. I cannot wait to team it with a pair of black heels, leather jacket and envelope clutch for a night out in Lancaster. All in all, I spent around £50 on these pieces- a bit of a bargain I think you'll agree!

After feeling all shopped out, I headed to Starbucks for a half-price Frappuccino and to continue reading Catching Fire (the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy which I am hooked on). After a lovely chinese meal with my family, we all headed home to watch The Apprentice. A very rock n' roll birthday, I know. As I'm not a big fan of birthday cake, my Dad had the sweet idea of purchasing some ice-cream instead. I've since opened the freezer to discover four whole tubs of Ben and Jerry's that I sense will probably last us for the next few months. I'll definitely have to be doing double sessions in the gym!

Of course, as well as a lovely day I got some equally lovely presents from friends and family. Pictured below are all the amazing gifts I got. I felt completely spoilt! Liam filled a gift bag with goodies, including DVDs, The Sex and the City box set, Eclectic Eccentricity jewelry and Vera Wang perfume as well as tickets to Coldplay and Matilda the musical and some money for driving lessons and buying new clothes (since my old clothes are getting too big for me now as well as a bit tatty.) My parents also gave me some money for new things as well as the lovely blue heart necklace in the photo.

All in all, it was a lovely day and very tame indeed- I seem to be all partied out nowadays. Proof I really am getting old.

(From L-R: DVD's of Sex and the city, The Help and One Day, EE Necklace (with meteorite attached to it!), EE seahorse earrings all from Liam, Accesorize diamante cherry necklace from Lauren, River Island gold tape measure necklace from Laura, Blue heart necklace from my parents, Green 'Do not publish' notebook from Rachel with Waterstones voucher, Tickets for Coldplay and Matilda the musical from Liam, Handmade bunting from Laura, My starbucks birthday treat to myself, Vera Wang perfume from Liam.)

Lust List

For once, this week has been a relatively relaxed one. After coming down with the lurgy, I've given gym sessions a miss and even cancelled my driving lesson. I've really enjoyed this week at work, however- finishing on a high on Thursday as we were all visited by the Easter bunnies who left us all some delicious gold Lindt bunnies to feast on! Sometimes I truly love my job. I was also surprised to see that I managed to reach a total of 300 views in twenty four hours on my blog this week- all because of this post about Samantha Brick.  Here is this week's Lust List...

I'm sporting a serious love for cocktail rings at the moment and my current ambition is to make sure that at least half of my fingers are covered in jewels! Sitting Pretty is a wonderful shop full of pretty handmade jewellery by Claire, and has some gorgeous cocktail rings for bargain prices. This week, I purchased three for £10 and even managed to bag another free in a special offer! I'm very much looking forward to their arrival. Make sure you visit Claire's shop to have a look at her gorgeous little treasures.

This week, I've been loving Lily Melrose's blog. A fashion and beauty blogger, her reviews are honest and her pictures are flawless. Oh, and don't even get me started about her perfect ombre hair. Keep writing, Lily and I'll keep reading!

I'm really looking forward to catching up with Mad Men this Easter weekend. Three episodes have already aired on Sky Atlantic and we have them all logged on to the Sky+, ready to watch! I can't wait to see whether Don and Megan's marriage goes to plan and more importantly, how Joan deals with her new baby. So happy to have my favourite advertising firm back in my life! 

After hearing her gorgeous song Blue Jeans countless times on the radio, I finally weakened and purchased Lana Del Rey's album this week. Although I admit I haven't listened to it in it's entirety, I have managed to hit  repeat incessantly on Blue Jeans and her already established hits Born to Die and Video Games.  There is something distinctly refreshing about her sound, with a hint of classic americana and that sultry voice that makes me want to drink milkshakes in diners at the side of the road. We have recently purchased tickets to the Isle of Wight festival in June and I can't wait to see her perform.

Talking of the Isle of Wight, Cosmopolitan magazine drew my attention towards this great Topshop tee, designed especially for the festival. Depicting the 2007 line-up with a gorgeous vintage design, I'm sure it would be perfect paired with some shorts and sturdy chelsea boots for the festival of the year! At least I'd look the part, right?

That's it for this week's Lust List. Do let me know what would be on yours! Wishing you all a wonderful Easter weekend- eat many bucket fulls of chocolate and have a well-deserved rest. I'll be spending mine reading magazines, watching Mad Men and maybe even having a spot of retail therapy if I' m lucky! 

Lust list

Admittedly, it has been a while since I have posted. With a recent holiday to Lanzarote and my new role as Junior Account Executive at Spink as well as a stint at the OTC Marketing awards, I have had my hands full. Things continue to move fast, too. I'm learning new things each day in my new job and next Thursday, I'll be having my first ever driving lesson. Wish me luck! For now, here is this week's lust list.

These birthstone rings from Pandora are gorgeous. I'm actually a May baby, which makes my birthstone Emerald, but I'm loving the pearl and sapphire rings. Simply gorgeous.

I recently read The Reader by Bernard Schlink on holiday and I was really inspired by it. I am always interested in literature depicting the holocaust, and this book is a truly original story. I can't reveal too much, but if you haven't yet read it, do give it a try. I promise you will be enthralled. 

I am absolutely loving BBC's new drama White Heat. The series features a group of housemates from the 1960's through to the present day and the issues they face. The second episode entitled 'Eve of Destruction' set in 1967 was brilliant, and the young cast are exceptional. For me, it isn't dissimilar to the 1996 BBC drama Our Friends in the North. If you, like me, were far too young to remember it when it originally aired, be sure to nab it on box set. Compulsive viewing. 

I'm not usually a great fan of modern music, but one song that has continually been on the radio this week is Somebody I used to know by Gotye. Fantastically catchy, it strikes the balance between infectious pop and hip indie sound. I might even check out his album.

If I ever manage to have enough money to treat myself to something wonderful, I'm sure one of the first things I'll do is go out and buy a Mulberry bag. I was very excited when I saw this gorgeous edition, entitled the Del Rey. Available in an array of colours, my favourite is this Deer Brown leather. Named after the one and only Lana Del Rey, this beautiful bag is launched in May. Just in time for my 22nd birthday. Not that I'm hinting, of course.

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect red suede boots and I'm pretty positive this ASOS pair fit the bill. I can just imagine pairing these with a pair of jeggings or a pretty floral dress for spring. If anyone has a spare £45 hanging around, feel free. Wouldn't they be fantastic with the Mulberry bag?

That's it for this week's Lust list. Until next week!