What Helen Wore: World's Smallest Street Market

Jacket | Matalan
Blouse | Vintage
Jeans | Matalan
Shoes | H&M
Eye Ring | Cheap Frills
Diamond Ring | Made by me

For my adventures to the World's Smallest Street Market I thought I'd over load on polka dots. After all, why wear one spotty item when you can wear three! I hardly own any jeans so when I spotted (haha!) this pair for a bargain price I thought I'd snap them up. They're a bit more fun than my usual dark denim but still subtle enough to be worn as a basic. The spotty shirt I picked up at Funk Fair ages ago and I still love it. To finish it off, I threw on the jacket as the weather forecast wasn't looking so good. Turns out they got it wrong, AGAIN, and I was absolutely boiling! Weather app, you are >this< close to being deleted.

After a peruse around the market, and eating ALL THE FOOD at The Tinsmith, Ross and I took a wander around the Dundee Uni campus. There are lots of fun little nooks and crannies, including pretty gardens and interesting graffiti. We discovered good old James Duncan around the back of the art school that bears his name. Since he matched my outfit pretty perfectly we decided to snap some photos by his side. Plus I love the cheeky wee quote.








Thanks be to Ross for his photo taking abilities.

World's Smallest Street Market and Other Dundee Adventures

I spent most of the weekend in the fair city of Dundee, discovering new places to eat and adding many things to my expanding wishlist. On Saturday I visited the DCA (one of my favourite spots in the city) for their Summer craft and market. So many beautiful things! I especially loved Rosie Kimber's beautiful jewellery creations. Browsing round the fair was followed by lunch at Avery & Co. It was delicious and the staff were lovely. I'm already planning to head back soon and try their Marmalade Mojitos, they sounds amazing!




Sunday consisted of the World's Smallest Street Market located on the tiny Johnston's Lane. There were lots of vintage treats to be found, including books, records and homeware. Plus jewellery from Jane Gowans, cushions and prints by Sooz Gordon Designs, fresh fruit and veg from Fraser's and  outdoor barbering from Benjamin Barker Barber & Shop. The live music also added to the jovial atmosphere. After spending some time soaking this up I then ventured inside Spex Pistols and tried on ALL of the glasses. It's amazing how such a small shop can have so much choice! I already have my next pair on order and about a million others on the lust list.



After being suitable cheered by the bustle of the teeny market it was lunch time. A few short steps away and I landed in The Tinsmith, a new pub with a great interior, tasty food and delicious cider.


All in all it was a rather enjoyable weekend. I'm loving that Dundee has so many great places to eat and drink and that there's fun events for me to go to that are a bit closer to (my) home. Long may it continue!

What were you up to at the weekend? 

 

Nail Inspiration: ModCloth

After Kimberley picked a ModCloth bikini for her Holiday Wishlist I decided to spend a bit of time browsing the site myself. They have such a great selection of fun and quirky clothing and I found myself especially drawn to their vast selection of ladylike dresses. So, I was super excited when we got an email from them asking us to take part in their nail art challenge. Perfect timing or what?!



The challenge was to create some nail art inspired by one of their summer dresses. Here is where my dilemna began. How to choose which one to use as my muse??!! I narrowed it down by searching for printed frocks. I am a sucker for anything with a fun pattern so I knew this would be the right way to go. I then managed to pick out my top ten, but after that I was stuck. With such a great variety of kitsch designs there was no way I could decide on just one. So, in the end, I cheated. With my number of favourite designs matching up nicely with the number of fingers I have, I thought I'd opt for a different design on each nail. I loved the end result of our mixed Wardrobe Conversations nail art so I thought I'd take the opportunity do a similar thing and really show of the selection ModCloth have to offer.

 
Good Enough to Eat Dress
Hot dogs, pop corn, ice cream, cupcakes! This dress has so many of my favourite things all grouped together in cool pop art style.

Flying Machine Dress
A bright fun dress, which unfortunately seems to now be sold out. I obviously have great taste.

Fresh Farmer's Market Dress
I am loving fruity patterns at the moment and this dress features a whole fruit bowl of goodness.

Me, Myself, and the Ivories Dress
A bit of monochrome always goes far in my book. I love the simple shape and design of this little musical number.

Dino Bones About It Dress
The perfect dress for an archeologist, or any dino enthusiast really. A great sandy colour that would look great with a wide brimmed hat, Indiana Jones style!

Doo-Wop Your Thing Dress by Lazy Oaf
I love Lazy Oaf and this dress shows is the perfect example of their cartoon style.

Too Much Fun Dress in Popsicle by Emily and Fin
A beautiful summer print. This dress looks good enough to eat with it's sweet Popsicle pattern.

Arrow Dynamic Dress
Another great black and white number. I love the contrasting top and skirt and the busy arrow print.

Good As Goldfish Dress by Nishe
The colour and fabric of this dress work so well, giving the impression of the perfect pool for these golden fishes.

Egg's and Shakin' Dress
Breakfast on a dress! Yes please!




What do you think of my dress picks and their nail art partners?

Styled by Kimberley: Summer Brights

Blazer | New Look
Top | borrowed from my sister
Jeans | Primark
Shoes | Clarks
Necklace | Jolly Good
Ring | made by Helen
Brooch | Annie's Fingers

Unfortunately even my neon outfit couldn't brighten up the miserable day on which we took our photos. The weather always seems to conspire against us!
Never mind, I shall bring the sunshine myself.

I just bought this jacket from New Look and was gutted to see it on the sale rail just yesterday. It's so fun and colourful that I couldn't resist it, although it is 100% polyester so I fear I will catch fire at any moment. That is just what I need after nearly dying last week! Notice my subtle plaster on the only pair of shoes I can get on my hideous fankle. I have spent the past week in a chunky tubigrip bandage that manages to clash with everything.



For this look, more is more and I piled on the neon accessories and lipstick. If I were wearing it on a hot day or on holiday I would have doubled it up on some shorts too. Now if I could only had a post-holiday tan to go with it!

Styled by Helen: Summer Brights

Hat | Vintage
Top | Monki
Dress | H&M
Necklace |Tatty Devine
Shoes | Car Boot Sale
Bag | LYDC
Sunglasses | Claire's

It's summer, so Kimberley and I have lots of ideas for suitable outfits to reflect the sunshine and blue skies that pop up now and again. Unfortunately, they never seem to appear on the days when we actually want to take photos. Not to be deterred, I donned this colourful ensemble for our Summer Brights challenge.

When it comes to colour I do enjoy picking one and rolling with it. Red has always been a favourite of mine but there was a time when it seemed to disappear from my wardrobe. I've been slowly building it back up and now have quite a number of pieces, most of them featured in this outfit. The newest one is this red dress from H&M, which I picked up in the sale for about £3. I've worn it on here before but now you can see it in it's full bright glory.




There is something about wearing colourful clothing that means I can't help but feel cheerful. When I look out the window on a grey day it can be tempting to stick on something comfy and black. Looking back at these photos makes me want to try and change that. Clothing as type of optimistic thinking, I'll go with that.


 Do you dress for the weather outside or the weather you want?

Holiday Wishlist

We may not have any holidays planned for this summer but that doesn't stop us dreaming of what we would pack in our cases were we to be whisked off to the sunshine. From the prefect accessories to beautiful beachwear, we've got it covered.

Helen


1.) Skull Bloom Ring | Runaway Fox
I have been loving Runaway Fox's newest collection but this wee ring is definitely my favourite piece. It's so pretty but the little skull centre gives it that bit of edge. Now all I have to decide on is which colour would work best with my summer wardrobe!

2.) Strawberry Shades | Pretavoir
I know I've mentioned these Pretavoir shades before but they are such a cute shade of pink. They look good enough to eat and are the perfect kind of face candy for a sunny trip.

3.) Coral Headpiece | Wolf & Moon
Wolf & Moon always come up with beautiful jewels but when I saw their new collection of head pieces I was blown away. The whole collection is gorgeous and the colour combos are spot on. This coral one is perfect for aspiring mermaids.

4.) Shark Swimsuit | Dead Lovers
I haven't been swimming for years, and my holidays never really require beachwear, but lately I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a nice swimsuit. I spotted this Dead Lovers one on Honey Pop and now I think my search may be over. It's the best way to add some horror to any holiday. Yes, I am humming the Jaws theme as I type.

5.) Holographic Collar | Jen Chemma
Pretty much everything would benefit from the addition of holographic glitter. This detachable collar would, at least, allow me to add it to my outfits. A great way to include a bit of sparkle without adding too much weight to my luggage.

6.) Mini Fur Monster Bag | Joanna Pybus
This may not be the best bag to take to the beach but it certainly would add a splash of fun to a summer city break. I love Joanna Pybus' collection of monster bags and she's now released a mini version too. Available in a great selection of furs, the colours in this Aurora one make it my fave.

Kimberley



1.)  Snow Rose Hairband | ZIB Textiles
This flower crown is a little more subtle than many around, making it much more wearable. My hair is quite fine so it will work well for me and add a bit of tropical interest to a post- swim updo. You should also check out their clutches and holiday bumbags.

2.) Gold Lobster Bracelet | Simply Chic
I like that this is both quite classy and ridiculous in equal measures. My favourite combination. This would be great against a tan (if I were capable of one) on the beach or dressed up for night time. A quirky all rounder.

3.) Today's Pop Story Swimsuit | Mod Cloth
I have about half a dozen bikinis and swimsuits so I really don't need another. This one is calling out to me though! Also check out Modcloth's awesome banana print one. Actually, check them all out. There are too many to choose!

4.) Floral Reflections Make up Bag | Tovicorrie
This make up bag is almost too good to get dusty from powders. It's printed leather with a suede inner that would be great to double up as a clutch for holiday shopping. Tovicorrie also have beautiful luggage tags and phone/tablet cases to keep you packing in style.

5.) Exaggerated Round Sunglasses | ASOS
Over sized glasses are always a must with my big face but I love the clear blue perspex so they aren't so heavy looking.

Styled by Helen: Palm Trees

Jumper | H&M
Trousers | Miss Selfridge
Shoes | Topshop
Necklace | Katze Shop
Ring | Made by me

After Kimberley's tumble I, of cousre, ran to her aid and made sure she got all the proper medical care required. And by that I mean I left her to dry off in the car while Ross stepped in and snapped these photos for me. I'm a great friend, I know. Well, I couldn't miss out on my turn with the ukelele!

I do enjoy it when we add props to our shoots. For one they give me something to do with my hands and help me to feel less awkward. Secondly, they are just a whole bunch o' fun! We picked this fabulous blue instrument to go with our tropical palm tree outfits. Unfortunately we didn't have the Hawiann beach backdrop so had  to make do with Arbroath's rocky shoreline.

Luckily this jumper, while sporting a holiday print, also provides the right amount of warmth for Scottish summer time. As you can see from my hair it was slightly breezy. We always seem to pick the most blustery days for outfit pictures! My more sensible shoe choice also ensured I made it through the shoot without any accidents. Unlike some!








Once we were done, I can assure you, I did provide my injured blogging partner with a first aid box and a slap up lunch. So I'm not all bad!

Thanks again to Ross for picking Kim up off the ground and for taking these pics.