Blog Crushes 19

Helen's crushin on ... Not The Kind

Not the Kind is a funny website and online shop filled to the brim with colourful creations from the minds of fabulous independent designers. Alongside a fun shopping experience you can also find some hilarious stories from Carrie Maclennan (Not the Kind of Girl You'd Marry). This lady is one colourful bowl cut babe. As well as coveting her totally awesome style, I also find myself coveting her writing style. This girl sure knows how to spin a good yarn. I'm usually someone who goes for photo heavy blogs but this one is all about the text. It's honest, funny and goes perfectly with a cup of tea. And, as if all of that wasn't enough, the site also features videos of  her playing various recorders. It's like magic for the eyes and ears! Follow Carrie on Instagram for a visual look into her life, wardrobe and amazing hair. Oh, and Bruce the cat #classicbruce.


Kimberley's crushin on... Pie and Fash

I'm not gonna lie, I first got into this blog when I read her post I got diarrhoea for Valentine's Day. I came for the humour and I stayed for the style, which is all faux furs and bold combinations. Anyone who uses the Cookie Monster as a style icon is a winner in my books. She also has really open relationship and sex posts, which I like to nosey into. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

We're also lovin'...

• We recently met Georgia Gordon at EFW and we were coveting her insane hosiery/ boot hybrid by Charlotte Olpympia. 
• Kerrie Aldo is sharing how to care for your wax jacket to make it last foreeever.
• She Might Be Loved is revealing her thoughts about bloggers modelling for brands.
• Popping up on our Time Hop is this interview we did for Scotbloggers 2 years ago. Aw, look at slightly younger us!
• Blogtacular's 5 spring cleaning tasks for your blog.

March Wishlist

1.) Peach Panther Sweatshirt | Lorien Stern
Since spring is officially here I should probably be thinking about tshirts and summer dresses. But I couldn't help but fall for this rather attractive sweatshirt. Lorien Stern makes some amazing ceramics, alongside a collection of fun printed clothing. I love the panther print on this number, though the bomber jackets are also rather fantastic.

2.) Glitter Eye Backpack | Alice Takes a Trip
More things with eyes on. I can't resist an eye motif  and when it comes with fringing and sparkle, I find it even more irresistible. Plus backpacks are super handy and practical. And totally cute, I mean have you seen Clueless!

3.) Dark Crystal Enamel Pin | Sugar & Vice
Dark Crystal is one of my favourite childhood films, so of course I love Sugar & Vice's new pin. Who wouldn't want to sport the crystal shard. What's even more exciting is there's also a Tik Tok pin available and a Labyrinth pin in the works. Another two of my favourite childhood films. I'm going to try my best to hold out for all three, as I hear they will be available as a handy set.

4.)  Green Snail Necklace | Oh My God Jewels
I just came across Oh My God Jewels on Instagram and I am IN LOVE! Worms, unicorns, teeth and slugs, Oh My! Such an amazingly strange collection of handmade jewellery that comes in a range of awesome colours. I pretty much want it all. Ok, I totally want it all.

5.) High Waisted Faux Leather Skirt | Pin Up Girl Clothing
A little sexier than my usual wishlist items but you can't go wrong with a pencil skirt. The faux leather adds a bit more rock and roll and every girl wants to be a bit sassy sometimes. 



1.) Floral Bomber | Nobody's Child
We couldn't make the recent Nobody's Child Blogger Party (booo!) but that hasn't stopped me stalking their site and coveting their cute florals. I'm in love with this super affordable bomber jacket. Swoon!

2.) One in a Million Pouch | Katie Loxton
I stumbled upon these Katie Loxton pouches in a random giftshop recently and I am obsessed. Very Kate Spade, they are easy to wear, pops of colour and would be perfect inside one of my many many canvas tote bags. I spent around 30 minutes trying to pick which one I wanted. And at £16 a pop I could see myself stocking up...

3.) Drip Scarf | Paris Essex
There is something so so chic about all the Paris Essex knitwear. It's quite simple but striking designs and I love it all. This is top of my list.

4.) Bee Watch | Olivia Burton
Love bees, love rose gold, love the shape of Olivia Burton watches. Perfect combo.

5.) Great Britain Shirt | Miss Patina
It's like Miss Patina can see right into my mind with their adorable secretary chic pieces and adorable collars. Whether you're a cat lady or straight up geek, there's sure to be something for your dorky self. That Mathlete bomber jacket though...

Styled by Helen: Isolated Heroes

You've seen how Kimberley looked in all that Isolated Heroes sparkle. Well, now it's my turn. The opportunity for a full on IH dress up day came when we were asked by Cobbled Street Style to be the faces for one of their posts. Cobbled Street Style is a blog all about promoting and sharing the work of independent designers, as photographed in and around the streets of Dundee. We jumped at the chance and knew exactly who we'd like to wear - Dundee designer Isolated Heroes, of course! Living in Dundee, I get to see what an awesome creative community it has. Any opportunity I can find to share this fact is always a treat for me. And if that way involves wearing a whole lot of fabulous sequins then I'm even happier.

Started by Samantha McEwan, Isolated Heroes began in 2012 and has been going from strength to strength ever since. After a recent successful Kickstarter campaign they are ready to grow and expand their optimistic clothing line. I've enjoyed following the journey of the brand and always get excited when new items or collections drop.




There are many reasons I love Isolated Heroes. My top three would be:

• Number one has got to be the aesthetic. Sequins, faux fur, bright colours. Basically everything that makes me happy. The styles are bold, unusual and recognisably theirs.

• Secondly, I love the handmade aspect and the fact that the garments are made right on my doorstep. The Isolated Heroes studio is a magical place, filled with fabric swatches and covered in inspiration.

• And, one of the main reasons why I rate this brand so much is their inclusivity. They offer a great range of sizes and champion all of their customers. From gorgeous plus size girls to unisex street style, I love seeing how their sassy customers style up the items. In fact, I may be wearing pretty much the exact same outfits as Kimberley, but I think it's good to show off how the items look on the two of us. I'm quite a bit shorter than Kim but I still feel fabulous in all of this sparkle. 

You can check us out over on Cobbled Street Style and while you're there make sure you take the opportunity to discover some more awesome independent brands and designers that have links to Dundee. Plus the photography is gorgeous. And big thanks to Isolated Heroes for letting us borrow bags full of their beautiful garments. It was so hard to give them back.

Styled by Kimberley: Isolated Heroes

Isolated Heroes is one of those brands that seem to keep popping up on our blog. What can I say- when we like something, we really like it. It also helps when you have met the people behind a brand to really make you invest in their creative processes and pieces. I really appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to go for it with a small business. It also takes skill in your area. Knowing that all the pieces have been sewn in house by the team makes them a little more special to me that if I just picked up a cheap sparkly number from the high street. Don't get me wrong, I like the high street and I'm guilty of going for price over quality sometimes... argh... but it's something I'm really working to change.
By now I have a wardrobe (or two) of clothes so I don't *need* anything. I feel that as I head towards 30 (gulp) I should be thinking more about topping up with more investment pieces, rather than another fast fashion number. I've been following the capsule wardrobe journey of fellow Edinburgh Blogger Jennifer from Tartan Brunette. Talking to her has coincided with my moving house (again, don't ask) and the prospect of sorting through my stuff is definitely prompting me to stream line what I have. Previously, I have viewed capsule wardrobes as more of a fast fashion move: buying 30 or so interchangeable pieces for that season, before moving on. I used to know a big blogger who would do this and would then sell on her previous season so that it wasn't so unethical. I'm not sure if that's the right attitude. Jen is doing it for the opposite reason though- to stop her shopping habits. Now is the perfect time to consider this, with the changing weather. I have gone through my clothes in a clear out, with four piles. Ones to wear, ones to store, ones to sell and ones to donate. I can't help feeling that my 'sell' items are just going to be another 'store' pile where I'll constantly claim I'm gong to do something about them (aka the last two years of my wardrobe life).

Even if I haven't shed that many items, it's been a great exercise in properly looking at all the items in my wardrobe(s). Having gained and lost quite a bit of weight this year, I've had to buy a lot of temporary basics and being able to fit back into my favourites has given me a boost. The clothes that 6 months ago made my crouch in my wardrobe and cry when I couldn't zip them up are now fitting. Having this time away from them has also made me view them with fresh eyes and I have new ideas of what to pair with what and how to style pieces that I'd worn with the same items for years.

So, now that I have my wardrobe nearly under control, I can probably cast my eye over this Isolated Heroes collection for something to add to it, right? The trouble with it is that I can't decide on one favourite as an investment piece. What do you think? The mermaid bomber? The floor length sequin The luxury fur stole with sequin planet? 


Actually, I do have a favourite. That Cupid Swing Dress (far top). Eye catching and beautiful but easy to dress up or down and roomy enough for dinner: it ticks all the boxes. There are a couple of other pieces using this floral sequined fabric but the swing dress does it for me. And I don't need to even consider what size I'll be next year in it.


How good is this faux fur though? 
Thanks to Isolated Heroes for letting us play dress up with their beautiful pieces.

South Pour Blogger Brunch

When we were invited along to the launch of Newington's newest addition- SOUTHPOUR bar- we jumped at the chance. Because brunch. I don't know a blogger (or any person) who doesn't love a brunch. Huge in the USA, I love that this weird late morning mix up of sweet and savoury food items is growing here in the UK too. A bit more sophisticated than your classic Full Scottish, it seems to encompass any kind of food you fancy. And SOUTHPOUR have got you covered with an impressive menu just for brunch. From kippers to eggy brioche bread, hot smoked salmon to black forest ham, we made it our mission to find their best bits. And we did: scrambled egg on sourdough were light, creamy and fluffy. Definite winner for Helen. The Bloody Marys- and their quirky twist Red Snapper- had more than a kick to them but we kept going back for more.

The atmosphere was light (perfect for photos, fellow bloggers) and relaxed. This may sound reeeally weird but one tip I would hand out is to check out the toilets! If there's one thing I always inspect in a place where I'm eating, it's the loos. If they don't keep those up to spec then what's going on in the kitchen- right?! And these were real beauties, with individual rooms each featuring a sink like a boutique hotel. The walls had a really touchable textured walls. I'm serious!

We had fun hanging out at SOUTHPOUR and we don't seem to be the only ones- every evening I've gone past has seen it full. Looks like we've had our chance at having the place to ourselves- we may even have to book in future! It's alright thought- we'll just hang out in the ladies!



The universe has obviously heard our brunch prayers and it has provided! This weekend lots of venues across Edinburgh are offering cheap and tasty brunches as part of This is Edinburgh's Big Brunch. On Saturday 19th March you can pick up your favourites (for us it's anything with hollandaise) for £5-10 at many of the locals like The Rose Hip, Hula, Boozy Cow and Hendersons. We kinda fancy The Tower. It's advised to book in advance so if you're thinking of grabbing a bargain head over to the This is Edinburgh website.

What Helen Wore: Brunch

For me, brunch usually involves lazy day comfy clothes that allow for the consumption of a whole lot of eggs. But SOUTHPOUR were putting on a Blogger Brunch so I had to make a little more effort. And, with a vintage style talk in the afternoon, a vintage outfit was a definite requirement. I pulled out this dress that I'd picked up from Mr Ben's last year. I haven't worn it that much but that doesn't reflect how I feel about it. I love the pattern but the colour combination lends itself to brighter days. As a result it's spent winter in my wardrobe. Plus, the shape of it wasn't quite right so that had been putting me off. Me being me, it'd popped it on my mental 'to alter' pile and hadn't gotten round to doing said alteration. The skirt of the dress was quite long and A-line. I'd planned on making it more of a pencil shape to make it a bit more flattering. But then I decided I wanted to wear it and it turns out I didn't have the time (or the energy) to make that alteration properly. So out came the scissors and off went the bottom of the skirt. Voila! I'm much happier with the new length. I should have done a little before an after photo to show the transformation (even if it was just a small one).

Dress | Mr Ben
Boots | Zara
Rings | VeraMeat / Datter Industries / Jerome Dauphin
Glasses | c/o Iolla

I never seem to learn my alteration lesson though. Just last Sunday I bought myself a vintage dress at Carnaby Market and I already have grand plans of what I want to do with it. It has a bright floral print against a black base and some fun pink buttons. My plan is to make it even more interesting by giving it a sweetheart neckline. It is definitely more of a summer dress, so at least I have a bit of time before it will be warm enough to wear it. I'll try my best to actually get round to it this time and not just take the scissors to it in a slap dash way. We shall see....