Autumn / winter staple: The camel coat

Words cannot express the frustration of loving something so much, and then the futility of not being able to find it ANYWHERE.

Which is exactly what I experienced with a coat from River Island.

It graced the pages of magazines, and distracted me at bus stops nearly making me miss the bus on several occasions... It was constantly taunting me. You want me. You want me so badly. And yet you cannot have me... 

... Because I couldn't find the damn thing any where.

I was ready to give up. Or at least maybe consider contacting River Island to enquire if the coat was in fact real or if it was about as mythical as a unicorn. Then yesterday morning I struck gold. I went onto the website and found it in the New In section.

At £110, it isn't the cheapest of coats on the British high street - but it's well worth the investment as it's a timeless piece that I will get so much wear out of over the years. After work I swiftly went online and snapped one up sooner than you can say "camel".

I had been frantically Googling "camel coat" and stalking eBay for the longest time. But now the search is over. Googling those two little words always filled me with an urgency to find said coat. I dare you to scroll through the next few images and not feel the same way...

And the River Island coat in question...

FINALLY a camel coat that hasn't sold out before I've managed to get my mitts on it! REVELATION.

Have you bought into the sandy coloured coat trend yet?

Dorothy Perkins 20% off discount code

Part of the Arcadia Group, I always feel like Dorothy Perkins is over-shadowed by the likes of Topshop and Miss Selfridge. I rarely see Dorothy Perkins wishlists or hauls, which is a great shame as I really do believe they are comparable to other brands in the Arcadia portfolio in terms of quality and delivery of new season trends (except I would argue that their pricing is a lot better than Topshop). This Bank Holiday weekend Dorothy Perkins are offering 20% off and these are my top picks:

Images as found here

• I don't know about you, but in all of the above, I can see pieces characteristic of Topshop. The black lacy top you could pay up to £30 for in Topshop and the check smock dress, about £48. I'd almost forgotten how amazingly priced Dorothy Perkins is.

• As much as I love The Cambridge Satchel Company, I wouldn't feel right spending that amount of money on myself. This copy cat version from DP in oxblood is a fraction of the price.

• No explanation / justification  needed for their rose gold shoes. LOVE rose gold.

• And how awesome is this grey coat?! Camel / tan was so 2013. I'm predicting great things for grey in AW 2014!

If you fancy a cheeky 20% off then hurry as Dorothy Perkins have a limited time offer this Bank Holiday weekend. You have until end of Monday 25th August to use the promo code WEEKEND20 at checkout for 20% off. Happy shopping!

What I bought // ASOS

Needing more work appropriate attire, I was on the look-out for simple, classic, versatile pieces that would equally be acceptable for post-work drinks. I could have easily spent hours trailing the high street, but I knew of one website which always has exactly what I need. A website where "just a browse" turns into a guaranteed order every time. The website I am talking about is of course ASOS - an online shopping mecca. Discovering a 20% off discount code, this was something that couldn't have come at a better time!

ASOS pea coat   //   Mango shirt   //   ASOS mid heel sandals

ASOS organza top  //  ASOS Sugar Rush heels   //  ASOS Snap heels  //  River Island necklace  // Warehouse top

• As much as I love heels, our London office is too vast for me to survive 9-5 in them. These low and mid heels are a lot more practical, but at the same time I don't have to compromise on style!

• I have a new found love for blouses and shirts. I love how versatile they are as you can dress them up or down. I especially loved these lace organza type blouses as they'd look lovely layered with a simple dress. 

• I have been on the hunt for the perfect camel coloured coat for over a year now and I think I've finally found it! Camel coloured AND a pea coat... it ticks all the right boxes.

• Not traditionally a colour I would go for, but I couldn't resist this light pink / nude River Island necklace. It will really perk up a simple tee. Or add interest to a shirt collar.

If you wish to jump on the 20% off bandwagon, use the ASOS discount code ASOSGLAMOUR when you get to checkout. Hurry though, because this code expires on 9th September! If you do make any purchases, please tell all in the comments below - I'd love to know!

Hello handsome

As much as I love fashion, these days I am increasingly drawn to homeware. I'm in nestling mode it seems. Always striving to make a house a home, and prematurely stocking up on everything I need ready for when I move. "Need" being open to interpretation... My candle obsession is still in full swing, but now I'm eyeing cushions, bedding, throws, kitchen utensils and everything in-between.

My most recent discovery were these mugs from Next:

How cute are they?! Plus it's rather nice being complimented each morning ;)

Next is my one of my favourite places for homeware. I have already chosen out my future dining room chairs. Keen much?

Anyway back to the mugs... Very generously sized and priced £7 for two, they were brilliant value for money. And perfect for huge mugs of hot chocolate. Which is my life in a nutshell. 

On this occasion they were filled with Oreo hot chocolate which I brought back from my recent trip to France. Microwave friendly AND dishwasher proof, they tick all the right boxes. Plus you can never have too many cups in your life!

#11 Life as we know it

Long time no see... So what's happened since last time? I left my job. It was something that was on the cards for a very long time. I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of it all, but it was a company that treated its employees appallingly. Wanting out, I'd been going to interviews for over a year but wasn't getting anywhere. It really eats you up. Knowing you have so much to give and nowhere will take you. Meaning you have to remain in a role that is exploitative and all take take take. It's soul destroying. But then I was recommended for a role by an ex colleague and I was in. My first week felt like a dream. It all happened so quickly. After my first day, I got home, got straight into bed and pulled the duvet over my head. Not because I was stressed. Not because I was broken. But purely because I was so over-whelmed. I haven't been this happy in a very long time.

In my first week I learnt that we get decent views of the red carpet for London film premieres from our window. On my second day I got to see the Expendables 3 premiere. Stallone and co waved up at us and Wesley Snipes danced a funny little dance. So if you're ever in London and want to celebrity spot at a particular film opening, you know who to call! ;)

The second highlight of week one was bumping into Bradley Cooper one morning. He was filming a movie outside our office and I had no idea it was him to start with, even though I was literally inches away from him. Then a crazy fan jumped in front of me, screaming his name, and THEN I realised who it was. Camera crew pulled us passers-by to one side whilst they filmed a chase scene. Epic.

After a busy first week of work and some pretty heavy post-work drinks, I was absolutely knackered. I needed a lazy weekend. On Sunday I ventured out to watch The Inbetweeners 2 and avoided the downpour in the local Frankie & Benny's:

Pancakes with bacon AND maple syrup were a first for me. In all honesty, I didn't think it would work. But do you know what? They weren't bad. A bit sweet for me personally, but definitely something I'd have again. And in typical Lucy style, no breakfast is complete without hash browns ;) Frankie & Benny's doesn't have any mention of hot chocolate on their menu but if you go and are partial to chocolate, ask for one! Topped with a generous dollop of cream and maltesers, you'll be in hot drink heaven!

Back tracking a bit... my ex-colleagues gave me a lovely send-off on my last Friday. The company gave me permission to leave work at lunch time and not come back (woo!) so we went to Meat Liquor for epic burgers and wine in jam jars:

I received an enormous bag of gifts from everyone and the silver glitter got EVERYWHERE. Stu left his bag next to mine under the table and wasn't impressed with his new glittery bag when it was home time!

I was really touched by the amount of people who came to the pub that night to see me off. We stayed until closing time and knew it was high time to leave when my (ex) boss split my recently bought drink all over the place...

I miss them all so much. I spent nearly three years there so it was a massive part of my life post-university. But now it's time for a new chapter. Please bear with me whilst I'm settling in at my new place. Blogging will return to normal soon enough I promise! 

New job, new wardrobe

As I revealed in my last post, I am moving to pastures anew and going forward will be working in the exciting world of radio. The dress code is meant to be pretty casual - so no big change to where I worked before. However the fact that it's a fresh start makes me want to start anew. So over the last week or so, I've been ordering a few pieces online to update my work wardrobe. Boohoo and Forever 21 have been absolute godsends for affordable fashion that won't have me out of pocket before I receive my first pay packet!

Boohoo

Berry long-line boyfriend blazer  //  Collared sweater  //  Scallop blazer  //   Long city shorts

Cold shoulder shift dress  //   Blazer with cuffs #1   //  Blazer with cuffs #2   //  White long-line boyfriend blazer

Forever 21

Red polka dot dress  //   Checked plaid dress  //  Shoulder bag & clutch set

You can never go wrong with a dress. Perfect for those days where you simply don't know what to wear. No worrying about matchy matchy trousers and the alike... just throw it on and be done. Can you tell I like collars? There's a bit of a theme going on here.... I spoke last time about my blazer epiphany and it hasn't stopped there. I added a few more to the collection including an exquisite berry long-line blazer, and a couple of simple black ones with cuffs (LOVE cuffs!) that will go with EVERYTHING. The scallop blazer caught my eye as it was a little bit different and such a statement piece. I needed a smarter looking bag and loved this one from Forever 21 as it reminded me a little of the Zara messenger bag - but for a fraction of the price. The city shorts were in the Boohoo sale and I oddly like them! They're a little more appropriate for the office than standard shorts and I'm dead set on making them work!