I'm loving... New Look accessories

1. Gold Monochrome Arrow Necklace - £5.99 | 2. Blue Colour Block Winged Clutch - £12.99 | 3. Gold and Blue Bead Spike Necklace - £7.99 | 4. Pieces Milie Neon Green and Brown Shopper Bag - £29.99 | 5. Gold and Black Chevron Plate Bracelet - £6.99 | 6. Pink and Gold Chevron Stretch Waist Belt - £7.99 | 7. Breo White Pop Art Watch - £24.99

Yesterday I mentioned that I'd been shamelessly pawing over the New Look website for jewellery. They really have outdone themselves on the accessories front this season and I've been hard pressed to whittle down my choices. In particular I'm feeling the urge for a bit of colour in my life and have completely fallen for the lime green and brown shopper. Alas, until pay day I'll have to make do with the neon orange polish that is currently on my nails as I bash out this blog post! Frank and I have plans to see the Lichtenstein exhibition this weekend, so the pop art inspired watch seemed like a fitting tribute. What have you been wishing after recently?

Win an item of Joe Browns clothing in my Joe Browns giveaway!
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Weekend catch-up and what I wore

Recently I've felt the urge to 'dress outside the box', and while this outfit doesn't feel very 'me', I really enjoyed the change. The skirt is wet-look, which I'd picked up from eBay for the bargain price of £4.99. The top (£8.09) has become a firm favourite already. I was very kindly sent two versions of the same top, which is fab news for you guys as I'll run it in a giveaway over the next few weeks, so stay tuned! I teamed the outfit with a Primark yellow cardigan, grey plimsols (£3.95) and my faithful Accessorize necklace (£8) for a night of cocktails with Frank's friends on Saturday.

Jewellery has always been a bit of an after thought for me, but I've become hooked on statement necklaces, spending many an hour scouring the internet for quirky finds. In particular I've been very impressed with New Look's jewellery range lately, and have bought a few bits from their site which I'm eager to wear. They have some great styles, which don't carry the eye-watering price tag that some high street stores have been guilty of (I'm looking at you Topshop). Make sure you take a look!

The weekend was a fun mixture of fun and relaxation. On Saturday, Frank and I pootled around Blackheath and treated ourselves to sausage sandwiches, before getting ready and heading out into London. I'm only just getting to know Frank's friends, but they're warm, friendly and up for a giggle, which is perfect company in my view. We had a fun night of chats and dancing and a well-earned lie-in on Sunday. I had loose plans for an action-packed afternoon at the Lichtenstein exhibition, but when the sun came out on Sunday it seemed a shame not enjoy it (plus who knows when it'll be back again, eh?) We took a stroll through Greenwich Park, ending up in a noodle restaurant for plenty of carbs to soak up the fuzziness of the night before. Frank wore his brand new aubergine Bellfield trousers, which I'd procured for him recently. I might see if he'll partake in a little photo shoot as he looked so cute in them - they're a gorgeous colour.





The evening for me was spent having a long, hot bubble bath, curling up in my pyjamas and re-reading Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah. I'm now the (mildly sceptical) owner of an e-reader, so I've been savoring the final feel of the printed page before taking the plunge into my Kobo later this week...

Did you have a nice weekend?

Win an item of Joe Browns clothing in my Joe Browns giveaway!
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Joe Browns giveaway

Today I'm very excited to be hosting a giveaway for one of my favourite brands at the moment: Joe Browns! You may remember my recent outfit post in which I styled their gorgeous Perfect Pear dress, and it's since become a firm favourite of mine. Now Joe Browns have kindly offered Queenie and the Dew readers the chance to win an item of their choice worth up to £50 from their website!

Joe Browns' Spring/Summer collection is awash with bright floral prints and ultra feminine dresses that are perfect for the summer months. Scrolling through their website I think of picnics in the park, strolls along the beach and evenings spent eating al fresco in the sun :)

To give you a dose of inspiration I've created a little wishlist of some of my favourite goodies from their site, but feel free to pick your own if you win!



To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck my loves!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This giveaway is open in the UK only. It will run for 10 days and will close at midnight on 27 May, after which the winner will be chosen at random using the Rafflecopter widget.

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I'm loving... galaxy prints

Clockwise from top left: ASOS sweatpants in photographic galaxy print - £30 | Zip front galaxy crop top - £6.95 | Forever 21 galaxy print trainers - £42.39 | Miss Gorgeous galaxy print skater dress - £13.49 | Miss Guided lati galaxy print tights - £8.99 | Romwe colorful clouds print elastic skirt - £24.86

Galaxy prints have been popular for quite a while now, and I can't get enough. And for that reason I'm not going to write a long post. Instead I'm going to let the 'spaceyness' do the talking...
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What I wore:burgundy and blue

Skirt: River Island - £25 (currently £10 in the sale!) | Blazer: New Look (old) | Vest: Primark (old) | Belt: Accessorize (old) | Clutch: vintage | Shoes: Office (old)

This is the outfit I wore to the opera last Friday after I managed to summon the energy to get dressed and leave the flat for the first time in a week. At first I was worried it was a bit 'matchy matchy' but I soon got over it as I had to bolt out the door to catch my train. It felt good to get dressed up for a change. Usually I go out after work, which doesn't leave much time for preening when you're speedily replying to last minute emails. I call these my 'cheat's heels' because my foot lies almost completely flat in them but they still give me a bit of height. I have terrible feet and can't walk far in heels without being in agony, so these are a perfect solution. I love clomping around in them. I've also collected quite a few clutch bags over the years, mainly vintage, but they never seem to see much daylight. It was nice to take out my burgundy leather number with the ruched edging. It's so pretty! But seriously, how does anyone whittle down their possessions enough to fit into a clutch? I'm guilty of cramming all manner of crap into my bag, even on a night out. After my huge wallet, keys, Oyster card and make up bag, plus the book I HAVE to take in case I'm stranded somewhere, phone, camera, tissues, pen, notebook, diary... (you see where I'm going here). So packing a clutch was quite an event.

I met Frank after work and we went to my all-time favourite Thai restaurant, Busaba Eathai, where we had noodles and black pepper beef. YUM. Then we headed to the London Coliseum to see the English National Opera version of La Boheme. I'd been offered free seats, and to my delight they were some of the most expensive in the house. We had a perfect view and it was a fantastic way to pop Frank's opera cherry - he's now a solid convert and can't wait to go back for more.

What did you get up to this weekend?

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The blues

If I had to choose a word to describe the past week it would be 'glum'. My body's had me under house arrest, and I've been struggling to build up my strength. I know it sounds juvenile, but I will indulge in a little foot stamping when I say it just doesn't feel fair. Over the last six months my health has been noticeably bad. If there's a lurgy making its way around the office you can guarantee I'll be one of the first to be sniffling my way through a pack of tissues. I've had it all - coughs, colds, tummy bugs, not to mention the ongoing pain and discomfort that I've recently found out is a milk intolerance. But why me? I eat relatively healthily, I'm fairly active, I get enough sleep, take my vitamins and drink plenty of water. So why did my body decide that 2013 would be the year it would suddenly pick up bugs left, right and centre, and even start violently reacting to something I've been eating every day for the past 29 years?

I'm under no illusions. I know I have a very privileged and lucky life. I don't have a chronic or life-limiting condition. I have job I love, a wonderful boyfriend, shelves full of books and a belly full of food. But as I approach my 30th birthday this summer, having felt ill every day for the past few months, I can't help wondering, 'is this it?' Will I feel unwell for the rest of my life? And is that living? Mentally I've put all my plans on hold until I'm better. I haven't nurtured friendships as well as I could have done. I haven't the energy to make an effort with people. My plans to lose weight and exercise more have gone out of the window. I'm on a merry-go-round of illness, which leads to procrastination and loneliness, which leads to anxiety and stress, which leads me back into illness again. But how long will it go on for? What is there to look forward to if I'm just going to feel ill?

I'm a planner, a dreamer, a creator. I'm someone who aspires to do more, be more, to have new adventures, experience new cultures, to eat cuisines from all over the world, climb mountains, pick wild flowers, read every book I own and swim in the ocean. But it all seems like a distant dream, like sand running through my fingers. I can't grasp any of it. Please tell me I won't always feel this way. I hope tomorrow I'll feel better and the world will seem a little brighter.



Image via

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What I wore

Jacket: Bellfield at ASOS* - £50 | Joggers: New Look - £16.99 | Top: H&M (old) | Necklace: Accessorize - £8 | Boots: Office (old)

I've been looking for a casual jacket for months and was sorely tempted by the leather-sleeved versions that have been so popular. Eventually I settled on this Bellfield aztec jacket because it's a little different. It actually has long sleeves but I much prefer them pulled up to the elbow. I really like this outfit because it's quite different to what I'd normally wear, and it's good to step out of your comfort zone now and then. I have a suspicion that I might get some use out of the jacket this year, considering the warm weather is still evading us.

You may not have noticed but I dyed my hair brown last weekend. I love having red hair but it's a pain to keep it looking vibrant, plus I have a few stubborn grey hairs (eek!) which are quite resistant to change. Still, I didn't manage to banish the red completely - it still managed to find its way through. I've been really disappointed with my hair lately. I'm starting to regret ever cutting it in the first place and am desperate to grow it long again. Oh who am I kidding? As soon as it's long I'll probably end up hacking it off because it's such too difficult to tame! I'd love to try some clip-in extensions. Have any of you tried them and are there any you would recommend?

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I'm loving... ombre prints

1. Luxe Larkspur Dress from Modcloth ($52.99) | 2. Jamee Ombre Tights from Missguided (£5.99) | 3. Vila Pink Ombre Vest from New Look (£24.99) | 4. Skater Skirt in Ombre Print from ASOS (£16)

After discovering this gorgeous ombre t-shirt earlier in the week, I decided to hunt down a few other ombre/dip dye goodies to add to my wishlist. It's a shame that tights weather is nearly behind us, because the ombre tights are so much fun. I think my favourite item on this list has to be the vest from New Look. I love the graduating colour from black and purple to pink.

Have you spotted any ombre goodies lately?
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France highlights

A few photos from my recent trip to France...

















I'm finally starting to feel like I'm on the mend. I've spent so much time being ill this year, I wish I could find a professional negligence solicitor to file a claim against my health...

What are you up to this weekend? Anything fun?

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This week

I've spent the entire week in my pyjamas after being struck down with a nasty tummy bug. Then to add insult to injury I developed a stinking cold, my wisdom tooth started giving me jip and I got a mouth ulcer. Sigh. Luckily things seem to have peaked, but the doctor has me on strict quarantine from the office as I work for a children's hospital and can't risk spreading any germs.

This state of affairs makes it slightly tricky to maintain a 'lifestyle' blog, considering I have no life to speak of at the moment. Unless you're fascinated to hear about my brief trip to Costa while wearing my pyjamas? No? Thought so. While avoiding London has kept me out of some spending trouble, the lure of the internet had me trawling through websites looking for the ultimate summer wardrobe. By Thursday I'd gone a little giddy after watching six of the Harry Potter movies, so Frank came round to cheer me up with flowers and sweeties. Yay!





We watched Sarah's Key, which was a beautiful, sombre film about a Jewish family in France during the Second World War. It was nice having someone to talk to after being ignored by the cat for 3 days. She does not make a good nursey...

And now the time has come. Having been cooped up for far too long I'm dragging my backside out of bed to see La Boheme tonight. I'm so excited! I'm also dosing myself up with vitamins and planning some super healthy lifestyle changes to try and get my immune system back in gear.

Have you had a good week?
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