I've been pretty quiet on the blogging front since the holidays as I've been a bit unwell; still unsure quite what but it's majorly unsociable and means I haven't really felt like doing much. I'm going to try and make a conscious effort  to "get outside" so I decided I'd take a proper walk to get some fresh air into my lungs. I am most definitely the type to get cabin fever and after watching 300 episodes of The Good Wife and reorganising the cutlery drawer, I realised it might be time to leave the house. That and that the dog was about to wet himself...

I've felt pretty overwhelmed during 2017 so far; this year could be quite a big one for me if I put my head down. For the first time (over Christmas) I really felt affected by social media and it's made me think about what I'm projecting out to my followers. I was scrolling through the perfect feeds with the perfect outfits, lives, flat lays and houses and felt inadequate - Why would anyone read my blog? Was I good enough to write one? Was I thin enough to write one? Do I have enough followers? What if people don't like me? 

Then I got a grip of myself and took a good look. I'm healthy (ordinarily, not right now, but still) which is a bit of a miracle given I've spent more time in hospital than your average rugby side. My flat is tiny but lovely. I have wonderful friends and family, even if my sister and I do bicker like teenagers on a weekly basis. Gus rocks - I won't go into it as I know my single friends have a real thing about those who gush about their love lives on social media, and I totally get why. When I was single seeing couple-induced-happiness on Instagram used to really get me down...

I wasn't one of those who went into January with a to do list. I went in with a sick bucket, and (sadly) it wasn't because I'd stayed up all night partying. When you see all of these "10 Ways I Made Myself F*cking Awesome And Better Than You" posts on Twitter it just makes you want to scream. So, I'm giving you, me. I'm behind already and it's January the 5th. I haven't done my taxes yet, and I've lost my debit card. I hope thats ok... My posts in January will be more of the tone "Things to buy to get you through this dull AF month without killing yourself." In fact I think I might start that one right now...

All that said, this year for me is about consolidating and empowering myself. Two big words I know, but let me explain. I've been working for myself for nearly three years now and although on the surface of it I get to do some really cool stuff, see really cool places and work with really cool people, I'm ready to take it to the next level. I've never quite got there, at least in my opinion. You probably won't have heard of my little consultancy One Roof Social, but we're taking shape nicely and we're hoping this is our year. We did some work at the end of last year that I'm super proud of, and I've got the team I've always wanted to work with which feels really good. I'm also going to do some consulting for some very cool businesses, which as soon as I can, I'll share.

Blog wise, I'm going to try and work on my narrative a little as there's lots I think about and don't write about. I've seen through my Instagram Stories (here) that you guys seem to quite like my ramblings, so you're going to see a bit more of them. I'm going to write about how I'm getting on with my business as well as all the usual fashion, beauty and travel stuff. It's not going to work to a strict content schedule for a while because actually my blog exists because it's fun, it's a hobby and I'm keeping it that way. So there.

I plan to wear mine with everything so I apologise for the Instagram bombardment in advance. This outfit is a typical thrown-together-weekender. A striped top is a given for any outfit (in my book). As you know, I have tonnes of them but this was a present from my sister last Christmas from Petit Bateau here. My cape is a couple of seasons old from The Outnet so I've put some similars at the base of this post - it is still available in some sizes here. The jeans are new, and a new length for me which I'm loving. Find them here.

My boots are actually from L.K.Bennett too, here. I have a few pairs of ankle boots from them but these really are another level of goodness. I wore them with a little LBD for my birthday drinks on Friday and they look equally as fab with more dressed-down pieces. I love the gold details on the laces and the heel is just the right height to combine looking smart and being able to walk...

Any way, enough about me and onto what you really want to know about - winning a Mariel tote bag complete with your very own Boyarde initials on courtesy of the lovely team at L.K.Bennett. Here you go:

For me Jaeger represents British luxury, and always has. I can remember Mum wearing a gorgeous navy, long coat from there and that she was very proud to own it. Something about that has been instilled in my brain ever since. My sister worked for the group a few years ago when it was going through a bit of an odd stage - with fusion line Boutique (now no longer) filling a gap which US brands like Kate Spade later took over. So Jaeger needed a rethink and after new ownership and creative direction the brand is back with a vengeance with some amazingly good (and not scarily priced) staples.

Three categories you can't afford miss are; 

Coats = I was away with a friend last weekend and fell in love with her teddy fur coat. The quality of it is just incredible, and I just wanted to cuddle up in it the whole time. Whilst most definitely an investment price point, I don't doubt you'll have this for life. This Alpaca wool one is incredible too, not to mention my own pick - a very classic trench coat for a fraction of the cost of others of similar quality.

Donna Ida Collaboration = I Instagrammed about this earlier this year (here, in case you missed it). The entire collection is worth a good snoop (I really recommend the black wool tops, and am the proud owner of this one) and if you're looking for a new blue denim try their Mia jean out.

Knitwear = The entire high street has really upped it's jumper-game this season so the fact that Jaeger still stands out says a lot about their collection. I need my knits to be soft, cozy but also sturdy - as a dog owner and being slightly clumsy with coffee I need to not freak out when life's little accidents happen. For this, Jaeger is perfect. I'm lusting after this one that everyone (including Emma, below) owns. For £150 I cannot begin to explain how much I need this...

Blogging can sometimes be a bit of a lonely job as affectively you work for yourself, often at home alone. So it was really nice to be able to be alongside friends on this project particularly when you have to have your photo taken on a busy London street. Emma had just finished her photos when I turned up, so we had a few taken together. Sadly for me she's a foot taller than me and a hell of a lot more elegant. The snap above was the best pic of the bunch, which says it all...

I'm not a natural in front of the camera (I get really moody with myself and usually end up storming off leaving my poor boyfriend clueless in the middle of a mews street somewhere) and struggle to get poses right or anything of that sort. 

So I took a light hearted approach and goofed around on some steps. Turns out shots from those moment were my favourite - and helps to show how comfortable I was in the trench coat. Although it is super tailored and a structured fabric it's really easy to wear. Also, having sat and compared it to other much more expensive ones my friends have I really think it's exceptional value for the quality and craftsmanship, find it here.

I really can't believe we're onto November already, or October pay weekend, however you look at it... Have to say I'm really, really enjoying shopping at the moment. I know that sounds a bit ridiculous but there is so, so much good stuff on the high street I had a tough time whittling it down to my edit, below. This month's WTB will just be for fashion as I'm doing a bumper beauty post next week with John Lewis - stay tuned as it's a goody, I've literally spent three days trying products out for it. It's a tough life...

This snap was taken post-haul at Topshop, Jigsaw and Selfridges who between them cost me a lot of money this month. One of the things I bought was this shirt which was a bargain from Topshop. I'd lusted after the expensive Olivia von Halle and Equipment versions which I'm now so glad I didn't fork out on. 

Trend wise, velvet is a killer isn't it?! I've been looking for ways to do it. So far I've found this black blazer from Whistles, this shift dress (super with a denim shirt) and this simple shape dress from Reiss. If, like me, you're still a bit unsure on how long the trend will last (though I'm probably wrong as it was all over the catwalks last month) then try simple accessories. Don't forget new names like Millie Mackintosh too, her floral embroidered velvet jacket is selling out incredibly quickly. Lastly, these red and blue belts from Topshop look amazing with a tee and jeans, or any staple sort of out. Great way of updating your wardrobe without splurging... 

Topshop is doing really well at the moment, there is a lot I want from there. Love this red silk maxi dress, so elegant yet hides all sins. I find smarter, long sleeved tops really necessary in winter months as they're a great option instead of wearing a dress or a proper shirt for nights out. This one is great, so simple and yet super flattering with the bell sleeves and neckline. Similarly I love the colour of this grey one too, great find for the same reasons...

Since posting this snap on Instagram lots of you have asked me where my coat is from, which leads me to my next shopping recommendation; Jigsaw. I popped in to see a PR friend and couldn't believe how much stuff I oohed and ahhed over. You'll most certainly be seeing more of it on the blog, particularly this jumper. Another "J" worth checking out is Jaeger, who's collaboration with Donna Ida is simply epic. These "Mia" jeans, and this red leopard print shirt are perfect game-changer wardrobe upgrades.

As for footwear I'm trying to be a bit braver. I went to see the guys at Kurt Geiger last week and spotted these gorgeous babies immediately. Snapped them up immediately, they go with everything and are my kind of winter/autumn heel. That said, on the other end of the spectrum I'm also toying with getting these from Topshop which are a bit ridiculous but really fun, or these proper night-out shoes from Reiss.