If you've read my previous blog post you will know that I've had a reason to celebrate recently. Now before you all turn up on my doorstep clutching glasses of champagne and party poppers, I'll let you in on a secret. I'm not a mahoosive fan of drinking. There, I said it. Call me boring if you like, I'm just yet to find an alcoholic beverage that I actually enjoy (although I did have a glass of Prosecco the other night and I was pleasantly surprised). Anyway, instead of getting completely bungalowed on a bottle of bubbly, I decided to treat myself with a bit of online retail therapy. First stop, Harvey Nichols. You might not think it, but I'm actually pretty clued up with shopping and I'd say I buy the majority of the things I own in the sale or at a discounted price. Part of me doesn't believe in spending hundreds of pounds on a handbag as I really don't think I could justify it - I'm only a sales assistant in a shoe shop after all! So after browsing on Harvey Nicks, I came across what must have been the cutest Marc by Marc Jacobs bag I've ever laid eyes on but my heart sank when I saw the price. What does a girl do in this situation? Do you guiltily click "add to basket" and dread the moment you check your bank account or do you think sensibly and exit the tab ASAP vowing to never tempt yourself like that again? Well, I did neither... I simply opened a new tab and went straight onto eBay.

OK, so you won't always be able to find what you're looking for on eBay, but more often than not there will be someone out there selling that very item you've been pining for. You probably know what's coming next... I FOUND THE CUTE MARC JACOBS BAG!! It was brand new and still had its tags intact with zero bids and only two hours left, so I spent the rest of my Saturday night glued to my laptop screen refreshing the page every few seconds like a madwoman. Judging by the following photos it's fairly obvious that victory was mine and I won the auction, and I saved around £120 just by shopping around!

What do you think? I love that it's both black and off-white as it can be worn for both smart and casual occasions. It's currently still on the Harvey Nichols website here for those of you who might fancy having a little nosey!

Chloë

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Way back in January I wrote a blog post called New Year Update where I revealed I had finally applied for my provisional driving license so I could officially get myself on the road. It seems like SO much has happened since then, and believe me, it hasn't all gone swimmingly. First off, I had the job of picking a decent driving instructor. Being completely honest I had no idea who to go for; all driving instructors offer different packages and deals, some are more qualified than others and they all have different cars that they use to teach you in. With all of this in mind, I decided to go onto Facebook and look on one of those community pages.. you know, where people in your area post anonymous messages about everything from who they fancy to reccomending places where you can expect a top quality three-course meal (I wish I was joking).

So after scrolling through what seemed like thousands of pointless posts, I came across somebody who was looking for driving instructor recommendations. I looked through the list of everybody's recommendations and checked out the instructors' websites until I finally thought I'd found THE ONE. Now, everything went smoothly on the first lesson, the instructor turned up on time, (more about that later) he seemed friendly and most importantly he was very patient. However somewhere along the line all of this changed; he became consistently late, he hardly spoke to me during lessons and we spent hours on end driving around a teeny tiny housing estate doing the same thing again and again. To cut a long story short I felt I wasn't progressing as I should, but only did I realise this when I'd gone through 30 hours worth of lessons with him. All in all it was a complete nightmare but at the time I was still trying to convince myself that he was the professional and perhaps I wasn't where I should have been because I was a dodgy driver. Anyway, he did absolutely nothing for my confidence and would often use his brakes without even letting me deal with the hazards that were thrown my way. I decided to go ahead and book a test as the waiting list can be up to six weeks long and he didn't seem to have a problem with me doing that at all until I seemed reluctant when he mentioned that I needed to book at least another 10 hours with him (at this point I think I internally LOL'd and was like "dream on, mate.") So after all that, I talked it through with my mum and my brother and they both told me I should ditch him. I basically just sent him a text explaining that I need to take a break from driving (first lie) and that I'll be in touch when I'm ready for more lessons (second lie). I honestly felt AWFUL saying that, but it's not in my nature to be all open and honest and I would have hated for it to be awkward if I actually did come clean and tell him what I thought of the whole experience.

Anyway, the search was then back on to find another instructor who wasn't going to rip me off and would actually teach me everything I need so I could become a safe and confident driver. This time I took a recommendation from one of my English teachers I had at college who said this man was "the best instructor EVER" and he was SO RIGHT. Even after one lesson with him my mum said she noticed the difference in my confidence and he just made me feel so much more at ease. I decided to book twelve hours with him and save two hours back for the day of my driving test so I could get some last minute practice in. We had to pretty much start from scratch and go over everything as I had so many gaps in my knowledge which, yes - I am going to blame solely on my previous instructor. He was honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met and with his help, I was able to pass my driving test FIRST TIME with only three minors... YAY!

I guess the moral of the story is to never put up with something just because it's the easiest option. Remember, you are the one paying for a service and you have every right to be treated with respect. I found it most unprofessional when my first instructor would turn up nearly fifteen to twenty minutes late every single lesson and it just felt like he was taking the absolute mick. In some ways I do regret letting him treat me like that and of course I regret paying for thirty hours of lessons with him, but on the other hand, I'm so glad I changed instructors when I did because I highly doubt I would have passed so soon without being roped into having more and more lessons!

My super-cute little toot toot mobile!!

The month of May has been a rather exciting one for me as I was able to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world - Paris. I went along with one of my friends from high school who, I have to say, was exceptional at directing us to and from the centre of the city via the metro. (Honestly, I'd probably still be there now if it wasn't for her leading the way!)

We stayed for three days in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. Our hotel was only a ten minute walk away from the train station so it was really handy to travel to all of the different tourist attractions we wanted to visit during our stay. 

Below are just a few of the photos I took while we were out and about:

The Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

Champs-Élysées

Notre-Dame

Pont de l'Archevêché

The Louvre

So there you have it, a super-short blog post highlighting just a few of the many stunning landmarks we visited during our three days in Paris. I hope to return to the city someday, but for now I'll say Au revoir to France as I get ready to pack for my next holiday to Spain. Next stop, Malaga!

It's certainly no secret that I'm a bit of a shoe fanatic - working in a shoe shop definitely doesn't help! You may have noticed that all of the shoes pictured above have something in common... that thing being the colour. I always buy black shoes; in my opinion they're the most versatile as they can be worn with pretty much any other colour and you know you haven't the problem of trying to match them up with your outfit. I tend to only wear heels on a special occasion and to me, black just makes everything look smarter and a bit more formal - you can't go wrong!

First up is this black pair of heels I bought from New Look last summer. They have zips at the back and straps across the front to help keep your feet in place, so if you're anything like me and have narrow ankles, rest assured - they won't be falling off your feet! I've only worn these once; they're not as high as some of the other shoes I own but  I find them harder to walk in as they don't have a platform.

Next are these wedges, again from New Look. They have lovely cutout detailing along the sides with a peep toe at the front. I bought these a few years ago but have only worn them once or twice as I forgot all about them! I think they'd be lovely with a long maxi dress to give you a bit of extra height, but they still great paired with jeans for a more casual look.

These are perhaps the highest heels I own at 12cm high but they're surprisingly comfortable and thanks to the platform at the front, they're rather easy to walk in. I ordered these online from Kurt Geiger last year as I've always wanted a pair of classic black pumps - they look good with everything! But, my issue with these came with trying to get them to stay on my feet. Working in a shoe shop taught me a few little tricks, though - using half insoles in the front helps to get rid of some of the depth in the shoe and pushes your foot towards the back, helping your feet to stay in place. I also had to use really thin full insoles in these as they stretched slightly after wearing them, but I think I've finally managed to keep them from slipping off!

This is yet another pair I bought from New Look. I guess these are in-between being a shoe and a boot, commonly known as a shoe-boot surprisingly... haha. I love the cutout detailing on these, the pattern looks almost like flower petals which gives a slight feminine feel to the shoe. I have a feeling these would look great with a skater style dress but again, wearing them with black trousers would create a smarter, more formal look.

Ah, these are probably the most impractical shoes of the bunch. Again, I got these from New Look (surprise surprise!) These are probably classed as more of a boot, but I added them into the collection anyway due to their really thin stiletto-like heels. These are rather difficult to walk in to be honest - the last time I wore them I noticed that my weight shifted towards the front and it was hard to balance on the heels due to their tiny surface area. To make matters worse I was trying to walk in these down a gradient and ended up having to take baby steps at a snails pace!

Last of all are these Redherring wedges that I picked up in Debenhams. These are so comfortable and again, they go with everything. I've only ever worn these around the house as they were another pair that I'd put in the wardrobe and sadly forgot about, but they're lovely and such a classic style.

I hope that was somewhat interesting for you... personally I love seeing other peoples shoes as I think you can tell so much about a person from the kind of shoes they wear! 

What are some of your shoe staples?

Chloe

For a very long time I've been researching what it takes to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. Well, when I say researching, I do mean merely googling different workout routines and meal plans every couple of days but still - you get the idea. To be honest, I don't typically love exercise but it is something I'm trying to incorporate into my life at least a couple of times a week. The one thing that used to bug me was never knowing how many calories I'd burned after a workout. It's all well and good making sensible food choices and counting calories, but after exercise you run the risk of over-eating if you don't low how many calories you've manage to torch.

This is where my new gadget comes in, the Polar FT4. This is a heart rate monitor which allows you to track how many calories you've burnt during your workout and also lets you know your average and maximum heart rate zone while you're exercising. It's basically like having your own personal trainer on your wrist! I've used this a couple of times now and I definitely wouldn't like to be without it - it's SO useful.

To use it, simply attach the Polar transmitter to the front of the belt and place it around your chest. You need to dab the black strip of electrodes with a little bit of water before you exercise so you can get an accurate measurement of your heart rate, but then you're good to go!

Once you've finished your workout you can rinse the strap with water to clean it and then let it hang to dry ready for next time. With the FT4 model you cannot sync the watch wirelessly to receive your workout results but you can use the Polar website to keep track of everything by typing your data in manually. This may be too much effort for some but if you're serious about keeping track of your workouts you shouldn't find it too tedious.

I really think this a great piece of kit for those of you who may be looking for an accurate estimation of how many calories you've burned during exercise. It's really simple and easy to use and it comes in a variety of colours - always a good thing for those fashion-conscious gym-goers! I opted for the green one as I thought it'd make a nice change from pink, but there are also silver and blue options available on the Polar website here.

While it is still a couple of weeks away, April 9th marks my 20th birthday. I'm definitely not one to write a huge wish-list of gifts that I demand my friends and family to buy for me; I was always taught growing up that you should work hard and earn the things you wish to buy for yourself as you learn the value of money and tend to appreciate and look after them more. Of course it can be a little different when you're younger: struggling to hold onto that single £5 note you've earned from delivering hundreds of papers around the neighbourhood, but as you get older you have to learn to budget your money and as my mum always says, "always save for a rainy day!".

For months and months I have longed for a lovely new leather wallet, searching high and low to find "the one". I don't wish for this to come across as materialistic in any way, as I would 100% agree that there are many more important things in life to be worrying about, but sometimes I do think it's important to take the time to treat yourself as well as those around you. I do enjoy buying things for others more than I do myself though - it's rewarding seeing their faces light up for a split-second and knowing that your good deed has brought them a little bit of happiness!

ANYWAY, that went off on a bit of a tangent and for a second I was almost going to have to look out my snorkel - things were about to get waaaay too deep! Below are some pictures I took of my lovely new purchase, complete with its own Karl Largerfeld dust bag.

The wallet comes in gold and silver, but I opted for the gold as I think it looks more striking against the black leather. On the subject of leather, it's so soft and has a butter-like feel to it... the quality is incredible. Inside there are eight card slots and a zipped coin compartment to keep those pennies safe. It's a little bigger than I expected, measuring 21cm long and 10cm high, although I very much prefer having enough space to store receipts and tickets etc as opposed to cramming everything into one zipped compartment.

I have to say, I absolutely love it. It's just what I was looking for, and believe me, I'm extremely fussy with things like this! I think wallets are quite personal as everybody has their own little preferences, but I'm very happy I took the risk of ordering this online as it's everything I was hoping for :D

Karl Lagerfeld Quilted Leather Wallet - The Outnet

When I have a day off there's always one activity that springs to mind... one which usually involves me scurrying through my purse looking for any form of useable currency or guiltily handing over my debit card to the sales assistant. You've probably guessed by now that I am indeed talking about shopping, and when I spot bargains or any kind of price reduction I'M THERE.

Today's purchase came from TK Maxx, which has recently become a favourite shop of mine. You can find all sorts of designer brands at amazingly discounted prices whether it's homeware, clothing, handbags, shoes... basically every girl's dream, right?

I don't usually bother looking around the shoe section as I used to find the nicest shoes in smaller sizes and could never find them in the size 6 section! However today I found these little beauties; they're the Ralph Lauren 'Polly' Sneakers which usually retail at £65, but I picked them up for just£24.99!

Being predominantly white makes them incredibly versatile as they'll go with pretty much anything - especially denim jeans for a simple, casual look.

They're so comfy and lightweight too... two necessities when looking for that perfect spring/summer daytime shoe.

What do you think of them? What do you usually like to wear on your feet during the warmer months? 

Chloe

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