Fashion Forward | H&M Long Live Fashion

My home is the tidiest it has ever been at the moment. Between having one of our friends coming to stay for the weekend and not wanting to face a mountain of washing and cleaning when we return from our holidays at the beginning of June we have been going turbo on the cleaning front, and I'll be honest I'm kind of liking this cleaning malarkey. My wardrobe on the other hand... well it's a sight for sure. Between buying mountains of holiday clothes, digging out old summer clothes and generally having a switch around of the seasons my wardrobe makes me want to hide under my newly cleaned house corners. 

Truth be told I'm a clothes hoarder, to look in my wardrobe is really to see a time capsule of my adolescence. Ranging from sizes 6 through 14, I have dresses from my school days as a 'goth' 7 years ago, cropped tops from my college hippy phase 4 years ago and bringing us up to my rather tame and toned wardrobe today and even still I continue to buy. I hate to throw away clothes I have paid quite a bit of money for and after years of giving bits and pieces to my local charity stores I decided it was high time the fashion industry gave us a good incentive for buying and recycling! And that's when I discovered H&M's worn out clothing scheme.

H&M have launched a recycling scheme where you get money off vouchers for the clothes you bring in to your local H&M store to recycle. They can be torn, hopelessly worn, out of style and they don't even have to be H&M branded clothing you just need to fill a bag bring it in to your local store and they will exchange your goods for one of their £5 off recycling offers (which unfortunately can only be redeemed when you spend over £30) it ain't much but it's better than nothing! You can literally bring any fabric product along so I hear, from curtains and bedding, to tops, t shirts, jeans and jeggings, it seems the sky is the limit for this environmentally conscious brand and I plan on reaping the benefits for as long as I can.

Have you guys donated any clothes to H&M recently as part of their recycling scheme? Or have you tried out another stores scheme and found it even better? I would love to hear your thoughts, apologies for the short post today I was just quite excited to share this with you in case like me you were a bit late to the party (as usual for me!) Be sure to leave your comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with the latest Granite City Girl posts be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I have my brand new environmentally friendly trousers on.

H.Elizabeth x

Aberdeen Events | Shoes and Sparkle with Union Square

Hello everyone, I just thought I would take this opportunity to tell you about an event that I will be attending in the Granite City next week that I am super excited about that features food, fashion, frolics, and to boot (pun very much intended) it is in my favourite shopping centre, Union Square.

The event is called 'Shoes and Sparkle' and will be held on the 5th of March from 5pm in the stylish setting of Valeries Brasserie Cafe. The event is free to attend and hosts brands such as Dune, Clarks, Sole Trader and Deichmann who will be showcasing their SS15 collections with an informal showing and a bit of background surrounding the inspiration behind the designs and trends of the season. Plus I hear there is going to be quite a nice little discount for shoes purchased on the evening!

A representative of Union Square has said it is set to be the 'ultimate celebration of all things shoes' now if that isn't enough to get shoe-a-holics hearts racing then I don't know what is. I'm really looking forward to going along on the evening to see the collections they have in store, and  of course potentially meeting some other fashion, beauty and shopping enthusiasts and bloggers (not sure what this is going to do to my bank balance though!)

As the saying goes 'Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she will conquer the world'

Until next time folks, I'm looking out my gladrags.

H.Elizabeth xx

Guest Blogger | Supersized Supermodel

Hello everyone, we're going to be doing something a little bit different on Granite City Girl today and introduce you to a new blogger by hosting this blogs first ever guest post! So we'll just get straight into it, her name is Cristina Nika Kask, she is a fashion and lifestyle blogger and today would like to share a little something on the fashion industry and her opinions of plus size modelling, I have really enjoyed working with her and find her an absolute delight, and I think you will too hope you enjoy!

H.Elizabeth x



L- Tess Munster says #EffYourBeautyStandards. R - Robin Lawley in Sports Illustrated

I've always wondered what the range of sizes are for a plus size model. You can imagine my surprise when I Googled it and saw that plus size models are size 8 and up. It is shocking to think a girl who is a size 8 is plus size. That doesn't work in the real world. So, what is wrong with the fashion industry? They are causing unrealistic expectations that every woman should be a size 4. Are sizes 8, 10 and 12 plus size or actually average?

Plus size or average?

In fact, 20 years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today she weighs 23% less. Standards for women are impossible and frustrating. There are not enough plus size models, actually, all of the models that are promoted as full figured are in fact average size. Many 'plus size' every day women are confused by the sizing boundaries used in the fashion world. Many of them would think, 'if a model that is size 12 is considered plus size, what does that make me!?' Last week, a so called plus size mode, Robin Lawley said it was 'ludicrous' to be called a plus sized model. She has called upon designers to create their samples in larger sizes, believing that this shift would effect change in the representation of body diversity. A big problem that she pointed out is that clothes today are not made to fit the woman, on the contrary, a woman is obliged to fit the clothes. Not only is the modelling industry pressuring models to be skinny, but by doing that they are pressuring girls of the world to rise up to unnatural standards.

If you were to look at different pictures of so called plus sized models, including Robin Lawley, looking gorgeous in swimwear, you want to be that girl, you see they are incredibly sexy and confident. And just that is the standard you should strive for, to be confident with your body, and to feel sexy in your skin.

Labels

What's with the 'plus size' label anyway? Why are we labeling women's bodies like that? There is no size diversity in the modelling world. There are desirable sizes for the fashion world, and there are sizes 8 and up, considered to be plus size. So there is a whole no-man's land of models who are in between the 'straight size' and the 'plus-size'. Regardless of that, even if a model is size 18 and above, I don't think anyone should be called plus size. I think it's a derogatory label to anyone. There is no label 'minus size' for extremely thin models.  I understand the need for this kind of labeling in the fashion industry when it is needed to explain diversity to a client, but the term is used in the media and in every day life. Saying that a person is 'plus' implies there is extra or an excess of something, which could be offensive if you're referring to the size of a person.

And ladies, don't forget, no matter what kind of label someone pins on you, the most important thing is that you are satisfied with your body and looks in general. That is the one thing you need so you can rock every outfit!

Christina Nika Kask

  

Ooh La La | New Look Parisian Haul

This month I have been on a bit of a spending ban, well when I say spending ban I mean I tried my best, failed spectacularly and today I am justifying my splurgey tendencies with this blog post. One day we may delve a little deeper into my psyche and determine why I have such a terrible spending habit and shopaholic tendencies but today I think it would just be that bit more fun to share my recent work wear haul and purchases from New Look (which in actual fact only came to around £55!)

Looking at my wardrobe, as I'm sure we all do, I felt as if I've been in a bit of a clothing rut. Dressing mainly in a midi skirt and a floaty tee, or being really lazy and throwing on jeggings and a shirt, my working wardrobe has left much to be desired. So when the brand new New Look Parisian inspired collection came into stores earlier this month I just couldn't help myself and of course I was able to fully justify these purchases by telling myself they will come in handy for our holidays later on in the year too and of course I get to share my finds with you guys.

Monochrome Tunic Dress £14.99

This was actually something I spotted in New Looks window display, and usually I don't get along with shift / tunic style dresses or horizontal stripes for that matter (I have the fear of looking like a fashionable but chubby zebra) But this is such a lovely fit and the material is so flattering and falls just right, it doesn't exaggerate my hips as some of these dresses often do and I'm looking forward to wearing this little number to work in the colder months with some wooly tights and then taking this to Paris with me in the summer and baring all! (legs)

Striped Baggy Shirt £17.99

This isn't something I would usually go for but the softness of the material drew me in! Since buying this I have barely had it off my back and it is totally worth the price just for the comfiness and wearability of the material. I can wear this shirt with so many things, dress trousers, jeggings or even tucked into a high waisted skirt. Statement pieces you can wear with a multitude of things have got to be my favourites, which is why I almost cried when I ruined my faux leather skirt a few weeks ago!

High Neck Ribbed Crop Top £12.99

I was scared to make this purchase if I'm honest, high necked and cropped are two words which are generally not in my vocabulary, I have the uni-boob fear you see! But feeling like a daring devil I tried this on, and I was pleasantly surprised. Of course I won't be dawning this with my belly on show or with anything too risque, instead I think I'll pair this with a pair of high waisted jeans or a skirt if I'm going dressy.

Grid Check Leggings £7.00

These were on sale, and I remember eyeing them up when they were full price and thinking I just wouldn't wear them enough to jusfity their price. But now I have them I can barely get them off (and no, funny people, it's not because of my big bum!) I wear them to work, around the house, out shopping and like the shirt I love how versatile they are! Usually patterend items scare me a little bit and I only have one item that goes with them, but in this case I have been very creative with my wardrobe and lucky!

 

Given that this has been my one and only haul this month I think my loose spending ban has done me some good, but I am pleased that I was able to find such fashion gems which are all so versatile! Now all I need to do is look for some great fashion accessories to go along with them and my life will be complete (until the next haul)

 

Of course as always I'd love to hear your styling suggestions, have I perhaps missed a trick or maybe you want to point me in the direction of some similar looking items which could dessicate my bank balance even further, either way I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments and suggestions below. Of course as always you can find me loitering about on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up to date with my latests you can always find me on Bloglovin

 

Until next time folks, I'll be nursing my bank balance back to health.

 

H.Elizabeth xx

 

Black Friday | ASOS Haul

The night before Black Friday I was anxious, incredibly anxious. One thing my friends and family have come to know about me in recent years is that manners and particularly shopping etiquette mean a great deal to me and sitting on the periphery of the dreaded Black Friday I just knew that all of those famed reservations and snobbish manners of the Aberdonian people was all about to go flying out of the window and there is only one word to describe my beloved Union Square on a sale day, and that is carnage.

Given my nervous disposition and unwillingness to brave the supposed amazing sales (which I was later to find were non existent in the likes of Zara, despite the crazed women who were grabbing handfuls of vests, T's and all manner to stuff into breaking point baskets) I decided this ear was the year I go digital, and that's just what I did. I enjoyed Black Friday from the comforts of my own home, armed with my dressing gown, slipper boots and a recently topped up card I was able to grab a fair few bargains which I thought I would share with you today!

 

ASOS Cyber Sales

Having done my research by looking at what felt like hundreds of articles revolving around the best online discounts during the Black Friday madness, I settled on ASOS as my poison of choice. Throughout the course of 'Black Friday Weekend,' ASOS were giving you 20% off everything using the code CYBERWKND20, which brought me right back to my student days where I could often get 10 - 20% off everything and I must admit I got a bit click - buy happy!

Clothes and Misc

River Island Too Vogue T Shirt £12.00

Only Live Love long sleeve top with lace trim £12.00

ASOS Midi Skirt in Ponte with pocket detail / Grey £14.00

ASOS Full Length Leggings in High Waist / Oxblood Colour £8.00

Happy Jackson YAY! Lunch box / Pink £6.00

Make Up

Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner / black £12.00

Bourjois little round pots eyeshadow / pink £4.00

Bourjois limited edition vintage little round pots / beige rose £6.99

Price before discount: £74.99

Price after discount: £59.99
Total saving: £15.00

With a saving of £15.00 I think I did quite well, however as much as I do love all of my ASOS goodies and gadgets I have to admit I am suffering a little from buyers remorse because I just know that had it not been Black Friday and had it been any old sale I wouldn't have spent half as much as I have now. Yes ladies and gents at the time I unashamedly got swept up in the madness of Black Friday as I believe many of you did too but now shamefully find myself almost £60 down so close to Christmas that probably would have been better spent elsewhere!

If you are however going to splurge like I very much have, I would highly recommend avoiding the dramas and chaos Black Friday physical shopping brings (very physical judging by some of Tesco's finests customer videos) and spend some quality time with the good ole laptop, onesie and slipper boots and spend yourselves silly!

I hope you've enjoyed reading of my Black Friday buys and blunders and I'd love to hear about some of your best purchases from that weekend of madness? Did you pick up anything in the ASOS deals? Drop me a comment below, come share them with me on Twitter or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latests be sure to follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth xx

November Wishlist | Winter Wants

Hello everyone, so it's that time of the month again and this month I'm going to be sharing my list of Winter Wants before the proper festive season kicks in and my personal spending budget is knocked down to zero.

This months wants revolve around a mix of the home, beauty and fashion. Which I find incredible given that my make up drawer is at capacity, my wardrobe is bursting at the seams and my home is so full of junk I could easily host a sale in the midst of the chaos. If anything the most sensible thing that ought to be on this list would be extra storage space or better yet a brand new home (but let's be realistic here and just keep buying the 'junk')

The amount of gorgeous home things in Next and Debenhams at the moment is unreal, and yes, it is technically for the festive season but some of the goodies I've spotted recently are perfect additions for a year round homey feel!

#1 Grey / Silver Cushions

I have recently been getting blogger home envy and decided I need to get my bum in gear! Our home is overrun with stuff, just stuff everywhere! So in an effort to clean house, I have made a list of homewares I would like to accentuate our flat with and number one is brand new 'grown up' cushions and we chose silver!

#2 Make Up Brush Holder

Unfortunately my make up brush holder at the moment leaves a lot to be desired. The amount of make up I have managed to clart on my Real Techniques holder is unbelievable, so I endeavour to find a nice (preferably silver) pot to hold all of my brushes. This little doll pen and pencil pot caught my eye in Paperchase recently but I might just have to hold out for something a little more homely since that's what we're going for now.

#3 Smelly Goodies

By which I mean Yankee smelly goodies for my house. I recently bought a beautiful silver plated candle holder with a gorgeous smelling candle but unfortunately the scent doesn't linger as long as I would have prefered (for £10!) so I have decided to invest in a slightly safer bet and go for some Yankees, since I know they're long lasting and gorgeous. I'm very much looking forward to checking out their Winter and Christmas range!

#4 A Winter Cape

These have been knocking about for a little while now and being the curious cat I am I decided to just see if they suited me, and you know upon trying it on I don't even care if they do! They are warm, they are comfy, versatile, beautiful, really the list goes on. I currently have my eye on a monochrome number from New Look which will be mine...oh yes, it will be mine!

#5 Party Lashes
My love of the lash has been revived! Having been out of the loop for quite a while I hadn't noticed the brand new range of Eyelure Katy Perry lashes stalking my Superdrug and Boots stores, until I invested in the 'feline' set for my Halloween costume last week. Having now bought these, I just can't stop, Katy Perry party lashes have very quickly become my must have for the Winter and party season!

If I get these things, especially given I have yet to begin Christmas shopping... has anyone really started yet? Not only will I be chuffed with myself and my bank balance but I will be incredibly surprised!

What have you been lusting after lately? Maybe you've already tried out some of the above or have recommendations on where I might be able to hunt down a couple of things, if so drop me a comment below, come tell me about it on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my latest, come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth x

New Look Haul | Autumn Update

I've never been much of a fan of online clothes shopping. Many of my clothes appear to be a major hit or miss when it comes to fit and style in particular so I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to go on a major internet clothing shop frenzy one Friday evening when I had other things I ought to have been doing (i.e Blogging about other things that didn't cost me £40!)

So I thought instead of moping and suffering from buyers remorse I would share these purchases with you guys and you can tell me if it was indeed a waste of my time and money!

#1 I wish I was a unicorn T (£9.99)

 I love a good loungy, baggy t shirt to both wear around the house and on my more casual events and escapades, and unashamedly this reminded me a great deal of Despicable Me so I had to haves!

#2 Dark Blue Denim Leggings (£12.99)

 These have been in awfully short supply in my home recently, the banes of having a cat and thin leggings has been getting to me, and not to mention my bank balance. So I thought it was high time to invest in another pair and be wary of the cats claws in future!

#3 Blue Pocket Tunic Dress (£9.00 SALE ITEM)

Since watching Cilla on ITV recently I have rekindled my love of the 1950's and 60's so this bargain shift dress is a must for pairing with woolies in the winter months. Perhaps I should invest in some boots too...hmmm

#4 Shocking red Kimono (£13.00 SALE ITEM)

At the moment red is my colour and Kimonos are an obsession, and since my hair is about to undergo a dramatic Summer to Autumn transformation I thought I should invest in the colour since it will compliment me quite well. A plus as it can be used as a party piece as opposed to a jacket or blazer.

Total Splurged: £40.38
(Still using my cheeky student discount online)

Really if you think about it I just bought myself a whole two new outfits for under £50, I do believe I am quite a thrifty buyer. Have you guys been treating yourself due to the dramatic weather changes we've been having? Drop me a comment below to share how you cheer yourself up in this dismal state, you can as always catch me on Twitter or keep up with my latest posts on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H. Elizabeth x

Out With the Old | Make Up & Jewellery

I'm a strong believer that a clean and organised work / play environment makes for greater productivity and boosted happiness levels, and that's why recently I've been making the effort to get out with the old and in with the new, clearing out almost 6 years worth of clothing, make up and basically junk that I've always said will 'come in handy eventually' Surprise surprise, they did not.

So today I thought I would share my most recent organisational endeavour and show you the amazing transformation of my make up and jewellery storage.

Before

Messy mayhem, now that it's all clean and tidy I have no idea how I was able to function in this utter mess! I had myself convinced that as long as I knew where everything was that it's alright and it's really not that bad. Oh how deluded I was, the wake up call came when my new lippy was accidentally nudged into my wicker bin (thankfully I rescued it before it was too late!)

After (Tah Dah!)

 

The sea of glitter parted and tah dah! I finally have the organised make up system I've always wanted! I used a few clear compartmentalised boxes from hobbycraft, one which is divided by square boxes and the other which is actually meant for stationary. The startionary box which is on the right of the picture doesn't actually fit in the drawer properly but is instead propped up which I prefer because I can see the products more clearly without sticking my head in the drawer.

Overall I threw out two black bags worth of 'stuff' which is the only way I can describe it! I seriously cut down my make up collection and only really kept jewellery which I either wore a lot or had sentimental value. You never really realise how much rubbish you buy until you have to spend an entire Saturday afternoon clearing it out!

Top Organisational Tips

#1 Have a plan; There is no way my day would have been half as productive as it was if I hadn't known exactly what I was wanting to do and had laid out all of my tools before hand. Equipped with my clear boxes, a handful of black bags and of course my quippy can do 'tude!

#2 Be firm with yourself; You need to constantly be asking yourself, 'Do I need this?' and 'Would I miss this if it weren't here?' Otherwise you may end up talking yourself into keeping accessories that are really just junk!

#3 Make it fun; if you're not having a nice or fun time clearing out old clothes / make up or jewellery you'll be likely to give up half way through which could leave your storage in a worse state than you found it. Put on some tunes and get the family involved, you'll have such a lauch at some of the things you used to use!

Have you cleared anything out recently? Send me pics of your brand new and improved make up / clothing storage, if you're as proud of yours as I am of mine! Drop me a comment below, come find me on Twitter or keep up to date with my latest posts on Bloglovin, until next time!

H.Elizabeth x

October Wishlist | Autumnal Wants

It has been a wee while since I've done a post like this, but I suppose it's because I've had far more interesting things to blog about as of late. But alas we are back, and here are my top picks, wants, wishes and lust after list items for this Autumnal month.

#1 A statement coat

I've been seeing a lot of reds, corals and forest greens for Autumn this year and I have recently endeavoured to get away from dull dark clothing colours and add a pop of colour to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe and what better way to do that than with a siren red jacket?!

#2 A new hair do (No pic  since I don't know what I want)

As much as I do love my strawberry blonde Summer locks, they appear out of place and quite lack lustre in the Autmnal weather we've been having (any excuse for a good hair change) so I've been dreaming of an Auburny / Red to see my head through the cold Winter months. Stay tuned for my eventual big reveal!

#3 Maleficent on DVD and in my life!

This film, I need in my life. I saw it in the cinema 3 times and with the date of October 20th being the release date and pending I'm getting myself awfully hyped up! Anyone else?

#4 Heated Rollers

And my quest for voluminous locks continues. Yes I'm still loving a good bouffant hair do and with my velcro rollers working wonders for special occassions and evenings out, I can only imagine what I may achieve with heated rollers.

#5 A pair of good (bonus for sensible) shoes

Walking to work everyday is so good, I get woken up on the way to work, get some good exercise going but the only things that aren't thanking me are my feet! Sometimes I just don't want to have to change shoes arriving at work so I just need a good pair of sensible yet not scary shoes to walk daily in, is that really too much to ask!?

So there you have it, my Autumnal wishlist, if there is anything on here you can potentially help me out with finding for example my lusty statement coat to see me through Winter storms and rain, drop me a comment below, Tweet it at me on Twitter or if you'd just like to keep up and see more of me come find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time, see you folks!

H.Elizabeth x

Aberdeen Student Lock In | Autumn Haul

Technically no, I am not a student anymore. Well at least as of the very end of September, and I mean I'd quite happily be exploiting my discount up until 11.59pm on the 31st of September that's how much I'll miss my discount. So you can imagine that when Aberdeen's Bon Accord and St Nicholas Shopping centre announced their annual student lock in I was first in line! (not literally unfortunately!)

Pre Lock In

Well the queue was massive, we actually arrived 40 minutes prior to doors even opening and we were I would say reasonably near the front, considering how far back the queue eventually went I was chuffed! 

During the Lock In

As cheapy as it may sound I had been expecting more freebies, I literally went away with one shower gel by L'Occitane and a catalogue from Warehouse which I could have got any time.  I don't feel like the actual discounts on offer deserved as much hype as there had been because there was literally an extra 10% and Boots didn't even bother with discounts, to the dismay of many shoppers we saw loading baskets with products!

New Look (20% Discount)

Tartan Pinafore
I've been dying to get a bit more fashion focused at work since all I seem to be wearing as of late are my black trousers paired with a flowy shirt, and this was RIGHT up my street not to mention on trend for the Autumnal months.

Burgundy 50's Flare Skirt
Something I've been dying to try out and not to mention suit over the past few months is a long skirt that isn't body con, and I do believe I've found it. It's a show stopper!

Parisian Tee
Admittedly I was drawn in due to Paris, our holiday booking is looming and I feel like I'm already behind in buying my holiday clothes! Plus it looks amazing with my 50's skirt.

Purple Floral Geisha Kimono 
When it comes to Kimonos, what can I say? I'm a woman obsessed I think at the moment I have 5 or 6, and this one well I had to have it! I wear these instead of blazers or jackets on an evening out so really you can never have too many!

Coral Stilettos 

Recently I have been dying to buy a pair of statement shoes for special occasions and evenings out, but I had no luck since my tiny size 3 feet only get the boring shoes! But at the lock in I spotted a rare find in the form of stilettos for a tenner! Now if only I had a party coming up!

Topshop (20% Discount)

Lippys! (Macaroon, Ditsy, Wicked and Trigger)

I'd heard good things about Topshop's lippy over the past few months, from their staying power to their moisturing qualities and even their great pigmentation, so when I saw they were on offer at 2 for £12 in addition to discount I jumped to buy 4! (Review pending)

Lip Liner (Burgundy)

Another one of my new obsessives is lip lining, I've seen the MAC girls in town lining to perfection and well I'm a sucker for trends!

Post Lock In
As a general guesstimate I Buyers remorse? Never! I am of course feeling so gutted that this year was my last ever lock in but I look forward to my senior citizens discount when the time comes!

Have you guys visited a student lock in wherever you are? If you have what was your experience of it, a lot of freebies? better discounts? Drop me a comment below, Tweet at me or come follow my latest posts on Bloglovin

H.Elizabeth x