Treat yourself in my eBay shop

Hello hello!
I have finally got around to opening a little eBay shop. DH was kind enough to act as my photographer. And I am pleased to say that I have some lovely items ranging from £10 to £170. A couple of things are currently in my blog Boutique as well but from emails some of you said that you would feel more comfortable going through eBay. Of course I aim to please.

Just a little sample of what is available....

Ciccia Small Leather Grab Bag

Michael Kors purple Hamilton Leather tote.

Nica Butterfly wallet.

Carbotti Red Leather Shoulder Bag.

 Check out my eBAY store here for more!! It's pay day! Yay!

Spring Fashion Update

So I am probably jumping the gun a bit. But yesterday was such a beautiful day that I could not believe that we are still officially in winter. It was sunny with wonderful blue skies. Birds with singing, people were smiling (well not really but let's pretend shall we?) I am so looking forward to putting away my heavy winter clothes and wearing brighter, cheerier colours again!

Here is a little update on items I would love to add to my wardrobe this spring. I will be off to hotter climates in around 3 weeks time. I am soooooooo excited!!!

Boden Riviera Shirt Dress £89.

Boden Stripy Tunic £39.

Warehouse tribal dress £69.

Warehouse Stripy Maxi £40.

Can you guess which one is my favourite?? Hehe. I hope it is still around when I am back in April as I have ALREADY treated myself for this month!!

So lovely people, do you have your eye on anything this Spring? If so please share in the comments. Also I have something VERY EXCITING to share with you in my next post. So look out for that and have a wonderful day!

Inspirational Quotes: Regret or rejoice?

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'For everything that you have missed, you have gained something else. And for everything you gain, you lose something else. It is about your outlook on life. You can either regret or rejoice.'

Enjoy your day lovelies.

What's on my Kindle 23/02/12

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I have recently had a bit of a Terry Pratchett splurge on my Kindle. I love his discworld series of books. For those who don't know, discworld is a flat world which is balanced on the backs of 4 elephants that stand on the back of a ginormous turtle! Yes it is that crazy. Each book will often focus on a  specific storyline, for example witches, wizards, the city watch, Death, Moist von Lipwig, Tiffany Aching etc. But this is not your normal fantasy series. Although set in a made up world these books give a lot of insight into our own world, with opinions on politics, science and religion. I always end up laughing at the clever humour and satire in them. They are absolutely brilliant after a stressful day.........like when you realise you will have to redo ALL of the data analysis you did in the last 3 months due to being sent incorrectly linked data.... Sigh.  

The three books that I have finished recently include

♥ I shall wear midnight
The Tiffany Aching books are targeted at younger readers but are suitable for adults as well. I love books with female heroines and Tiffany must be one of the most sensible 15 year old witches on Discworld. Read how she deals with an 'ex' who is now a King, his new fiancee, accusations of murder, and a horrible figure with no eyes who wants to exterminate her.This book is the 4th and last in the series and ties up her storyline nicely. But get the previous three beforehand i.e. The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith.  

♥ Equal Rites
It seems than women can only be witches while wizards must be men. The eight son of the eight son must become a wizard. But what happens if there is a mix up and the eight daughter of the eight son gets a dying wizard's staff instead? I loved the play on the 'role of women' in this book. We all know that it takes a woman to sort things out! And some of the wizards were uncannily similar to some of my university professors......... But I guess I should not really say that! Haha!

♥ Carpe Jugulum 
Never invite a vampire into your home (or even a vampyre). King Verence makes the almost fatal error of inviting Count Magpyr and his family to the naming ceremony for his daughter. But these vampires shun traditional ways. They have learned self methods so they can resist the normal techniques of defeating vampires (such as the use of garlic, crosses and religious symbols, even daylight!) Usually I am not a fan of vampire novels (I refuse to read or watch Twilight) but this book was a breath of fresh air. New is not always better than old. Often it is good to remember that. 

OK so that's it for a quick review of some of the Terry Pratchett books on my Kindle. I would give I shall wear midnight 4 1/2 hearts and the other books 4.

Are you a fan of Discworld? If you are please share you favourite stories in the comments along with other fantasy novels that you think I may also like.

Have a wonderful day!!

My Malden predicament.......

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This may be true in most cases. But not when it comes to my relationship with the Malden. Then it should be, the more things don't change!!!

So currently there is a bit of a love triangle thingy going on in my life. I can see your ears perk up already. Oh the excitement!! But you are forgetting. This is my life. And there is very little drama in it. So while it would be interesting if there were some one else wrestling DH for my attentions, (someone tall, dark and handsome), I am afraid that this is not the case. Instead I am dealing with the everlasting..........

Malden versus

 

 The Finchley

debate. And so far the Malden is winning!

But I have tried. I have made several attempts to simply remove the contents of my Malden and insert it into the Finchley. But something always stops me. And I find myself boxing Finchley back up and carrying on with my Malden. Today I had to add 2012 inserts from August to December. Surely it was the best time to break free from the spell of the Malden. To move on, for once and for all! Nah. Didn't happen. There is something that keeps us together. Some kind of invisible attachment (which may turn out to be pure laziness on my part). The chemistry we share is unbelievable. So why is this?


Let me tell you why. At the end of the day Malden and I just work. He does not have to be treated with kid gloves. I do not need to be precious with him. And he is always there when I need him....... strong, dependable, helping me keep my hectic life together. In a world where goalposts keep shifting, and there is so much uncertainty about so many things, the Malden remains my constant.  He is always by my side.

As Ellen Glasgow states, "All change is not growth...... And all movement is not forward." 


So for now, I guess the Malden is here to stay!

Are any of you in a similar predicament? Please share in the comments what you have done. And whether you think I have made the right decision? Enjoy your day my lovelies. 

What's on my Kindle 19/02/12

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It has been a long tiring week for me, which involved a lot of commuting and time spent using the London Underground. I have to admit that I am not a London fan, especially not at peak times and when there are two armpits in my face (and one person has never heard of deodorant......eeeeewwwww). Anyways the advantage was that I also had a long train journey into London. And lots of time to read my Kindle!!!

So since January I have read a huge number of books on this amazing device. I have almost missed my station stop more often than I would like. But I tend to get extremely engrossed when I am reading. The books I have chosen might seem random. I won't try to give in depth reviews but will focus on short summaries instead.

♥ The Book of Night Women- Marlon James. 
This book is based on the life of a slave girl who was raised on a plantation in Jamaica in the 18th century. Most of the book is written in patois which you soon get used to although it is difficult to undertsand in the beginning.  The story deals with very difficult themes, including murder, sexual abuse, witchcraft and a slave revolt. Surprisingly it also includes a love story and ultimately is a story of survival.


This book gave me nightmares. I think it is supposed to. It also made me cry. A lot of what is written is extremely horrific. But then slavery was horrific. The horrors of slave life at that time I will never truly understand. It is an excellent book. But if you are interested in light or easy reading you will want to give this book a pass. You can read a review of the book here.

Rating  ♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5 hearts
 

 

♥ Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell

I have never watched Gone with the Wind. Of course I have seen glimpses of it. It used to be shown every Christmas on tv when I was growing up. But I have come to the conclusion that I will probably never watch the film. Two years ago I was chatting with my cousin when she mentioned that my aunt thought it was one of the best books ever. Since then I have been intrigued so I finally decided to read it. 


Justine Larbalestier, an Australian writer gave an excellent review here. To be truthful I wanted to hate the book. After all I knew it would provide a rose tinted view of slavery. But the book was written from the point of view of a wealthy Southern woman who belonged to a plantation owning family. Scarlett O Hara was a despicable character; she was vain, spoiled and racist (by the standards of today). She used people, she lied, she cheated. She cared little for her own children. At no point would I consider her a heroine. But she was a survivor. And although I despised her as a person, I was totally gripped by the entire story. I found it hard to stop reading the book. Even though it was 1024 pages long, the end of the book came too soon for me. I was left wanting more.

Rating ♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5 hearts. Totally recommended. But not if you want a realistic perspective on slavery.
 

 
To be continued.

P.S. For those of you who have read/watched Gone with the Wind please share your thoughts in the comments. What did you love or hate about the book or the film?

     

Inspirational quotes: People and things

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"People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos, is because things are being loved, and people are being used."

Have a lovely day. 

Exhale.....

Dead at 48........ As a teenager I loved listening to Whitney Houston. I loved her songs. And the way that her amazing voice could cut through to your very soul. But even then there were newspaper reports that things were not right. I used to bad talk Bobby Brown with my girlfriends. That loser would bring her down, we said. She should leave him. Like all teenage girls our lack of experience did not stop us from thinking that we knew it all about relationships. We forgot the essential point.... that although someone else could 'bring you down', you had to take responsibility for keeping yourself down.

And she did leave him. But by then the years of drug addiction had taken its toll on her beautiful voice. I remember watching the X factor a couple of years back just to see her perform. And like so many others I was disappointed with her comeback. But she was trying. I bought her cd anyways. 

No one deserves to die alone. Her family will probably never know with any certainty whether it was all just a terrible accident or if it was planned. Preliminary reports suggest no traces of illicit drugs in her system. But she still had her demons. And the combination of certain prescription drugs and alcohol turned out to be lethal.


I will never understand drug addiction. I hope and I pray that I will never have to deal with this in someone I love. We have lost and will continue to lose many people to drug addiction and in the fight against drugs. It doesn't matter if you are rich or famous or a 'nobody' on the street, drugs (and alcohol) take no prisoners. It corrupts entire nations and destroys families. I hope Whitney Houston, like Amy Winehouse and all those who went too soon, can finally rest in peace.

Whitney Houston - Exhale  shoop shoop by chirine

Valentine's day: yay or nay?

I cannot tell a lie. I don't really care much for Valentine's Day. Maybe it is because I am not really that much of a romantic. And although I love to be spoilt by DH there is just something about the day that annoys me. So yes even though I am married and have 'someone special' to spend the day with, I still don't quite get it. After all I spent the first 25 years life as a single woman. And the thing about Valentine's day that irritates me the most is the fact that it seems to celebrate only one type of love..... one that is completely manufactured and based on corny greeting cards. Love that must involve a 'lover'. But love is so much more than that. What about loving your family, your friends and gasp shall I even say it...... loving yourself?


This is where it all goes wrong for me. Lots of people spend a lot of time feeling really bad about themselves on Valentine's day. Why? Because no one gave them a rose. Or bought them chocolates.  I remember that V-day as a teenager was especially stressful.  I didn't need a card to define my self-worth for 364 days of the year. So what was so different about February 14th?? In the end....... nothing!!! Except for the fact that it is a booming multimillion dollar industry. And one of the busiest times of the year for florists, greeting card companies and Cadbury! 


So lovely readers, if you love Valentine's day then go ahead and celebrate it. Treat yourself if you want to. Or make it a special day for someone close to you.  But if you don't and choose to ignore it completely then that's fine too. But avoid the petty arguments if your significant other forgets to get you card. Remember the little things they do for you all year round. And if you still want that card, then buy it yourself! haha! Don't walk around in a sulk for the entire day. Don't waste your time. Just focus on the stuff that really matters. 


So what do you think of Valentine's day? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

And by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!!

P.S. Today I gave a slightly contradictory view to what I said last year.  But never mind that! I change my mind all of the time. And just so you know, I STILL HAVEN'T BROKEN UP WITH THAT %!** MALDEN!!!

Sunday simplicity

This week is going to be busy! I am in London for a course which means I will have to face the underground at rush hour! Eeeeek! I am having palpitations just thinking about it. So today's outfit is very simple. I would wear it to work and not feel out of place, although I added a little bit of leopard print to spice things up. Also I wanted to showcase the size of the Carbotti Leather Satchel in Honey based on a request. Please note that it is not as tan/camel as my Oak Bays. Here are the photos. 

Outfit details

Dress (H&M)- no longer available

Shoes (Asos)- no longer available

Bag (Carbotti)- available here

Bag (Mulberry Oak Bayswater)

How do you wear leopard print? Please share in the comments. And I hope you have a restful Sunday.... unlike me!

P.S. Have a look at the Shop for some Valentine's day goodies that can last all year round :-)

Diagonal stripes

When I bought this dress from ASOS last September, I had no idea that a couple of months later Michelle Obama would wear the same dress for Halloween (in a different colourway). At that time it caused some controversy as it was felt to be very similar to a DVF dress. Anyways I love this dress as it can be dressed up and dressed down and I really love stripes! I call it my Michelle Obama dress. And whenever I wear it on date nights DH is usually quite appreciative ;-) Which means I can convince him to let me buy another bag!

Outfit details

Dress (Asos)- no longer available

Shoes (M&S)- no longer available

Black beanie- bought in New Look

Bag (Carbotti)- available here

Bag (Mulberry Bayswater)

 

 Do you have a favourite date night dress or an outfit that always makes you feel a million dollars? Please share in the comments and have a wonderful weekend!

Seeing double

I have a really bad habit. Basically whenever I see something I really like I buy it in several colourways. I blame my mother for this bad habit. She does the same. After all if it fits and you like it, you may live to regret not getting that second colour. Or maybe I am channeling the fact that I am a twin. And for a long time CP2 and I would wear the same clothes in different colours. It was buy one get one free. Inevitably we tended to fight over the same colour. Haha. And as the 'older' twin I had to concede. I had a hard life I tell ya! For now, just enjoy the outfit pics..... (the other colour was previously posted here).

 

Outfit details

Dress (Asos)- available here

Shoes (M&S)- no longer available

Black Beanie- New Look

Bag (Carbotti)- available here

Bag (Mulberry Daria Satchel)

Feeling dotty :-)

Ok so I promised I would go back to regular posts this week. But then I got so many lovely emails from readers saying how much they were enjoying the outfit posts. Especially as it is winter. And it is cold and dreary and miserable outside. And as you know I am no fan of winter. I want to go under my duvet cover and sleep until May. Or whenever the sun decides to shine properly. So that I can actually feel its heat. But these posts are cheering me up too. They are making me smile and do a happy dance. Even when I am so ridiculously busy at work that I want to clone myself. Or scream. So for the moment I shall continue with these fashion posts while keeping a list of ideas for my regular kinds of posts. OK? It is helping to keep me sane.


So I had to make a visit to my high commission last Thursday to get my Trinidadian passport renewed. Now if you know anything about my country you will understand why something as simple as that had to turn into an adventure of epic proportions. Anyways to calm myself down and recover from the stress I popped into H&M for some quick therapy before I got on the tube. And I rewarded myself with this dotty little pencil skirt! I hope you like the pictures (with Carbotti and Mulberry Bags).

I think smooth black leather goes better than croc print so I would use my black NVT Bays instead of the little East West. The black Carbotti is currently for sale.

Outfit details

Skirt (H&M)- available in store

Shoes (M&S)- no longer available

Red Beret- bought online from Amazon

Bag (Carbotti)- available here

Bag (Mulberry East West Bayswater)

Would you wear polka dots? Please share in the comments and have a great day.

The Shop is NOW OPEN

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!! Finally I have been able to restock my little online shop with the things I LOVE THE MOST!!!!! Beautiful handbags!!! And in the spirit of Valentine's day it would be good to remember this....


'Men may come and men may go but a handbag is forever.' 

Who says I am not a romantic?


Anyways please go on over to the SHOP section of my blog and have a nosy. You know you really, really want to.


I shall end with another quote that I love...

A woman's mind is as complex as the contents of her handbag; even when you get to the bottom of it, there is ALWAYS something at the bottom to surprise you!- Billy Connolly

Enjoy your weekend.

Mulberry vs Carbotti Round 1

Ok so it is my belief that money does NOT EQUAL good taste. And dripping in designer brands is not the key to looking good. So just for fun I am doing a face off of my Mulberry bags vs the Carbotti purse. The latter costs only 25% of the basic Mulberry Bayswater.

Which label do you think is the winner here? Please share in the comments and have a wonderful day!

P.S. I have now received the shipment of Carbotti bags for my online shop and they are stunning!! I really want to keep them all.  DH has promised to take more photos this weekend so be sure to check the blog for updates!

Is black boring?

So I am not a fussy person when it comes to clothes. I like to keep things simple. However in winter I do prefer to wear dark colours and add a pop of colour with my accessories. This outfit is quite simple/some may say boring. But it is easy and comfortable to wear. What do you think? Please share in the comments. 

 Outfit details

Dress (Asos)- available here

Shoes (M&S)- no longer available

Black Beret- bought in Bath Christmas market

Bag (Carbotti)- available here

Bag (Mulberry Bayswater)- available in black here

Enjoy your day!