Wishlist: Chi Chi.

1|2|3|4|5

I am already lucky enough to own three Chi Chi dresses (the Rita dress [worn here], the Ursulina dress [worn here] and most recently the gorgeous Dionis dress, which I had a lot of fun prancing around in here). Yet there is something about Chi Chi that leaves me wanting more. Heck- what girl wouldn't love to have a wardobe full of beautiful, sparkly dresses to suit every occasion? This is why when I heard that they were holding a Blogger competition with etail PR to win £200 to spend on their online store (more details on how to enter yourself here- Be quick, it ends tomorrow!), I had to get my entry in.

I had great difficulty narrowing down my favourite dresses to a modest number for this wishlist- Even if I did win the £200 prize I would have a lot of decision making to do as even this selection would set me back a little more than that. Chi Chi dresses are so reasonably priced for the quality of them though- if the brand had been around five years ago when I needed a dress for my High School prom I would have happily settled for a £40-50 dress from there instead of my £200+ ball gown which, although it was beautiful and I love it so, hasn't been taken out of its dust bag since prom night.

I adore the contrast of the gold sequin detail against the blue fabric on the Stella dress (2); it makes for one of those "throw on" outfits for a last minute night out as it doesn't need much accessorizing. With a lot of Chi Chi dresses, however, the detail is quite discreet until looked at closely, like on the Krista (1) and Analee (5) dresses, which look beautiful but plain from a distance but actually have the most gorgeous detailing on the bodice. And if sequins and rhinestones aren't really your thing, Chi Chi has still got your back with classic "will-never-get-old" numbers like the Verda bandage dress (3) which comes in a few different colours and looks so flattering. Since receiving my colourful Dionis dress I also have a thing for Chi Chi maxi dresses as they make me feel so elegant haha, even though this time I am lusting over the classy monochrome Roxanna dress (4) with its "gladiator"-style geometric bodice embellishment.

Do you own any Chi Chi dresses? Which are your favourites?

Review: The Accessory Stand.

Gemma Necklace: £9.50* | Cross Ring: £3.50*

I have a jewellery review for you today, my ladies! I'm such a magpie I can't resist adding a new sparkler or two to my over-crowded jewellery display in my bedroom, so I gladly accepted these lovely pieces from The Accessory Stand in to my collection. I had no idea what Eleanor was going to send me but I couldn't have been happier as I unwrapped these pieces from the cute candy shop-style pink paper bags. She got it so right! I would never normally have picked this hot pink rhinestone necklace myself but I am in love with it and have been enjoying wearing it with plain outfits to add a pop of colour to them, paired with my perfectly matching nails (Seche's Snapdragon*, by the way!). I love discovering new, affordable jewellery retailers and can spend forever looking at what they have to offer- I'm currently eyeing up this chunky ID Chain Bracelet and, following my new found love for bright statement pieces, this Neon Yellow Cross Necklace. The best part is that everything on the website is under £10, with a perfectly reasonable £2.50 shipping cost to the UK (or free on orders over £20).

Have you checked out The Accessory Stand?

*DISCLOSURE: PR samples. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own.

Outfit: Boney Butterflies.

Top: C/O Cold Heart* | Disco Shorts: C/O Glamorous* | Shoes: Vans via. Room 31 | Socks: Topshop | Necklace: Topman | Ring: Republic | Watch: New Look

Between 14 and 16 were the ages where I went through that "emo" phase of my life (I know you went through it too!), where my wardrobe consisted of nothing but black and the most played tracks on my iPod were by Secondhand Serenade and Blink 182. These days, although I still love a bit of punk rock music, I am less afraid of colour and I have "out grown" the whole alternative clothing thing, however, I must admit when I discovered the quirky prints in the Cold Heart range by Fresh Cargo, I fell a little bit in love and just couldn't resist this unique boney butterfly print shirt.

The thing that stands out the most to me about Cold Heart (aside from the Hibernation vest top I have my eye on) is that they are passionate about creating a positive change towards ethical fashion and all their products are Fairtrade. I think fairness in fashion trade is something that is too often overlooked by the majority of us (including myself), and I think that it is great that Cold Heart is trying to raise awareness and promote their message, especially to their targeted youth audience. All this at the same time as producing some super cool alternative dresses and funny t-shirts, which actually remind me a little of David and Goliath!

Are you in to alternative clothing? Did you go through that phase? ;)

*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.

Review and Giveaway: Casetagram.

Casetagram iPhone 4/4S Case: $34.95 (approx £22.35)*

Anybody who knows me will know that my iPhone is my favourite possession; I am never without it and you will often see me not concentrating as I am walking down the street, updating and refreshing my Twitter and Instagram feeds (be responsible, kids!). With any smart phone addict often comes a love of collecting covers and cases to protect their beloved phone and make it look pretty. So, when Casetagram (with their oh-so relevant name) contacted me telling me that I could combine my love of Instagram and phone cases and asking if I would like to try out their service, how could I say no ?

Casetagram have made designing your phone case super easy by allowing you to sign up using your Instagram or Facebook account so that all your pictures are right in front of you. The possibilities are endless and you can choose from lots of different designs and layouts for your photos to be arranged in, from hearts and tiles to even a hounds tooth pattern. The most difficult part is probably trying to choose which photographs you want to have on your case; with over 800 Instagram photos and only 16 squares to fill on my chosen collage-style layout, it wasn't the easiest task. I wanted my Casetagram case to be a collection of my most favourite memories, so I selected photos from my 21st birthday, my graduation, holidays and even the day I handed in my dissertation!

As the cases are made to order and are shipped from Singapore, they can take a couple of weeks to arrive- however with free Worldwide shipping you can't really complain. I absolutely adore my case- I love how special it is in that it holds a lot of personal meaning to me, and every time I look at it I am reminded of all the good times I've had. I already want another one with pictures from all the blog events I have been to as well!

Casetagram offer phone cases for a wide range of phones and tablets, including the iPhone 4/4S/5, iPad 2/3/Mini, iPod Touch 4/5, Galaxy S II/III/4 and Galaxy Note. They are priced from $34.95 (approx £22.35) which I don't think is bad at all for such a personalised case.

The lovely people over at Casetagram have also been so kind to offer one of my lovely readers the chance to win their own case, so if you would like to be in with a chance, follow the rules below. However, if you can't wait to see if you are the lucky winner, you can sign up to Casetagram and start designing your own case here.

Giveaway rules

-This giveaway is open internationally! :D

-Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. 

-You must be a follower of my blog via GFC or Bloglovin' and also "Like" Casetagram on Facebook to enter, but there are plenty of options for additional entries too!

-Please note that I run these giveaways to say thank you to my loyal followers. Entries will be checked and accounts created solely for the purpose of entering giveaways will be disregarded.

- The giveaway will run for one week, and will end at 11:59PM BST on Sunday, August 25, 2013.

Good luck! <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a smart phone addict?

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample and sponsored giveaway. All opinions expressed are still 100% honest and my own.

Event: The Northern Mid-Summer Meet.

Manchester was graced with yet another fabulous blogger event on Thursday evening- it seems us Northerners are really getting our turn lately! This time I met the gorgeous Megan (what's new pussy catt?) and Danielle (A Blog From Blackpool) and her friend Stacey and we made our way to the Walrus Canteen & Lounge in the Northern Quarter for the VIP Blogger Northern Mid-Summer Meet. We were signed in and then shown down to the funky, dimly-lit basement where it was bloggers and brands galore! Admittedly it ended up being a little cramped and stuffy with so many of us packed in to such a little space, but equipped with a glass of rosé wine and plenty of cupcakes I was a content little blogger.

There were lots of little stalls set up with brands showcasing their products, including Moroccanoil, Burts Bees and Benefit. Nails Inc. were also there offering complimentary manicures using their soon-to-be-released gel effect nail polishes and some gorgeous glitters which unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try, but I did manage to get a sweep of Benefit's new Rockaeteur blush across my cheeks. There were also lots of fashion items on display around the room, and it was difficult not to go crazy and fall in love when faced with so many pieces by Jeffrey Campbell, Senso and Cambridge Satchel Company, but it all ended when my eyes met the Grafea leather rucksacks. Just look at that lavender one. And the white one. And the yellow. <3

Unfortunately, I had to leave the event before I had chance to see any of the L'Oreal, Benefit or Evo demonstrations that were being given, but upon our departure we were handed the most amazing goodie bag! A huge thank you goes out to all the brands who contributed, I don't know where to start with all the products- I am currently painting my nails in Seche's Snapdragon in between typing paragraphs!

So, yet another wonderful event ticked off in my diary; it has definitely been a busy couple of months! As always it was lovely to catch up with my blogging friends as well as meet some pretty new faces. Thank you to Look Fantastic, All Sole, My Bag and the lovely ladies at The Hut Group for all the hard work they put in to planning the event!

Were you at #midsummermeet?

Outfit: In The Boho Zone

Blouse: C/O Chicnova* | Bralet: Primark | Shorts: Topshop via Charity Shop | Boots: C/O So You Shoes* | Bag: C/O La Moda* | Hat: H&M | Necklace: Topman | Cross Ring: C/O The Accessory Stand* | Black Stone Ring: Republic | Sunglasses: C/O Firmoo* | Watch: Michael Kors

Okay- I know it isn't the outfit's fault, but wearing this has just made me wish that I was going to a festival even more this year. I hadn't even intended on putting together a festival outfit or writing a post on the topic this festival season as I realise that it has become quite "cliche" and it isn't to everybody's taste, but alas I can not deny that I love myself some tassels, high-waisted denim shorts, crop tops and in-your-face prints. After completing my outfit for a casual day out with this ethnic print blouse from Chicnova, my white-rim shades and some chunky jewellery for good measure, I looked in the mirror and realised that I pretty much screamed muddy fields, loud music and cheap cans of cider. The only thing missing is my floral crown, but I think the bowler hat works quite well too.

This aztec print bag from La Moda is also one of my new loves that comes everywhere with me, and I am actually quite surprised that I haven't shown it to you yet as I have had it for a month or so. Unfortunately I think this particular style is out of stock on the website but since discovering them I have compiled a wishlist of bags as long as my arm, which is pretty dangerous as they're so damn affordable!

Do you love the ethnic/boho look as much as I do? What are your takes on festival fashion? 

*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.
This is my entry in to Pearl and Butler's #PBFestivalStyle competition.