A Shopping Paradise

Today was my first real day off in a long time, where I had no real coursework to do and no pressing deadlines. What did I do? I went on a very long and well deserved shopping trip. I've been working hard lately, so today was to reward myself.
I know I live in London, so my first thought was Oxford Street, but then I realised theres somewhere I'd rather go: Crouch End. It really is London's Little Shopping Gem, and if you're ever in London and love clothes (or food), its the ideal place to go. I took Leia and her mum there recently and they loved it.
I've grown up and live in the general area and love it. Its basically a lot of little one-off clothes shops (and some of the best restaurants), with things you won't find anywhere else. A few of the shops can be pricey, but there are a couple which are more than affordable, one being a little French Connection Outlet store, called Roxanne. Its not an official outlet store, but they see a lot of French Connection items at a fraction of the price.
My personal favourite is a shop called the Factory Outlet, which sell amazing clothes at more than affordable prices. I always manage to pick something up everytime I walk in.
Another shop, called Saphari, has some of the most beautiful dresses. And the lady who works in the shop is lovely. Shes always smiling and cheerful, and is such a nice person. She is such a lovely person to talk to, and always strikes up conversations.
Crouch End also has some pretty great charity shops. There are about 4 or 5 in total, but 2 are definitely worth checking out: Cancer Research and Marie Curie. I've picked up some amazing items from both.
There are so many little shops and they're all so great, but I can't write about them all. Its an amazing place to go to and I always manage to pick up really nice clothes and jewellery every time I go.

Anyway, the main reason for this post was what I bought. I picked up some adorable things today.
The first is this dress from Saphari. It is absolutley gorgeous and was only £10. I love the bow on it as well. It something I don't usually wear, so I am quite excited to wear it.





















The second is this skirt from the Factory Outlet. It has a Dorothy Perkins tag on it and was only £5! I love this skirt so much and can't wait to wear it. I especially love the buttons at the top.





















Finally, I got this Vintage Peanuts Tee. I'm on the look out for Vintage Tees, and I love this one. I got it from the Marie Curie charity shop for only £1.49.

What to do over summer

As a university student, I have ridiculously long summer holidays, which I love for the first week, then I just get bored and complain for the next 3 months. So I'm going to plan my summer and make a list of things to do to keep me occupied.

Find a job or intern.
The most obvious choice. I never wanted a proper full time job over the summer because I usually want to relax, but this is probably the best thing to do. You get some money for shopping, and you're doing something with your time.
It'll also be useful in the future as well. Just send you C.V.'s out or give them to stores you want to work in.
Prospects and Milkround are both good websites to find jobs. Or you could go to the careers center of your school or university. They are always helpful to student who are looking for jobs.

Volunteer.
This is what I really want to do this summer. Helping out at your local charity shop or with charity organisations is a great way to spend your summer. Volunteering is a great thing to do and looks really good on your CV. Although you're unlikly to get paid for your time, it is still time well spent. You're helping others and gaining great experience that will come in handy when applying for a job.
If you're in the UK, click here for a good volunteering website, and click here for the US.

Find a new hobby
There's no better time to pick up something new than when you have nothing to do. The summer can be a great time to pick up some new skills or a new hobby. You can do things like learn how to ice skate or rock climb, or do more challenging things such as learning how to cool or sew. Cooking and sewing are both very important and once you've learnt them, they'll come in handy your whole life. There are useful tutorials online, just google what you want to learn and you'll get some great ways of starting and will also be able to see if anywhere local to you holds courses in what you want to learn.
You could also learn the basics of a new language. I did a French A level, and that was 3 years ago. This summer I'm going to find my old notes and just look over them to refresh my memory. Another language will always look good when applying for jobs.

Days out
These days planes and trains are easily accessible and aren't too expensive either. Living in London means that I can just take the Eurostar to anywhere in Europe. It won't take long to get there and it wont break my bank balance either. I spent yesterday on a shopping trip in Calais. We drove to Dover, then took a ferry to Calais and then drove to a shopping centre. It didn't take long to get there and all we had to pay for was the cost of one car.
If you want to stay more local, theres lots you can do. Go to your local beach or theme park. Thorpe Park is my favourite place to go and is truely a day well spent. You can also go for Museums, Galleries, Aquariums or Zoos. Just see what there is near you and grab a few friends and just have fun.

Relax
I have been working really hard, so I'm looking forwards to a bit of relaxing this summer. The best thing to do is get a good book and your MP3 Player, take them to the park and read in the sun.
Or have a picnic. Summer means nice weather (we think), so pack a picnic, get a few board games and plan a day in the park with your friends. We did this last summer (before it started raining) and it was fun. We went to Hyde Park and just chilled out. You can also get a football or frisbee and play in the sun. You'll be having fun, and technically this counts as exercise.
The best way to relax is shopping. You don't have to buy anything. A few of you can go and just walk around, and then grab some lunch. Just hanging out with friends and not really doing anything is always fun.

So make the most of your summer and don't waste it. Enjoy the sun (Sun, what sun? I don't see a sun) and have fun with your friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!

Katie - by HiFashion on Polyvore.com

Our dear friend Katie turns 21 today. Please excuse my poor photo editing skills! We created this set for her based on items we think she would like and would look nice on her.

Katie, I hope all of your dreams and wishes come true this year - and always. Lots of love and hugs,

Your friends,

Sherin and Leia

Katie, have a great day and the above picture is what you should wear tonight. That dress is amazing. I think i'll wear it for my birthday as well.
xx

My Week in Outfits

I've had a tough week. I had 5 assignments due in, not to mention doing it all with an injured hand. The most fun I've been having is getting dressed in the mornings. Its still unbelievably cold and wet here, so my outsfits are still quite wintery. Heres what I've been wearing:

This is something I normally don't wear, but I love this outfit. I got the dress for £2 from a charity shop, and the white top underneath is from Dorothy Perkins. The boots are from New Look. I felt great in this outfit, and definitely put me in a good mood.



I had to play a bit with the picture below because the lighting was bad, but you get the general idea. It was pouring with rain and was really cold, so I decided on this Hollister hoody. It was on sale over Christmas and I remember waiting 1 hour in the queue for it. The skinny jeans are from H&M, and the shoes are from a small local shop near my house. There are lots of small boutique shops near my house, and some of them are absolute hidden gems. If any of you ever come to London, be sure to come to Crouch End.



Something slighlty more casual. I'm wearing Rock and Republic jeans, which I got from a Fashion Swap, and a Foo Fighters t-shirt, which I got from Play. They do some really nice band tees and are constantly having sales. The shoes are Vans, and the grey top is from Dorothy Perkins.



Probably my favourite look of the week. I'm wearing my trusted black and white Converses, with a pair of flared jeans from Bershka. The yellow top is from Hollister.

What I Love On A Guy

Leia and I have completely different tastes when it comes to guys ad what they wear. The following outfits on guys are way into my heart.

I think the best dressed guy in TV at the moment is Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. He has amazing style, isn't afraid to wear interesting colours and always looks immaculate. This look is perfectly put together, and consists of tailor made clothes, from really high end stores. But you can easily pick up this stuff from shops like H&M and New Look. So key things in this look are waistcoats, cardigans, shirts (I like coloured ones), nice trousers and amazing shoes.



men - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com


men1 - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com

I also like a more casual look on guys. So checkered shirts or cool t-shirts, a nice pair of jeans and some good trainers (ie Converses). My brother one wore an outfit like this to wedding and he managed to pull it off.

men2 - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com

In summer, I think cropped trousers or shorts are perfect. This look is casual and looks so cute on a guy.


men 3 - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com

Click on the sets to find out where each item is from. Although a guy in good clothes looks brilliant, he also has to have the confidence to pull off each look.

New Hairstyle

Leia's mission of making me more girly resulted in a 1am hair and make up session one night. The next day, my hair still looked amazing. It was so easy to do and didn't even take that long.
I have really curly hair and Leia straightened it and then curled the ends, with the straightners, giving it a nice 1960's feel. I slept on it and loved how the curls at the bottom looked more natural in the morning. I decided to little add a quiff to it, and then curled the fringe and tucked it under, to make it half the length.
Heres how my hair looked - you're going to have to excuse the light bags under my eyes, an injured hand and lots of coursework mean little sleep for me.
It took me no time to do and looked really different. I can't wait to go somewhere so that I can use this hairstyle. Try it for yourself and see how you look.

The best curlers around?

We all know GHD's are the best straightners ever, but since I got my pair last year, I've also been looking for the best curlers ever (not straightners that you can curl with, because my hair fights back when I do this). I naturally have really curly hair, but I needed curlers for bad hair days or to neaten my hair (I have wild hair).
I saw a great pair at London Fashion Weekend, during the Toni & Guy presentation. They looked really good, but I wasn't able to find out what brand they were or where they came from. Anyway, I went to my aunts ahouse last week to check out the curlers she just got and had been boasting about for a while. I saw them and realised that they were the same pair that I saw during the Toni & Guy show (there is a God!!). They were called 'Herstyler Baby Curls Grande' (lets just call them The Curlers).
So I rushed home and googled them, and found them on Amazon for only £34 and I ordered them then and there. They came yeasterday and I took them for a test run. They heated really quickly, which is great and it was so easy to use. Unlike the majority of curlers, you have to hold your hair in place (they also came with gloves so that you don't burn your hand when curling). Anyway, my hair came out great - none of the pictures I took of my hair came out that well, so I've only got pictures of the actual curlers.

Coloured Trainers

I don't own any really coloured sneakers/trainers, and I doubt I could actually pull them off, but I love the look of them. Now that summer is round the corner, it is time to add some colour to our lives! Colour is really going to be big this summer, so coloured trainers will be great to invest in.
Everyone is wearing them. In the picture, you can see Heidi Klum in an amazing pair put together with a pair of skinny jeans.


Even Jessica Szohr's Gossip Girl character, Vanessa, wear them. She definitely has the best look in Gossip Girl. Her coloured sneakers add personality to the outfit and makes her look so much cooler.

They will look great with a pair of skinny jeans and a nice large t-shirt. Skinny jeans means that you'll properly be able to show off the shoe.
In the polyvore piece below, the pinkish hi-tops and green ones are Vans, The black coloured ones and the white coloured ones are Converses and the other pair are Nike. The jeans are from Dorothy Perkins and the tee is from Urban Outfitters. Lots of shoe companies are making coloured trainers now, so theres no excuse not to have a pair. I'm going shopping for a pair as soon as I'm done with all my coursework. This look is all about having fun with your shoes, and you could even get a plain white pair of trainers and graffiti them yourself. I would if I was more artistic. So be bold with your shoes and add lots of colour to your outfit.



coloured shoes - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com

Cricket Got Fashionable

I wasn't going to put up a post until tomorrow because of all my coursework, but I had to for this. I'm a huge sports fan - I loving watching and playing sports. I was watching the womens cricket last night, which was Pakistan v. England (England won), and was so impressed by the English kit. It really was something I would wear.
It is so hard to be into sport AND into fashion. I'll spend hours deciding what to wear before going to a match of any kind. But I will happily buy the new England Kit.


The girls were wearing really nice fitting blue tops, with a red line acound the v-neck. And the tops had a white collar to them. It really did look nice. The kit and uniform was designed with the help of Paul Costelloe, who is one one the biggest names in British Fashion today.
I'm going to Lords over the summer and I can't wait to get the top to wear to the matches.

Now if you like this look, but don't want to wear it as a sports look, you can easily pick up the essentials of the look anywhere.
Below, both the top and jumper are from New Look. I added the Cord bracelet because a lot of the girls were wearing it. I've been looking for a racelet like this for ages, and can't find it anywhere. The one below is from Forever 21, which we don't have here in England.


cricket - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com

How to look good for summer

Right, so I went out the other day and saw something that I hadn't seen in a really long time: the sun. We all know what that means: Summer is nearly here!!! Unfortunately, I never really lost the weight I put on over Christmas (I'm blaming those amazing chocolate cakes), so I now have to look good. I hope I'm not the only one in this position, so this article will help all of you who are in the same situation as me and need to get in shape for summer.

Walk
Its practically no work at all. Just get off a station before you're meant to and walk the rest. Walking is a great work out, and you don't feel it at all. Go out with friends, or even go shopping. It all counts. Shopping is great for walking. I can shop for hours without getting tired, and its all a good work out. Not to mention the great work out my arms get from carrying all those bags.

Run
Not my favourite way of getting in shape, but it is effective. Go for a run every morning, or even a couple of times a week and you will notice a difference. It is tough and is no way as easy as running on a treadmill, but the fresh air hitting you face can sometimes be really relaxing. Its been too cold to run in the mornings here, but I'm definitely going to start again now that its slightly warmer.

Join the gym
I joined my gym about a year ago, and I do go quite frequently. Its relaxing to go first thing in the morning. Its practically empty, so I can look as bad and sweaty as I want. If you don't know where to start, get some personal training done. A trainer is great to work with, and will tell you exactly what kind of a work out you'll need. Personal training isn't expensive and all gyms do it. Also, all male trainers are gorgeous!

If you're lazy and keep saying 'oh, I'll go to the gym tomorrow morning instead', and never do, join a class instead. I joined a 'boxercise' class a year and a half ago. Its a boxing class, but the instructor also makes us skip, run and circuit train. Its hard work but a lot of fun. I've made some great friends in that class and how cool does it sound to say: 'I box for fun'. Gyms do a number of great and fun classes, that there really is something for everyone. The thing about classes is that you can't say 'I'll go tomorrow'. They have set times, which encourages me to go. Go to your gym and pick up a timetable. Classes usually aren't too expensive either.

Pick up a fun hobby
Now this is fun. You can ice skate (i love ice skating), swim, dance or even cycle, and it will not feel like exercise at all. Do it with friends and its even more fun. We all go ice skating together and I like to think that I've mastered it by now, I don't know if I have, but its definitely one of my favourite hobbies.
Unfortunately I don't have a pool anywhere near me, but if I did, I would definitely spend a lot of my time there. Swimming is the one activity that works all you muscles, so is always great for a work out.
Picking up a fun hobby will always make you want to work out. They're a great way to meet new people and these kinds of hobbies allow you to involve as many friends as you want, making it so much more fun.

There are so many different work outs you can do just at home as well. The easiest ones are probably just to do sit ups, crunches, push ups, bicycle twists etc in your room before you go to bed. Start off doing 10 of each, and then work your way up. You can check online for different routines and can find one to fit your lifestyle.

Join Red

My dad just got me a pair of Converses which are (Red), and I thought ‘Hmmm, (Red), what’s that?’ There was a little card that came with them, that explained what (Red) products were. Basically, they are the same products that you can get anywhere but 50% of everything from (Red) goes to fighting diseases in Africa, such as Aids and Malaria.

Intrigued, I went onto the website to find out more. Apparently loads of shops that I buy from are part of this campaign, like GAP, Converse and even Emporio Armani, and they do have some pretty cool stuff for the (Red) campaign. You can also get some great jewellery from Susan Hanover. Below, the 'Inspi(red)' t-shirt is from Gap, the other t-shirt is from Emporio Armani, the two shoes are Converses, the iPod is Apple and the necklace is Susan Hanover

red - by sherin88 on Polyvore.com

So these products all cost the same as what they would be normally, but a certain percentage of the profit goes to help people living in Africa. Whilst looking online, I realised that it’s not a charity, but a much better idea. The companies you buy from give the money straight to people in Africa to help them buy medicine.

Now this is a great excuse to go shopping! Next time you go into a shop and see a (Red) product, buy that instead and you could be saving lives and helping others, as well as satisfying your shopping needs.

Style Swap with Lauren

Leia recently interviewed Megan from Charade, which is a blog we love. We got the chance to interview another amazing blogger. One of my Favourite blogs is La Petite Fashionista, and I was lucky enough to ask her some questions.

Where do you study? I'm Studying Fashion Merchandising at a University in the Southeastern United States. I love football season as much as my fashion classes!

Why did you decide to start a blog? When I first started La Petite Fashionista two years ago there weren't a lot of blog specifically for teenagers and college aged girls. So I wanted to write about my view on fashion and something people my age could relate to. My blog combines two of my passions; writing and fashion!

Where do you get inspirations for your blog posts? I get inspiration from everything from seeing someone wearing a cool outfit, to my "latest lusts" (items I'm dying to own), to spotting a cool editorial in a fashion magazine. I relate a lot of things I write about to me personally.

What are your favourite places to shop? I volunteered at a thrift store in high school and I loved working in the back and spotting all the amazing pieces before they'd hit the selling floor. I love sifting through vintage and thrift stores for really unique pieces that no one else will have!

What is your favourite piece of clothing? I have this pair of fringed tan cowboy boots that I found in a vintage shop. Whenever I wear them I always get comments about them and they add a lot of fun to any outfit.

How would you define your style? My style switches up a little bit every day but I have 3 looks I tend to turn to most: laid back surfer girl, edgy model off- duty a la Erin Wasson, and girlyprep-school Blair Waldorf.

What are your plans after graduation? I will truly be happy in any job where I'm working in fashion. I'm hoping to start out as a buyer or work for a magazine or showroom. My ultimate goal is to own a vintage/modern boutique with a coffee shop in it, named what else: La Petite Fashionista!

What is your favourite city, or where would you want to work/live, and why? I'm hoping to move to Dallas, Texas and work in fashion and hopefully score an internship at Neiman Marcus before I graduate. I'm a southern girl at heart and I love the mix of the southern hospitality with high fashion.

Who is your biggest inspiration? Young and successful designers like Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler, super-designer Diane von Furstenburg, magazine editor Carine Roitfeld, and fashion maven entrepreneurs Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Thanks for that. I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for her boutique/coffee shop to open.

My new jeans

Ok, so me and Leia are on a customising mission. After our making socks and underwear experience, we are obssessed with customising.
Anyway, we all know that ripped jeans are in and that they're going to be huge this summer. So what do I do: I ripped a pair, and had fun doing it. A few years ago, I got a pair of jeans from Next. I have worn them once. Theres nothing wrong with them, its just that I have lots of pairs like them, and they were usually at the back of my cupboard. They were jusy an average, light blue pair of Slouched jeans, that fit quite well, but they weren't anything special.
So, I decided to do something about it. I went to the garden, and found a rock and got a pair of strong scissors. The picture below shows my resources. The rock was kind of jagged, which was perfect.

So I'm all set, with scissors in one hand and jeans in another, when my mum walks in and scares me: "What are you doing? You'll ruin those jeans...you don't know what you're doing".Yh, thanks for the confidence mum.


I finally pick up the courage and go through with it. What I did was just cut a few random lines: on the right side, I cut where the knee would be, then on the Left, I cut just above the knew, and lower down the leg. Once cut, I got my jagged rock (which I washed before) and went over my cuts with it, to give it a more frayed look. When they looked good, I scrubbed the rock on other parts of the jeans to make them look more rough. All I need to do now is mybe put them in the wash to make them more frayed, and voila: a new pair of jeans for free!