New Years Eve Inspiration with Apricot Clothing

New Years Eve is today and if you love to wear dresses like me then you might already be in a dilemma about what to wear... oh decisions.

I have two lace options and a fishtail dress to choose from and one of them being a little black dress from Apricot Clothing. If you have never heard of them before they are a fashion brand that started in 2007 and not only do they have their own websites offering their unique designs but they are stocked in high street favourite New Look too which is where I first discovered them. So when they asked if I wanted to collaborate and I could choose what I wanted I went for this stunning lace dress for just £19 aswell. The detailing on this lace dress is truly stunning.

Black is a colour chosen by many because its flattering on everyone and you can pair it well with silver and gold. For this outfit I opted for black and gold heels plus a gold clutch bag.

For Christmas the boyfriend bought me a studio lighting kit for taking my blog photos inside. We used this to take these photos but I really want to get some pretty fabric for the backdrop for when we take pictures next time.

Happy New Year! What will you be wearing?

Liz x

*This dress was gifted to me by Apricot Clothing

How I won two holidays in 2016

Now were getting to the end of 2016 we start to look back and reminise. I never thought that this year would be my luckiest year yet! Here's why...

To top off the start of the year I won a competition with Kopperberg to the Icehotel in Sweden then in October I got a new job as digital content editor at Forever Living then in the same month I won my second holiday competition to the Caribbean with holiday pirates.

Having entered competitions previous years on forms online I have never even come close to winning but I have found that having a blog and because I'm always on social media I seem to come across competitions quite a lot.

I found the Kopparberg competition because I love their cider so I was a follower on Twitter and the same with Holiday Pirates I use their website a lot to search for holiday deals and I followed them on Instagram.

#KopparbergChristmas

For this competition I had to share a festive picture with a bottle of Kopparberg so that day I had been wearing a Christmas dress for a charity day at work and so when I got home I took a selfie and uploaded it to Twitter in the December. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to get a call at work in January saying "Hi Elizabeth you have won a trip to the ice hotel" even I was speechless for once. This was a trip that even I couldn't afford staying in a hotel made of ice, snowmobiles to see the northern lights and husky sledging you can read about the experience and see pictures of my amazing trip here

Holidaypirates.com #PirateMemories

To enter this holiday competition to the Caribbean with Holiday Pirates I shared a picture of my favourite holiday moment with the hashtag #piratememories. The picture I used was of my helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon last year. In 2017 me and the boyfriend are off to the Dominican Republic!

My tips for entering competitions would be to try and find the picture / social media contests it's certainly worked for me!

Have you ever won a competition? Let me know in the comments

Liz x

Christmas Gifts for Her

Christmas is just under 2 weeks away can you believe it? This year has certainly flown by and it's a wonderful time of year for giving gifts to your loves ones and being with those who mean the most to you. As a child all I would think about is marking the Argos book with all the gifts I wanted but as I have matured you start to realise that giving gifts is so much more fulfilling. So to get you all inspired and in the christmassy mood I have put together this Christmas gift guide for her.

Aspire Style 

I am very lucky that whenever I need a gift I have an Aspire Style in the town of Stratford upon Avon where I live to shop at. They have five stores in the midlands plus a website so people who don't live so close don't miss out on their lovely gifts for Christmas. There is so much to choose from whether your buying for a girly girl or a girl who loves her fashion.

skinChemists Advance Caviar Range

If you know someone who loves beauty and likes to look after their skin expecially in the cold winter months then she will love skinChemists skincare products. All cruetly free and 100% organic. I was kindly sent the products from the Advance Caviar range which includes the caviar facial serum plus the day and night moisturiser. These products are all perfect for dry/damaged skin which I have and they all contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. These work together to balance and brighten skin complexion whilst aiming to protect the skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays. 

 P.S Santa has come early with this code you can get the products at 70% off - CAVBLOG1 until 30th December.

Johnny Loves Rosie

My favourite accessories brand based not far from my hometown which is great but you can also shop online too. They have lots of christmas gifts inside crackers, advent calenders and baubles, plus a sparkly selection of jewellery these are my favourite below and wont blow the budget because they are all under £10!

Bracelet Cracker £10

Jewel Blush Choker £7.20

Pastel Necklace £6

"You are my cup of tea" H&M Mug £6.99

H&M have plenty of great homeware gifts including mugs with cats and pineapples on but I went for the mug with a tea slogan on. I wanted a big sized mug for all the cups of tea I have been drinking on my teagime teatox the cute slogan is just an added bonus.

Skinnydip iphone cases

A great stocking filler plus most of the population own an iphone so you can guarantee a new phone case will make somone super happy. Skinnydip design really unique and cute cases for a reasonable price.

Iphone 6 frenchie case £14

Iphone 5 googly cocktail case £15

Primark Candle £3

Another great place for homeware gifts is Primark I could not resist this adorable french bulldog candle at such a cheap price too! Perfect for dog lovers!

Absolut and Malibu Miniature Christmas Tree Decorations £4

If you're looking for a little stocking filler then these are perfect for over 18's of course, you could even hang them on your massive christmas tree and make it into a game who can find one first.

What gifts are you buying for Christmas?

Liz x

How I Would Spend 24 Hours in Paris

"Paris is always a good idea"

Oh Paris where do I start... I have visited the beautiful city three times but there is always more to see and with the eurostar being so simple I always want to go back hence why I am entering this amazing competition from Accor Hotels. I have many different memories of Paris, my first being in my teens visiting Disneyland Paris for new years eve. Seeing sleeping beautys castle lit up with fireworks is something you really should have on your bucket list. The second time I visited Paris was a girly trip in 2013 for my friends 21st as you can see from the photo below it was very hot but equally as great! 

Last but not least I went to Paris with the boyfriend in 2015 for our first trip away and this was again new years eve but this time we celebrated the new year in by the Arc De Triomphe. The crowds were crazy but was well worth it for a magical experience.

24 Hours in Paris

Having already seen all the beautiful tourist attractions including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc De Triomphe I would want to spend my 24 hours finding them hidden treasures that not everyone gets to see.

Wonder along the most colourful street in Paris

Being that I love taking photos particularly for Instagram I would put on my best parisian outfit and wonder down the Rue Crémieux. Located in the 12th arrondissement there are pastel houses in shades of green, pink, blue, purple and yellow.

Visit Gluten Free bakery - Chambelland 

I am not coeliac myself but my boyfriend is and here in the UK it can be hard to find a decent bakery but I have heard great things about Chambelland owned by baker Thomas Teffri-Chambelland. With bread and pastries on offer I am sure my boyfriend would be in his element.

Shopping at Marché aux Puces

A bit of retail therapy never hurt anybody except my bank balance that is, being a shopaholic I have a love for vintage clothing and I have read that this is the biggest flea market in Paris where you can haggle for a bargain!

Go back to our favourite restaurant for dinner - Bistro Victoires

 We were doing some research before our new years trip to Paris when we stumbled upon an article on the Guardian online called "Top 10 budget restaurants and bistrots in Paris" featuring Bistro Victoires. Situated not far from the Louvre we ended up going to this restaurant twice it was so good and so reasonable priced for food and wine. We also knew we were onto a winner when people were queing to get in!

Dance in the open air

I actually witnessed this when I was there in the summer. At early evening the banks of Port Saint-Bernard invites the public to dance in the open air and it looks so romantic. I wouldn't say I am the best dancer in the world but I would give it a try after a few drinks! Perfect way to end the evening.

How would you spend 24 hours in Paris? Or any other city?

*This blog post is a competition entry for Accor Hotels you can enter here too!

Liz x