Blogger Of The Month: Stephanie JW

I was a top rubbish blogger during January, I find it hard to motivate myself when the weather is rubbish, as i'm sure a lot of people do, but this month is already feeling so much more positive. As always the beginning of the month means picking one of my favourite bloggers to feature as blogger of the month, and this month i've decided to go for Stephanie JW. I can't remember how I found Stephanie's blog, but I really like her grungy, bohemian style and her enviable shoe collection. Working for Dr Martens means she usually teams her dresses and skirts with chunky footwear, a look I really like, it works well in both Summer and Winter. Favouring brands such as MinkPink and Evil Twin, Stephanie often layers jumpers and mesh tops underneath printed dresses adding a boyish element to an otherwise girlie outfit. 

Rather than always taking outfit photos of herself, I really like the way Stephanie lays hers out on the floor documenting both ideas for looks and her actual outfits on her blog. It reminds me of a feature 'Self Service' magazine had a few years back in which all the outfits for photo shoots were laid flat and photographed after each spread. It's a great spin on how to present your 'looks' especially relevant to me as recently i've been struggling with my confidence in posting outfit shots of myself and have been thinking of different ways to use photography on my blog.

If you haven't read StephanieJW before then think denim mixed with oversized jumpers and kimonos, printed dresses with mesh tops and chunky Jeffrey Campbells. Accessories are always featured and i've spotted everything from 90s style chokers, to long crosses and pendants, oversized circle sunglasses and black fedora hats.

Are you a regular reader of Stephanie's blog or is this your first introduction to her? Let me know in the comments :)

Louis XIV

Jumper - H&M

Shirt - Vintage

Skirt - Primark

DM's - Urban Outfitters

I look a bit strange in these photos, I love the outfit but i'm not sure if I look a bit baggy? This is a new skirt from Primark it cost £7, what a bargain! It's a waffle style material and is a midi length which is something I would never usually go for, but I love the look of it with a baggy jumper - it feels quite grungy, especially with my Dr Martens! I decided to team it with this cute vintage shirt to soften it and it's definitely my favourite outfit of the moment. My hair has finally decided to go a bit more silver, I had a bad dye job and the first two inches of my hair was a horrible yellow colour while the rest was the silver I like. I put a toner on it over the weekend and it has lifted so much, I am so much happier with it! 

I had a great weekend, it was a friends birthday on Saturday so me and my friends went out in Bristol for it; I felt suitably horrible on Sunday. I haven't really been out since New Year so it was fun to go out drinking with all my friends and have a good time. Today I applied for 5 jobs! So proud of myself i'm feeling really positive job wise and am just waiting for the next thing to come along. As for the rest of the week i'm just gonna try and relax and carry on filling my day with seeing friends and doing blog posts!

January Wishlist!

Striped Dress - Motel Rocks

Black Sweetheart Dress - ASOS

Off The Shoulder Dress - Motel Rocks 

Western Shirt - Glamorous (via ASOS)

I thought I would do a little wish list because whenever January comes around there seems to be lots of things I like! I think it might be the whole new year, new start feeling and wanting to have a wardrobe mix up, but it's probably because I have a full time job now and for the first time in God knows how long I have some spare money! The striped dress from Motel is a new item and it just looks like one of those items that I will be able to chuck on with tights for work or dress up with boots and jewellery for an evening. The burgundy off the shoulder dress is also Motel, I have been looking for a dress in this colour and I absolutely love the off shoulder style so this could be a winner for me! The only thing that puts me off, is sometimes Motel dresses can be quite short and as i'm relatively tall i'm very self conscious of flashing more than I intend! I think a plain black dress is one of those essential items but I love this one because of the neck line! It puts a spin on the standard LBD and I think this will look good with my black biker jacket and a tartan scarf. Lastly the western shirt is something i've wanted since seeing Bobby from Primal Scream wearing one (maybe shouldn't take style tips from men!) 

Lace Up Boots - Topshop Athena

Heeled Chelsea Boots - Topshop Alexy

Winter is a really hard time for foot wear and I seem to live in my Dr Martens or Chelsea Boots, so I am a bit cautious of spending too much money on something I might only wear for a few months. However I think both of these boots will see me through Summer as I can imagine them looking good with bare legs on an evening. I can imagine both of them looking really good with a dress, bare legs and frilly socks or with jeans and an over sized jumper. 

Gimme Shelter

Hat - Tesco

Necklace - White Leaf

Jumper - H&M

Leggings - American Apparel

Boots - Dr Martens 

Today I am blogging for the first time in 2013, and didn't realise it had been so long since I last posted. The past few weeks have been a bit crazy, Christmas and New Year are super busy times for everyone and my new job and a few personal problems meant I neglected my blog a bit :( However now I am back and can't wait to get back into it! I only started my blog at the end of September and have already seen it grow, i'm a little bit shocked at how much and thank you all for following and for your lovely comments! I have a few posts lined up for the next few days including some beautiful bits and pieces from Christmas, along with a little Christmas sale haul. 

Today I have a day off and have spent it doing a few odd jobs and taking my dog for a walk. I wore my favourite American Apparel leggings along with a new jumper from H&M which I absolutely love! It's only £14.99 and is the perfect length to wear with jeans or leggings, I haven't stopped wearing it yet! I have also included a picture of my beautiful dog Chilli who is so pathetic, that when she saw another dog on the walk she stopped and refused to move! Tonight I will be cooking up something delicious and maybe going for a drink with a few friends!