Festival fever feat minkpink + Topshop

So yet again Topshop have launched another pair of mystic, majestic MOTO jeans to their so hot I heart it collection. It seems this holographic pair have sadly sold out, but I'm sure they'll add another babin', bedazzling pair to sass up their shelves sometime real soon. My glittery MOTO jeans from last summer are still a firm favourite, as are the enchantingly pretty gemstone mom jeans that were perfect summer sizzlers against a snow globe of glacial gorgeousness. I think my staple summer piece has to be this MinkPink suns out crochet crop top, I'm still just as obsessed with the orange hues and fun loving feels as I was when I bought it last year. You can still snap the shorts up from asos. Perfect for that BBQ, that ice cream trip, that boot fair haul... hang on, now I'm convincing myself to get 'em. 

I can't be the only one craving glitter by the gallons and crochet crop tops aplenty as summer strikes its unmissable magic. Festival fashion is hitting us even harder this year, and I'm loving all the holographic, sparkly, dazzling adornment of gems and diamonds this season. I want to invest some time in doing some glittery looks myself, there's just too much to be inspired by these days and too little time, am I right? I am however, chuffed that my 90s candy bikini look materialised as planned (who says chokers can't be edible?!) I am pleased to say I have refrained from eating said candy bikini and this restraint will now grant me future bouts of sugary sweet flatlay fever. 

I have to talk about THE BAYWATCH MOVIE as, okay, I've been hyped about seeing it since Christmas. I'm sure if you know me well enough by now, you'll know this is my kinda movie. My mum of course is pretending she doesn't want to see it, but the sooner she admits her closet crush on Zac Efron to the world the better. (Safe to say she is in Spain this weekend so I've been insta-messaging her pictures of Zac on a pink vespa as punishment). The guy working at the cinema a while back asked us what films we were keen on seeing in regards to getting a 'see four oscar nominated films and get to see one for free deal' and of course Baywatch came up. His response? "I don't think, er, that's going to be nominated for an, er, Oscar...." We need to make this happen. My mum tells me he was nominated for a 'Best Moment of Zac Efron shirtless' award back in 2014 but still no oscar. Let's just hope he doesn't turn to period dramas because life would be a lot less funny if we lost him off the comedy circuit. 

Are you looking forward to Baywatch?

What summer styles are you loving at the moment?

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Travel: candy coated Shanklin

What's that saying? "If travel was free you'd never see me again." Last summer you saw Graham and I travel to Portugal and I thought it was about time I posted some (candy coated) snapshots from our trip to the Isle of Wight which occurred a few months later. We've frequented the island a few times now and always stay in Shanklin, a picturesque little place with lots of adorable shops, pubs, cafes, amusements and the promise of sandy beaches close by. We like a chilled out peaceful place when vacationing (we prefer countryside breaks and beach escapes to city life) so the IOW is ideal for us. Not gonna lie to ya, the candy coated colours in Shanklin make for a pastel pretty backdrop, and what blogger in their right mind doesn't want that when strolling along on vacay? THAT SWEETSHOP THO. I honestly fell in love. The perfect pink punchy hue, the beaut balloons. God, my heart. Isle of Sweets? Isle of Paradise I say.

One of Shankin's most loved sweet shops, The Rock shop, is one of our favourite haunts. It takes me back to being a kid too, when I used to go on family holidays to the IOW with my mum + dad. Last year I picked up a stack of retro sweet bracelets which have come in handy to rock as chokers; the perfect ironic 90s accessory when shooting a candylicious look for Instagram. Who says candy is for eating? So 1989 darling (hair flick). The array of sweets inside are pretty impressive and the retro vibe certainly makes for the lack of Starbucks branches on the island (one, hear me cry!) Am I alone in thinking the decor looks good enough to eat? Because it truly does. And that's before you even get indoors.... 

We indulged in a slab of angel cake with cups of tea and hot chocolate at The Strawberry Thatch, a cutesy tea room brimming over with flowers surrounding their outdoor seats. We loved it so much that we ventured there several more times before we left the island. Armed with our reading material (Graham with his Marvel comics, me with my Adele Parks novel), we sat down and whiled away several hours in the sunshine. I've been trying to hunt down an angel cake slice that's as good as this ever since, but alas. 

One of the lovely things about Shanklin is that the shops often stay open a little later during the summer. After an evening game of mini golf or a majestic walk along The Chine, gift shops like Pencil Cottage are great to browse in. Pencil Cottage also had a tea room and gardens but we ran out of time to try out their range of tea and cakes. Because we are the cake connoisseurs to end all cake connoisseurs. 

Last but not least, The Old Thatch Teashop was somewhere we sought shelter in a few years back from torrential rain and for some lovely home cooked food. The eye catching old worldly theme was welcoming and after chatting to the owner we discovered he was from Rochester, the place Graham and I first met and had our first date at (and is fairly local to both of us). Obviously we didn't ask him what had attracted him to move so away from Kent in the first place (the pink sweet shop, what else?!) 

Have you ever been to the Isle of Wight?

What do you make of Shanklin? 

☕️🍰🍡

Aquamarine dreams: celebrating 4 years of blogging

Calling all my fellow merbabes out from the transfixing tides! As always Motel Rocks have fulfilled the most mythical of mermaid fantasies with yet another stunning gem; this Motel Finn Dress in Aquatic Disc sequin had me safely to shore and chasing the most minty mojito. Much as I love the pink version of this dress, I can safely say that this aquamarine dream is the total equivalent of glittering gemstones crossed with sassy scales and it doesn't get better than DAT. As for the Skinnydip London rainbow cross body bag; what a slice of cloud nine. You've seen it before in this previous sugary sweet ootd post.

My new fashion icon has to be Graham's sweet niece Alice, the other day we asked her what she loved. Her reply? "Unicorns and rainbows and mingos and glitter". MY KIND OF GURL!!!! Just when you think she can't get more adorable, she also calls flamingos 'mingos' which I'm totally stealing and scribbling down. One for the dreamy dictionary, right?! The sunshine scorched when we shot this look, fortunately it was a lot hotter than it has been these past few weeks (sort it out weatherman, we're all waiting here). The cute kitty that has shown up for this previous merbabe shoot and this glitter infused shoot once again arrived as we were in the midst of taking these photos (will deffo post some photos on Twitter of him, he's an angel). He must enjoy mermaid/glittery sightings.

So i'm celebrating my blog's fourth birthday this Friday! Four years of blogging, woah. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I'm the same girl who could barely look in a mirror because of low self esteem. I never used to let myself wear dresses or skirts because of a lack of confidence, and it was only when I started dating Graham that I actually felt gorgeous for the first time in my (19) years. Talking of confidence, I have to mention my diamond hairdresser, Rosie, who helped me build long-lasting confidence and made me blonde (will forever be thankful to her for that). She really boosted me up in so many ways and in a future post I'll be opening up fully about gaining confidence and smashing down all my self-esteem. If you'd have told my 19 year old self that I'd be running my own fashion blog and posing in public for photos like these (wearing a dress like this) I never would have believed you. And that's what's amazing about life; we never know what we're capable of until we go ahead and slay. 

Despite a rollercoaster rush of confidence all those years ago, it's only these past few years that I feel like I've grown into myself. Finally after finding the blogosphere and writing my first novel, I feel like I'm on the right path. Both blogging and writing have transformed my life completely. Only two days ago I was talking to Graham, telling him how he really gave me the courage and freedom to not only love myself, but to unlock the courage to my dreams and destines, and discover what my true calling really is. People that really believe in you to the moon and back are where it's at, for damn sure. One day I hope my book lines the shelves, and it'll be the dedications to the people that have supported me most that I really want to see in print. Knowing I've gone from rock-bottom confidence to finding the courage to post pictures of myself for all to see and steer away from the norm to write a novel and chase my dreams, I reckon my 19 year old self would be pretty pleased. And as it's a celebration and all, I have to say I'm pretty damn proud of myself and the way things are turning out. 

Finn Dress in Aquatic Disc Sequin: Motel Rocks 

Rainbow cross body bag: Skinnydip London 

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Thank you all for your continued support, you babes really are the best!