Bristol’s Best Bits: Bristol Fashion Week SS15

Posted on April 1, 2015 by

Bristol Fashion Week SS15772-23.5.15

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of popping up to Cribbs Causeway to meet up with some familiar blogging faces and attend the Bristol Fashion Week SS15 Preview Show.

This was my second Bristol Fashion Week outing, having been to AW14 in September last year, so I was already excited about what to expect. I met up with Lyzi and Emily, and after a short detour to Boots and River Island, we headed on over to the main tent for the show.

Bristol Fashion Week SS15

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As always, it was a fantastic showcase of all the latest fashions from the stores at the Mall, presented by This Morning’s resident fashion guru Mark Heyes and Made in Chelsea’s Lucy Watson. Amongst all the flamboyant dancing and top strutting, there seemed to be a few key trends for Spring/Summer this year – monochrome, pastels, 1970s and denim. I can certainly get on board with three of these trends, but I’m having a bit of trouble embracing the 70s vibe at the moment. I’ve seen a few pieces which have caught my eye over the last few weeks (more on that later) but for some reason the prints don’t seem to ‘sit right’ with me at all. Maybe by the time the sun rears its head I’ll be head to toe in suede, who knows.

The show was really excellently put together, and Bristol Fashion Week as a whole is definitely a highlight for any fashion lovers in the South West. Spanning a number of days across the mall, it’s always jam-packed with events. As well as 17 fashion shows showcasing the best that Cribbs Causeway has to offer, there are also special shows throughout the few days, including one talk aimed at those hoping for a career in fashion. Watch the highlights in this awesome video:

After the show we trundled along to a wee after party being held at M&S, for cheese, meats, fizzy beverages and another gander at this season’s latest trends.

Bristol Fashion Week SS15

LOOK AT ALL THE CHEESE.

Each rail held one of the key styles, and I picked out a 1970s style dress to try on. I started the evening dressed as some kind of Disney princess, but soon swapped the sequins for florals in this beauty from M&S.

Bristol Fashion Week SS15

The dress was surprisingly comfortable, and I really did fall in love with its pair-of-curtains patterned chic. I might embrace the floral 70s vibe this summer, who knows! Does it suit me?

Bristol Fashion Week SS15

Thanks to Mall Cribbs and Marks and Spencer for inviting me along for such a wonderful evening, see you in September!

Images 1 and 5 are (c) Charlotte Stone for Mall Cribbs, used with permission.

Princess Casual

Posted on March 29, 2015 by

You might recall that last weekend myself and fellow Blog Club lovelies popped down to the Old Bookshop to sample their awesome roast dinners. Well, I decided to channel my inner princess for the day, and thought I would share what I wore for a trip to Bemmie’s favourite boozer.

Princess Casual
Shirt – vintage // Top – Topshop (old) // Skirt – Sheinside // Bag – pressie from my mum // Shoes – Dr. Martens (*)

Princess Casual

This skirt has been getting a lot of love recently. I’ve been wearing it pretty much every day since I picked it up for a tidy sum from Sheinside, even teaming it with sequins for an uber-princess look at Bristol Fashion Week. On this occasion I pared it down with my favourite denim shirt layered over a stripey wardrobe staple, not forgetting some sparkly socks and my new favourite shoes from Dr. Martens.

Princess Casual

I was lamenting the fact that I didn’t own a red handbag up until the other day, until my lovely mother gifted me this scarlet satchel beauty, which goes with my red shoes perfectly. I call this look ‘princess casual’ – the type of outfit a pirate princess might wear on her day off, if she fancies popping down to her local for a roast.

I think the tulle skirt trend is here to stay, as I spotted the lovely SJ in one the other day. Have you adopted it yet?

Spring Beauty Fix

Posted on March 27, 2015 by

Cabot Circus Spring Beauty Fix

There’s something about the weather turning a corner which acts as a pick-me-up for all those forgotten resolutions at the beginning of the year. Alongside spring cleaning the house and wardrobe, it also seems to be the perfect time to get out of those bad beauty habits that might have crept up on us over the winter. I’m the type of person who will easily fall back into using face wipes if I’m too ~~tired~~ lazy to take my make up off properly.

Another thing I always forget about is cleaning out my make up bag. I finally got round to cleaning my make up brushes for the first time in ages the other day, and you would not believe the amount of gunk in there. It was gross. Just take a look at these guidelines below – there is absolutely no way I wash my make up bag once a month!

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To mark the beginning of spring and the turning over of new leaves, this weekend Cabot Circus are celebrating with their Spring Beauty Fix, with a series of events across stores over Saturday and Sunday. As well as offers throughout the centre such as free makeovers and tips and advice, they are also inviting you to bring your old make-up which you can exchange for a £10 gift card which will be redeemable on beauty purchases over the weekend. Not too shabby!

Cabot Circus Spring Beauty Fix

Sadly I’m not around this weekend, which I’m pretty gutted about as I’ve got a bucketload of old makeup I need to exchange for something new. Luckily for me, Cabot Circus very kindly invited me down for a sneak preview and let me pick out some beauty treats for myself. Of course, I headed straight for the amazing beauty department at House of Fraser, and made a beeline towards Benefit. I’d been wanting to try their Brow Zings kit for absolutely ages, and a very helpful lady talked me through the product, how to apply it, and applied some to my sorry looking brows.

Cabot Circus Spring Beauty Fix

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve treated myself to something from the beauty counter, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the corner once occupied by Nails Inc. has been taken over by New York-based brand, Kiehl’s (and their skeleton, Mr Bones). I’d never heard of these guys before, but I have to say I’m a fan of their branding. Not wanting to base my skincare choice on packaging alone, however, I opted to go for a pot of my favourite tried-and-tested eye cream from Clinique.

Cabot Circus Spring Beauty Fix

One the way out of Cabot I accidentally fell into the Body Shop, and may have gone just a little overboard, spurred on by an amazing 40% off I scored with Vouchercloud. Amongst some of my favourite bits – Moringa shower gel and their banana conditioner – I spoke to a lovely chap about what to do about my dry hands, and he recommended the hemp hand cream. I got a big tube of that, but also fell madly in love with the scent of the wild rose hand cream, so bought a mini one of them too, just for luck.

Cabot Circus Spring Beauty Fix

All in all I’m pretty chuffed with my purchases – some old favourites, as well as some new things to try. I’ve reached that kind of age where I’m pretty stuck in my ways when it comes to beauty; the Clinique eye cream is a product I religiously buy, as is my haircare from the Body Shop. It’s always nice to branch out and try something new every once in a while though, which is why it’s great when things like the Beauty Amnesty come along. Ditch that eyebrow pencil that’s two shades out and treat yourself to something new!

The Spring Beauty Fix will be happening this weekend, Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March, in stores across Cabot Circus. Find out more here.

I was very kindly gifted a voucher towards the cost of my purchases, but all views and words are my own.

Bristol’s Best Bits: The Old Bookshop

Posted on March 26, 2015 by

The Old Bookshop

It was inevitable that in my quest to showcase the very best spots in Bristol I would soon turn my attention to North St favourite and Bedminster gem, The Old Bookshop. If you’re one of the lovely people who is working their way through my humble little list of my favourite places in Bristol then this really is a must visit – put it at the top of your list!

This little Bemmie boozer has evolved dramatically over the years since it opened in 2011, going from a teeny tiny bar and kitchen and expanding next door into an amazing cocktail bar, while establishing itself as one of Bristol’s top live music venues. Ain’t no mean feat. The list of gigs is impressive, the cocktails are delicious (plus they’ve just started infusing their own spirits), and the food never, EVER disappoints.

Last Sunday, myself and other Blog Club lovelies Hayley, Sophie and Lyzi popped down for one of their now-legendary roasts. We each sampled a different meat offering (I opted for beef) and us greedy gals just about managed to fit it all in, with a little room for pud. They do a pretty tidy offer of two courses for £14.95, and considering the quality of the food and how stuffed I was, I’d say it is an excellent deal.

The Old Bookshop

With our bellies comfortably full of chocolate mousse we decided to check out their new(ish) space out the back, which is every bit as quirky and amazing as the interior. I really wish I’d got some more pictures of the inside, but that will just have to be a nice surprise for when you visit

I did get a little snap happy in the amazing garden, however. Myself and Sophie sat in our amazing boat thrones and warmed ourselves up by the burner, and had a little chat with the owner, Ben. He informed us that everything in the bar had been constructed by him and his dad, which is mighty impressive. Even the old wood burner used to be his when he lived on a boat! I love how every time I pop in here Ben and his mum (hi Kath!) stop to have a chat with me, and the rest of the lovely staff are just as friendly too.

As well as their impressive Sunday roasts, The Old Bookshop have got a number of guest chefs taking over the kitchen in the coming months. For more info, take a look at their (and don’t forget to , will ya).

Spotlight On: GRAV GRAV

Posted on March 24, 2015 by

spotlight on bag makers grav grav

Finding your own sense of style is a bit like figuring out your taste in music. We’ve all got our favourite tried and tested bands and brands that we go back to time and time again (much like my loyalty to Dr Martens) but just like discovering a new band, I get proper excited when I stumble across a smaller brand that is doing something a bit different.

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Istanbul-based GRAV GRAV is one such independent creative, making beautiful creations from a stunning blend of wood and brightly coloured leathers, taking their inspiration from the natural world. Their range of satchels, backpacks and embroidered clutch bags playfully blends these two materials into wearable pieces of art. I’ve fallen in love with their uniqueness, and especially that gorgeous cross stitched clutch!

Their beautiful designs are photographed amazingly as well, and their is one of my new favourites. It makes me really happy when I discover a new brand who are not only doing something unique, but are so certain of what it is that they stand for, which comes across in all of their visuals.

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Their wooden backpacks are absolutely adorable, and I’m sure they can’t be just for kids (I mean, that never stopped me before, half of my wardrobe is made up of ‘kids’ clothing!). I can just picture a summery outfit with a pair of pale jeans, one of these beautiful bags, and accessorised with another wooden favourite, my Lotta from Stockholm clogs.

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I’ve definitely fallen head over heels for their unique creations, and have got my eye on the yellow backpack, that’s for sure ;). Hurry up, pay day!
If you’ve got your eye on one of these gorgeous bags too, GRAV GRAV have kindly offered an exclusive discount to my readers! If you fancy a nifty $30 off the price of one of their bags then enter code WOODBAGLOVE at the checkout.

All photos (c) GRAV GRAV, used with permission. A massive thanks for GRAV GRAV for getting in touch and offering this amazing discount to my readers!

Bristol’s Best Bits: Windmill Hill City Farm

Posted on March 18, 2015 by

One of the many reasons why I have so much love for Bristol is for its ability to surprise you, even after years of living here. Since moving to the Bedminster/Totterdown/Windmill Hill area (I am right in the middle of all three) I’ve been trying to get to grips with my new area, and have been seeking out the little hidden gems which lie in plain sight in the BS3 neighbourhood.

The city farm concept seems to sum up the spirit of Bristol as a whole. Sheep and chickens in the middle of a busy city? Sure, why not. These community farms offer a piece of the countryside in the middle of metropolis, which can sometimes prove to be a bit confusing when you’re walking back from the supermarket and you hear a cockerel crow. Or in the case of St Werburghs City Farm, when you’re sitting in the pub and you can hear the baa’s of the sheep next door, and then the familiar rumble of a train passing nearby.

Wanting to explore more of my own slice of countryside on my doorstep, a few weeks ago myself and Tom took a short stroll through Victoria Park to Windmill Hill City Farm, to say hi to some goats.

Windmill Hill City Farm Bristol

It was a bit of a grey Sunday afternoon and it had just begun to drizzle, but despite this there were still a few young families dotted around looking at the animals. Windmill Hill City Farm is a lot bigger than I’d anticipated, and houses pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, guinea pigs and rabbits. There’s also an established vegetable plot and allotments, a play area for the kiddos, and a cafe open all week. Sadly I think we were a bit late for the cafe, but I’ve made a mental note to pop back, as their food looks AMAZING.

Windmill Hill City Farm Bristol

This goat was apparently comfy sleeping like this.

We didn’t stay too long as not shortly after it started to rain, but I’m definitely going to be heading back on a sunnier day. There’s something to be said for taking a short walk from the supermarket and ending up in a farm, with the chickens clucking at your feet! I love how many green spaces there are in this city I’m lucky to call home. Seeing as it’s less than 10 minutes from our house, I think many repeat visits are on the cards, plus if you ask nicely they’ll let you walk the pygmy goats!!

A Grand Day Out

Posted on March 15, 2015 by

Happy Mother’s Day, blog-land! I trust you’ve all had reet good’uns with your nearest and dearest? I went home to visit me mam this weekend – on Saturday me and my little sis ventured up to Brum to see the X Factor Live Tour (ANDREAAAA! <3) and today we celebrated the day of Mothers by gallivanting on a steam train in the great British countryside. It’s nice to pop home every once in a while; now that I’m an actual adult with a 9-to-5 it’s hard to make time at the weekend in between all the housework and the blogging and that, so when we do get to spend the weekend adventuring it makes it proper special.

We decided to go on a little jaunt up to Toddington on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway, which was right up my alley because a) I’m an old person, and b) I bloody love steam trains because I am a massive nerd. This particular train we were travelling on was build in 1906, but the interior had had a delightful makeover in the 1960s. There was lots of old vintage-looking things to peruse, and we even had time to squeeze in a cheeky cream tea and well-deserved brew.

Train Day Out

Hat – H&M // Top – H&M (old) // Necklace – Moxham // Skirt – The Whitepepper (*) // Shoes – Dr Martens (*) // Coat – Urban Outfitters (old) // Backpack – Fjallraven Kanken Classic

Train Day Out

I decided to dress for the occasion in my beautiful new Dr Martens Mary Janes (*), the best skirt that ever existed, plus I gave my Kanken a trip out as well, as it’s the perfect size to hold all of my adventuring essentials in, and I’m a huge fan of its cheery mustard colour. I’ve got a bit of a thing for this egg print at the moment – as well as this skirt I also may have taken advantage of The Whitepepper’s amazing flash sales and bought the matching crop top and also a shift dress. Oops.

Train Day Out

All in all we had a grand day out, Gromit, despite the grey English weather. I’m fully planning on coming back in the summer for some more train adventure times, that’s for sure. I’d probably pack a bit more of a picnic next time, and also make sure I had a first class ticket (instead of sneaking into a first class cabin like we did, ha!).

Hope you’ve all had equally excellent weekends and Mother’s Days, whatever you were doing.

[A massive thanks to my sister and mam for taking these photos!]

Bristol’s Best Bits: Tobacco Factory Sunday Market

Posted on March 11, 2015 by

I’ve been waxing lyrical about Southville recently – today I found out that my ‘You Know You Live in Southville When…‘ post went up on the Time Out Bristol blog, yay!

Believe me when I say that North Street really is a highlight of Bristol. Tucked away in the deep south across the bridge on the other side of the river, Southville and Bedminster might seem like far away when you’re dwelling in the North of the city, but you can find some real gems down here.

One of said gems is the Tobacco Factory Sunday market, which takes place – yup, you guessed it – at the Tobacco Factory car park every single Sunday! We popped down a couple of weeks ago to have a mooch around.

Tobacco Factory Sunday Market Bristol

I love this market for the way that it seamlessly blends the ‘truer’ elements of your standard market – baker, fishmonger, fruit & veg stall, pieman – with some of the most delightful bits that our city has to offer. The lovely Ivory Flowers has a stall there every weekend, as does the awesome , and when we popped along there was fresh homemade chai from relatively-new-guy-on-the-block, . I made a special trip to get a crisp fiver from the cashpoint to sample a cup, but when I got back they had sold out . Another time!

Tobacco Factory Sunday Market Bristol

On the first Sunday of the month it’s also home to ‘Retroville’, showcasing some of the city’s best vintage picks in homeware, books, records and clothing. Tom spent a good deal of time flicking through that box of vinyl, whilst I bopped along to Madonna’s ‘Cherish’, which was blaring out of an old speaker stack set up next to the coffee campervan. Such hipsters.

There really is nothing better to do with a Sunday morning ~~when you’re hungover~~ than to pop down to North Street, grab a bite to eat, have a mooch of the market, and pick up a trinket or two to take home. It’s always changing, too, with new things every time I visit. Keep up to date with all the market goings on over on their (and whilst you’re there, , too?).

February Favourites

Posted on March 7, 2015 by

Woooow, this post is very late. Sorry about that. I’ve just been having far too much fun and February has flown by! Better late than never eh? Some of my highlights included…

February 2015 Favourites

Learning all about the lovely new Lush spring products // Marvelling at the beauty of Totterdown // Wearing my tooth collar clips! // Taking a cycle to the flea market

February 2015 Favourites

Misty morning walks to work // Byron burgers for dinner! // Dressing up like bees After Hours // Tom’s birthday!

February 2015 Favourites

Use yer loaf at Christmas Steps // Amazing pancakes for pancake day! // Seeing Wicked for the first time // A tour of Bristol Beer Factory

February 2015 Favourites

Learning all about Analytics at Blog Club // I fell in love with the best shoes ever // Created a croissant bread and butter pudding monster // Chocolate van at work!

Well, we’re only a week into March and it’s been a right good’un already. My diary is getting full up quickly too, but I’m looking forward to all the fun things coming up over the next few weeks! If you fancy a nose at what I’m up to, follow me on .

Bristol’s Best Bits: Mathilda’s Chilli Bar

Posted on March 3, 2015 by

More food! I’m spoiling ya.

Can you believe that it’s been almost a whole year since I wrote this post about the awesome Mathilda’s Chilli Bar? No, neither can I. My writing style has definitely improved!

On the weekend the fantastic Mathilda’s celebrated their first birthday in style, with a fully booked birthday party, a free bar, and more fried pickles than you can shake a stick at. Not wanting to miss out on any of the action, myself and Thomas popped along to wish them a hearty congratulations on turning another year wiser.

Mathilda's Chilli Bar Bristol

Tucked away in the deepest corner of the newly revamped Bear Pit, Mathilda’s is just how I remembered it. The school style table and chairs were arranged in a canteen fashion in the sleek monochrome tiled interior, with the open kitchen kicking out all sorts of delicious smells. The balloons were out in full force and the party was in full swing as we stepped in from the rain, and so we joined in with the festivities by ordering a delicious brew from New Bristol Brewery and perused the menu.

Mathilda's Chilli Bar Bristol

I opted for half and half last time, so to shake things up a bit, this time I went all out and plumped for their straight up meaty treat, the Texan brisket chilli, served with spicy guacamole and sour cream. Our choice of side was another easy decision – these deep fried pickles are quite honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten, even if I can taste a heart attack with every delicious mouthful.

So, was it as good a year on? The answer is a resounding YES. Just as before, the chilli was incredible – nicely spicy, a generous portion (maybe even a little too much), with the fluffiest rice on the side. I should really order a different side dish next time I go, but these pickles are just too good to pass up. I did quiz our lovely waitress as to what mysterious ingredient they put in their blue cheese dip to make it taste quite so heavenly, but she wasn’t giving the secret away so easily.

I’m so glad that Mathilda’s has lasted a whole year, usually small businesses find the first year the hardest, but luckily the food scene in Bristol seems to be going from strength to strength. Thank you to the lovely people at Mathilda’s for inviting me along, and here’s to many more successful years!

Lily Doughball

Bristol-based fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog

Bristol’s Best Bits: Bristol Fashion Week SS15

Princess Casual

Spring Beauty Fix

Bristol’s Best Bits: The Old Bookshop

Spotlight On: GRAV GRAV

Bristol’s Best Bits: Windmill Hill City Farm

A Grand Day Out

Bristol’s Best Bits: Tobacco Factory Sunday Market

February Favourites

Bristol’s Best Bits: Mathilda’s Chilli Bar