Introducing Bidworld

I do love to be the bearer of good news and what I have today is something that could be potentially very exciting to fashion fans and bargain hunters everywhere! I've just heard about a new auction website that has some great benefits over a more well known site.... (I don't really need to say the e-word, do I?)

Bidworld has a lot in common with its larger competitor, but with some big differences to really help out both sellers and buyers. Most importantly, once the initial standard insertion fee (of 90p) is paid for the listing, that's it. No commission is charged - all the money from the sale of the item goes back to the seller. This can potentially make a massive difference to the amount of money made by regular sellers! In turn this can help out buyers, because if sellers don't have to take commission deductions into consideration they may have a bit more wriggle-room when it comes to sale price!

At the minute this is a pretty new site to the range of things to buy isn't massive. The benefits of this of course is that if you do spot something you like on there, at the minute there will be less people to outbid you and so a higher chance of snatching yourself a real bargain! There's not a lot of fashion based items currently on the go but I've made myself an account and should hopefully have the beginnings of my Christmas clear out up there for bidding on at the weekend! (I'll link to the items on twitter as they go up so keep an eye out!)

If all that isn't exciting enough then there's still a chance to with an iPod shuffle by being one of the first 150 users to sign up! 

You can also follow Bid World on twitter or facebook to keep up to date with any new developments! Plus they are currently offering free listings til the end of the month, so if you do have any bits to get rid of there's literally nothing to lose by trying it out!

I'm definitely impressed by the potential of this new site, I think it could be huge and it's really exciting to be able to get on board at such an early stage! Get yourself signed up and see if you can bag a bargain!

Cosy feet!

This is just a quick post in celebration of my feet's new best friends!

 

These arrived just before Christmas as an extra present to myself!

 

It's my first time with a really snuggly pair of boot-style slippers like these as I tend to just wear really thick socks around the house when it's cold. My mum swears by this style but I always thought they might make my feet a bit too hot?

 

 

 

But though these certainly do provide warmth, I've never got uncomfortably over-hot in them. I love how cosy and snug they feel! There's no turning back now - I'm a bootie slipper girl!

 

These are from Clothing at Tesco for £10 but they have loads more with different designs, but you can pick up similar ones at loads of places!

New Years Eve Party Dress Picks

First of all sorry that I've been a bit quiet recently, it was very busy on the run up to Christmas between family visiting and preparation, but I'm sure everyone was in the same boat and now things have quietened down a bit I'll try to be a bit more regular with my blogging!

But before things go completely back to normal, there's still New Years Eve to get through - for many the biggest party of the year so it's a night that needs a suitable party dress! Here are a couple of my favourites at the minute!

It's really one of the last nights where we get a real Christmassy party vibe before depressing winter settles in and two great ways to take advantage of that are with sparkles and colour!

I love the Motel Gabby Sequin Plunge Back Dress (£58) because nothing says 'party' like sequins! The long sleeves make it a warmer option for cold nights but the plunging back still helps show off some skin and give this a sexy edge!

The deep red of the ASOS Bardot Jacquard Tulip Dress (£65) gives this one a real festive edge too - a sexy santa ready to party!

Od course, New Years Eve parties come in all shapes and forms and I think that the Miss Selfridges Teal Flapper Dress (£170)  would be perfect for impressing at a more sophisticated evening's bash, whereas the very cute Topshop Strip Prom Dress (£80) would be perfect for an informal but still fancy do! 

Unfortunately I'm not planning a big night out for New Years Eve this year, so I would look highly overdressed in any of my picks!

What are you wearing for the last night of the year?

The Perfect Winter Collection by Mistral Clothing

Since I have my hands full this week trying to get my Christmas shopping organised, I have something a bit different for you today - a great guest post introducing a fabulous and winter-friendly fashion brand - enjoy!

The Perfect Winter Collection by Mistral Clothing

Every year around this time, sweaters and knitwear make their ways out of the wardrobe and onto the streets, but there is a lot more you could do with your outfit this year.

Here we highlight some of the most beautiful clothing that you can add to almost any outfit:

Scoop Neck Diagonal Seam Peplum Ladies Cardigan 

Winter clothing is often emphasised with a number of layers; not only does this keep you warm but it is great to blend colours and materials. This cardigan is a great example to give your outfit that texturised and fluted feel. It is a beautiful blustery colour too which would look great with a slightly lighter coloured underlay.

Plain Tights – Fig Coloured 

Made from a thick cotton, your legs will be well insulated and look striking. Built to outlast the wintery chill, you can add another subtle tone to your outfit which can be mixed and matched with a number of different styles and colours. Fig is a beautiful winter colour and will not look out of place among your knitwear.

Multi Spot Wellies 

With snow an inevitability according to most weather reports, wellies are a must-have and what better way to wear wellies than a spotted pair? Practical and original, these wellies will see you through snow, rain, slush and mud whilst walking the dog or having a stroll to walk off the Christmas turkey. Comfort and quality is important too, and these wellies have that in abundance. They look great with tights, leggings and jeans too.






Women’s Scarf – Tree Print 

Scarves fly off the shelf around this time of year but it is equally as important to have a scarf that can be worn throughout the seasons and keep you warm in the winter and still be fashionable in the spring and summer months. This lightweight tree-printed scarf is finished in another versatile fabric, which will fall beautifully around your neck onto a Mistral coat or cardigan.

 
Be prepared for the chill of winter this year, and look gorgeous in the process with a seasonal wardrobe courtesy of Mistral Clothing.

Bio: Thomas is a keen blogger covering all subject matters; anything from Fashion to Sport. With an interest in so many things, Thomas has worked for a number of publications, one of which was the BBC.

BHS Christmas

I remember a time when TV adverts were just a sign that you had chance to put the kettle on before the rest of the programme came on.

Then, as more people seemed to be watching TV on demand or by catching up on previously recorded shows instead of watching live, adverts were often fast-forwarded or missed altogether.

But for some reason, that all gets turned on its head come Christmas time. I don't know if it's because we are all looking for gift ideas, we are all caught up in the spirit of consumerism, or that shops just put more effort into their advertising at this time of year, but it seems this year that the Christmas Adverts have got more people talking than anything else on TV at the moment!

John Lewis seem to be the first to have started this trend, with people counting down to the first airing of their ad this year and may tears shed at the lovely animated tale of Bear and Hare, but plenty of others seem to be following suit and coming up with their own mini-movies.

One that I have been loving at the minute that I think deserves more attention is the new BHS advert:

I've always loved BHS for Christmas gifts, but I do sometimes get a bit overwhelmed with choice when Christmas shopping! Th advert not only highlighted spot some fantastic gift ideas for pretty much everyone I need to buy for this year (including a couple of things I wouldn't mine finding in my own stocking!) but did so with a real sense of magic and wonder and fun that is integral to any big shopping spree at this time of year!

 

Did you see anything on there that you'd like to find under your tree in a few weeks?  

* Sponsored by Spreaditfast.com

Koalabi Boots

Winter seems to be well and truly upon us, and a warm pair of boots is a must in this cold weather!
While Uggs have been the sheepskin boot of choice for many for a good long while now, I've recently discovered another Australian company to rival them!

Koalabi create similar high quality sheepskin boots, and have recently come to the UK! Their footwear is suitable for all weathers as they are insulated to keep the cold out but also absorb excess moisture, letting your feet breathe.

As well as this, the fleecy lining of the boots moulds to the shape of your feet, making them incredibly comfortable to wear. I know I'd love to get my feet into a pair of these this winter!

The pair I'd most like to get myself into are the classic short boots in 'purple raisin'. At £109 these come in quite a bit cheaper than their equivalent in Uggs, and are available in a range of other colours if purple isn't your thing. I also really like the red and blue ones as I do like a bit of colour on otherwise grey days, but if you are more of a boot traditionalist you can also get these in more common colours such as chestnut, black and chocolate. The classics also come in a long and extra short variety, but I think the 'short' ones are just the right length for me!




The classics are not the only range available from Koalabi though, they also come in a variety of styles including buckled, buttoned and laced - here are some of my other favourites!

Do you think you could be tempted to consider an exciting new brand over a more established one?

What does the fox say?

As it is definitely getting colder, I thought it would be a great time to introduce two fashion statements of note this winter - a need for warm cosy scarves, and a love for cute foxes! I've combined the two to bring you some of my favourite foxy fashion statements currently available!

The fantastic Louche Vixen Fix Scarf is from The Joy Store for £18, a long and lightweight scarf perfect for wearing loose to show off the illustrated design to full effect.

The bright and bold Esprit Fox Square Scarf, available from Asos for £18.50, is a definite head turner, giving a laid back but warm look!

For those that prefer a more traditional knitted approach to a winter scarf, you couldn't go too far wrong with this stunner from Yumi (£19.99), and the Topshop version (£20) is similar but with an Arctic Fox instead for an extra wintery look!
 
Have you succumbed yet to the fox print trend? What is your favourite foxy piece?