Reverse

This is the dress i wore to my friend Eilidh's 21st on Saturday and its by a brand called Reverse (which you can also find on ASOS.)

I absolutely love it, I was drawn to the statement shoulders and on trend print straight away. The only sad thing is its one of those one hit wonders and i don't think i'll get away with wearing it again any time soon -its a bit too inconspicuous.

Eilidh looked amazing in this dress from AllSaints:

 Its just right in so many ways! She styled in with a taupe harness belt that unfortunately i cant find a picture of. Oh and while we're on the topic of pretty tasseled items.. LOOK:

I saw this on topshop.com yesterday and fell in love. Sadly it's going to have to be a long distance relationship as the bank balance says no!

Love

Nic xxxx

Shopping trip

So this is what i wore on a shopping trip today! It is my little sister's 19th birthday today and my friend Eilidh's 21st on Monday so i was hunting out some lovely gifts for them - probably one of my all time favourite things to do. And then there's the wrapping! all materials supplied by paperchase :)

This is the jumper i bought from H&M on my lunch break the other day, I couldn't decide between the cream and the black, and almost resorted to my usual "just buy both!!" solution but Karena persuaded me to go for the cream and she definitely made the right choice.

The necklaces and jeans are from AllSaints and the bag Topshop Boutique. The fashion show all went to plan last night, some of the hairstyles were totally amazing- pics to follow! Now i am off to get ready for some more Birthday celebratory drinks tonight, ahhh. My liver hates me.

Late Nights

There's something really refreshing about going out for a walk in the dark. I live in a really quiet area so its safe enough and Its great for clearing your head after a busy day.

Another thing that sets me up for a good night's sleep is some Liz Earle facial cleansing! Honestly the stuff is amazing, I swear by it.

First you start with the hot cloth and polish treatment which leaves your skin so so soft, then sometimes I use the exfoliater depending on how my skins looking and then I finish with the toner and moisturiser. They also have an intensive cleansing mask which I use once a week or something just for a little revitalisation. 

 It's pretty reasonably priced and if i had to pick one out of the range it would be the Hot cloth and Polish which is only about £15 for a bottle (magic in a bottle).

Oh also a friend showed me this song the other day and i really like it so thought i would share it with you guys too :) it's really pretty and great for a relaxing night time listen.

Hope you like

Nic

xxxxx

White Denim

I'm a big fan of white denim these days, in particular jeans and shorts. These are DIY levi's with a cute little leopard print patch on the pocket, the only problem is after spending approximately half an hour at the beach i had already managed to get them dirty..

I'm still planning on taking them festival-ing with me though, grass and mud stains are all part of the nonchalant festival look :)

I've got my favourite leather jacket on again which will definitely NOT get to see any festival action. I think if anything happened to it it would take a good few weeks of mourning to come to terms with the loss.

I'm really enjoying this gong necklace too, as you can probably tell by the amount of appearances its been making lately. It just seems to go with everything i put on.
Oh and if you get the chance i totally recommend you check out "The Pin Stripe Prince"'s blog, he's an amazing writer and pulls together some really cool looks, check him out here.

Love Nic

xxxx

(photos by Jeremy)

My Journey

Someone recently said to me that disability is a great equalizer... no one is immune, no one is exempt, disability treats everyone the same...

But does it?

Disability doesn't discriminate, no... that much is true... but it also doesn't equalise.

A person who deals only with an intellectual disability cannot truly understand the life of a person living with a physical disability. A person who has a child with a disability, but has been blessed with relatively good health cannot truly understand the life of a person dealing with complex medical issues, or what it's like to go to bed every night wondering if their child will still be breathing in the morning... and a person who deals with a known and understood disability cannot truly understand the isolation and loneliness of dealing with a disability that is rare or even undiagnosed. And of course, vice versa.

Yes, as parents caring for children with special needs and disabilities, we are united by a single similarity, yet divided by our differences, and it is the division that seems to be a note of contention.

The Federal Government here has announced a new funding structure for children with disabilities, supposedly an attempt to give them a better start at life... but only if you tick one of their boxes. If you have Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy or Autism, you can get the funding. You can also get the funding if you have visual or hearing impairment... but if you don't, it's like your disability isn't important enough.

If you have Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy or Autism, you can get support... but if you don't, you go it alone.

They are the 'Big 3' or the 'Popular Kids' in the disability playground.

Don't get me wrong, I do not dispute for an instant that they are relevant disabilities, I don't dispute that they are very real and they come with their own complex problems... but I can see why they are the Big 3. Just in numbers alone they account for the largest portion of disabilities in Children in the country.

And for them, that's great... it really is... they have the numbers for the support and the funding and the interest and everything else...

But what about for those of us that don't tick one of those boxes?

What about those of us who dare to be rare?

Where does it leave us if we can't conform to a predefined standard?

Out in the cold... alone, and very lonely.

Sure, the parents of this kids understand what we're going through... they understand some of the complexities of dealing with a child with special needs... but they never really 'get it'.

They don't get how frustrating it is when those of us left behind miss out on opportunities for our kids because we don't have the right diagnosis. They don't understand the frustration that we have when we have to fight for everything that little bit harder because we don't tick a box.

But, I guess, at the end of the day, that is all part and parcel of this life. We are dealt with our own struggles, and they are our struggles to endure. If we are lucky, we have someone to share the journey with... if we are not so lucky we take the journey alone... but either way...

It is a journey that will make me wearier physically, but stronger emotionally... It will take me away from my friends and family, but make me closer to God... It will try my patience and fray my nerves, it will grate my feelings until I am raw and vulnerable, and then it will reward me in ways that I never expect.

It is a journey that not everyone else will understand because they don't live it on a daily basis... they don't deal with my confusion, my struggles, my isolation... they don't deal with the medical complexities and fears... it is my journey... one that I think I am destined to take alone...

And I am ok with that... I really am.

Hippie Wasteland

I don't wear many girly dresses but i saw this one in Topshop and couldn't resist it's cute hippie vibe. In our store it was only available in Petite but you might be able to get it in other sizes online. It totally reminds me of one of the dresses my mum had when she was younger which is maybe why i was so drawn to it!

These photos were taken by my friend Jeremy down at the beach and then in one of the fields near my house, it was a really nice day as you can probably tell by the vibrant blue skys- perfect conditions for dressing like a hippie and frolicking in the fields!

I think its going to be a relatively quiet weekend for me, I'm going to a little restaurant called Moonfish for lunch with my sister tomorrow so it will be nice to catch up with her again. Other than that i think I'm going to be hitting the Uni books big time!

Oh and I've been obsessed with this song for a little while now, it definitely deserves a listen. I'm a big fan of Birdie's version too.

Nic xxxx

Infamous Crochet Shorts

Shorts- H&M
T-shirt- American Apparel
Ballet Pumps
Bag- Miss Selfridge

Yay, Im so happy I finally sourced a pair of the infamous H&M crochet shorts! I love the way they fit, they look kinda huge on the hanger but actually fit like a glove :).You can't see them too well but im also wearing my little Ballet pumps, I rarely wear flats but live in these shoes when I'm around and about the house.

It felt so summery today I love being able to drive around with the windows down, its my favourite past time. I was on a little road trip out to Macro to purchase 1kg of sweeties for the goodie bags for our Uni Fashion show next friday. If any of you live in Aberdeen or near you should definitely come :) -info on how to get tickets is here

I went to a little French restaurant called Cafe Boheme for dinner last night and the food was amazing, they have this Salmon Cupcake dish which is actually presented as a cupcake- paper and everything. If you live in Aberdeen or are ever stopping by I would definitely recommend it, some of the best food i've had in ages.

We ended up going for drinks afterwards and meeting a few friends which resulted in 2 hours sleep and a teepee but thankfully I'm feeling surprisingly fresh and off to get some Ice cream!

Lots of Love

Nic xxxx

Borrowed and Blue

I bought this tasseled skirt from ASOS a little while ago and I love love love it!  I am so tempted to invest in the beige version too because it would be perfect for any festivals and holidays coming up.

It was really nice and sunny today so decided to go all barefoot and bohemian in the garden while trying to get some Uni work done too.

It was a bit of a lost cause though really, just far too tempting to have a cheeky nap on the grass after some late night antics.

 I had a really cool night celebrating my friend Steph's birthday and ended up hanging out with a friend until five o'clock this morning in a wonderfully crafted duvet Teepee. We got some amazing tunes on the go and got lost in the Teepee world, a great way to bring in a Tuesday.

Hope you've all had a good day.

Nic

xxxxx

p.s I'm holding this cute cable knit cardi hostage from his owner just now but thought I'd give it a debut on my blog before it is returned :)

Daisy Chained

This daisy chain hair band was another one of my roadtrip purchases, i love it's earthy hippie chic vibe- perfect for festival season. I'm really embracing the hippie look this season, i always said that if i was around in the 70's i would have definitely been a fully fledged hippie.

A lady at work the other day actually said i was one step away from getting a peace sign tattooed on my ass. which i thought was a very good idea to be honest!

This little vest is just from Topshop and is slightly cropped but not too much, just the right length for jeans or shorts but without showing off any mid rift. The khaki shorts are from AllSaints and the belt is Vintage.

Happy Friday ;)

Nic

xxxxx

Sam Edleman

I have no idea how Sam Edleman slipped my attention, his shoes are amaaazing.

I am especially in love with these Lorissa stud peep toes but cant deicde which colour I like best? They come in Light blue, Black, Pewter Tan, Nude, Black Suede, Off White, Truffle, Paparzzi Pink and Tan- so just a few options. You can view them all here :)

I was so happy when I discovered that they are available to buy from ASOS, My Wardrobe.com and Matches Fashion.com.

The price tag isn't too too step at £180, I feel a pair of these would be a worthwhile investment and a nice ornamental piece. I have all of my shoes on display in my room, I feel bad having them in their boxes so my Dad very kindly put up some shelves dedicated to the shoe collection!

Nic
xxxx

(p.s I think the black suede are my favourite)

Technology

I am a major technology victim and have no clue about some of the gadgets on the go just now. Up until not long ago i was rocking a Nokia 3210 after my blackberry tragically failed me! I had that beast of a phone for the best part of a month and it didn't really phase me- apart from the lack of BBM- i could text and make phonecalls and that was all i was really after. Job done.

I was picking out a new laptop the other day too (I was trusted to do this on my own) and the sales assistant did a wonderful job of describing all the different functions and capabilities of some of the models available. All of this went straight over my head, and i went for "that one. because its red".

However i think i am slowly changing my ways! My friend managed to capture this amazing photo of me in a field using an App on his I Phone 4 and i was totally amazed.

 I couldn't believe such a stunning photo came out of that tiny little thing whose main function was actually a phone... its crazy!

So now, instead of a pair of walkie talkies being at the top of my gadget list (great for festival season) its being demoted to second place in favour of the iphone 4. All they've got to do now is bring out a red one with a walkie talkie app and i'm sold!

Happy Friday!

Nic xxxxx

Peacock Feather

Hiya. Happy Friday Eve everyone, I cant believe its almost the weekend again!

This what i wore to my place of Uni today. :) Im in love with these leather-eqsue jeans i got from AllSaints, I fell in love with them as soon as i saw them they re totally worth the investment and definitely a wardrobe staple!  I may have received some slight purchasing benefits from my friend Emily who is a manager at the Aberdeen store but even without that they are pretty reasonably priced.

I worked in AllSaints for two years and was obsessed with their clothes, they're so unique and completely stand out against all the other high street stuff. I REALLY miss my employee privileges- previews of all the stuff as it comes in, uniform, discount, being surrounded by amazing clothes all the time.... i miss the days!

I have Incorporated a few gifted items into this outfit too, the belt was from my friend Sarah and the bag was from my friend Emily both for my most recent birthday. This cardigan was also a gift from my younger sister Hannah and its a little vintage find with cute little nautical buttons.

I'm a little obsessed with all things feathery just now and thought the vibrant blues and greens in this peacock earring complimented the outfit really well. I had a little photo shoot yesterday with the amazing Sam Brill and Jeremy, I think i managed to incorporate three different feathered accessories into one of the looks :) pretty impressive.

Lots of Love

Nic xxxxx