Yes ladies. Friday is finally here! It's time to celebrate your successful week by updating your wardrobe with a new and refreshing item! Didn't have such a successful week you say? 

Well, you survived didn't you? 

So in that case, celebrate!

Here is what I chose to buy for myself on this lovely Friday:

Introducing: 

The Seedless Romantic Flat from MODCLOTH! 

I have been on the lookout for the perfect ballet flat and I am pretty sure that I have found it. Not your typical ballet flat that's for sure. That's what makes it so perfect!

Get your very own pair of Seedless Romantic Flats from Modcloth by clicking HERE!

Shop more of my favorite flats for under $40 from Modcloth!

What will you buy for yourself today? 

Part of me was saying "Save the starfish earrings for summer." But I decided to listen to the other part of me that said "Since when do you do what is typically considered normal?" I guess doing little things like wearing starfish earrings in the winter makes me feel courageous. It's difficult to explain. It's not like I am Lady Gaga or anything. I don't go completely out of my way to get a rise out of people. I have just never really wanted to do exactly what everyone else is doing because when I do, I never really feel like me. 

And I kind of like being me. 

Today I wore totally 

TALBOTS.

Brrr. I dared to bare my toes today. Don't worry. I wore boots on the way in to work and changed into my peep toe ballet flats when I got there. 

SHOP MY LOOK!

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a very special event hosted by The Giving Keys. Based in LA, The Giving keys has a unique brand story, which you can read more about here.

Not only does purchasing a key help support the homeless through the brand's close working relationship with Chrysalis but the lovely idea behind them is that you pass it onto someone else who needs it when the time is right and then share your/there story on the website. A selection of necklaces and bracelets are available and you have the freedom to choose an existing message such as love, hope or strength, or you can pick your own, which will then be engraved by hand in LA. My key reads "love".

"INSPIRE OTHERS" TANK TOP BY THE GIVING KEYS

WATERPROOF JACKET BY RAINS

KEY NECKLACE BY THE GIVING KEYS

  

I wish I had a photo of my ten year old self back in 1984 wearing my fur lined clogs. I know there's got to be a photo somewhere in the bottom of one of my mothers shoe boxes. One day I will find it and share it with you, I promise! I was so proud of those things. They made me feel so pretty and so tall!

 I am sure that once upon a time, you wore clogs too.

{Photo via Free People}

Today I have some exciting  news to share with you. Clogs are back in a big way for spring and I have decided to share with you some of my all time favorite styles for the season from
Free People! 

Which one will you pick?

Today I decided to have a little fun with the Be-Dazzler! Just kidding. Back in the 80's I always wanted one of those things. Instead, I just ended up sewing beads on my clothes to get the look. Believe it or not, they still sell the Be-Dazzler at stores like Wal-Mart and Amazon.com! 

But now that I'm a woman living in 2015 and I am able to purchase clothing that has already been pre dassled! Pretty cool, huh. Embellished clothing has always intrigued me.

The embellished sweater that I wore today is by J. Crew 

and the embellished skirt is by Talbots. 

SHOP MORE OF MY FAVORITE EMBELLISHED ITEMS!

 I have a HUGE appreciation for models and I have decided to use every Monday for educating you on some of the best models on the planet. 

I have become just a tad annoyed with American Vogue for falling short of this. They seem to think that people in general want to see celebrities on the cover wearing designer clothes when in fact, we don't. If we want to see a celebrity we can pick up a copy of any other magazine on the newsstand and see plenty of them. VOGUE is fashion and MODELS wear fashion, period. Yes I am all about seeing "real people" wearing fashion too, that is why I love reading and admiring fashion blogs so much. But modeling is a fine art, not just a pretty face, and I think it can be under appreciated. So if Vogue is going to fall short in this area, I guess it's up to this little Bangor, Maine fashion blogger to educate you.

MEET NADJA AUERMAN

Nadja Auerman is a German model and actress that I began admiring when I first saw her in Vogue back in 1994. I adore her fair skin and freckles.

Nadja once held the record for being the model with the longest legs in the world. These photos are proof of that! 

She is amazingly graceful. 

 Holding one of her four children.

Nadja now. She just keeps getting prettier with age, as I believe we all do.

Below is a short documentary on Nadja. Not only is she an amazing model and actress, but you can tell she appreciates and loves her life!

Over the past few years I've found shopping for clothing very difficult. Not only have I had to worry more about paying rent than owning the latest trends, (London living is not cheap), but my taste has changed too and I've become a little confused in the transition. Whilst at Uni I opted for a rather boutique"y" look wearing mainly vintage and cute dresses, I now prefer a more sophisticated look featuring darker shades and sleeker silhouettes. I think growing my hair long has effected what I like wearing somehow too.

As you can imagine then, my wardrobe is now an eclectic mix of patterned blouses I never wear but can't seem to bring myself to part with alongside a cleaner, darker selection of Cos and The Whitepepper. This makes dressing in the morning very confusing.... "Who do I want to be today?"

Last weekend I put all of my ugly blouses, checked man blazers and vintage ditsy print dresses in a huge suitcase and I've hidden them under the stairs out of my life! Of course I've kept a few patterns and colours in my wardrobe; the electric pink, purple and green sheer checked blouse I picked up for £14 in a vintage store in Southampton for example, and a loud pair of high waisted 80s style shorts I've worn once but swear I will make more use of this summer.... I've also started some boards on Pinterest; Fashion Week and Style, which I pin inspiring outfits on to help refine both my personal style and styling aesthetic.    

I thought I'd given up on shopping - I always felt confused and disoriented and I'd always go home empty handed feeling a bit dead inside due to my loss of retail love. But then last Wednesday I paid a spontaneous visit to Topshop on my way home from work and found myself feeling not awkward, lost and overwhelmed but calm, collected and focussed. I scanned the sale rails, picking up a few bits here and there, before finding a really cute Sister Jane dress in the sale for £25. I tried everything on, you have to really, and ended up leaving with the dress and a simple ribbed funnel neck in navy, which I thought would look good under pinafores. I also picked up some new underwear, I love the knickers in the three for £10 section and always buy black so everything matches!

I'm not sure if my love of shopping has completely returned yet but I certainly seem better at it at least... finally! My main focus now is to refine my wardrobe and overall style so that I can literally get out of bed in the morning, throw something on and walk out the door looking effortless... I plan to do this by treating myself to a couple of new pieces each month, and I'd like to buy more investment pieces that I know will last. Dr Martens shoes, Cos coats, things like that.