A/W Haul 2014-15

Its winter  in the UK which gives me an excuse to buy new clothes especially because there's a lot of sales going on at the moment.  I was a bridesmaid on the 4th of October which I needed shoes and accessories for which will also be included in this haul :) This is a collection of clothes which I have bought from October to February.

Miss Gen Photography ©

Merlot Wedges - Primark £15 (Similar pair here)

I'm not exactly sure of the price of these because Primark doesn't have a website so I cant check, but because they are from trusty Primarni they will be relatively cheap. We had a right ol' hassle trying to find a shoe that would fit everyone properly (we're all between sizes) and matched the dresses and these did both of those things- with the help of heel grips and insoles. But they were bloody painful and not at all appropriate for dancing so we changed into pumps of the same colour later that night.

Cubic Zirconia Earrings - TU at Sainsbury's £12

These were also for the wedding but because I'm trés forgetful I didn't put them in and don't have any pictures either. They came in a set of three pairs and were a simple stud, a silvery/blue-ish ball and a smaller stud and are lovely for everyday and occasion wear.

Similar pair but without
the zips.

Spotty Leggings With Zip Detail- M&S £17.99
Because I'm quite petite and still under 16 I sometimes have a look in the teens section of shops to see if there's anything that I like, In this case I found a pair of spotty leggings with gold zips on the hips and ankles. The only word I can use to described them is jazzy but this does cause the issue that they're bloody hard to style. Another issue is that they leave a pattern on you legs that matches the pattern of their exterior and one of my pet hates is the lines and dents clothing can leave on your body.

Bardot Dress-Primark £13
This was the dress I chose to wear on Christmas day. Me and my friend bought matching ones but she was told hers showed too much cleavage, I however am blessed with a flatter chest and only received compliments on the neckline and how it showed off my collar bones and neck. I love love love bardot/off the shoulder tops and dresses and will definitely be buying more in the future.




(another post that's been sitting in my draft forever, its spring now mary for christs sake get your act together)

♕ Links ♕

{Tumblr} lillielle.tumblr.com
{Twitter} @mary_markham
{Instagram} @mazgab

{Email} marymarkham99@gmail.com

Get Healthy With Me ! - Part 1 !

These are the before photos of me when I decided to get healthy, taken in February and May last year. And also a comparision between my face in October 2014 and my face in 2010 when I ate whatever I wanted and did very little sport.

Since then I have joined a gym and started to do a lot of cardio, my aim is to do lots cardio to lower my body fat percentage and then start do more muscle workouts to tone while still doing a smaller amount of cardio. It took me months and months to build up the courage to go to the gym by myself but now I actually prefer it to going with friend. I also just recently finally ran on a treadmill, up until then I'd just been walking at a high incline. My original motivation was the get more toned before a wedding I attended in October, but now it's a mixture of Prom and just generally wanting to be healthier.
I've given up chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and fast food; also I know go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week for a hour each time, I split it in halves, 30 mins cardio and 30 mins muscle toning. I'll keep you posted on my progress over 2015 :D

♕ Links ♕

{Tumblr} lillielle.tumblr.com
{Twitter} @mary_markham
{Instagram} mazmarkham

{Email} marymarkham99@gmail.com

Back to School Essentials

I had to go back to school a few weeks ago so I thought I'd share with you my essentials that I keep in my bag and blazer at all times. Most of these are aimed at girls but are easily interchangeable for other genders :)

• Hair Brush, Bobbles, and Bobby Pins

I change my hair so much throughout the day either due to necessity e.g. I have p.e. so my hair has to be up or just due to boredom, my friends tell me I often change it 6 times in an hour long  lesson! I always carry more than one bobble/bobby pin around because people always come to me needing one.

• Water

Hydration is important and drinking more water keep your skin clear and glowing. If possible I'd recommend freezing a bottle of water the night before and bringing it the next day, ice water is not only more refreshing but also supposedly good for your metabolism.

• LipBalm

As I mentioned in this tweet I'm not a fan of chapped lips and they can easily get dry during the colder months which are approaching.


Some more essential include

• Plasters
• Tissues and Wet-wipes - for when theres no toilet paper or you have a cold.
• Mirror
• Body Spray
  

• Hand Sanitizer and Hand Cream - for after touching icky banisters and door handles that are sticky for unknown reasons :S
• Headphones
• Gum or Mints (chewing some hubba bubba right now)
  

September Wishlist

Right so I've decided, because I completely failed last time I said I was going to do one of these once a month, that I'm now going to do either a favourites or a wishlist every second month and which will be included in my minimum of two posts a month. (fingers crossed I actually do it this time)

This months wishlist is all clothes from an app I discovered recently called Vinted which allows you to raid other people closets from around the world and buy clothes they don't want anymore for a lot cheaper than they would've been in store.

First up is this gorgeous fur gilet, to me it just screams Millie Mackintosh who is one of my style icons and it'll keep me super cozy and snug in the through autumn and into winter. I sure hope it has pockets though. I want to also wear it over my denim jacket but am unsure whether it would work.

Next is a black midi dress, bit boring, but ooh wait it has leather sleeves *gasps*. Okay, okay I can't really jazz this one up much its just a classic and as it's getting a bit chillier now my hemlines are going to start coming down. I'm planning on wearing this with the aforementioned fur gilet and my trusty BooHoo fedora.

3rd the one with the one with the hair chest, actually this is the item is the least hairy and the least likely to be styled with anything fluffy or furry. It's more of a feathery affair due to its beautiful flamingo colour which is also a little bit burgundy making a great autumnal palette. I want to wear this with cute black knee high socks and a long sleeved basic black top or jumper.

Finally on my wishlist is this white fluffy jumper which reminds me of a little cute maltese puppy and of snow so it is a bit Cruella de Vil of me to want it, I want a white jumper to match some white chunky sandals own and I've really been struggling to find the perfect one. 

My next post is either going to be a back to school essentials or a autumn haul so see you then xx

♕ Links ♕

{Tumblr} beau-lie.tumblr.com
anglais-rosy.tumblr.com
{Twitter} @mary_markham
{Pinterest} anglaismary
{Instagram} mazmarkham

{Email} marymarkham99@gmail.com

British Tag

Tag questions:

1. How many cups of tea do you have a day and how many sugars?

yuck i dont like tea, does that make me a bad brit :L

2. Favourite part of your roast?

i'm a yorkshire lass so of course its got to be the yorkshire pudding, but only homemade ones not ones from a packet, they're just not the same

3. Favourite dunking biscuit?

chocolate hobnob in hot chocolate

4. Favourite quintessentially British past time?

garden parties with cucumber sandwiches and bunting that are  almost always ruined by rain half way through 

5. Favourite word?

ginnel -  a narrow alleyway.

6. Cockney rhyming slang?

dog and bone- phone, apples and pears- stairs

7. Favourite sweet?

pear drops or jazzies

8. What would your pub be called?

"the bathing bird" it sounds quite cheeky doesn't it 

9. No.1 British person?

prince harry because how many other royals allow a reality show to be made about someone pretending to be them i'm of course talking about the greatest show on earth "I Wanna Marry Harry"

10. Favourite shop/restaurant?

greggs i like pasties and i like pizza so it offers me all i want
homesense, i constantly redecorate my room and homesense fits my style perfectly and it's cheap.

11. What British song pops into your head?
blur- park life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIEsmGzo2UE

12. Marmite
i've never tried it but i'm a fussy eater so im guessing i'd hate it

It'd be cool to know your answers link me to them in the 

comments if you like xx

♕ Links ♕

{Tumblr} beau-lie.tumblr.com
anglais-rosy.tumblr.com
{Twitter} @mary_markham
{Pinterest} anglaismary
{Instagram} mazmarkham

{Email} marymarkham99@gmail.com

Summer Lookbook

Top- Boohoo, Skort- Miss Selfridge.

Dress- Dorothy Perkins.                   

Dress- Matalan Candy Couture (out of stock). 

Denim Jacket- Matalan Candy Couture, Top- Boohoo, Skort - Miss Selfridge.

 You could pair any of these outfits with my favourite summer shoes. Chunky Gladiators- Matalan

Sorry that this is absolutely crap I promise my A/W one will be better I left this one in my drafts so long that i became uninspired :L  

 ♕ Links ♕

{Tumblr} beau-lie.tumblr.com
anglais-rosy.tumblr.com
{Twitter} @mary_markham
{Pinterest} anglaismary
{Instagram} mazmarkham

{Email} marymarkham99@gmail.com

Work Experience Tips

I basically did a pretty shoddy job at finding a work experience placement which is why I've ended up working at my mum's school but here's some tips on  how you can get the placement you want.

1. Early Bird Gets the Worm
As soon as you get given the dates of when you'll have to do your work experience start contacting people, I waited at least 2 months before I did which was a bad idea. However it was still 5 months before the work experience dates started :(
2. No Emailing
I contacted around 20 places via email and only about 4 replied, all saying they were already full. So try asking people in person or over the phone as then you'll get an immediate response and not have to wait a few days for a "no" or just to be ignored. Calling people scared the shit out of me, as did speaking to people in person but you could just get your parent/guardian to ask for you if you're anything like me.
3. Go Big or Go Home
I recommend applying to big businesses as they are more likely to have the ability and correct insurance to take a young person on. Also big businesses will look good on your CV as they are more well known and have good reputations giving you a good reputation by association.
4. Talk to Your Work Experience Co-Ordinator
If you're doing work experience while still at school talk to the person who deals with the admin regarding it, about where to apply and whether they know of anywhere already on the system that would be likely to take you on.
5. Don't be Afraid to Travel
Limiting yourself to just your local area will also limit the amount of places you can apply to, I know people who are going to York and London to do their two weeks just because that's where the opportunities in fields they're interested in lie.
6. It's Not Forever
If you're struggling to think of places to apply to because you're clueless about what job you want in the future, don't worry ! It's only for 2 weeks you won't be stuck there forever. Apply to places that you think will help you get your first job, not your dream job, if you're in  pickle e.g. shops and cafes. But this is a last resort don't straight away lower yourself, no offence to anyone working in these jobs, aim high at first.
7. Branch Out
If people reject you ask them if they know of anywhere else similar that would accept you. You could also ask if businesses have another branch near by and if they could take you on,some businesses may ask the other branch on your behalf avoiding extra stress for you.
8. Family and Friends
Unfortunately for me most of my parents friends are teachers which isn't something I'm particularly interested in but my brother got to do a week with a graphic design company through a family friend and he really enjoyed it.

Hope these help but I'm afraid a lot of it, in my opinion, is down to luck so..

GOOD LUCK from me xo

♕ Links ♕
{Tumblr} beau-lie.tumblr.comanglais-rosy.tumblr.com
{Twitter} @mary_markham
{Pinterest} anglaismary
{Instagram} mazmarkham
{Email} marymarkham99@gmail.com