It’s raining cats & dogs - Brat & Suzie

I’ve had the pleasure of writing a blog post about this lovely brand before – you can read it 'Here'

So I’m sure you can imagine how delighted I was when the lovely Polly from Brat & Suzie contacted about their new range!

 

How cuuuute is this rain mac, I’m pretty sure by now you might have guessed that I love anything monochrome, so this mac was an easy decision for me when perusing their website www.bratandsuzie.com

 

I chose this 'Raining Cat's & Dogs' rain mac because, well, it's just so blummin' cute! Firstly, as mentioned, it's monochrome so 'tick', but I also love the print - it's adorned with the sweetest illustrations of cats & dogs falling from the sky :)

 

 

 

Something you might not know is that I don’t own a car at the minute, so I walk, a lot! I’m lucky that my work is walkable from my home but when it rains I blummin’ hate it! So this mac has saved my ass (and hair!) on a couple of occasions already! J

 

This one is also on their website and it features the cutest bright folk print with bunnies and flowers on. - Folk Bunny Festival mac £35.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both the macs in the range have snap button fastening, which is perfect for me because there’s nothing worse than getting from work and struggling with buttons when my fingers are frozen! This badboy just rips straight off! J

 

 

If you’re not tempted by the mac but love the cutesy prints then fear not as there are plenty of other similar pieces you can choose from; the raining cats and dogs print is available on a Tshirt Dress and I’m a huuuge fan of this Rio Co-Ord for the summer too..

 

I had such a  lovely morning taking some pics down at Attenborough Nature Reserve, I'm so lucky to have this little haven to go to when I want some time out - the water was mesmerising the way that half of it was frozen, not going to lie - It took me ages to work out how the birds were walking on it!!

 

I do think that a few more minutes & these swans would have eaten me.. they were making some right odd noises!

 

 

Thanks again Brat & Suzie, I’m so proud to be representing your brand again & love watching your brand grow across your social media. (which are below if you’d like to follow them too)

 

Website: www.bratandsuzie.com

Facebook: facebook.com/bratandsuzie

Twitter: @bratandsuzie

 

Now excuse me whilst I go & jump in some puddles.. 'coz I can! ;)

 

 

 

 Love Jenn x

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cordelia_hearts

 

 

 

 

 

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These are my confessions..

Hey there lovelies,

Wow, can you believe we are over halfway through January already!? Mental! Then I realised my last post was over two weeks ago..! Woops! How these 'blogger' girls manage to do 2 posts a week I just don't know!...

....Actually, that's a big fat lie.

I do know & it's only very recently that I've accepted it... everyone I follow on here, stalk on Instagram or watch on YouTube works part time &..is.. dare I say it.. younger than me. Ouch.

I think I had a mini meltdown a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't the first time I've felt like that before, but it was just so unexpected this time! I'm in an amazing relationship, I love my real life job & I have some of the best friends I could wish for.. but something just happened & I woke up one day feeling, erm, pretty shitty.

I started questioning why do I do Cordelia, is it for money? Is it for more friends?! Is it because I'm bored with my real life? Do people judge me? I just started asking myself everything under the sun over and over again & was so desperate to find answers because I'm pretty sure that it's none of the above. Then I just thought, you know what, who actually cares why I do it? As long as I'm not hurting anyone & it's something I enjoy, then I might as well carry on.. but it's the age thing I think that is the underlying issue, I have a pretty big birthday coming up next month, my 30th! and for the first time in my life I've really let it bother me.

I started wondering if people use the words 'she's too old' about me & I couldn't help but let it get to me (even though I've NEVER heard anyone even hint that they think that!) I'm just not stupid enough to think that it hasn't crossed someone's mind, 'coz it's certainly crossed mine! Should a 30 year old be taking outfit selfies? Talking to a camera in her bedroom on her own? Chatting away to people she's never met in real life. Even as I write this I still have to question it.

Why do girls (women!haha) read in to things so much? I literally nearly deleted everything social media related.. my facebook, my instagram & even this blog.. just because I was beginning to get too concerned of what others might think.

Well, something (thank goodness!) changed! It could be due to the fact that Stuart gave me a bloody good shake & reminded me how much I love what I do, or it could be one of the following:

1) I deleted my personal Facebook account. (temp! haha)

I've been wanting to do it for a while to be honest, I was getting a bit bored of seeing the same old thing on there. I read into things I shouldn't. I got involved with conversations that didn't involve me. I was getting annoyed with myself for posting pointless statuses, or only if I had something to show off about - & I just decided I didn't want to be that person. I'll probably be back on it soon, but in a much more private way, & that flippin' 'F' on my phone screen for easy access is being deleted.
Plus, it's made me realise how amazing it feels to keep things private!
Yes, my phone is still in my hand at all times, because I'm pretty much obsessed with Pinterest & instagram.. but hey, babysteps & all that! :)

2) Back at the gym.
Like every other person I know, this Christmas I indulged! I absolutely flippin' went for it! & I woke up on January 1st with the flu. It was just such a crappy start to the new year & I told myself that as soon as I got rid of being ill, something was changing. So I'm back in the gym! I've been so lucky that a couple of weeks ago a 'Pure Gym' opened in Nottingham & it's under 5 mins walk from my house.. so I literally have no excuse. Plus, I've got some bloody amazing work mates & we've all joined together, which really helps as we can slap each others wrists through the day when the 4pm chocolate pangs kick in!

3) Booked a holiday.
Wow, what a difference having something exciting to look forward to makes! Stu & I booked a holiday this weekend & it's just given me a huuuuge positivity boost, which I know is pretty normal, but I've not had that feeling for a while. Last year we went away but it was a really last minute thing to Lanzarote - you can read all about it here - Summer Holidays  - so we didn't really have the whole build up feeling like this time. I'm exciiiiiitedd!!

4) Development at work.
Ok, so this one's a bit boring, but if you've read this far then I guess you're kind of interested to read 'about me'. I went back to work (Boots HO) in Jan & decided to have 'the chat' with my manager about next steps in my career. I was nervous as I've only been in my role 6 months, but the reaction was brilliant & it turns out that was the plan all along. Why didn't I just ask sooner?! :)


5) I'm focusing on Cordelia more than ever
So instead of deleting everything, I've decided to throw myself into it even further! I want to work with some more bloggers to get the brand out there to others, I've got a couple of exciting collaborations with other brands coming up and .. I've set up a YouTube channel! EEEK! You can subscribe here - Cordelia Hearts - although, if you click on that link you will see that I've only got one video up haha.. I'm working on it I promise! ;)

So there we go, a few changes made & I can't even describe to you how different...actually.. better.. I feel. There's still some things that need working on.. accepting my age being one of them! I'm starting my 'new year new me' a little later than everyone else, I guess I didn't realise I even wanted to in the first place.

Love, Jenn x

Ps, if you're reading this & you are over the age of 30, please don't think I'm calling 30 old!! I'm very aware it's not.

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What's the point in this blogging malarkey?

Photo by Austen Blakemore Photography

 

Well here we are.. January 2015! Madness! Like most, I can't believe how fast the year has gone & I've been sat here for the last hour reflecting on 2014, I wanted to share with you some of my highlights..

2014 was a great year for me - of course, like any year, it certainly had it's low moments, but all in all, I really can't complain!
I had a lovely holiday to Lanzarote with Stu - you can read all about that 'here'

I was chosen as Blogger of the Month by the fabulous Rock & Religion - you can read all about that

'here'

 

I completed my HR qualification & subsequently gained a new job at Boots Opticians :) not quite exciting enough to write a blogpost about though.. ;)

 

..And I finally started this blog! Why? I honestly don't know! but it's become part of me & I'm so glad that I've done it! Yes, at the beginning it was to get the word out there about Cordelia Slogan Tshirts & hopefully make myself a bit of extra pocket money, but it became a lot more than that & now it's become almost a diary - which I just so happen to share with, well, whoever wants to read it!

 

Not only that, it's enabled me to meet some bloody love people too! Without this Cordelia, that wouldn't have happened, so to me that's a good enough reason alone to carry it on :)

Here's a little shoutout to a few of them...

 

Bella Coco

 

I'm so pleased to have gained such a lovely friendship through Sarah Jayne at Bella Coco, not only is she gorgeous & fun to be around but she's inspiring & has opened my eyes to the world of blogging - always on hand for any questions I throw at her. We have similar thoughts & dreams & I have a feeling we are going to work on some exciting projects together in 2015!

We had such a great time recently shooting pics with the ever so talented Austen Blackmore Photography - if you've got a special occasion that you would like capturing then I couldn't recommend him enough. You can follow his Facebook page 'here'

 

If you haven't already then you really should take a peek at her lifestyle blog, she has amazingly just reached 20k subscribers to her Youtube channel thanks to her fab crochet tutorials & if DIY is your thing, she's not afraid to pick up a tool or two & show you how to revamp your home! 

 

What Sarah Did

 

 

Oh, what a blummin fabulous lady I've managed to befriend! All because I commented on a couple of her Instagram pictures - @whatsarahdid :) We got talking & it was soon clear that we had very similar tastes in fashion, opinions & ..men! (David Beckham is often mentioned on both of our instagram's & we battle it out who loves him the most!) 

Sarah then contacted me about stocking my tshirts in her shop 'What Sarah Did' & I couldn't believe it!! Someone actually loved my little hobby enough to buy it in bulk & put in their shop, I was absolutely over the moon & since then the orders just kept on coming!

There was a couple of moments where I thought about stopping Cordelia.. then an email from Sarah would come along like a sign. VERY excited to be meeting up again in February for my Birthday :)

 

Fazane Fox (was Malik)

Myself & Fazane met so randomly! We were both taking part in a summer market at Boots head office, Fazane was putting her stock out on the rails & I bought a faux fur gilet before she even had chance to put it on the hanger properly! I loved her one-off vintage finds & was in awe of her own brand Fazane Malik, I knew instantly I'd met someone I wanted to get to know better.

 

 

Thankfully, Fazane felt the same! A couple of weeks later, we met up again & Cordelia Fox was born! It's all at the early stages at the minute, but I'm SO excited for 2015 to get the ball rolling further - it's a perfect 'watch this space' situation as we are bursting with ideas, passion & desire to be successful.

 

So there we go, does it really answer the question what's the point in this blogging malarkey?

 

Probably not.. what it does show however, is that hardly any of the above would have happened without Cordelia, so for that reason alone.. I'm going to carry on with it <3

 

Happy New Year you lovely lot!

Jenn x

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Feeling festive!

Hey you lovely lot!

Hope you are all well & getting yourself all geared up for the festivities ahead! I for one am VERY excited for the next couple of weeks, I've always been an absolute child at Christmas - to the point where I do my friends heads in - & I really thought that by the time I reached the last one of my 20's that I'd be a little bit more over it by now - but nope, I'm still as bad, infact, if anything, worse! I've managed to get the title of elf in the office & my living room looks like a bleedin' grotto! BUT, I totally know I'm not on my own, so that in my eyes, makes it absolutely fine! :)

Now, don't get me wrong, spending time with family & friends, the high spirits, the food & the presents all play it's part in why I get so excited.. but one of the main reasons I love this time of year is the absolute necessity to get dressed up for literally any occasion! For example, this afternoon I decided to do some baking.. which lead to .. I need to dress for the part & have festive apron! Obviously!

Christmas Day is always a tricky one for me - but it always ends up being the same thing.. velvet! This year I have bought a gorgeous Boohoo.com Blue Velvet Dress - Which I've just double checked & is now only £12!!!

So this leads me nicely on to a lovely day I had at Wollaton park with Bella Coco & Austen Blakemore Photography where said dress was my outfit of choice! :) A huge thank you to Austen for the photos from the day, it was so inspiring to see how passionate you are about your work & we enjoyed every second of the day - even the point where I turned the same colour as my dress! hehe! ;)

I shall put all of Austen's details at the bottom of this post, I couldn't recommend him more to shoot your special day, he made us feel so at ease & was relentless to get the perfect shot!

Yep that's me, just casually sat on a tree in Wollaton Park! haha.. but I just love how Austen has caught the light perfect on my dress, it shows the richness of the blue perfectly!

I love this dress just because it's sooo easy to wear & doesn't cling - & let's face it, on Christmas day, the last thing we want is a dress that shows just exactly how much we've eaten that day!! Poor SJ, I don't think she was quite expecting bunny ears for this pic!

Worn here with my Cordelia Fox dress & Adorn Accessories Necklace, (Image credit to Jenny Sneap Photography)

(Image credit to Jenny Sneap Photography)

You can just about see it on the image but I'm wearing the most gorgeous bracelet from Rara de Barr this is called the Imogen Bracelet & is only £16. I wore it for my Christmas party at work too & it received so many lovely comments.. I'm a big fan of the Gatsby Cuff too.. again a bargain at only £16.50!

This is one of my favourite images of the day, can you believe that this lovely dress is only £12 now? It looks so expensive on this pic - I'm wearing the ever so popular Asos Ka Ching boots which have been sold out for some time now, however I've seen that Schuh do the exact same ones - Black Proposition Boots for £70.

So this obviously isn't the only velvet option out there, the high street is absolutely full of the fabric at the minute! ..but as far as value for money & choice goes then Boohoo.com is massively up there for me... here's some of my other favourites they have to offer.

Not sure about the velvet trend but want to get involved? I live in these bella velvet bow headband's & they are only £6 - perfect for those days where you want to look good but not got time to wash your hair!

You can't beat a good plunge neckline for a special occasion, I always hear people say they are too flat chested for a plunge, but personally I think the smaller the better.. but then maybe I've trained my mind to think that way! haha.. This Maisie velvet plunge neckline jumpsuit is £20 & comes in blue too.

 

ThisRiona high neck lace and velvet bodycon dress is soo nice & only £15! I love the eyelash details on the sleeves.. <3

Will you be buying velvet to wear this Christmas?

Thanks again to the lovely Austen, if you are interested in using his photography skills for your special occasion then his contact details are below:

Website: www.austenblakemorephotography.co.uk

Facebook: /austenblakemore

Twitter: @austenblakemore

Instagram: @nottinghamphotograper

Love Jenn x

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NYE Outfit Ideas

Caution - This post will include (probably too many) sequins!

Now, like most girls, I love to get dressed up for a special occasion - but NYE is a totally different ball game! All year I see dresses & think - oooh that would be lovely for new years eve, but don't buy it as it's normally June or equally as in-apropriate to be buying a dress for December.. & then before I know it, it's December & not only do I not know what I'm wearing, I don't even know what I'm doing!

I blame the movies, they literally make me feel like NYE should be all singing & all dancing, a kiss at midnight, fireworks, champagne & of course, lots of dancing to  Auld Lang Syne! but actually, it doesn't normally end up that way. I remember one year still being in the queue for a nightclub at midnight as it was left so last minute where to go, one where I spent the majority in the toilet (tequila is not my friend!) and one where I cried as it didn't feel 'special'! What on earth!? Why the massive expectation for something mind-blowing?

So this year, myself & Stu have decided to go & see our friends in London & have a meal - How civilised is that! & honestly, I'm looking forward to it more than I have done before, as it's not full of expectation & I know that just being with some top pals & having a few cocktails will be bloody brilliant :) (I have a feeling people will read this & think.. yawn! ..as you're planning your outfit for the party of the century.. maybe I'm just getting.. dare I say it... old!? ouch.)

However, & this is where I get excited.. no matter what I end up doing on the 31st December.. I want to wear sequins!! I literally can't think of a year where I haven't worn sequins for NYE, it just wouldn't feel right any other way, & I know I'm not on my own with that one as the shops are full to the brim with them! So, I wanted to show you some of my favourite & hopefully inspire your outfit in some way..

Here's my NYE outfits over the last 5 years..

See, I wasn't making it up! I have a teeeeeeny obsessions!

I love this Boohoo.com dress, plus, no need to worry about eating too much as it's nice & baggy - I think I'd wear this quite abit too, can see it paired with leather trousers & in the summer with strappy sandals. Plus, it's only £35! Bargain!

Awww man I seriously need this Topshop Sequin Shirt in my life!! Plus it's now reduced to £45 from £65, I would personally put this with some tuxedo suit trousers like the below & some sexy heels.. uh oh, too tempted to buy it now!

Thes H&M tuxedo trousers are only £24.99 & I'd wear them dressed up for an occasion like this, or put a simple white tshirt with them for work - Everyone needs a classic pair of black trousers & £24.99 is a reet bargain!

I've been in love with these Topshop rose gold heels shoes for some time now, if you follow my instagram @cordelia_hearts you may have seen me share these already - yep - I still feel the same about them! but they aren't cheap at £58 so I've still not treat myself..still time though! ;)

I'm the proud owner of this Topshop flocked sequin dress & I've worn it twice in the last 2 weeks already, it's quite short & I've got a friend who returned it for this reason, but it really is lovely & worth the £68 price-tag. It's going to be one of those that every year will make an appearance - & it machine washes too! Plus... if it's good enough for our Bee! :) 

Ok,, so I certainly don't look like Beyonce, but it's a gorge dress!
(Worn with my Bulls on the case phone case & Rara de Barr bracelet)

I couldn't do a blogpost on dresses without mentioning my new project Cordelia Fox ! I'm not just saying this but this dress is by far one of my favourite in my wardrobe, it's so unusual with it's cape detailing & fits lovely - plus it's only £40! A few of my friends received theirs this week & the feedback has been great. If you're interested in purchasing please email us at cordeliafox@hotmail.com :)  Worn here with my Adorn Accessories statement necklace.

 There's absolutely no way that I'll ever be buying this See by Chloe shirt dress from Net-a-porter with a price-tag of £380, but just look how simply beautiful it is! The gold trim is all gold sequins & I flippin' love it!

It's not got a sequin trim but our Cordelia Fox dress has a similar concept to the Chloe one - How about you get creative & sew a sequin trim around the collar? At £35 I know I'll be doing the same to try & recreate it! :) 

(again email cordeliafox@hotmail.com if you would like one)

Well, that's about it from me - to be honest I've done myself absolutely no favours as now I want to buy everything I've written about! Would love to hear if this post inspired you in anyway! There's a link on my blog homepage that says 'click here to follow' if you press it you will get an email whenever I post! :)

I've got a couple of posts coming up over the next week or so, I'm off to London next week & I'll be writing all about what I'll be up to whilst I'm there.

Will you be buying sequins for this NYE?

Love Jenn x

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