My Month in Instagram : March

March has been a jam-packed month for me. I started the month with a wonderful day in London attending the Isabella Blow & David Bailey exhibitions. I am so glad that I got to see the Isabella Blow exhibition before it closed. It was a fascinating insight into her life and career at the forefront of British style, working with designers such as Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy.

Since I was up in London for the day I went to see the David Bailey exhibition, Stardust,  at the National Portrait Gallery. The legendary photographer has an amazing and varied body of work spanning six decades, and featuring everyone from pop stars to Papua New Guinea tribes-people. I picked up a print of Jean Shrimpton for what will be our new home office space. I would highly recommend this to anyone even remotely interested in fashion or photography. I purchased the accompanying audio guide via the App Store, which features David Bailey himself discussing his work. I found that getting to hear the story behind it from the man himself added another dimension to viewing his work.

I was very excited to book tickets to see Caitlin Moran in July. I loved her book How to be a Woman, so can't wait to see her live. I went to a sparkling wine tasting with my friend Liz, which was not only great fun but we managed to learn a thing or two aswell. Liz was VERY excited to sample the champagne that they served at the Royal Wedding! Our staff choir took part in a Sports Relief fundraiser with other choirs led by Sing & Inspire. It was great fun, and wonderful to see lots of happy smiley faces bursting into song as soon as they heard the Match of the Day theme tune!

Last week I was lucky enough to attend TEDx Cardiff, which was held in the Wales Millennium Centre. It was a brilliant day, filled with a host of inspirational speakers, from two men who travelled around the world in a Tuk Tuk to promote global education; to a journalist turned baker who set up her own company, The One Mile Bakery, who shared her passion for making and sharing food with those we love.

For Mothers' Day, I took my Mum to Bute Park, as she wanted to see the daffodils in bloom. We are really lucky to have this space right in the heart of the city. It looked absolutely beautiful in the Spring sunshine, and the trees in full blossom. After our stroll through the park we went for tea and cake in the charming Pettigrew Tea Rooms which is located on the edge of the park. If you are in Cardiff and get the chance then you should definitely pop in for one of their fabulous cakes. I opted for the Blood Orange and Almond cake, which was delicious, accompanied by a pot of White Peony and Rosebud tea.

How Pinterest changed my closet

When Virgin Media contacted me to find out how I use the internet to consume fashion, it really got me thinking. My hours spent browsing the racks at Black White Denim had been the first time in ages that I had devoted a block of time to browsing new season looks in person. Rather, nearly all of my most recent purchases have been snapped up online.

For someone who loves to shop and who could (and has!) quite easily whiled away a day just window shopping, this might be quite surprising. However, in a period where I have got lots of different things pulling on my time, online shopping means that I can still update my wardrobe even if I haven't got time to browse the boutique racks.

I honestly can't imagine shopping now without the internet. From the very beginning of a season, the internet allows me to draw style inspiration from far and wide, whether it be by watching live streams of fashion shows or collating looks that I love on Pinterest. After many years of purchasing lots of random items, in recent years I have made much more of an effort to think about what pieces I need to add to my closet to make it work better for me. Doing this before purchasing results in less items languishing unloved at the back of my closet and more items that I love and get lots of wear out of.

Here are some of the items which I am currently coveting on Pinterest.

When I first started using Pinterest it had more than a bit of novelty value for me, but as I added things to my boards and followed more people, I began to find it a really useful tool to not only plan my new season purchases, but also to discover ways of refreshing my existing pieces. 

Once I have settled on the pieces that I need to add to my closet, I love it when I find an independent boutique which manages to translate some of the in-store experience into an online offering. Black White Denim is a prime example of this. My first purchases from them were via their website. When I was lucky enough to get to visit the store, I was able to get the full Black White Denim experience. For me, the experiences are complementary, with the website meaning that I can still purchase some of Jo's brilliant edit, even if I can't make the trip to Wilmslow.

So, how do you get your fashion fix? Are you still wedded to browsing the racks of your local boutique, or have you swapped the physical retail space for online stores? Or like me, do you like to have the best of both worlds?!

Fine print: This post is sponsored by Virgin Media.

Out There Interiors

As you will know, I have been busy over the last few months with moving house and then embarking on the subsequent DIY involved in renovating every room in the house. We are still not quite finished, but we are getting there slowly! We are currently working on the lounge after having had new floorboards put down. I am looking forward to making the lounge a relaxing but (hopefully) stylish space where we can relax at the end of the day. However, I am already planning what I want to do with the next room on the list - the study.

We are planning on using a room on the ground floor as a study/small lounge. It will be great to have a dedicated and organised space where I can blog and work on my CIPR assignments. And also to retreat to if I want to chill out and read.

You will see from my interiors Pinterest board that my taste in interiors is slightly eclectic. I am a big fan of Abigail Ahern's school of interior design and also mid-century modern furniture. I like to mix up eras and textures in the same space to try and give a room a bit of personality.

Here are some of my recent finds on one of my many internet trawls for fabulous pieces for the home. These are from Out There Interiors, which has a really quirky mix of pieces designed to cater for a variety of tastes in interiors.

Since we moved, I have become a big fan of monochrome interiors. You will see from the selection above that although the items are monochrome, I have mixed up textures and influences to keep it interesting. I know that the Las Vegas style light might be too much for some people, but I love the fact that it is a bit unexpected.

Despite my increasingly monochrome leanings, I just can't help myself. I love to throw a bit of (very bright!) colour into the mix. I think the mix of perspex, industrial style metal and bold prints will look great together.

Technically, the deer hook would go in the hallway just outside the study. In case you are wondering, it is not just a wall decoration. It is designed to hold a bike on the wall, saving much-needed space. My boyfriend rides his bike everywhere, and it currently lives in our hallway. I think the deer would provide a flash of colour and also be extremely practical. A win-win situation! 

I would love to know your taste in interiors - classic; shabby chic; ultra-modern?

Vogue Festival tickets on sale

Tickets went on sale yesterday for this year's Vogue Festival, taking place in the Southbank Centre on the weekend of March 29-30. This year, the style bible will be welcoming another amazing selection of fashion industry insiders to share their experiences and wisdom with fashion lovers. The list of speakers reads like a dream closet: Valentino, Phoebe Philo, Manolo Blahnik, and Mary Katranzou, to name just a few. I have yet to attend a Vogue Festival, and every year when it comes around, I always wish that I had purchased tickets. So, could this be the year? I may not be able to stretch to a Celine tote, but I am sorely tempted to purchase a ticket for the Phoebe Philo talk, and that's just for starters!

You can find out more about the event at www.vogue.co.uk/voguefestival 

Will you be attending this year's event?