Rambling On A Rooftop

V Neck Tee: Topshop
Tortoiseshell Sunglasses: Topshop
Feather Necklace: Alex Monroe
Kaleidoscope Print Skirt: Whistles
Cut Out Boots: Topshop
Friendship Bracelet: Accessorize
Alexa Bag: Mulberry

In the words of Alan Carr, what a week it's been, I had the best intentions of posting yesterday but I was genuinely too zonked to type. This past week I've gallivanted to London and back, sorted my mums MOG outfit (more on that here) and attended and celebrated my brothers wedding, no biggie. Weddings are always a joyous occasion but I think family ceremonies are just that tiny bit more special - seeing my brother that happy is a memory I'll never forget and hearing him say his vows made me one proud sister, woop woop Mr & Mrs F. If you fancy a sneak peek at a few wedding snaps then get over to my Insta.

These photos were taken on the rooftop of John Lewis, Oxford Street who have opened their rather spectacularly put together roof garden to the public until the end of August, it'd of been foolish not to take advantage of such a photo opp right? I picked up this Kaleidoscope print skirt from Whistles (via JL funnily enough) after they rather generously decided to throw a 20% brand match day my way, I even picked up the matching top, ya'll know how much I dig a crazy patterned co-ord. If you fancy getting your Whistles lovin' mitts on this set then act fast, it's seriously discounted in the sale right now. Keeping things cas and daytime appropriate in the city I said nay to the matching crop and yes to a grey marl tee, Topshop you are bringing it right now on the basics front. For stomping the streets of London there was only one footwear choice, no-one wants city filth on their feet!

One thang I haven't mentioned is my make-up, my mum and I happened to stumble upon Charlotte Tilbury in Selfridges and the rest is photographic history. Can you spot the tiny Selfridges bag? Don't even think about venturing to CT unless you've got mula to spend, you will want everything! My mum rather sweetly treated me to a lipstick, brow pencil and eyeshadow quad (all which I'm sporting above). I can't wait to show ya'll that dreamy rose gold packaging.

What do you wear to keep cool in the city? Do you lust over the Charlotte Tilbury brand?

Home Improvement Hero: The Patio

Moving into your own home is possibly one of the most exciting adventures you'll ever embark upon - I remember the day Craig and I moved into our rented flat like it was yesterday, I'd never been so excited to clean and put our own stamp on our first abode so you can imagine my excitement when we finally bought our first home together. Unlike renting (unless your landlord is amazing) the possibilities to add your own touch are endless. Having said that there's always one important aspect I forget about, money. I'm all for making our new home as beautiful as possible but the man friend is always the one to harp on about money be practical so when the lovely folk at Moneysupermarket.com got in touch to see how I could transform a room with just £50 I was more than a little determined to prove the boy wrong - I can do stylish and on a budget, you can read all about the competition here.

As England is finally experiencing a real Summer I instantly knew which space I wanted to transform, our outdoor patio space, which to be frank looked a little bland pre makeover. I love that we have both a garden and a patio space in our new home as it will be darling for hosting BBQs, enjoying a glass of wine after work or even somewhere I can blog from (don't let me down Sky Broadband!)

As a newbie to the home owner club I'm determined to finally get into DIY and do things myself, not only does it save precious mula but it also gives you a real sense of pride (so I'm told). That said I didn't want the patio project to be one that'd take an age, there's plenty to be done inside that's going to take that position so after spying some amazing outdoor options on the John Lewis website, I hot footed it to the Sheffield store.

Now I know John Lewis isn't the cheapest of places but I'm a firm believer in buying quality items that'll last whilst mixing in some budget buys, like I would with my wardrobe - it's all about the balance. At £69.99 the bistro set I purchased was technically over budget but a family member had kindly gifted Craig and I a John Lewis gift card so this table and chair set came in under budget at £44.99 - yes! 

I'd like to say I stopped there and felt proud of such an epic and rare achievement of coming under budget but I'd be lying to you guys, on the way out of the store I spotted this super cute London cushion. Now ya'll know how much I love London and this will go with my huge collection of cushions from the flat. With the added purchase of the cushion my budget of £50 was blown by £22.99 but let's be honest, I'd probably spend this in one trip to Boots on unnecessary purchases!

So with a table and cushion (naughty Hannah) in hand I headed back to the house to style things up...

How pretty does our patio area look now? The brightly coloured lanterns I've had since our days in the flat and I know these will create a sweet atmosphere along with my butterfly shaped tea light holder which my brother and his fiancee bought for my birthday. I'd love to tell you the Roberts radio was mine but sadly it's not, my mum and dad haven't been using it for a while so have let us borrow it, will they get it back? Now that's a question! Our bunting is from a shop called Charisma near where we live although I'm debating changing this for my home-made bunting. Finishing touches come in the shape of Barry the Bulldog, our ever practical door stop and my huge Alice in Wonderland-esque clock which I was gifted on my twenty first birthday where I had an Alice in Wonderland themed party.

With the boy suitably impressed with my simple yet very us home improvements (and a little amazed that I managed to achieve all this with just £50 - it'll be our little secret) we decided to celebrate with an impromptu afternoon tea sesh so out came the big guns - I'm talking M&S carrot cake, macaroons and Twinings tea. Let's just hope all my home improvements are so successful, fingers crossed eh?

What do you think of my new patio area? What part of your home would you improve with £50?