Monday, 2 September 2013

OUT with the old. IN with the new.

 I'M MOVING!
I've decided to create a new blog, you know - fresh start and all.
I am no longer toriasays but have a new blog under the name Docs and Daisies (two of my fave things: Dr Martens and daisies)
I will be leaving this blog up for if anyone wants to read old posts/ knows where to find me now, etc etc.
 
My new URL is *drum roll pls* www.docsanddaisies.blogspot.co.uk  tadaah!
 
PLEASE come and follow me, as I will be posting the same, just hopefully more regularly now with more outfit/DIY/hauls and so on!
 
Be there or BE Square! ;)
 
thanks!

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

Reading Festival Here I Come!

Tomorrow I am setting off to Reading Festival for the weekend and by Monday morning I will have seen the likes of Fall Out Boy, Greenday, Eminem, and many more live. I don't think I can express to any of you reading this how excited I am! I've been driving my boyfriend crazy counting down the hours for the past few weeks!

I thought that this would be a good excuse to play around with creating various outifts that you could wear to a festival* using my five favourite places to shop: Topshop, River Island, Boohoo.com, Missguided and ebay!

*I'm not saying this is the type of outfits you HAVE to wear, these are just my ideas and what I would love to wear :)

 1) Statement Necklace Here 2) Straw Bowler Hat Here 3) Sunglasses Here 4) Motel Daisy Playsuit Here 5) Lilac Hunter Wellies Here 6) Crossbody Bag Here


1) Midi Rings Here 2) Floral Sun dress Here 3) Cream Cardigan Here 4) Studded Backpack Here 5) Sunglasses Here 6) Chelsea Boot Wellies Here 7) Stacking Rings Here 8) Floral Headband Here
 
1) Sunglasses Here 2) White Embroidered Dress Here 3) Necklace Here 4) Oversized Hat Here 5) Black Pouch Bag Here 6) Cut Out Boots Here
 
1) Hand Harness Here 2) Knee High Boots Here 3) Gold Box Bag Here 4) Black Trapeze Dress Here 5) Flower Crown Here 6) Sunglasses Here
 
 
1) Retro Sunglasses Here 2) Baseball Jersey Here 3) Gold Chain Here 4) Denim Shorts Here 5) Black Fringed Bag Here 6) Maxstar Converse Here
 
Obviously, being a festival in England it is more than likely going to rain so a few more layers would have to be added to each outfit to stop you getting frostbite or something ridiculous like that! However on the brighter side the weather forecast for this weekend is looking like a heatwave so fingers crossed 'aye?
 
I've also been thinking about a post I could do for when I return, and have decided to do a kind of style spot for when I am there! So If you are going to Reading Festival, look out for me in the hundreds and thousands, because I will be looking for groovy looking people to feature in my post!
 
What festivals have you been to this summer?
Are you going to Reading/Leeds like me?
 
thanks for reading!
 
 
 
 
 

DIY: Flower Crowns

I think we all know how ridiculously expensive flower crowns are to buy nowadays in shops such as Topshop, River Island, etc. If not, in my opinion they are! especially when you can just make your own for less than half the price and you can make it exactly how you want it.
 
I've seen a few tutorials for creating these on Youtube, Blogger and at fetes that I've been to this summer so I thought I should definitely give it a go and try it for myself as it will save me some extra pounds! So here we go, are you ready?
 
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
  • 1 alice band - I purchased mine from a local chemist at £1, but they are available in Primark, most supermarkets and shops, etc etc.
  • 1 or 2 or 3 or however many bunches of artificial flowers you wish to put on your flower crown! - I purchased mine from dunelm for £2 as they have bendy stalks which are a bonus for this tutorial. They are also available at most craft shops and hobbycraft.
 
 
Firstly I laid out my alice band and placed my flowers in the position that I want them when complete. By doing this it will let you move them about and try different positions for your flowers without starting and then having to undo all of your work so far!

 
I then started with the top two flowers, making sure that they are positioned equally and at the top of the alice band. One at a time I held each flower still while bending the wire stem round the alice band tightly so that once let go of it stays in place.

 
Doing the same with the next flower, it should then look something like this!


My bunch of flowers came in a pack of 6, so at this stage I had four left - enough for two either side. I used the same technique to attach them to the alice band, making sure that the bendy stems were twisted towards the end of the band as you can see in the photo below.

 
Ta-daah! Your flower crown is now complete in 3 tiny steps! It should look something like this, never mind if not, just un-twist the stems and start again or keep fiddling with what you have done so far and it may fall into place!

 
These are a few flower crowns that I have created so for all using the same technique as explained here. You don't always have to stick to one size/colour/shape of flower either, it is completely up to your choice and liking, these are just what I wanted!
 
 
Have you tried this tutorial? How did it go?
Have you tried any other methods of creating a flower crown?
 
thanks for reading!
 
 

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

University Update & Mini Haul

I previously posted a teeny tiny University haul of a few bits that I have purchased for my first year of Uni. An update since then is that I have passed my A-Levels A* A B (hooray for me) and now have an unconditional offer to study Fashion Styling at Southampton Solent! :)
 
So me being the over prepared numpty that I am, Kind of went all out and have bought a few more bits and bobs for my room! Everything so far has either been reduced in price, just generally cheap or in the sale, so you can call me a bargain hunter from now on aha!
 
 
White Pots: Ikea £2
Tin money box: BM Stores 99p
 
 
Bath Mat: Primark £2.99 (sale)
Heart Wall Décor: BM Stores £2.99
 
 
Cottage Door Stop: Dunelm £2.99 (sale)
Glade Air Freshener: BM Stores £2
Floral Photo Frames: Tesco £3 (sale)
 
 
Flower Lights: BM Stores £2.99
Glass Heart Jar: BM Stores £1.99
Love Hearts Tin: BM Stores 99p
Floral Placemat: Market 50p
 
How were your A-level results?
I hope you got what you wanted! If not, don't worry its not the end of the world!
Who else has gone crazy with Uni purchases (please say its not just me!)
 
thanks for reading!
 
 

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Say Hello To: Her Small Treasures!

 
If you follow me on Instagram (@Toriasays) you will more than likely be aware that I have started my own little jewellery business. If not, you know now!
 
Say hello to Her Small Treasures - specialising in delicate handmade jewellery all made by myself!
To go to my etsy shop click HERE or go to the link - www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HerSmallTreasures
 
This is the only place as of yet that you will be able to purchase from me, however I will be posting updates on how everything is getting on, new products and sneak peeks on this blog, my instagram @toriasays and on the Her Small Teasures Facebook page Here.
 
I'm not going to go on and on, I will just let you browse my pages and purchase if you may!
Make sure to check back though, as new products will be going up as the time goes on.
I'll leave you with some pictures of products that are up on etsy at the moment.
 
 
...and many more!
 
Please give feedback as I would love to hear what you think!
 
thanks for reading!

Friday, 28 June 2013

Motel Wishlist


 
For those who may not know:
'Motel's vintage heritage originated in an American road trip in 1999, where the designers cultivated a vast inspiration of original prints and timeless cuts from the many thrift stores and second hand shops that dotted the California coast. Bringing these looks to the British consumer and carving a unique niche in the marketplace, Motel's vision was born. Over several seasons, the brand progressed and evolved to deliver garments that adhere to the nuances of the female form while keeping up with the mainstream trends yet boldly keeping it authentic to the Motel look. The brand's well-defined style is instantly recognized with it's signature custom designed prints and figure hugging dresses.
Inspired by vintage aesthetics and silhouettes, the brand is known globally for it's modern slant on women's street fashion and edgy, on-trend style that should not be sacrificed because of price. Designed in the UK, Motel is known for body-concious pieces that span the wardrobe needs of every woman from the celebrity to the girl next door. Flattering and sassy, it's siren worth pieces have an unforgettable quality that is perfect for the dance floor, for Sunday brunch and everywhere in between. Always filled with exclusive free spirited prints and bold colour blocking, Motel's collection spans seductive dresses and jumpsuits, timeless blouses, fun-filled tees, and colourful print infused denim.'
 
I havent only just 'discovered' Motel as such, I always knew it was around, but I never really took the time to look through their products. However, recently after seeing the brand appearing on tonnes of blogs and mentioned  in youtube videos I decided to finally check it out!
 
Well, i have been missing out on some amazing items! If I could have I would have included almost everything in this dedicated wishlist, but I've just picked out a few items that I NEED to get my hands on because they are beautiful!
 
 
From left to right:
 
I absolutely adore the halterneck crop tops, and they have them in almost eery print you can think of. I think they would look perfect teamed with high rise discopants or mom jeans, and are easy to dress up or dress down depending on the occassion.
A lot of the products on Motel have a grunge look about them in my opinion which I love, but there are plenty of feminine and girly dresses and other items available too. The prices may seem high to some people if you were to compare them to missguided or boohoo, but compared to River Island and Topshop they are relatively the same. They also offer student a 20% discount and free delivery and returns to all customers, so I think you are getting your moneys worth from Motel!
 
To sum things up, I will definately be saving up for a shopping splurge on www.motelrocks.com !!
What are your favourite Motel pieces?
Are any the same as mine?
 
Motel's Summer Lookbook '13
 
how pretty are all the models and clothes!?
 
thanks for reading!
 


Saturday, 15 June 2013

adios amigos!

Hello beautiful readers. In 9 and 3/4 hours I willbe flying to espanol on holiday! So, I wont be blogging for a week or so - well at least not properly. If I find myself infront of a computer with an internet conection I may post a few pictures if I can, but until I am back (June 27th) so long, farewell!

In the meantime though you could always follow my instagram - @toriasays
or follow my twitter @toriaaaaaa
if you're missing me! ;)
 
 
Adios!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

 
I have had an awful lot of trouble finding skincare products that don’t bring me up in a rash, break me out or just cause me a lot of havoc and discomfort after applying, but I picked this Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer up in my local Tesco store when it first came out just to give it a go and it has helped me incredibly. I didn’t rush to write a review on the product straight away as I wanted to see if it was long-lasting and didn’t break me out or cause me trouble in the long run. But here we are and it has become a staple piece in my skincare routine.
 
It comes in the little pot as shown above in the picture which holds 50ml of product, it’s just simple packaging – nothing too fancy as Nivea is a cheap drugstore brand. I picked up the normal & combination skin option, but I am 99% sure that there is a dry & sensitive alternative available as well.
I apply a small amount to my face every morning after using a toner, letting it to sink in first before going on and applying my makeup. The texture is really light, as if nothing is there – much unlike other moisturisers and primers I have used in the past. Once on the face, it sinks in within a minute or so, leaving my face smooth and fresh – again, as if I hadn’t applied anything at all. When applying base makeup, whether it is just concealer or foundation it always goes on easily and looks less dewy or ‘caked on’. I found that when using other primers it only acted as another layer on my face, which ended up with my makeup looking too thick and unnatural, but with this it is the exact opposite.
Nivea put this down to it being enriched with Vitamins & natural Lotus Extract which help provide an even smooth base for effective makeup application and helps makeup stay put throughout the day. I would totally agree with this as I find myself not needing to touch up my face throughout the day.
Normally in a review this would be the part where there would be some cons to the product but I literally cannot think of any! I would recommend this to anyone as it is so durable and totally worth the mere 5 or so pounds that it costs. You can pick this product up in drugstores such as Boots or Superdrug and supermarkets like Tesco, ASDA, etc. I will definitely be re-purchasing this products and trying out other products from the Nivea range in the future!
Have you tried this product before? How did you get on with it?
Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Sidney's good deed

I just want to clarify:
I am not writing this to beg readers to give money, or to belittle people about the various amounts people do for charity. I am merely spreading the word on what my amazing - yet slightly crazy - boyfriend has decided to take on.
 
So Sidney- there he is, underneath this writing..
 
 is doing a sponsored sky dive later this year for a local charity called Keech Hospice
 
Keech Hospice Care cares for adults living within Bedfordshire and children from across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes. Their aim is to help patients enjoy the highest quality of life, while providing vital support for their family and friends throughout their loved one's illness and in their bereavement. All of the charity's services are offered free of charge, every single day of the year. This is all made possible because of the generous support of the local community.
 
Last year, someone very close to my heart passed away due to cancer, which was untreatable, yet Keech helped them try and carry out their day-to-day life as easily and enjoyable as possible as well as giving them a place to visit every other day and participate in activities to keep them happy and having fun during the last few months of her life.
 
Sidney has to raise over £400 pound to be able to take on the sky dive which is going to help the charity incredibly, and I couldn't think of a better place for the money to be going too! I'm not forcing anyone to donate, so please don't say horrible things about this post, I just wanted to share the information with you and to give the link to his donating page incase anyone did want to donate!
 
Click here to go to his fundraising page!
 
Afterall, who wouldn't want him to look like this when jumping out a plane? hahahaha!
 
Thankyou for taking the time to read this.

Turning 18!

 If you follow me on instagram or twitter you would probably have gathered that I turned 18 last week ( hoorah hoorah! ) as I don't think I shut up about it! Anyway, I thought I'd  create this post to share a few pictures of my celebrations and gifts I recieved and so on.
 
My actual birthday was on the 4th, but I kind of used the whole week to celebrate it, as it is a special age of course. I had a family BBQ on the Sunday(2nd) which was cute and all the fam turned up with presents and we had a laugh in the sunny weather. On the actual day my boyfriend Sidney took me to London to go shopping, which was a great day on Oxford Street in the sunshine. The day after, my mum took me to London again! I was so tired after being the day before aswell but I'm not ungrateful at all for it! We went to Camden in the day which was amazing, I love the markets and shops and food and location and everything about it - apart from some of the dodgy looking people of course. In the evening we then went to see the new Charlie and the Chocolate factory musical which was absolutely amazing, I reccomend it to all of you, it was the best musical I have ever seen :)
 
Here are some pictures of my celebrations!
These were taken from my instagram - @toriasays
Presents from the charity shop I volunteer in // Birthday cupcakes I made // Birthday cupcakes again // Unsociable sidney // Moi enroute London // Birthday boxing day ootd // Starbucks stop // Camden!! // Cafe' Rouge dinner
 
As turning 18 in the UK means you can finally go out cl-uuuuur-bin, (clubbing for those not down with my lingo ;]) I went out on the town with my two girlies to celebrate my birthday. Don't worry though guys, I got home safe and I wasn't a drunken mess!
why dont you follow their instagrams? @lucyfoster56 @_shannonryder_
I thought I'd include a little birthday haul at the end here, as I love seeing these types of posts and youtube videos myself, so here goes!
 Cute memoirs // Greenday tour T & AA tennis skirt // Benefit & pampering goodies // Illamasqua lipstick in ESP & Barry-m polish // Victoria's Secret prezzie ;) // Chocolates & of course alcoholic beverages now I am a legal adult haha!
 
Anyone share the same birthday as me?
How did you celebrate your 18th birthday?
 
thanks for reading!

Saturday, 8 June 2013

The Shopaholic Tag




Recently I have seen this tag EVERYWHERE over youtube and on a few blogs here and there, so I thought I would join in on the fun aswell! The tag was created by WWelcometomycloset and I tag everyone who reads this post to give it a go aswell!
1. Would you consider yourself a shopaholic?
Personally? No. If you were to ask anyone else? Yes.
The way I see things is: I am going to university at the end of this year to study a fashion related course, so by spending money on fashion and beauty items I am in some way studying, practising and researching for the future! In the same way that my little brother buys music and guitar items all the time!
 
So mum if you’re reading this, Shopping is helping me on the way to greatness!

2. How would you classify your style?
Grunge / Feminine / Classic / Literally everything.
I don’t really want to label or brand myself with any style really. I like what I like and my style changes from day to day. Monday I could base my look around the 50’s and Tuesday I could go out looking like I’m out of a Punk band – are you getting my drift?

3. What store can you not leave without buying at least one thing?
I’d love to say the answer is Topshop, but I simply don’t have the money the majority of the time! I think I will have to go with Primark, whether it’s a basic T-shirt or some jewellery or a bag, I will more than likely leave having bought something new.

4. Where do you find the best deals?
Again, Primark or as my family refer to it as: Primarni, Primarda or Primarche’.Especially at the minute I think they have some great cheap alternatives to stores such as River Island, Topshop, etc.

5. What designer are you willing to splurge for?
I don’t really have own anything majorly designer, the nearest I get to is American Apparel as I am always lusting over nearly all of their clothes! However I do plan on splurging on some Christian Louboutin Shoes sometime in the near future, or maybe some Jeffery Campbells!

6. Do you have a go-to shopping outfit?
Usually I just throw on a midi skirt, a look fitted T-shirt and creepers/converse, something that I can easily slip in and out of when trying on potential purchases.
7. What is your guilty pleasure? (Not including makeup)
Jewellery is a major obsession of mine! Literally wherever I go I end up being dragged away from it before I spend all to my name. The same goes for shoes, although I often splurge on tonnes of shoes then have hardly any clothing items to even wear with the shoes.

8. What is one staple clothing piece you cannot live without?
Probably my Underground Creepers, I wear them with everything! Relating back to the defining my style question, I have a grungy/feminine style most of the time as i wear my creepers almost every day.

9. What is a trend you hope never goes out of style?
Mom Jeans. I love them, I have nothing else to say about them than they are amazing and I can never part ways with them.

10. What trend did you love that passed way too quickly?

The cut away heels - similar to the Jeffery Campbell nightwalks. I LOVE this style of shoe, I bought some from boohoo as I am far too poor for nightwalks and I just feel that the craze has gone now and people would look at me strangely if I went out in them still. *cries*

11. Who is your fashion icon?
Mainly Miley Cyrus as she is utterly perfect and I love everything she wears, and of course I couldn't miss out Fearne Cotton and Cara Delevigne. I think my style is definately based around these three.

I TAG YOU! Yes, you the one reading this right now!
Make sure to comment your links below so I can check out your answers too!
Are any of your answers the same as mine?
 
thanks for reading!