"Surprise, bitch"

Top - Primark, jeans - Topshop, shoes - Schuh, bag - Mango

So for those who haven't seen American Horror Story, you won't understand the title of this blog post. Basically the sassy witch, Madison Montgomery, says it after she returns from a long 'absence' (I'm not giving too much away hopefully). Since I've not posted since February due to exam pressure/stress, here's my post that basically says 'I'm back and I'm here to stay'... I'm planning on posting every day of Summer (depending on dodgy wifi in foreign countries) 

Advice tip #1: If you haven't watched AHS... watch it. It's brilliant. 

Everyone knows that I love a good bargain and so when I saw this top in the Primark SALE (who knew it could get any cheaper?!) for just £3 I knew I had to have it, especially since I was going to buy something similar off SheInside which was a little more expensive! Also, I can't get enough of the fish net trend so the mixture of block printed words and the fishnet makes me drool.

My advice tip #2 is for bargain hunters like me: I have been waiting for the perfect monochrome Roshe's to be restocked forever in Office and all the other shoe shops over Leeds and when looking to buy over the internet, I saw that most shops do a 'Youth' version up to size 5 that is basically identical and so that's what I bought instead! The tick is silver rather than white and saving £30... I didn't really mind and I can practically buy another pair with my savings!

G xxx

ps. I created a travel blog but I am going to post my travel posts in here and just tag them so make sure you check out those posts too !

FCK.

*Updated photos* 

coat - FCUK, shirt - Sophie's (second hand/vintage shop), skirt - Wolford, shoes - L.K. Bennett , bag - L.K. Bennett

 Woah, so I haven't blogged in forever now. But I am back from my long break, well for now. It's been deadline after deadline after deadline for me but now it's my half term and so I will try to blog about a few outfits in between the stacks of work I have been set to do. Today, I went for Sunday lunch at Trio, my local restaurant in Headingley with all of my family. Just went for the standard monochrome outfit but jazzed it up a little with this gorgeous rusted orange coat that I got for my birthday from my lovely friends. I realise that the coat looks no where near rusted orange in this post but if you follow me on twitter (@grace_mellor4) or instagram (@gracemellor) then you will have seen it more clearly. By the time I got home it was pitch black outside and the lighting in the house was not going to play nicely with my new camera (that I got for my birthday - WOOOP. It's waterproof & shatterproof so basically graceproof) and so we took a few snaps on my mums phone instead. *These updated photos are taken on my new camera* 

I've just realised how long it has been since I last blogged, I haven't shown you guys any of my christmas or birthday presents! Well, they should be coming in the next few days in the form of outfit of the day posts! 

I picked up this shirt at a second hand shop yesterday and I have fallen in love. It's a size 4 and she said that so many people had wanted it but couldn't fit into it so KERCHIIING. It's mine now muaha. It's so beautifully made and after lusting for the perfect white shirt for so long, it is much better than any white shirt that I have seen on the high street so I was absolutely thrilled. For all you people who think they're too cool for charity shops or second hand shops... shame on you! You're missing out. 

Hope to be writing for you all soon, apologies if I can't... I have a genuine excuse - work.

G xxx

Blue attack

white jumper - H&M, blue vest - Mango, skort - eBay, watch - Casio, shoes - FCUK

I love this jumper because you can wear another pretty colour beneath it and it just peaks through... not obvious, just a subtle slimmer. I kinda want to try a metallic-y material under it to create another type of look, similar to that of the new collection from 3.1 Phillip Lim (I love the way the collection contrasts a metallic fabric with a mesh and also his mixture of metallic on a matte suede, in the words of Rachel Zoe - I die). Notice the metallic shoes I wore ;)! 

G xxx

Vampire kisses

dress - H&M, shoes - Topshop

Looking back now, I probably should have worn a slip under this dress. I guarantee that I'll wear one next time, since I've just bought one especially for it. I didn't realise how see through it was until I made the pictures extra large WOW you really can see all the flaws can't you. But people still wear crochet right??

I'll be channelling Wednesday Addams tomorrow night... fun! 

G xxx

'I saw Regina George in army pants and flip flops, so I bought army pants and flip flops'

shirt - charity shop, chocker - Topshop, shorts - Topshop, shoes - gift

Kind of a play up day, this is what I wore to a party but I've changed it up a little bit... 

I think everyone must have seen the one and only Mean Girls, arguementally one of the most quotable movies ever. For any of you losers that might not have seen it, all the girls want to be Regina George and there's a quote which goes as follows: 'I saw Regina George in army pants and flip flops, so I bought army pants and flip flops'... which kind of reminded me about the way in which I ended up with these fantastic 'stripper' boots as my mum calls them. This may not be to everyone's satisfaction but I like Miley Cyrus, I think she's cool and when she's not over the top, her style is great too! Ok, I wouldn't go out on a casual outing to town in what she wore to the iHeartRadio concert but you get my drift... and once this little episode of hers finishes, I guess her style will be as cool, if not cooler than it was before! She seems like she's come out of shell, and I like it. ANYWAY (sorry about the rambling...), on the Jimmy Kimmel show she wore a pair of really expensive (unfortunately) suede, thigh high boots and I really wanted them so I told my mum and she bought them for me as a present. She regretted it when they were finally delivered and she saw them but up until then she was ok with it. I love them haha, but now she calls them 'stripper boots'. The end. 

G xxx

Girl get down in London town.

shirt - H&M (old), belt - Primark, shorts - vintage, wasitcoat - Zara, shoes - Office

I wanted to a post of me in my new pink goodies in order to make a logically link between this post and the last BUT the weather won't let me take nice photos. Therefore, I'll be posting this instead. Since I was supposed to go down to London on monday, but my train terminated in Newark Northgate because of overhead problems and so I was unable to go AND I was supposed to go today but the 'storm' (which is pathetic and pretty unnoticeable in Leeds where it's always grey and gloomy) has meant that all trains are cancelled, I thought I'd do a post about London and what I do when I'm down there.

Ok, so London is where I am supposed to live. I'm sure that in my past life, I lived in London and my current self is travelling there quite a few weekends to experience the culture and live as my past life did (or something like that... maybe I just like London because I love busy cities haha!) Anyway, this was the outfit I wore to London maybe 2 weeks ago... I can't really remember now. The weather outside may look dreary but these were taken in the morning before the train and I promise you that I looked up the weather forecast in London and the sun was shining. In fact, that day... the weather was glorious and I kinda regretted wearing black. However, I think I'm getting used to wearing black in the sweltering weather because I wear it so damn often! 

My trip to London was to visit a university for an open day. I really loved the university, the course, the building, everything was incredible! I am so looking forward to being a fashion student (hopefully!) haha, onwards and upwards! I was the only one who was by myself, without parents which was kind of funny and awkward at the same time, the lady at the reception even asked where my parents were but I'm reasonably independent and love travelling through London alone, because I feel like I can get so much more done in the small amount of time I'm there. 

After the open day, I went to the V&A and looked around the general exhibitions, which are amazing... it's just unfortunate I didn't have more time to look at them all in more detail. I went to the Japanese and Chinese exhibitions first because I find their cultures the most exciting and contrasting from our own. My textiles project from last year was concentrated on the Asian cultures (focusing mostly on China and Japan, coincidentally) and so it felt like something that I could learn more about and do more research on for my own personal fun! Then, I looked at the general fashion area of the V&A which was going through the eras of fashion, which was interesting as I was reading The Chronology of Fashion at the same time (so it coincided quite well)! After I had a looksie at those exhibitions, I went to the exhibitions I booked tickets for, Pearls and Club to Catwalk (my favourite of the two). Two amazing exhibitions if I must say so myself and I would love to show you pictures of them but it was no cameras! But I'll do my best to explain them: 

Pearls

This exhibition was about the origin of the pearl and how it became so sought after, showing the pearls in their natural form. The exhibition then showed the transformation of pearls within jewellery throughout the ages. It was absolutely beautiful to see all the jewellery that the queens and the decorations the king have worn over the years and it really came in handy with a specific part about Coco Chanel, who I'm researching for my EPQ. It also showed modern uses of pearls and how they are extracted etc. For anyone interested in jewellery, accessories or nature's beautiful pearl itself... I'd really advise you to go see this exhibition!

Club to Catwalk

For someone who's more keen on fashion than jewellery, this was my favourite show out of the two. It was a wonderful array of outfits designed by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, John Galliano, Betty Jackson and so many more, going through each stage of club attire from New Romantic to Glam Fetish to Punk. I honestly can't explain how amazing this exhibition is mainly because of the variety of different outfits and eras... it would take me a year to write and this post is long enough now! Honestly, whether you love fashion or not, I think this is an amazing exhibition to see just to make yourself aware of the culture in London in the past! Incredible.

This has been a long post (for me), so I'll wrap it up here!

Have any of you being to these exhibitions? I'd love to know your opinions!

G xxx

ps. don't look at the colour of my legs... I am so pale at the moment (nothing wrong with being pale, I just don't suit it!) and I hate fake tan so I have to wait until Christmas for my holiday in order to get a tan!... and my shorts are so weirdly placed in the last picture. I didn't have a camel toe walking around LDN I promise haha!

Tuxedo

leather jacket - vintage, shirt - Zara, jeans - Topshop, shoes - Office

Short monochrome post... 

I wear black an awful lot, but today I decided to jazz it up with some 'colour' ... white because I'm still not over this monochrome trend (probably because I always wear black anyway haha!) I love this black and white shirt, it's so crisp and looks like a tuxedo but with the colours inverted and because it's white, it goes with everything! 

More and more to my delight, it matches my new shoes! How cute are they by the way?! I remember being in Cannes during the summer and going past the Celine shop and gawping at the amazing display which included the gorgeous black and white heeled loafers but some of you young bloggers/blog readers will understand... a few hundred pounds isn't really in price range for me so I went on my way and cried my self to sleep over the fact that I couldn't have those perfect shoes (ok, that was a slight over exaggeration... but you get my drift). UNTIL, I came across these shoes in Office which were £62... a bargain compared to the real deal. The loafer with just the right sized heel so I can walk around town for a whole shopping day and not be uncomfortable, perfect. Not only that, but when I went to pay I discovered that they had been reduced by more than 50% to £26! I was so thrilled, as you can all imagine. If you want to pick up the same bargain, click here or alternatively see below and admire the true Celine's. Try not to drool all over your keyboard.

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G xxx