2016

 (The back of my head, hair by NotanotherSalon)

Hey girl, haven't seen you in a while!

I wanted to do a post on 2016 so far... Because, let's face it, what a weird crazy ex boyfriend of a year this is! This year has been pretty mental for more reasons than one, from BREXIT to the sad passing of numerous celebrities... there's been some serious drama and sadly not of the Netflix variety.

For me this year got off to a weird and wonderful start when I was headhunted for a job in Barcelona. I quit my UK job and packed my bags (mainly with shoes) and headed over to Spain. It was an amazing experience and I'm so lucky that I was able to do it and learn a bit of Spanish on the way, but various factors and the passing of my incredible Grandma meant it just wasn't for me.

 But wait admitting that I needed a change .... it actually wasn't that sad!

Being the most indecisive person in the universe means that it isn't easy for me to choose which kind of Poptart I like best, let alone making life decisions. But for some reason, deciding to make a change for the sake of my own happiness seemed pretty easy and this is the point of this post. I know it's easy to give people advice, including yourself, that if life gives you lemons make lemonade lalala ... but I think sometimes we lose focus on ourselves and our own feelings. I was trying to make something work that actually wasn't making me happy... I had the job, the boyfriend*, the gorgeous loft style apartment and a good salary and was probably the most unhappy I've been in a long time. Don't get me wrong, this is a total first world issue and it wasn't all doom and gloom, but it was a major step for me and one that I'm sure many 20 something year olds have been through before me.

 I'm now back in England with a new job that I start next week and I'm feeling all fluffy and refreshed after a week-long break driving round Italy from Rome to the Amalfi coast (and yes Amalfi really is as cute as Pinterest suggests) And this isn't a preachy self happiness post, it's been good for me to share it with you guys, but I think it's important to remember that there's a lot of unhappiness in the world and we need to focus on our own happiness before we can try and improve anything else. And sometimes, behind the glits and glamour of social media and filtered photos, things aren't great but that's OK, because we're fortunate enough to be in a position to make a change.


"If you don't like where you are, move. You are not a tree"


Penny

XO

* .... Just like to point out that I still have the boyfriend and as far as I'm aware I'm still his girlfriend.

Beautiful Barcelona

(Sunglasses QUAY AUSTRALIA, Fluffy jacket H&M, Boots Dr MARTEN, Bra ASOS, wet look leggings TOPSHOP past season, faux leather jacket New Look, Dior looky-likey sunglasses EBay)

Those of you that follow me over on Instagram ( @penelopesarah ) will have seen that I spent this weekend in beautiful Barcelona. This was a last minute city break with the boyf but it turned out absolutely amazing! We stayed in a private room in the GENERATOR hostel and our room was absolutely beautiful from the amazing tiles in the bathroom to the pure luxury of having our own terrace!

We spent our days roaming the city, looking at the incredible Gaudi buildings and Cathedral and washed it all down with authentic Spanish food at the markets and lots of Spanish beer and wine. I haven't visited the city for about ten years and it had changed so much. If you're planning a trip, I'd recommend staying in the hostel as its walking distance to Sagrada Familia and they do a mean Goat's cheese salad! My favourite area is the Gothic Quarter where you can visit the food market and also sit in the sunshine with fresh bread, cheese and a slab of Spanish omelette! (there's even veggie options)

All in all, we had the best time. Until next time Barcelona!

Peace and Love,

Penelope

XO

BOOHOO WINTER WARMER CHALLENGE

(CO-0RD, maxi cardigan and faux fur scarf all BOOHOO, phone case from China and trainers from Korea)

This post officially symobolises the transition into my Winter wardrobe. The amazing people over at BOOHOO sent me a challenge to find a Winter outfit for just £40 and obviously I HAD to go for something fluffy! I'm pretty into wearing what I like to call "outdoor pyjamas" right now so this two piece in amazing soft jersey and a long maxi cardigan are an absolute match made in heaven for a slouchy winter look.

The ombre fluffy scarf has fast become one of my favourite pieces for Winter and I was pretty impressed that the whole look came together for £40 exactly. There was so much to choose from, but I'll definitely be heading back onto the site with more orders!

I teamed the look with these fluffy faux fr trainers I picked up in Korea (just to add even more fluff) and my glittery mouse ear phone case that makes my life ten times cuter.


Keep it Real,


Penny

XO

#SLEEPWELLSHOPWELL

This is what happens when you give a group of bloggers an impressive pudding...

(Dress Vero Moda via ASOS .... It's in the sale so its a bargain! , boots ASOS, coat Native-Youth, bag Monki)

Heyyyyy guys and Happy Sunday!

This post is a little delayed due to the fact that I've been travelling around the world again! This post is about probably the best blogger event I've ever attended.

Living in Manchester and working full time/travelling a lot, means that I miss out on a lot of amazing blogger events as they're mainly based in London. So I was so excited when I was invited to an event that was right on my doorstep! I absolutely loved the idea of staying in a hotel and seeing the city through a visitor's eyes! I was given a lovely room at the premierInn which was amazing as it's right in the middle of the Northern Quarter, my favourite part of the city. the event was hosted by Megan from Pages by Megan (my fave northern beb) as well as premierInn, Front Row Society and Propellernet.

We started the night with definitely the biggest meal I have ever ever EVER eaten! San Carlo Fumo provided so much food that we thought it was the end of the meal when we finished the starters. My fave dish was 100% the giant truffle gnocci.... absolute heaven!

We were given the chance to ask each other blogger related questions and it was great to see some old faces as well as meet new people and find out about their blogs too. I wore a seriously cute star print dress by Vero Moda and my dreamy ASOS boots (obvs) as well as my grey over coat from Native Youth that I designed myself.

Like I mentioned, I'm always so daunted by blogger events as I normally cant attend and always feel so overwhelmed to meet so many new people. A lot of the time, people assume that all bloggers are crazy social butterflies and love attending parties and events.... which I do. But sometimes walking into a room full of amazing girls and women that you don't know can be really intimidating, and having a blog doesn't make it any less scary! But luckily the vibe was amazing and we had the best time!

I really enjoyed the event and to top it off we were given a gift card to spend in the Arndale on the next day, it was so lovely to look at my own city with fresh eyes and notice things that I walk past every day.

Thank you for making me fall in love with my hometown all over again.



Have a good week people!

Peace and love,

Penny

xo

#IPartywith RIVER ISLAND

(All items c/o RIVERISLAND all items are linked below)

Winter is already upon us once again guys and although it's my favourite time of the year (you get to wear all your clothes at the same time, what's not to love?) This means that the party season is  and with that comes the annual struggle of finding that perfect party outfit.

 Contrary to popular belief, sometimes I do gt dressed up and go out (that's right, and I even do my hair sometimes) But seriously, it's not all about dressing like I'm wearing pyjamas or throwing on T shirts and jeans.  Although, getting ready for a night out is probably my most favourite part! So I was pretty happy when the guys over at River Island got in touch and asked me to put together my perfect party outfit.

Naturally I went all out with statement accessories as that's kind of my thing at the moment and picked this amazing multi coloured faux fur clutch and "tassely"  amazing zebra shoes! And then decided on a change from the little black dress and opted for this beautiful dark orange wrap dress which is perfect for Winter and will definitely be re-invented for a Summer Wedding next year! I decided to hitch mine up but this can also be let down for a perfect Midi style for more modest ocassions!

So there you have it, my perfect party look from River Island!


Let me know what you're wearing this party season and I'll see you on the dance floor <3


Massive Love

Penelope

XO

That's right people... A sock bouquet is actually a thing

(c/o The Sock Shop Manchester)

As a blogger, I receive some amazing things through the post. However, this week I received my first ever sock bouquet... Which not only amazed me, it blew my tiny mind! That's right people... those pretty little pink roses in the photos above are actually perfectly formed Pringle sock flowers arranged with some amazingly fragrant eucalyptus leaves... I know. MIND.BLOWN

The guys at the new Sock Shop store in Manchester Arndale (my local shopping mecca) were lovely enough to send me one of these sock filled delights to celebrate their new store opening and I couldn't be happier with it... I also don't think I've ever been this excited to receive socks before.

So there you have it. If you like flowers or socks or novelty gifts... get yourself down to the Sock Shop quick time and get some treats for your feet!!

Lots of Sunday love

Penny

XO

Public Desire have me throwing my feet in the air

(Beautiful shoes c/o Public Desire)

The lovely guys at Public Desire are so good to me! o happy to have my paws on the amazing Valerie shoe. This is the perfect Winter party shoe and looks so next season Gucci right now. I plan on wearing mine with bright midi dresses or slacks and a shirt for a fresh retro feel. And the best thing is... They're now only £16.99 in the Sale!

Get yours HERE


Outfit post to follow!

Peace, Love and Puppy dogs.

Penny

xo

The perfect watch: Daniel Wellington

\

(Boots ASOS, bangles from Morocco, watch c/o Daniel Wellington)

Just a quick post today as I'm currently suffering with a pretty serious case of tonsillitis which I'm putting down to the crazy British weather we have RN. But I'm glad that I have my shiny new Daniel Wellington watch to look at to cheer me up (as well as a giant mug of tea of course).

Anyway, back to my beautiful watch, I've been eyeing these bad boys up on my quest to find the perfect everyday watch in black and silver... And Daniel Wellington well and truly answered my prayers with the Classic Sheffield ladies watch! I'm so picky when it comes to watches and never want anything too big or flashy, just a watch that can be worn with anything whether I'm head to toe in sequins or just completely casual.

But the best thing about this is that you can get yourself 15% off your very own watch or as  gift for someone else... or even a gift to yourself, with my personalised online code "fashion-fade" But hurry, because you only have until 15th October to claim your discount! Just head over to www.danielwellington.com or click HERE

...So while you're all getting your paws on a beautiful new watch, I'm snuggling up for an evening in bed with my best friend... Netflix so that I can get better for London Fashion Weekend!

Peace out

Penny

xo

Flowers are Forever

(Flowers: The rosebud bouquet by Appleyard London)

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to receive a gorgeous bunch of flowers from the guys over at Appleyard London. Normally I don't review things that aren't fashion related but recently I've felt like I'd love to introduce a wider range of posts featuring my travels and other things that I get up to ... You know, other than wearing clothes!

But I'm not writing this post just to gloat about my beautiful flowers, because I have a treat for you guys too. If you'd like to treat a loved one, or yourself, or your dog to a beautiful bunch of blooms then you can also use my exclusive code MANC33 to get yourself 33% off Next day flowers with Appleyard.

...Unfortunately the puppy isn't included but they did last a whopping 10 days which was pretty impressive!

Let me know if you do use the code! I'd love to hear which bouquet you select!

Peace, Love and flowery things

Penny

xo