Style on a Sunday: Cat obsessed

My dress has cats on it.

 

 Dress: Warehouse, Cardigan: H&M, Leggings: New Look, Shoes: Primark

It's a pretty good dress, right? I think when I first saw it on the Warehouse website it was £40 but I managed to pick it up for £25! What a bargain, when I would have paid the original price if I'd had the money to spare.

I wore this to lunch with my mum, dad and nana, who are currently up in Yorkshire on holiday to check out the area before they hopefully start to think about moving up here next year. 

Also, following the news from a couple of weeks ago that I passed my driving test (woop!), I have now also been promoted at work - yay! It's been a tough first 4 months of the year, but now I think the rest of the year is going to be awesome. 

Finally, yesterday we ordered the Entertainment Extra package on our Sky so we have all the music channels, so while I'm typing this Ryan is flicking through all the shiny channels and I'm singing along to Justin Timberlake, my Saturday nights are pure rock and roll.

What are you up to this weekend?

P.S. I know I promised another beauty review in my last post, and it will be up this week, promise!

Bank Holiday

I love Bank Holidays. I especially like them when Ryan gets them off work so we get a three day weekend together. Anyway, this is what I wore today to drive to Xscape (yes, I passed my driving test), have a look round the shops and get a hotdog from Primo's.

Top: New Look, Leggings: Primark, Cardigan: Primark, Shoes: Missguided, Necklace: ASOS, Scarf: eBay

I've been struggling to think of ways to wear these leggings, but I do really like them with grey tones, so I may look for some long grey vests...

Again, I'm wearing my favourite shoes right now, seriously, I wish it was nice enough weather to wear these every day as there's something about having cat faces looking back at you which just makes you smile.

What makes you smile when the weather is grey? 

... And I'm back

I can't actually believe how long it's been since I posted - it feels like a couple of days, not a couple of months! An outfit from the weekend to start, then we'll talk.

Dress: Primark, Cardigan: River Island, Leggings: New Look, Shoes: Missguided, Necklace: New Look, Belt: ASOS

Life took over. I took a break from blogging because I was feeling uninspired and all my free time (or so it felt) was being taken up with driving lessons and driving practice ahead of my first test in February. I failed. So then it was all about my second test, which was on the 2nd April, and I failed that too. Now I've only got a couple of weeks until my third test and it hit me this weekend how much I miss writing my blog. With work as busy as it is, and my need for driving practice, my posts will not be regular, I just can't manage it. However, I'm here! So say hello!

So, the outfit. I bought this dress from Primark last week and I'm completely in love - I want it in every colour! It's just so simple and easy to dress for work and for weekends. On the same shopping trip I picked up this necklace from New Look on 'Buy one get one free' and the leggings to replace some holey pairs I've been wearing too often recently. I really love the leopard print and the grey together, but I'm also thinking it will look fab paired with pink and denim in summer. I hope they do make them in different colours, as it's a really great shape and fit too. Not much to say about the shoes, apart from that they rule. I love them more than any other pair of shoes I own. I'm slowly building my collection of cat-themed clothing, too.

So, what have you been up to while I've been gone?

All dressed up with nowhere to go

Feels like all I do recently is dress up nicely in outfits that I want to feature on the blog, but I never have an opportunity to take some photos. I wore this outfit for a trip to Tesco and then a trip to see friends. What an exciting weekend...

 

Jumper: H&M, Leggings: Primark, Vest: Topshop, Boots: Next, Hat: River Island

I love outfits like this, for me this is the perfect balance of fashionable and lazy, and lazy is my middle name. The leggings were only £6 from Primark and they fit really well, but I often find their leggings are rubbish, so it was a bit of a risk buying them. The jumper is from the January sales this year and the boots are falling apart. Basically, this outfit is a bit lame. Apart from the hat, the hat rules.

What's your go-to lazy day outfit? 

Coffee and Cake

  Top: Primark, Jumper: Primark, Trousers: Next, Shoes: Primark, Jacket: Next, Scarf: Forever 21, 
Necklace: Claire's Accessories, Ring: VIPXO

 

Wore this outfit to go for coffee and cake (or a mango smoothie and a sandwich in my case) on Saturday with my best friend from school, which was lovely. I didn't have a clue how hot/cold it was so I went for layers! I think it is now altogether to rainy and icky to wear these loafers - how else do I style these trousers?! What shoes go with chinos in winter? So confusing. 

 

I'm off to London tomorrow to see my mum, dad and my nana, along with a lot of dogs, and will be revising loads for my theory test on the train. Annoyingly my train is about 3 and a half hours home to Leeds so I might be crying by the end of it. Wish I could travel first class because my back always kills after long train journeys. Anyway, must finish packing, but I promise I will be back to blogging properly soon, long days at work and endless revision just isn't a good combination when you're like me and fall asleep at about 10pm on the sofa every night.

Kittens & Prints

Top: HMV, Jeans: New Look, Cardigan: River Island, Shoes: Converse

I wore a very similar outfit to this today, and felt a bit stupid, mainly because I wore fake Uggs because my feet were cold and it looked pretty ridiculous. Anyway. This outfit is from last Saturday when me and Ryan went to the supermarket. I also wore the t-shirt and jeans for my driving lesson in the morning.

This week I have mainly be worrying about my driving theory test and being busy at work. On Tuesday we hosted a bloggers event at La Tasca in Leeds and it was lovely to meet some lifestyle and food bloggers, I definitely want to try and include more food and lifestyle posts on Coyne-Operated Girl, as I think winter will definitely mean less outfit posts, the time has come when I'm not at home when it's light out anymore. I hate this time of year more than anything, I hate going to work and coming home in the dark and even though I don't suffer from SAD, I think all the darkness gets me down a bit. Anyway, my evenings will be infinitely better this winter due to our little kitten friends, I think as soon as I get in the door every night they are all over me! It's awesome.

How do you get through these long winter months? I feel like I should do more with my lunch hour - any nice places to go in Leeds for walk/sit down/general relax on a lunchtime?

Style on a Sunday: I Feel Pretty

So, do you remember last week when I went on and on about this dress from LOVE? Well, I found a similar dress from Rare and it arrived this week and I wore it last night and it's amazing.

Dress: Rare, Skirt (worn underneath): H&M, Belt: Mark & Spencer, Shoes: New Look, 

Necklace: Claire's Accessories, Bag: Matalan, Ring: VIPXO

I wore this for the wedding reception of one of Ryan's relatives and I just felt so pretty in this outfit, you know when something just makes you feel good? The only problem with the dress is that it's super short so I had to wear a stretchy black skirt underneath, but I really don't think you can tell, and this one was only about £3 (you can get it for £1.99 online). Apart from that the dress is exactly what I wanted, and I found this belt in the M&S Outlet and the necklace in Claire's (I know, but it's nice right?), then teamed it with one of my favourite bags, which you can't fit anything in. Perfect.

What do you think of the 'mullet hem' trend? Would you have styled this dress differently?

Friends Like These

Top: Topshop, Chinos: Next, Cardigan: Forever 21, Shoes: Primark

I wore this for work and then dinner with the lovely Jen and Lucy on Thursday, we went to YO! Sushi for yummy food and a good natter. I know it will sound a bit silly, but it's been really nice for me to find some "girlfriends" up in Leeds, most of my good friends are scattered all over the country and it can often feel like everyone I know up North is Ryan's friend, not mine. But it's after-work dinners like this that make me feel like I have my own little life up here and now just 'Laura and Ryan's life' (which is pretty awesome, we do have a house and two kittens, it rules if I'm honest!).

Anyway, the outfit included my wonderful new Chinos from Next and this trusty Topshop blouse that has unfortunate holes in the netting after a few years of wear. Sob.

p.s. right now Bertie is sitting on my lap watching the words appear on screen and hiccuping. Sookie is pretty fascinated by the tapping noise of the keys and is sitting on the sofa next to me. Kittens combined with blogging makes for a fun Saturday early evening! Now to watch Doctor Who and X Factor while eating pizza and jelly babies. Yum. 

What are you up to tonight?

 

A Mature Pink

 
Jumper: Next, Top (worn underneath): Next, Jeans: New Look, Jacket: Next, 
Shoes: New Look, Necklace: Forever 21, Scarf: Forever 21, Nails: Models Own Coral Reef

This jumper arrived yesterday from Next (I ordered on Saturday night, what amazing service!) and I couldn't wait to wear it today. Although now I have realised it is a fluff-spreading jumper which is determined to make my home and workplace pink, I think that maybe wearing it wasn't such a good idea.

I felt quite ladylike in this outfit, I love this pink colour, it's quite mature for a pink, I think.

Charity Shop Cardi

Oh look, it's that dress again.

Dress: Clothing at Tesco, Cardigan: Next via Charity Shop, Leggings: New Look, Boots: Next

I love this dress, it's bright and summery, but a nice shade of pink for the autumn months as well and when I found this cardigan at the weekend I knew they'd be a good match.

There's a charity shop in our village which we try and go into whenever we're near but I've never bought anything, there's not a lot of clothes choice and my dreams of finding amazing dresses are scuppered on every visit. I once found an amazing maroon top which I thought would have been perfect for work and play, but unfortunately I had no money and was too proud (yeah, really) to ask Ryan for some change. That top will forever remain the one that go away.

This cardi is originally from Next and is a lovely fabric and a good fit. I've worn it buttoned today to give this dress a different shape, but I think it will work open as well. Good find I think.

What have you found in charity shops recently?

Daily Routine

Where do you find time to blog? Let's start with an outfit:

Top: New Look, Leggings: New Look, Cardigan: Primark, Scarf: Forever 21, Shoes: Clothing at Tesco

Right now, my day goes a bit like this:

06.00: Alarm goes off 

06:30: Get up - brush teeth, do my hair, get dressed etc.

07:00 - 07.30: In this time I have to feed the cats, feed myself and get my lunch stuff together. At the moment I am also putting eye drops in the kittens' eyes. Oh, I also take outfit photos in this time, like the ones above.

07:35: Train to work

09:00 - 17:30 (roughly): I'm at work, for an hour at lunch I try and catch up with blogs

18:16: Train home

19:00: Get home

Then I have the rest of the evening to eat, watch TV, play with the kittens, spend time with Ryan, blog, catch up on other blogs, and you know sometimes we go out and do stuff. I'm also always in bed for about 11pm. That's only 4 hours.

I'm feeling the strain a bit, and you may have noticed that my August blog posts have been quite sporadic and I'm not commenting on other blogs as much as I would like, which annoys me. Blogging is something I really enjoy and I'm just trying to make it work alongside my already hectic schedule. 

How do you find the time to blog? I'd really love to know how you fit it in - any tips are welcomed!

P.S. While writing this post I have been trying to watch WWE Raw and have had two kittens climbing on me. Yawn. 

Bank Holiday Monday

Who doesn't enjoy a bank holiday Monday? Three-day weekends are amazing, but I never get to spend my extra day off with Ryan as he normally has to work them (this doesn't include Christmas) - which means I normally spend the day doing not much waiting for him to come home, and today was no exception (maybe this will change when I can drive/have a car!)

Top: Topshop, Jumper: H&M, Leggings: New Look, Belt: ASOS

Today I wore my scruffiest lounging clothes, played with the kittens, did some washing and ate copious amounts of cornflake cakes. I also watched a lot of Man v. Food on Good Food. Productive, eh?

What have you been up to today?

Colour Pop My Mood

Yesterday the weather and my mood made me choose all black, today the weather and my mood made me crave some sunshine and therefore colour from my wardrobe:

Dress: Clothing at Tesco, Cardigan: Forever 21, Leggings: New Look, Boots: Next, Necklace: Forever 21

I took these photos in my dining room (we only have one room, but it's the dining room end of it) at 7am with the rain drizzling down outside. I was tired, my hair is flat but I was up to go to work and this is what I wore to brighten up my day. Funnily enough Rachel said she put one some white trousers this morning to combat the poor weather, we were really brightening up the office.

What do you wear to improve your mood?

P.S. Excuse our messy room! The light was best here because of the patio doors but the background is NOT my favourite.

Iron Maiden

 

Dress: H&M, Leggings: New Look

Off to go and see Iron Maiden tonight with my dad and Ryan, wearing florals because I wanted to look pretty in hospitality (oh yeah!).

What are you up to tonight and what are you wearing? (not meant to sound creepy)  

From Day to Night with One Dress

Yesterday I had my first day at my new office (I was out with clients on my first day on Tuesday) and in the evening me and Ryan went to the cinema to see Captain America. I didn't have much time to get changed so simply added some different accessories to change the outfit, and I think it worked quite well.

For the Office:

Dress: Clothing at Tesco, Leggings: New Look, Shoes: Barratts, Belt: ASOS, Necklace: Asda

For the Cinema:

Dress: Clothing at Tesco, Leggings: New Look, Sandals: Primark, Necklace: ASOS, Hairband: Primark, Ring: vipxo

I took these photos inside (due to aforementioned lack of time) but the lighting is so rubbish, so apologies. I'm not sure what I'll do in winter, as I'm never at home when it's light... that's a depressing thought, I forgot how much I HATED last winter. Any advice on taking photos indoors and not then ruining them with editing would be very much welcome.

How do you take an outfit from day to night?

Style on a Sunday: Doing My Chores

This weekend has been a weekend of chores, which included trips to Ikea, the White Rose Centre and Asda on a busy and hot Saturday. It wasn't exactly fun, but this is what I wore:

Top: Forever 21, Jeans: New Look, Sandals: Primark, Stone Ring: VIPXO, Necklace: ASOS

These jeans were found in my parents' loft when I went home this week to sort out the boxes of stuff I have left in London since I moved to Leeds last year. They fit me perfectly and apart from a little hole in the bottom of one leg they are in perfect condition. I can't for the life of me remember why I stopped wearing them: it was a good little discovery.

As I'm sure you can tell I went for comfort over haute couture yesterday but added a bit of glam with my new VIPXO ring, which is definitely my go-to glamorous but easy-to-wear item.

How do you make your weekend chores a bit more glamorous? Or do you just give up and wear jogging bottoms and an old t shirt?

Style on a Sunday: A Fashionable Night In

This is a typical outfit for a night in with friends, I go for comfort while still feeling pretty with something to keep me warm when the house gets chilly at about 10pm.

 

Dress: H&M, Shirt: Levi's via my dad, Belt: ASOS, Leggings: New Look

This dress is great for just throwing on at a weekend, but can also be worn for work (even though I have issues with mixing my work and weekend wardrobes) and yesterday I thought I'd team it with this classic shirt which my dad gave to me a few years ago. I remember I wore it to college (so 5 years ago now!) and people looked at me like I was crazy. Now denim shirts are worn everywhere by everyone and rightly so, fashion is funny like that. I would like a denim shirt this colour that I could button up, but considering this is a man's shirt and apparently my dad used to be very skinny that is never going to happen with this one.

What do you like to wear on a night in? Do you have any pieces from your parents which you make work even if they don't fit(!)?

P.S I know I'm not wearing shoes, but I never wear shoes in the house, so thought it would be silly to include them in an outfit post. Although the floor on our driveway was a bit chilly - brrr. 

Old favourites from Primark

It wasn't until I uploaded the photos of this outfit that I realised that it involves a lot of Primark. I know there is a lot of debate over Primark, and the high street in general at the moment, but one thing I've never really found with Primark is that it's awful quality. Many items that I have bought there have lasted me a long time, these items have both been in my wardrobe for over a year:

 

Jumper: Primark, Vest (worn underneath): H&M, Shorts: Primark, Necklace: ASOS, Tights: Primark, Shoes: Primark

I had no idea what I wanted today so I reached for some old favourites (the jumper has featured in a Style on a Sunday post) that I've never worn together before and I really like it, although I wish it had a bit more colour. To tackle that slight problem I think this could really work with a pair of coloured tights instead of black opaques. Although I'm still at home on my mini holiday from work, I also think this would be a great outfit for the office too - maybe with a jacket? Anyway, I'm rambling...

What do you think of Primark? Have you been disappointed with the quality of their pieces?

Smart for Summer

As you may know if you follow me on Twitter or by passing mention on the blog, I am starting a new job at the beginning of August and this week I spent a few days meeting one of the clients I'll be working with. I wanted to look smart but not too overdressed and when I found this dress in my local supermarket I had to pick it up because I knew it was perfect. Please excuse the slightly poor quality photos - it was far too dark in the living room but it was raining outside, so I just had to make do (with my new tripod - yay!).

Dress: Clothing at Tesco, Jacket: Next, Belt: ASOS, Tights: Primark, Shoes: Primark

I'm completely blown away by the quality of the Clothing at Tesco collection right now, I came away with three dresses and I think I could have bought a few more! I teamed this floral number with black jacket, black tights and black pumps to retain a professional feel, also so it would be suitable for the dreary autumn weather we're having - I've learnt from Jen that florals should not be put away for the winter months!

Do you enjoy shopping for clothes in supermarkets? Have you picked anything up recently? I'd love to know.