Monday 11 January 2016

Kate Spade Cedar Street - Handbag and Purse Review.

So I had been after a designer handbag and purse for quite some time, and I had always really loved the Kate Spade collection for many reasons. Luckily the sales were on my side and i was able to get my hands on something special.


The Kate Spade Cedar Street range is one of my favourites, the Black especially is very classy and very simple. 

The handbag itself is a reasonable size as I wasn't after a vey large bag. My reasoning for this as when I go out, I don't want to be carrying tones of stuff with me like I have in the past, so I picked a bag where I could ensure I would only take essentials and my purse with me.

I also wanted something high quality which i can use for years to come as i have had a lot of cheaper bags and purses which really don't last me more than a year, so it was time for me to invest in something i could keep.

I did also want a bag in Black. I just find a black bag goes with absolutely everything, and as it seems i am, like many, going through that whole Monochrome style, I know it will fit the now and the future.

I too wanted something a little bit different. A lot of people where I live are really into Michael Kors, Louis Vutton and Mulberry (albeit it sadly you can tell a lot of it is fake), and I just wanted to be a little bit different. Kate Spade really isn't as huge in the UK as it is in America, so i was happy to find something designer that I felt made me look a little bit unique and not like everyone else.

Michael Kors, the affordable side of it, which was sort of the same budget I spent on the Kate Spade wasn't at all my style. I can't say I very fond of the Tote range everyone seems to be buying and the colour range isn't really my thing at the moment. I think the only ones I didn't mind were far into the £1000's which are so far from my budget I could never see me buying one.

I do like Mulberry, but personally right now, I cannot justify the price of that bag, and with me still being young, i wouldn't live with myself if i spent that much and accidentally ruined it. Not just that with wanting to get myself a car this year (if i pass my test) which is to me a much more at the minute, worth while investment than a bag i felt i needed to go down a notch. The one I like isn't in Black either, so this will be an investment maybe later in life when i feel like my life is a little more settled.

I went to several stores to check this bag out before i purchased it, and i did a lot of research on what people had to say online and i really was sold on it. It has been a few years in the making of purchasing these two items, which i would advise. It was one i came back to looking at time and time again and never regretted it.

When I received it i really was happy with leather quality which is is top notch. The bag itself feels sturdy and long wearing, and the brushed effect on it really adds to the design which I didn't really think i would love, but i really did. 


The lining of the bag is beautiful, the gold foil lining is beautiful of the spots and spades, and even the gold spade stuff is such a beautiful touch. The bag does not have any sections but it does have pouches and a zipper pocket. The pouches are useful for your phone and even passport if you are travelling and the zipper for anything you think might get lost in your bag. 

















You can clearly see the quality of the bag and how much goes int the detail, even on the bag zip, the Spade logo stud is on the zip. All of the hardware is gold which I do really love, I think it is very classy on a white bag. I find silver hardware on the black can be a bit dull and just doesn't seem as classy as gold. 



The same can be said for the quality of the purse which i was able to luckily get with the gold hardware, which it seems they have now switched for the silver hardware. I don't think i understand why they have done this because the bag and purse will no longer match.  


I really wanted the lacy over the stacey as i wanted enough room to be able to put my coins and cards in, this purse I really feel has so much space, especially compared to my old Cath Kidston red spotty  case.


I love the little spotty design, I don't mind that this is mismatched because I really love how well the black and white goes with the black leather and white design. I think the layout of the purse is great,  the zipper in the middle, coin slots to each side 6 cards slots on each side. What is also amazing is that it has two spaces for notes. This is a great for me as Europe is one place i go to every year as my dad lives half the year in Italy, so having that space so i can have Euro's in one side and Pound notes in the other is really going to be handy. 

All in all, for the price i paid (which actually was less than current as I got both of these in the sale) I am very thrilled with my purchase. Of course these are expensive, but I feel the price was right for the right moment. I know this bag and purse will last me for years to come and I can rest assured I know i will love this bag for a long time, and when it comes to it, i won't regret spending on this when it comes for a new change. 

DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post. 

Thursday 7 January 2016

Casetify iPhone 6 cases - Stay Gold and Marble collection.

I was on the hunt for a brand new iPhone 6 case, the only one i had was one of the first ones that were readily available and the case was getting more and more ruined so i needed something new. . So I decided to search the web and came across this site Casetify which i was thrilled with. The site hosts thousands upon thousands of amazing designs for your phone case and I was utterly spoilt for choice on which I should pick and these are the two i chose from the bunch. 



Hearts - This case is from a brand new collection called Stay Gold. This collection is a gold foil collection which is printed onto the design of the case which is a first i have ever seen like this, which really caught my eye. When you move the phone with the case back and forth (as demoed on the webpage linked) it reflects back at you and i thought that was such a cool idea. I can't say it does it as well than in the gif's on the site, which i was a little disappointed with, but it does look pretty good. What I also like about this case is the simple design, as a lot on the site have really loud patterns, which aren't really my thing. 



Gold Marble - This was designed by Mara Olga Klara, I can't say any of her other designs struck me, but this one i fell utterly in love with. I have to say i am a huge fan of the marble effect phone cases and other accessories, but I wanted something different from the standard white, grey and black ones i have seen. I think the gold element really made the case, it looks more unique and gives off a kind of classy effect to it. It isn't reflective  like the Heart case from the stay gold collection but the design really gives off the illusion that it does which is extremely clever.  




What i love about the cases is the band around the outside, i can really see how hardwearing and sturdy the case is, which i know if i drop my phone (which i have done) it will not break and will protect it.

I also love how the case allows you to clip in and out the back designs so you just need one frame. I wish i knew this though and i think Casetify really needs to change it's marketing on this because a lot of people could save a lot of money and even consider buying more backing case clips. This could have saved me some money, but i think i will find a use and give the case as a gift to someone and order some more back clip designs for myself and one for this case.

The pricing is fair, but if like me you live outside the USA you will be charged a fee to change this into dollars, so please be aware of this before purchasing, the products also get made in Hong Kong and ship to your country so please be aware if the item takes time to come.

All in all, i was extremely happy with the case and the postage service, i really have fallen in love with these cases and i think i will for sure be looking to order more from this brand and even for my iPad.




Note: This post is NOT sponsored by Casetify or any partners. 

Sunday 3 January 2016

2015 in Review





Hi there everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. 

I am sorry for my long absence, a lot of things happened this year and i wanted to briefly put them in review which i feel will clear up with my gap and will help me to move back into this year blogging with a clean slate. I feel like i'm letting you all in on some personal stuff here but i feel this will help me with the move into 2016.

At the Start of the year my Grandmother was sick and sadly had to be put in hospital. Over Christmas  2014 it was the sickest I had ever seen her and throughout January she didn't improve, except for one day, she was up and well and seemed like all was going to be ok. This was the last time she was ever going to be well and the last time i saw her would be my very last. She passed on the 20th January 2015. 

What makes me most sad, is she is the only grandparent i've really luckily had chance to spend time with. My other grandmother died when i was five and I never met my grandfathers at all.It was a funny feeling to deal with but i kept on and i kept blogging and posting as well as getting on with my life.

Life was a little slow, and then my father told me he was going to work in Venice for a year, this struck me a little, knowing his mum had just died and i was being left again by him. It wasn't any easy feeling but i guess now i am used to it.

The year went from ups and down, work got busy and life just seemed a little slow and not a lot happened. But i passed my theory test in April, which was something i really didn't think would happen.

June was a good month, my friends and I went on a day trip to scarborough which was really fun, we did all the cheesy typical things, the rides, the arcades and getting chased by seagulls on the beach and it was the hottest June day of the year. I also got to see Taylor Swift live, which was really awesome (I will be doing a blogpost about this soon) and she was really amazing to see live.

Life then got slow again, work got insane, we are in the middle of so many new product launches and a rebrand and it has felt like the most insane work year of my life. 

 But then the break came and I went to Venice to see my Dad, Venice is beautiful and a really stunning city to see, i even saw it flooded which for the first time going to Venice must have really been first time visitors luck. It truly is a stunning place and i am excited to visit this year.

I also went to see the Curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, i can't say my friends were that impressed with it, but i truly loved the show. 

Sadly then life took another sad turn, my uncle began to get sick, he went into hospital suffering from only minor sickness, but he was terminally ill with Cancer. We were up night after night, as nurses called my aunt and cousin in. And on October 29th, we lost him after a long battle.

This year has been a year of few ups and many downs, I lost two people who i love and dearly missed, and really i have felt more and more disconnected from friends and people in my life. It has been a hard one. This year, I want to change that. I want to do more, and maybe hope these people in my life feel like they want to reconnect more. 

I also will be getting back into blogging, the first few posts i want to do two posts on my trip to Venice and the Taylor Swift tour. I have a few things coming up in 2016 which i am looking forward to and hopefully i can plan more once i pass my practical test. 

Thank you so much for your support and i look forward to posting more this year. 

Lauren x