Garden

Vienna: Schonbrunn Palace

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

This is my final post on Vienna, but I saved the best for last. We were staying a little way out from the city centre, but the upside to this was that we were within walking distance of the Schonbrunn Palace. This was formerly the summer palace of the royal family but is now a museum and park. The park and gardens are free to visit – but there is an entry charge for the rooms inside the palace as well as some other parts of the grounds, including a zoo.

I’ve never seen anything like this before. The gardens took hours to explore and there were surprises round every corner, but the palace itself completely took my breath away. We loved it so much that on our last day when we had a couple of hours spare before we had to be at the airport, we went back for more. 

I wanted to experience a classical concert whilst I was in Vienna so I opted to go to one of the nightly concerts held at the Schonbrunn in the Orangerie – where Mozart himself once performed. It was a little pricey, but an unforgettable experience.

Cream Top: Zara
Cream Shorts: Warehouse
Navy Playsuit: Vaudeville and Burlesque via Urban Outfitters
Sunglasses: F&F
Shoes: Primark
Bag: Jane Shilton at TK Maxx

Bows, Buttons and a new Bag

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

Photography is still a bit of an unmastered art form for me – I have a fancy camera and every intention of learning how to use it but life/work keeps getting in the way. Added to which I nearly always self-shoot for the blog and rely a lot on the self timer. So I was really pleased with how some of these photos turned out. (Just wish I knew how I did it!)

DSC_0389 copy

I wore this outfit to work this week. The shoes are from Dorothy Perkins – sadly they don’t stock them anymore but they do have something similar. The white vest top is from Primark, the sunnies are from F&F and the skirt is one of my favourites – I bought it from Mango a couple of years ago. It’s wrap-around so the waist always fits perfectly and it looks really pretty with the bow detail at the side.

DSC_0396 copy

DSC_0423 copy

I wore it with my old favourite – my topshop denim jacket (which goes with everything) and I accessorised with my shiny new bag! It’s by Pieces and I bought it in the ASOS sale. I love the rafia look and feel – it’s by far one of the best bargains I’ve found in the summer sales.

DSC_0416 sq copy

Savvy Shopping: ASOS now stock Primark – so if you can’t be bothered treking into the town centre (and it is a bit of a trek from my place) then you can now get it delivered to your door for free!

A Rare Find

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

This is one of my all-time favourite outfits. It’s just so comfy to wear and believe it or not it works for both Summer and Autumn/Winter. When the temperature drops, I layer it up by wearing the shorts with brown tights, putting a white vest under the T-shirt and adding a red cardigan on top. (I’m lucky enough to be working in a creative industry where there’s quite a relaxed dress code, so I’ve worn this winter-version to work before.)

DSC_0368 copy

DSC_0366 copy

(How lovely does my Mum’s garden look in the evening sunshine?)

DSC_0372 copy

The T-Shirt is from Rare but I bought it at Luan Matthews (a boutique shop I go to often). You can’t see the full length here, but it is super-long. I always take it on holiday with me as it’s perfect for wearing over a bikini as a sort-of dress.

DSC_0356 copy

The shorts are a trusty old pair from New Look. I bought them a few years ago and they’re just starting to fray around the edges (and they’re looking a little crumpled here so sadly I don’t think I’ll be able to wear them to work much longer…)

DSC_0357 copy

P.S. Yes… I go barefoot a lot at home. It can be a bit risky with so many animals about, but what can I say? I live life on the edge!

Savvy Shopping: You won’t find Rare on the high street yet, but if you want to try before you buy then Topshop usually stock some items. Or if you just want to avoid delivery charges you can also find some lines on ASOS.