A Night in the Roaring Twenties.

Last week myself and Craig went to a Prohibition Party in the Bloomsbury Ballroom. It was literally the bestt night. As soon as we walked into the ballroom I felt like I'd time-warped back to the 1920's.

The Prohibition Parties take place every month at a 'secret location' with dancing, cocktails, (pretend) gambling and amazing fashion. The 20's dress code is strictly enforced which only adds to the fun. I loved getting all dressed up - even if we did attract a few odd looks on the tube there.

As you walk in you're handed a fake $100 dollar bill which you can use on their gambling tables. Although I had no idea how to play and lost every round it was really fun to pretend and really enhanced the 20's theme.

The cocktails were also soooo good, and one of mine even came in a tea-cup!! The bar staff free-poured too so by the end of the night we were ratherrrr 'happy'.

There were two live bands on the night in separate rooms playing some brilliant twenties songs that got everyone up attempting the Charleston. You could actually go to a dance class before the real event began if you really wanted to truly emulate the era. We were happy enough making our own moves up though.....not sure if they were something to be proud of looking back though....

It was such a good night though and really different to a normal night out. The next party is on the 28th June and you can get tickets here if you fancy! I'm away at Glastonbury but I so want to go again and take all my girl friends!

Aimée
Xxxx

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The Work-Life Balance.

The past two weeks or so has seen blogging take a definite back seat. I've struggled to find the motivation to get out the laptop and write after work or even at the weekend.

Moving in with the boys has definitely made me want to spend the evenings being sociable with them rather than tapping away at the desk. I so miss the blogosphere though and have so much more admiration for bloggers who post daily whilst still maintaining a full-time job. I genuinely don't know how they do it!

Another reason I think I've lacked motivation is that I've been rethinking the direction that I want to take this blog. I started Dress It Up after falling in love with beauty blogs and deciding that I wanted to take a leap into the make-up world too. Over a year later however and my blog taste has definitely changed. Don't get me wrong, I still love beauty blogs but I love lifestyle blogs. Having an insight into someones life is so fascinating to me. I love gazing at pretty pictures of a bloggers day trip or their newly refurbished kitchen.

Basically, I'm a nosy bugger. Sue me.

So essentially this post is to say; I'm back! I'm aiming to return to my organised posting self but with perhaps a slight change in the content. I still have an obsession with products and that won't go away, but you may be reading more of my life thoughts too.

Hope you've all had a wonderfully long weekend!

Aimée
Xxxx

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p.s. The picture above is the view from my bedroom window - I love how pretty London looks in the sun ♥ 

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Weekly Highlights. #21

L-R: Selfie time, Yummy cakes made by Katie, Pimms, Moving day, Pie and Afternoon Tea. 

This week has been full of packing, food and sun!! I've had rather a delightful week, and as I sit here writing this in my new flat I feel right at home. :)

1. Last Saturday I went to my very first Hen Do!! Craig's brother is getting married in July so I went along to his fiancé's do! We had afternoon tea at westminster abbey which was really lovely, we were in a sort of atrium which was really pretty! The scones were soo good too and for 20 quid with a glass of prosecco I thought it was pretty damn good! :) We then went to Udderbelly on the Southbank for Pimm's and ended up with dinner at an amazing Turkish restaurant!

2. Monday was moving day! It was surprisingly unstressful contrary to what my mum was expecting I think! But it was a good day of unpacking finished with a yummy dinner made by Joe and a hella lot of pimms. :)

3. Finally, I have to give a shoutout to Craig and the amazing pie he made last night! It was a veggie layer pie - lentils, aubergine, ricotta and lots of other yummy veg. It was literally so good and looked amazing in real life! My picture almost makes it look like a humoungous toastie don't you think? :)

Well that's my week! I'm writing this in a slight rush as I need to leave to catch a train! But I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Muji Storage.

So as you may have guessed I've jumped on the very pretty Muji storage bandwagon! I've always lusted over every review of them, and finally decided that on moving out it'd be the best storage solution for me.

As I'm sharing a room with my boyfriend I wanted my make-up to be neatly packed out of his way but also to be pretty and easy to get to for me! Muji storage fits the bill perfectly. Stacking everything in its drawers was weirdly pleasing to do - especially my lipstick layer!

I got the drawers as a Birthday present from my lovely mummy, but I picked them out! I got the 3 drawer unit and the 2 drawer wide unit which I stacked on top.  The 3 drawer unit is really quite thin so definitely not suitable for foundation bottles. Its perfect for lipsticks and eyeshadows though! The top two drawers have a much wider depth and you can fit a lot more bulky makeup in. Although, I've just used my top drawer to house all my current everyday makeup.

I bought my drawers in store, and although I'd already read many reviews that said how small they actually are in person I was still a little surprised. So if you buy them online, you've been forewarned! haha

The drawers are so affordable though, which makes me not feel quite as bad about possibly buying another set in the future! 5 drawers are clearly not enough....ahem ;) I also really love being able to see all my make-up through the clear acrylic. Makeup packaging is so pretty nowadays anyway so we might as well show it off!

Have you been tempted by the Muji storage?

Aimée
Xxxx

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The Lunch Break Post: Moving.

Once again I'm back with excuses as to why I don't have a new post prepared! Bad blogger = me. Oops! This time however its due to me finally moving in with the boys into their flat. Wahoo! Its been a slightly rushed affair so I didn't actually have time to schedule some posts in advance. So instead I thought I'd utilise my lunch break at work to keep you in the loop! :)

So since graduating University I've been living back at home in London with my parents, which has been lovely - but anyone who's been to uni and then returned home will tell you that the sudden lack of independence starts to grate ratherrrrr quickly.

Whilst I was living at home, my boyfriend made the move down to London and initially rented a room in our best friends Joe's parents house. This worked out well for a while, but obviously he wanted somewhere of his own. By this point Joe had moved back home, and his boyfriend Will was also living in London. Obviously, the flat hunt begun!

The boys actually moved in two months ago now, but due to a certain lack of funds and employment as you know from my Weekly Highlights - I hadn't been able to join them until now!

I'm really excited to have moved out and into a rather lovely little flat! Its also only 5 minutes on the train from where I work too which is so much easier than the hour commute I had from home. Its a split-level flat too which makes it seem like our own little house and it has the most gorgeous view over London.

So essentially, if you notice different backgrounds in my photos - that's why! ;)

Back to work for me now, I hope you're all having a lovely day! And with any luck I'll have my overdue April Favourites up this Friday :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Salted Caramels

Salted Caramels. Oh my. Is there anything better?? I made these caramels as little gifts at Christmas and I've been thinking of them ever since! So the other weekend I figured life was too short and I should just make myself some caramel. That's a valid reason right??

I used a recipe from Shutterbean which you can find here. Tracy who runs Shutterbean has some amazing recipes on there so its definitely worth a look!

The caramels are really easy to make, and use hardly any ingredients too which is always good. You will definitely need a food thermometer though. It also does get superrrrrr hot so be careful!! I learnt my lesson after burning myself last time I made them and genuinely thinking my hand would never not hurt!

But seriously, I urge you to make them! They taste so buttery, creamy, salty, decadent....shall I continue? Or are you already scouring your cupboards for the sugar? ;)

A few notes on the ingredients! As Tracy is American a few changes do need to be made. Corn Syrup is just golden syrup to you and me and heavy cream is simply double cream. For the Salt I really would recommend using Maldon's Sea Salt Flakes (which you can buy in Sainsburys!). They really are the best and you can use them in so many things! If not, any rock salt will do.

Let me know if you make them! I actually made these two weeks ago and have only gotten round to posting now, so I won't lie - I'm tempted to make them again! Why do I have no self control!?!

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Weekly Highlights. #20

Clockwise From Left: Ikea planning with Craig, Latte from Monmouth ♥, Craig very excited by the first frame up in our room, tasty dinner with Craig and the unique coffee making process in Monmouth. 

This week I have literally taken 5 photos. Just 5! I'm usually so snap happy so I'm not entirely sure what was wrong with me! I have had a rather busy yet lovely week though!

1. On Saturday my best buddy Amy came over, and we with the help of Craig made my famous Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie! Craig has been bigging this up to Amy for ages and I was worried he'd over hyped it! But it definitely didn't disappoint! The only problem is now that I want it again!! 

2. On Sunday myself, Katie, Craig and my Mum went to Ikea which is alwaysss a treat. Me and Craig got a few exciting things for the flat. But basically I just enjoyed walking round the shop! Homeware is literally one of my favourite things to buy - its like at some point in your twenties a home-maker is suddenly awakened in you and you find yourself getting far too excited about chopping boards and making comments like 'IKEA's Utensil selection wasn't very good today!' ....oh dear.

3. Finally, a coffee related highlight! I work in London Bridge which means Monmouth Coffee Company is within daily reach. Monmouth seriously do make the best coffee and I've recently experienced just how amazing their brownies are too! A definite must if you're in the area :)

So that's my week! How's yours been? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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My Style Evolution.

I'm quite a sentimental person and looking back at old pictures is one of my favourite pastimes. So with that in mind I thought I'd take a look back at how I've evolved throughout the years, from a baby to the present day. Whats immediately apparent, is that I had some interesting ideas on how best to style my hair...

As a 90's child I was never destined to be as stylish as the toddlers I see running around today! But I don't think my mum did too bad; cute little dresses are always a winner! The end of the 90's and early Noughtie's seemed to take a turn for the worse however and my love for black trousers came in to play. I'm not entirely sure how this begun, but I vividly remember literally living in black trousers. Its funny how I seem to have come full circle when it comes to clothes - as a child I was never out of a dress. Cut to the age of 10 and trousers were my thing. I wouldn't be caught dead in a dress and I HATED washing my hair! Then cut to the present day and my wardrobe is overflowing with dresses and I spend far too much time on my hair!

In 2002 I started High School and appeared to begin a love for the 'Jane Eyre' hairstyle as I like to call it. It definitely was NOT a good look for me, and my puppy fat was only accentuated by it! Oh dear..Also how delightful was my school uniform? I was a shining beacon. Check out 2003's amazing fur lined jacket too. That was a favourite for many a year!

2004 saw the feeble beginning of my interest in fashion. It started off slow, mainly with lots of long necklaces to 'jazz' up my outfits. But that era of my life was definitely the birth of my love for the more girly side to life! That was also the time of my love for skinny jeans! From 2005 I started cutting my hair really short, which I REALLY regret now!! Why oh why did I do it?! So frustrating! It didn't even suit me..ahh the joy of hindsight!

In 2008 I finally acquired contacts and could get rid of the glasses I'd worn nearly my whole life! It was a very exciting time for me!! Especially as I could buy my first pair of sunglasses - too exciting, trust me. By 2009 I'd started growing out my hair again and was still loving my long necklaces. 2012 saw me make the most momentous hair decision I'd ever made..... having a fringe cut in. I know, groundbreaking. But it was for me. I'm SO glad I decided to do it though! By 2013 I was getting even crazier and decided to jump on the Ombré trend and dresses were back on the menu in full swing!

And here we are, in 2014. I don't know if I particularly have a "style" now, but I'm definitely the most comfortable I've felt in my own skin for a while and I definitely think that's a good thing.

How's your style evolved?

Aimée
Xxxx

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